Hello. My expensive Lawmate Lite3 DVR just stopped working. I was doing a job and it worked just fine at first. I turned the camera off briefly and when I was ready I turned it back on and continued filming (or so I thought.) When I got home, the first part looks and sounds great, but all I got for the second part was a black screen. No video or volume. How can that happen??? It was in my pocket the entire time. I have tested the camera on a different DVR and it works fine. I replaced the SD card but the DVR still will not record. The battery charges fully. I tried pushing the "Reset" button but that did not help. Has anyone else had similar problems with their camera? Is there anyplace to get it repaired?

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/27/2018 03:33PM by Dandydew.

Best place to start, first, is with the folks that sold you the rig. Who was that?

Dan Thomas at Greyhawk. Does he repair equipment? I don't believe so.

Walesmaven, do you know what model of DVR the majority of MS companies prefer now? I have two Lite3's (now maybe only one) and one EVO model. It has been awhile since I have looked at new equipment.

He can trouble shoot with you and he probably knows who repairs equipment.

I do not know which model is preferred. Mine are both pre-2010 models and still going strong!!! Contact someone at CE for info on preferred current models.

I have an L2, L3, EVO, and HD. I'm curious why you would be concerned with getting an L3 repaired? I much prefer the EVO or the L2 to the L3 (and all of the major, and a few minor, video MSC's are happy with the quality from it). I understand wanting a backup but if you have another L3 I would just junk the broken L3 personally. But that's just me.

However, to get it straight. You have used the cam on a different DVR and it works, so you are assuming that the DVR is the issue and not the cam? Have you tried a different cam on the same DVR? I'm ASSuming if you have 3 DVRs you probably have more than 1 cam considering they fail at a much higher rate than the DVRs do. If it is the DVR and it's getting no video or sound from multiple cams then I would guess that repair would be a poor waste of money. Especially with 2 backup DVRs.

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.

I don't like the L3 because it doesn't have the screen lock that the EVO has.

It sounds to me like something with the cam jack on the DVR.

I still don't understand why you want it repaired though. At least not right now. In your current situation you have an L3 and an EVO that both work. So when you do a shop you have an L3 to use. You still have the ability to use the DVR you prefer. If that one breaks you still have a back up. I personally would wait until both L3s went out before spending probably as much as the L3 is worth to get it repaired. When my first DVR went out I was told it wasn't worth repairing. It works fine, the screen is just blank.

I think I will take the cover off my L3 apart and see if I can somehow fix the camera jack myself. Too bad I threw the old L2 because I might have had some replacement parts.

I took the cover off of mine after I realized it was recording correctly it just had a blank screen. Reseated the connector for the screen and now it has a very faint picture. So maybe you can fix yours as well.

There is a guy out there that repairs cams, not sure if he repairs DVRs though and I don't have his contact information handy.

Dandy,

A few years back, my unit also stopped working. From a source I no longer recall, I was referred to McCall Tech in N. Carolina. The fee to repair my DVR was $25, which I think included the return postage. After I received my PV-500, I paid by PayPal.

mctech@citcom.net---828-862-8406---www.mccalltech.net

Yes. That's who I was thinking of as well.

Yes, that is also the fellow I was thinking of. He once spoke at an early IMSC conference and his background and current knowledge of all such equipment was very impressive. He has twice rewired cameras for me, at very modest cost. He usually works only with law enforcement and intelligence clients, but has a soft spot for video shoppers.