FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

QUES: How can I use this new spy pen?

ANS: This new spy pen has FOUR operating modes. Video with audio / Audio separately / Snap picture taking and can be used as a motion activated surveillance camera. In the motion activated mode it will record video and audio, save the file when the subject leaves the field of view and standby for the next motion to activate another recording.

QUES: How much recording space is on the 4GB memory?

(USE 2 X FOR THE NEW 8 GB SPY PEN)

ANS: Approximately 2.25 hours of video with audio recording time in the 640 x 480 resolution. Choosing the highest resolution; 1280 x 720 (no appreciable difference) will reduce the memory capacity. Conversely choosing the low resolution setting; 352 x 288 (very acceptable resolution) will nearly double the memory capacity.  Because it is a spy camera and not a hand held camcorder, most covert recordings are typically less than a minute or two. Used in this fashion the memory will easily accommodate more than 100 covert videos. If used for actual evidence gathering choosing the lowest resolution which is very acceptable will nearly double this number.

QUES: How many snap pictures will the memory hold? 

ANS: Thousands. A picture uses up less than 400 KB. Three pictures are roughly 1.2mb. There are 1000 mega bytes in ONE Gig. The memory is 4 GB. Similar to taking video, you’ll run out of power long before you run out of memory.

QUES: How much audio only recording with the memory hold?

ANS:  A ton!  One minute of audio recording uses around 1.9MB of space.  Rounding it out to 2MB per minute uses up120MB of memory in one hour.  This extrapolates into 8 hours of audio per Gig. The memory is 4GB.

QUES: How long does it take to charge the spy pen?

ANS: Approximately 1.5 hours via connected to your computer or with the AC charger

QUES: How long can I expect the power to be maintained using the camera in the manual mode to take video, audio or snap pictures?

ANS: Approximately 90-100 minutes.  Because of very limited space the polymer lithium battery is only the size of your fingernail but keep in mind it is only depleting its charge when you are using it. Once you’ve finished your recording turn it off, thus conserving the power.

QUES: What happens if the unit powers down before I’ve saved my recorded files?

ANS: The files will automatically be compressed and saved.

QUES: Will using the unit to record only snap pictures or just audio increase the battery life or power on time.

ANS:  No.   Snap pictures or just audio separately will use significantly less memory but the power consumed is the same.

QUES: What is the purpose of having a 4GB memory if the maximum on time can not utilize it?

ANS: Think of it as having more film in the camera. If you can’t get to a computer to transfer your files and can only charge the pen via the AC charger you still have memory or "film" left in the camera.

QUES: When using the pen as a hidden camera and setting it in the motion activated mode how long will the camera maintain power as it sits in standby waiting for something to enter the field of view?

ANS: While "waiting" in the standby mode the unit is still using power. However since none of this power is being used to record the unit is using power at its slowest rate. Repeated tests in our office shows the pen fully charged will maintain power up to 112 minutes.  Once the unit exhausts the battery it will shut down and not record any motion.  

QUES:  Is there anyway to maintain the power to the unit indefinitely in the motion activation mode in case nothing happens for hours or days?

ANS: Absolutely! There are TWO options for using the pen as a covert hidden camera. 

Option 1.  If you know the "person" will enter the field of view within the available power on time it will work wonderfully. An example would be an owner of a business leaves his office for a 30 minute lunch and suspects during this absence somebody is entering his office.

Option 2.  More to the point to address this specific problem. Typically in surveillance we are not aware when the "suspicious" activity will occur so this new spy pen has the option of staying powered indefinitely. The unit comes with an AC charger than can be used to charge the pen if you don’t have access to your computer. In the product tour video it fully demonstrates how you connect the pen to the AC charger. Doing so will keep the unit on indefinitely in the stand by mode.

The video gives a couple of examples but there are many creative ideas to place this pen and connect it permanently to the AC charger.  Keep in mind most surveillance video is typically only a minute. With the 4GB memory now fully accessible the unit will stay on and continue to record until the memory is full. It is suggested that when using the pen camera in the motion activation mode you choose the lower resolution that will deliver very acceptable results and will increase the memory capacity.

QUES: Is the battery replaceable? And how long will it last?

ANS: The battery is not replaceable or serviceable. The battery is a lithium-ion battery and will accept hundreds of charges. Like any device with this kind of battery the initial 5 charges are very important. These types of batteries have a "learned" memory. It is important to use up all the power and to charge the battery completely the first 5 charges. Just like a new cell phone, if the battery is only ¼ used and you charge it to full and repeat this a few times you’re conditioning the battery to only hold a ¼ charge. This being said you should get a lot of use from the spy pen.  Like any battery including your cell phone and car battery it will eventually start to diminish and hold less and less of a charge

QUES: In the standby surveillance mode how far will it "see" to activate the unit? 

ANS: Since the unit is not placed out of doors most rooms are no longer than 25 feet.  The unit will pick up motion at 20-30 feet and you’ll also hear the included conversation if there is any.

QUES: What happens when the subject leaves the field of view?

ANS: Once the subject is no longer in the field of view of the camera lens the video will close out in approximately 10 seconds. The video (file) is saved to the memory and the unit will then "wait" for another entry into the field of view. 

QUES: What is the field of view?

ANS: Approximately 70 degrees.  The field of view is a subjective description.  It is not exact science.  If you were to take a picture with the snap pen holding it one foot from your subjects face, naturally you’ll have mostly his face in the picture.  The further you move back the wider the angle. The same applies with recorded video.  The Camera’s lens is limited only by what is in front of it. Thus if the pen is placed in a cup and is facing a wall only 5 feet away you’ll have a close up video of the subject and likely will not see his feet. Conversely place the pen where it has a clear view out over a room 20-25 feet and the subject is 20-25 feet away then you’ll have a very wide angle video and see everything.

QUES: Can the pen take just snap pictures in the motion activated mode?

ANS: NO.  In the motion activation mode the pen will take only video WITH THE AUDIO.  You can not disable the audio.

QUES: Can the date and time stamping feature be disabled?

ANS: NO.  It will always appear for video with audio and on snap pictures. You can see this in the sample videos on the site.  Without date and time stamping your computer will date the video and pictures at the exact time you download it and save it.  This could be hours if not days after the actual recorded evidence.  With date & time stamping the date and time will be "stamped" at the precise time of the actual recording and will always be there every time you review the file.

QUES: Is this a low light camera?

ANS: That is a subjective question. The unit has a 1 lux rating which means it’s pretty good in low light; but what is low light? If a room is pitch black you’ll have NO video, but nobody is moving around in a room with no lights.  Generally if there is enough light for a human to see you’ll have some video. Keep in mind the quality of surveillance video is also a very subjective issue.  If you suspect one of your employees or a person you know then even if the video is not like a hi-def commercial at Super Bowl half time you can still identify them… then your "mission" is accomplished.  You have the evidence you need.  Conversely somebody else may view the same video and announce there is poor light and I can’t see his face… but to you it does not matter because you know who it is…..   If the pen camera is being used for "entertainment" purposes than naturally you want the highest quality video and to achieve that perhaps you’re in control of the environment.

QUES: How are videos, (files) and pictures retrieved from the memory to watch on my computer?

ANS: This is really computer "101". The pen camera is just like any digital camera. You connect it to your computer via the USB cable and once recognized you open the file and save it to your computer.

QUES: What driver or software do I need to install on my computer?

ANS:  NONE.  The device will easily be recognized by your computer. 98 / ME / 2000 / XP / Vista / Windows 7 / Mac OS 8.6 or higher /

Laptops and Notebooks  

QUES: How do I delete the memory on the pen camera?

ANS: Again, basic "101".  While the unit is still connected to your computer, deleting the file will also delete it from the memory. If you have not previously saved the file to your computer you have now lost the file forever.

QUES: Are there any lights or LED’s that will be noticed by anybody?

ANS: When placed in your pocket or being held in your hand at a meeting the front part of the pen (the clasp) is all that is visible. On the opposite side there is a tiny hole no bigger than a pin head. YOU the operator would have to look inside it to see the mode light. It does not shine out or cast a light for anybody to notice.

QUES: Does the pen actually write?

ANS: Yes

QUES: How does the pen operate and change modes from video/audio, pictures, audio separately and motion activation.

ANS: The operation of the pen camera is very simple. The entire operation is discretely and easily controlled by depressing the recessed button on the top of the pen. All the functions and operations can be mastered in a few minutes of practice.

IMPORTANT:

QUES: Can I use the pen camera in the manual mode to take video, pictures or audio while it is connected to the computer

ANS:  NO! Never do this under any circumstances. Connecting the pen camera to your computer is to only charge it or download data. Your computer has recognized the hardware and it is now "connected" to the memory. DO NOT EVER press the on/off button to activate an action. This will cause damage to the unit and could render it inoperable forever. Conversely since the pen will operate in the motion activated mode connected to the AC charger you could manually take pictures or video but it would seem unusual to do this as it would negate the covert nature of the product.