User`s guide

AIRSHIP © 2009
Page 27
Power Surges are just what they sound like, too much electricity in the wrong place. There
is no good way to experience a power surge, so you MUST protect your equipment from it.
(The same goes for your home computer, too!)
Get at minimum a basic Surge Protector, one which protects the Hot, Neutral, and the
Ground wires. Basic Surge Protectors with MOV elements die protecting everything plugged
into them. Be sure to plug in your DVR and monitor. Better a $20.00 Surge Protector dies
than an expensive DVR or Monitor. Have extras on hand, just in case…
Uninterrupted Power Supply
When you manually “shut down” the DVR, it gets to put all its tools and services away so it
can remember to take up right where it left off. However, whenbefore the power suddenly
goes out, the DVR WAS working, as in, it was busy doing lots of stuff. If you are lucky,
when the power comes back on your DVR will wake up and start. Sometimes that isn‟t the
case, requiring a full system Recovery (using the Airship Recovery Disc)
An Uninterrupted Power Supply (UPS) keeps everything running until you can shut the DVR
down safely. Some UPS can tell your DVR when they are going to run out of power and
shut the DVR down, gently. A UPS has electronics and must be protected from Power
Surges, too, so a UPS goes between your DVR and the Surge Protector. In other words plug
the Surge Protector into the wall outlet, the UPS into the Surge Protector and the DVR and
Monitor into the UPS.
Air & Cooling
Hot electronics are unhappy electronics. Airship DVRs and most computers use air to stay
cool. Don‟t put the DVR in a closet, down low to the ground or stuff them into a corner.
They need Air to breathe and not overheat. They move a lot of air (and whatever else is in
that air) through them, a lot more air than a typical computer. When “stuff” (dust-bunnies,
dirt, sawdust, etc...) gets trapped inside the DVR they slow the airflow which makes the
DVR run hotter than it should.
That leads to performance issues and hardware failures. At the very least, keep the space
comfortable for a person – preferably a bit cooler.
Maintenance
Periodic maintenance is necessary. It shouldn‟t take long and won‟t have to be done often
unless the environment you have the DVR in is hot, dirty and dusty. You need to keep its
intake air clean and cool. Filters have to be changed and cleaned regularly or the airflow
will slow which leads to failure. If there is an accident or a fire, don‟t forget the DVR kept
breathing during that event and is now full of whatever was in the air whether it was
smoke, Flame Retardant or dirt and dust. Clean it ASAP or it will shorten its life.
First Launch
Consult the System Integrator's Guide for installation steps, including H.264 Encoder Driver
installation, IP Camera setup, Licensing, and minimum system requirements.
First Login