bgriffin, the reason I want my PV-500 Lite3 repaired is that it cost me hundreds of dollars!
These DVRs are fragile. I once had the L2 and I loved it more than the L3, but I damaged it by trying to insert the SD card backward. Somehow it bent the catch mechanism. Once I got the SD card inserted correctly it could never be removed. The DVR worked after that but eventually the sound went out and I had to trash the L2. Too bad the L2 is no longer available.
I took your suggestion and tried two different cameras on the L3. Neither one worked. It is so strange. The DVR turns on fine. The red button with the little camera icon appears in the upper left-hand corner when I push Record. However, the screen stays black and I get a "No Signal" message. In the upper right-hand corner, the time counter ticks away as if it were recording. When I stop recording, the time counter continues. That is not supposed to happen.
The L3 is so idiot-simple I love it. It's just ON and OFF. I use it every time I shop regardless of the type of shop. It helps me capture timings and details easily and precisely. My biggest complaint about L3 is not being able to control the volume. The EVO is the one I rarely use. For some reason, I just don't like it as much. I consider it my backup DVR. I save it for higher paying jobs. Now, Lawmate has come out with even more expensive DVRs like the EVO2 and HD, and I believe a WiFi DVR that works with cell phones.
I liked the L3 because even at $350-375 the start-up cost was cheaper than other options and it was extremely simple to use. Too bad Lawmate doesn't make the L3 anymore. Now, people who want to get into video (or replace equipment like me) must really pay a lot of money.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/28/2018 02:37PM by Dandydew.