ISIS Modifications:
An Explanation of What We do Different…
We've had really good response from our clients on the Sting. We've sold literally hundreds of them this year to Law Enforcement and Government Agencies. Both of these groups have had their own "shoot-outs" to compare several different body-worn mini-DVRs and the Sting won hands down each time. I've personally tested almost everything on the market and the Sting is the only one I'd buy with my own money. The resolution is better, ease of use blows everything else out of the water, and it's small, light, compact, and durable. Plus, you don't have to use special software to view the recordings - Windows Media Player is all you need, and that comes standard on just about every computer using the Windows Operating system. Best of all, you don't have to download the files off of the Sting to view them! You can attach the Sting to a computer with the supplied USB cable and play the recording while it's still on the Sting. Gotta love it!
We do some alteration to the Sting kits that we sell that makes them a bit better than you will find from other vendors. Let me explain.
POWER MODIFICATION: For one thing, the Sting is great because you can power a camera from the internal battery - just plug it in. This is great because you don't have to have a separate power supply to run the camera thus less weight and fewer pieces to conceal. The only problem is that the Sting only puts out 5 volts DC, therefore you were limited to using lower resolution 5VDC cameras with the Sting. We designed and custom-built a special circuit board that will allow that 5VDC battery to run a higher resolution 12VDC camera. All of our cameras made for the Sting include this circuit board. Why is this so important? Well, what is the point in having a high resolution recorder and a low resolution camera? The "chain is only as strong as its weakest link" so to speak.
CASE MODIFICATION: The Sting already comes with one pouch built into the carrying case so that you have a place to put all of the accessories that come with it. We modify the case to include a second pouch so you have a convenient place to put the camera(s) that you're going to use with it. This keeps you from having to carry around more than one case and keeps you from getting vital pieces separated and lost.
STING MODIFICATION: While the Sting is a great unit, we’ve found ways to make it better than it was when it left the factory. We upgrade EVERY STING WE SELL and even enhance the Sting's overall performance at no extra charge. If, unfortunately, you bought your Sting from someone else, we can upgrade it for a fee of $150.00.
Append File Correction: For one thing, with a standard Sting, when you record a file and then want to record a separate file, you have to turn the unit off and then on again to get that second recording on a separate file. Otherwise, it just appends the second recording to the end of the first and it's more than a bit cumbersome to deal with if you only want to see that second file. Well, we alter the Sting configuration to correct this. With our Stings, you automatically get a separate file each time you start recording - without having to turn the unit off and on again in between recordings.
Remote Fix: Something we found on a great majority of the Stings we've ordered is that the vibrating remote switch tends to disconnect from the Sting very easily - this is not good since at times when this happens the Sting stops recording. We modify the remote to make sure that it stays plugged into the Sting when you are using it.
Boot Faster: Another modification we offer is to force the Sting to boot in about half the time it normally takes (ours boots in about 15-19 seconds rather than 30-35 seconds).
Expanded Memory Allowance: The normal Sting has a limit of 4GB of recording space. We modify the Sting to allow for up to 8GB of storage and higher. In order to get the higher range you would need to use an 8GB Compact Flash card, but we do have them available.
Windows Media Player Codec Fix: On some computers we have seen a bug that causes Windows Media Player to not recognize the files created by the Sting. This is an easy fix and we include the software and the instructions for correcting this frustrating problem in every Sting case that leaves our office. Most vendors will supply the file, but you have to go to a website to download it. Not ISIS - we include this software in every Sting Kit we sell.
TESTING: WE TEST EVERY SINGLE UNIT before it gets shipped out. Other vendors do "lot" testing, meaning that one in ten will get tested. We also "burn-in" both the Sting and the camera(s) we send with them for a period of time. For example, all cameras and Stings get burned in for at least 24 hours. Some of our clients require 96 hour burn-ins. Depending on how fast you need the unit and what your requirements are, we can adjust our testing schedule to your needs. We do this to make sure that the Sting won't fail when you get it and use it for the first time.
CAMERAS: Because the guys who own this company all used to be undercover officers, we're pretty grounded in what works and what doesn't. Given that, we make sure that all of our exposed board cameras are rubber-dipped to reduce the amount to heat generated by the camera. There's nothing like trying to run a covert op and have a hot camera pressed against you for an extended period of time. Another thing we've incorporated into our Sting cameras is a tiny hearing-aid microphone that has unbelievable sound quality while remaining super-easy to hide.
That's the gist of if. As you can see, we do quite a few alterations to a typical Sting that you'd buy off of the internet or out of a catalog somewhere.
The Warranty on the Sting DVR is good for one year from the date of purchase. That's doesn't cover the Microdrive or compact flash cards and non-manufacturer defects - such as dropping it off a building. The warranty on our cameras is one year from the date of purchase and 90 days on labor.
If you have any questions or need information I have not included here, just call me or email me at the contact info below:
Thanks!
Wes Rossman
IT Director
ISIS Surveillance Systems & Equipment Company, Inc.
phone (903) 533-1712
fax (903) 533-1713
info@SurveillanceCam.com
* WARNING: All AUDIO equipment can only be purchased by Law Enforcement or Government agencies and must accompany a Purchase Order # or Company Letter Head for approval.
