Photo Sentinel MINI User manual

Quick Start Guide

MINI

Ver. 1.0

CONTACT

Support + Contact

INDEX

Setup Tips

Quick Start Guide

Network Setup

Network Troubleshooting

4 - 5

6 - 7

If you run into issues not covered or resolved by this quick start

guide, additional information can be found on our website:

photosentinel.com/support

Our support team in Melbourne, Australia can be reached by

phone during normal AEST office hours (9-5 AEST, Mon-Fri), or

any other time by pre-arrangement. Our timezone is Australian

Eastern Standard Time (+10GMT, +11GMT in summer).

+61 3 9434 7352

support@photosentinel.com

Phone:

Email:

SETUP TIPS

TEST BEFORE INSTALLING

CHECK SYSTEM ALERTS ARE TURNED ON

A key feature of your photoSentinel is the alert system that will

send you an email and/or SMS if there is an issue with your

equipment.

Your system alerts are switched on when your system connects

over the cellular network for the first time. However, we still

encourage you to manually double-check they are turned on.

The number one technical tip for use of this unit is that you set it

up and test it before going out into the field to install it. Because

the system integrates with complex cellular technology, you may

need to manually configure the equipment to work with your

local network. Therefore, to save you time, money and stress at

the installation site, it is imperative that you set up and test the

system before you travel to install it.

To check the alert system is switched on:

Log into photoSentinel Control Hub at setup.photosentinel.com.au

Select your unit from the dropdown, navigate to the Conﬁg page,

and scroll down to Advanced Settings.

Confirm the checkbox is ticked for Send me warnings when this

photoSentinel exhibits faulty behaviour.

Next, navigate to My Details by clicking on your username in the

top right corner of the window, and then click on Edit.

Scroll down and confirm the checkbox is ticked for Email me

system warnings when potential problems arise. If you want SMS

alerts, tick the checkbox for SMS critical warnings to me and select

the hours between which you wish to recieve SMS alerts.

Click Save.

QUICK START

QUICK START FOR THE MINI

1Log into the photoSentinel

Control Hub and configure your

photoSentinel for testing.

Insert your SIM card and check

that the microSD card is already

installed in the controller.

Switch the photoSentinel

controller ON.

4Switch the controller into Camera

Bypass mode, switch on the

Fujifilm X-A3 and set up the

camera. Switch the camera off

again at completion of setup.

5Switch the photoSentinel

controller to Normal mode. The

system will power on the camera

and take a photo, and upload it

over the cellular network.

Allow 5-10 mins for upload.

(See LED guide over page.)

6View the photo on the web

gallery to ensure it has uploaded.

7Repeat steps 4-6 until you’re

happy with the photo that is

uploading.

Go to setup.photosentinel.com.au

If you are a new user, you will have recieved an

email with your login credentials.

Select your photoSentinel from the dropdown

menu, then navigate to the Conﬁg page.

For testing, set both the photo frequency and

upload/connection frequency to ten minutes.

Check the camera’s on-board time and date

settings are correct.

Adjust any other settings you wish to. The

Fujiﬁlm X-A3 comes set up for long term

time-lapse shooting, but you may have some

settings you wish to change.

Frame your photo.

Take a photo and view it in playback to make

sure the camera is saving to the micro SD

card in the controller.

Switch the Fujiﬁlm X-A3 off. It should remain

off for normal photoSentinel operation.

The photoSentinel controller will attempt to

connect to the cellular network for the ﬁrst time

using a series of pre-programmed APNs. If it

ﬁnds a working APN, it will connect and upload

a photo.

If, after trying all the pre-programmed APNs,

the system still does not connect, you will need

to manually program in your network’s APN.

For how to set your APN, see pages 6-8.

Go to setup.photosentinel.com.au

On the Galleries page, click on your

photoSentinel unit to go to the photo gallery.

QUICK START

8Place the provided silica gel

sachet into the photoSentinel

Mini housing.

Double check the window is clean.

Check that the photoSentinel is in

Normal mode and is switched on.

Replace the camera unit back

into the housing and tighten the

four screws.

Go to setup.photosentinel.com.au

Select your photoSentinel from the dropdown

menu, then navigate to the Conﬁg page.

The most common regime is to set the photo

interval and upload/connection settings to the

same frequency to ensure consistent syncing

of operations.

In Control Hub adjust the photo

interval and connection settings

to the desired ongoing regime for

your project.

SHOOTING WITH THE MINI

To perform a one time auto-focus on the camera, point it at the

subject and push the Fn button next to the trigger button. This

will auto-focus the camera once, and then leave the camera in

manual focus.

To operate in photoSentinel NORMAL mode, the camera power

switch on the Fujifilm X-A3 must remain OFF.

To change camera settings in CAMERA TEST mode, turn the

Fujifilm X-A3 camera power switch to ON, adjust camera

settings, and then switch the camera back off.

Setup Complete

APN SETUP

SET THE CELLULAR NETWORK APN

The Access Point Name (APN) allows a SIM card to connect to

the internet. To find your APN, either do an online search (your

SIM card provider + APN) or call your network provider’s help

desk. As one provider can have multiple APNs, make sure you

get the APN for your particular network plan. If it’s unclear which

APN is for your service, you may have to try multiple APNs to

find the right one.

SMS the APN to photoSentinel

1Make sure the photoSentinel is

OFF and insert the SIM card.

Using your phone, send an SMS to

the photoSentinel SIM card with

the following format:

APN=your.APN (where your.APN is

replaced by the relevant APN).

Turn the photoSentinel ON and

check the LED indicator light

sequence for successful

connection (see opposite).

Insert the micro SD card into your

computer (using microSD-to-SD, or

microSD-to-USB converter).

Export the APN via Control

Hub and microSD card

There are two ways to set the APN.

Log into setup.photosentinel.com.au,

select your unit from the dropdown and

then navigate to the Config page.

Scroll down to Advanced Settings and

enter the relevant APN.

Click on Export Settings to File at the

bottom of the page.

Ensure the photoSentinel is OFF and

insert the microSD card.

Switch the photoSentinel ON (Normal

mode) and it will install the new APN.

Check the LED light sequence for

successful connection (see opposite).

Save the downloaded file (default.xml) to

the root directory of the microSD card.

APN SETUP

LED INDICATOR LIGHT SEQUENCE

1Insert the SIM card and turn on the photoSentinel.

2LED alternating cyan/green - System start up.

3LED solid yellow - A photo will be triggered.

4LED solid blue - Trying to connect to the internet.

5LED flashing green 1 second - Trying to determine APN.

6aLED flashing blue 1 second -

APN identified and the

photoSentinel has connected to

the internet.

LED flashing green 0.2 seconds -

Cannot determine the APN;

requires manual configuration.

Successful Connection Unsuccesful Connection

7aLED flashing blue 0.2 seconds -

The photo is being uploaded to

the photoSentinel server.

LED solid red -

Failed to connect to the internet

or failed to complete file upload.

The photoSentinel will sleep for

two minutes and then try again.

8aLED solid green -

The photo has been successfully

uploaded. After two minutes the

photoSentinel will go to sleep until

the next scheduled activity.

If left on, the photoSentinel will

repeat this process indefinitely

until it recieves the APN

information, so turn it off until

the APN can be configured.

If the LED indicates successful

connection, log into

setup.photosentinel.com.au

and check that the photo has

been uploaded.

If the LED indicates an

unsuccessful connection, try

another APN or check the

guide on the next page for

other initial SIM card issues.

APN ISSUES

COMMON CONNECTION SETUP ISSUES

Below are troubleshooting tips for common issues that may

occur when trying to connect your photoSentinel to the cellular

network for the first time.

SIM card has a

PIN lock

Cause SolutionDescription

Some SIM cards have a PIN lock

which needs to be disabled for

the photoSentinel to use the

SIM card.

You can remove a PIN by

inserting the SIM card into a

mobile phone and disabling the

PIN in your settings, or ask to

have it removed at purchase.

SIM card hasn’t

been activated

Some SIM cards require

activation before they can be

used.

Contact your network provider

to activate the SIM card.

Cellular network

is not WCDMA

photoSentinel uses the common

cellular technology WCDMA (aka

UMTS/HSDPA). Some providers

use a different, incompatible

cellular technology.

Check that your network is

WCDMA. If not, you’ll need to

change your network to one

that is WCDMA.

Provider needs

IMEI number

The network provider may have

locked the SIM card to a certain

device and it needs to be

unlocked.

Ask your provider to remove the

IMEI lock on the SIM card. If

they need the IMEI number of

your photoSentinel unit, you

can find it on your unit’s Status

page in Control Hub.

SIM card is

device-locked

Some network providers lock

their SIM cards to particular

devices.

Contact your network provider to

get the SIM card unlocked.

SIM card

requires

username

and password

Very occasionally, an APN will

require a username and

password, particularly if the SIM

card is on a corporate plan.

Find out the username and

password, and contact

photoSentinel headquarters to

arrange for these to be added to

your photoSentinel.

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