1.The V8388 GSM/MMS Portable Camera Alarm

GSM/MMS Wireless Camera Alarm
User Manual
V2.1

GSM / MMS Wireless Alarm Camera
User Manual

GSM/MMS Alarm Camera showing infrared LEDs, built-in PIR/Motion detector and camera lens / Accessories including Mini Siren, Remote Controller Key Fobs, PIR Detector and Door/Window Sensor
Left Side View showing connectors, LEDs and On/Off switch / Right Side View showing SIM slot and
COM connector (reserved for future use)

Table Of Contents

1.The V8388 GSM/MMS Portable Camera Alarm

2.Main Features:

3.IMPORTANT - Read This First Before Starting Installation:

4.Operation:

4.1.Set-up

4.1.1.SIM Card and Power

4.1.2.Registration of the wireless accessories

4.1.3.Setting MMS network parameters

4.1.4.GSM LED Indicator

4.2.SMS Commands

4.3.Arming Modes, Triggers and Responses

4.3.1.Away Arm Mode

4.3.2.Home Arm Mode :

4.3.3.Silent / Panic Alarm Mode :

4.3.4.Disarmed Mode :

4.4.Built in Dual PIR and Motion Detection

4.5.Triggered Alarm Response Sequence

5.Using the Keyfob Remote Controller

6.Listen-In

7.AV output

8.Backup Battery

9.Real-Time Clock

10.Resetting the System

11.Factory Default Settings

12.Positioning of PIR Detectors

13.Standard System Components

14.Technical Specifications

1. The V8388 GSM/MMS Portable Camera Alarm

The V8388 Indoor GSM/MMS Portable Camera Alarm transmits and receives alarm and control signals via Text/SMS messages and pictures by MMS using mobile phone networks.

It sends snapshot pictures to your email address when the alarm is activated or any time when you text it to take a picture.

The V8388 is wireless so quick and easy to install - just plug it in to a mains socket and text it simple commands to immediately help you protect and monitor areas in your home, office or storage space.

2. Main Features:

Mobile Alarm : Capture alarm generated or requested images and send them to up to 5 phone numbers and 3 email addresses.
SMS Remote Control : Control, configure and operate the alarm camera remotely by sending simple text messages.
Listen In : Simply text the camera to listen in to what is happening around the camera location.
Motion Detection : Detects any motion within the monitoring area and sends an alarm.
PIR Body Detector : Integrated passive infrared body detector generates an alarm when an intruder approaches the monitoring area.
External Wireless Sensors : Connect up to 15 wireless (433MHz) sensors such as door magnet, PIR (Passive Infrared) sensor, smoke sensor, gas sensor etc. Once a sensor is activated, it triggers the camera to send an alarm message to your mobile phone and email.
Night Monitoring : The built-in Infrared LEDs (light-emitting diode) enables the camera to capture black & white images in a dark environment at 5-8m.
Send Images by MMS & Email : View requested or alarm generated images directly on your mobile phone or via email - wherever you may be.
Multi-mode Alarm : Send alarm response by SMS, MMS, email and a voice call to your when motion is detected.
Image Capture : A snapshot can be taken any time by sending a simple SMS command or programmed to send images whenever you want.
Remote Control : Includes 2 remote controls for local operation and a panic button.
Image Receptor : 300,000 pixel CCD. Colour pictures in normal lighting but black & white when using built-in infrared lighting
Picture Resolution : JPEG : 320x240 or 640x480 pixels
Battery Backup : Rechargeable battery ensures operation in case of external power failure.
Software - Includes PC software to assist with initial set-up and programming as an alternative to texting from a mobile phone.

3. IMPORTANT - Read This First Before Starting Installation:

Please read this manual carefully before attempting to install or operate the GSM/MMS alarm camera.
The use of surveillance devices may be prohibited by law in some countries. It is the user’s responsibility to ensure that the operation of such devices is legal before installing this unit for its intended use
It is important to first verify that all contents received are complete according to the Package contents listed below. Then carefully read and follow the instructions in the Installation chapter to avoid damage due to faulty assembly and installation which will void warranty.
Only use the AC/DC power adaptor provided with the product. Use of any other adaptor will damage the product, void warranty and could be a potential fire risk.
It is recommended to locate the GSM alarm main panel in the middle of the property to enable good wireless communication between the panel and the various detectors. However it must only be located where there is a good mobile signal. Check first using the signal strength indicator of your mobile phone.
Must be located close to a 220V AC mains socket
For indoor use only
Keep the product in a dry and dust free environment and avoid exposing to direct sunlight or excessive changes of temperature or humidity
Do not place the camera close to magnetic objects
Avoid placing in direct sunlight or where it could be blocked by other objects
Avoid placing where pets or sunlight could falsely trigger the built-in PIR/Motion detector
Do not place directly in front of a window or mirror
Do not locate GSM alarm main panel near a computer, TV, fax, microwave and other high power machine which will interfere with the GSM system.
Wireless PIR detectors should be installed at a height of around 2m, not directly face the sunlight, metal surfaces or hot and cold sources such as air-conditioners, refrigerators, microwaves, fax machines and computers.
Do not connect or disconnect the mini wired siren when the alarm system is powered on. Doing so will likely cause damage to the GSM alarm system.
SMS messages sent to the GSM alarm system must be in English.
A functional SIM card with credit must be inserted BEFORE the alarm system is powered on.
This product complies with CE Mark Directive RTTE 99/5/EC for Safety (EN60950-1, EMC (ETSI EN301 489) and Radio (ETSI EN300 220) and is authorised to bear the CE mark.
The contents of the user manual and technical specifications of the camera may be changed without notice. Refer to your supplier’s webpage for the latest information.

4. Operation:

4.1. Set-up

The Set-Up process for first time use includes :

Inserting SIM and powering up
Registering wireless accessories
Programming user telephone numbers and email addresses
Configuring MMS mobile network parameters

4.1.1. SIM Card and Power

a) Ensure that the SIM card is registered / has credit and can connect to a mobile network in an area where there is network coverage. (You can check this by looking at the signal strength bars on your mobile phone where you intend to locate the GSM/MMS alarm unit).
Note to receive MMS your mobile phone must be capable of receiving MMS messages with an MMS service activated.

b) Install the SIM card with metal contacts facing towards the back of the unit.
Note : the SIM card must be inserted and must have credit BEFORE the device is powered on, otherwise the GSM network will not be found.

c) Connect the GSM antenna at the top of the unit

d) Plug in the AC/DC power adaptor

4.1.2. Registration of the wireless accessories

a) Have the accessories available and supplied with batteries as they need to be registered with the GSM/MMS alarm unit within 15 seconds of power on.

b) Switch the GSM/MMS alarm on by sliding the ON/OFF button.
The unit will sound 2 long beeps then register the wireless accessories as follows :

Remote controllers : press any button and the GSM/MMS alarm will respond with a 2 beeps
Door / Window Sensor : separate the magnetic units and put them together. The GSM/MMS alarm will respond with a 2 beeps
External PIR Sensor : power the sensor on. The GSM/MMS alarm will respond with a 2 beeps

On completion of registering the accessories, the GSM/MMS alarm will sound 3 beeps in around 60 seconds to indicate that the system is ready and the green network LED should flash every 3 seconds.
If the 3 beeps are not heard, and the green LED is not flashing, then the SIM has not found the mobile network. Check you have mobile phone coverage where the unit is located, switch the unit off, remove and re-insert the SIM card, turn the unit back on and repeat the steps above. It can take several minutes for a SIM to find the mobile network depending on location and signal strength.

4.1.3. Setting MMS network parameters

Refer to the MMS configuration information provided by your mobile network operator.

4.1.4. GSM LED Indicator

The green GSM LED light on the side of the GSM/MMS alarm indicates reception of the mobile signal as follows :

Strong GSM signal – flashes every 3 seconds
Normal GSM signal – flashes every 5 seconds
Weak GSM signal – flashes every 7 seconds
Receiving SMS message – quick flashes
Sending MMS message – flashing every 1 second

SMS messages can now be sent by mobile phone to the GSM/MMS alarm system for set-up and configuration as listed in the SMS Command table below.
Note : if the GSM mobile networks are busy it may be several minutes before the GSM Alarm unit receives the SMS message.

4.2. SMS Commands

Now that the unit has established communication with the GSM network you can continue the set-up as follows. The remaining functions of the SMS/MMS alarm can now be set up by sending the device SMS command strings. Refer to the table below :

Note : All SMS commands must be of the format :

Password+Command+parameter1, parameter2 etc
(assume default password is 000000. Do not enter the ‘+’ character)

Simply create the text with the command from the table below and send to the mobile number of the alarm system SIM card.

Note :

Commands can be lower or upper case
Only mobile telephone numbers can be entered – not landlines
A total of 5 User Numbers and 5 Panic Numbers can be registered (the Admin number is the first User number registered) where :
User numbers receive alerts for alarm triggering and for the panic alarm
Panic numbers only receive alerts when the Silent/Panic alarm is activated.
The GSM/MMS alarm will send an acknowledgment SMS back to the administrator to confirm that an SMS command has been received.

Function / Command / User Input / SMS Command
New Password
(6 digits 0-9) / N / 123456 / 000000N123456
User Numbers (up to 5 numbers separated by comma. The first will be the Admin number) / M / 441234567890 / 123456M441234567890,441234567891,…….
Delete User numbers / M / 123456M
Panic Alarm Receiving Numbers (up to 5 numbers separated by comma) / H / 441234567890 / 123456H441234567890,441234567891,…….
Delete Panic Number / H / 123456H
Set Receiving Emails (up to 3 addresses of max 40 characters each) / E / / ,,.....
Delete email addresses / E / 123456E
Set Alarm / A / 1 / 123456A1
Disable Alarm / A / 0 / 123456A0
Image Resolution
1 (640x480) or 0 (320x240) / J / 1/0 / 123456J1
Send a picture(s) by email (1-3) / X / 1 / 123456X1
Set GPRS APN
APNName,UserName,Password / B / APNName,UserName,Password / 123456BAPNName,UserName,Password
Set MMS Web Server / I / MMSC address / 123456IMMSC address
Set MMS Server
(IP Address,Port) / P / 192.168.192,9201 / 123456P192.168.192,9201
Get System Settings / D / 123456D
Reset to Default / C / 123456C
Siren Enable /Disable
(1 Enable / 0 Disable) / S / 1 / 123456S1
Listen In / T / 123456T

4.3. Arming Modes, Triggers and Responses

4.3.1. Away Arm Mode

Built-in and registered external wireless detectors will generate an alert.

a) Setting locally using the Remote Controller : Press the button on the remote controller for just 1 second, the unit will sound 2 beeps and LEDs will go off. After 10 seconds an additional beep will indicate the unit is Away armed.

b) Setting remotely by SMS command : Text ‘xxxxxxA1’ to the GSM/MMS Alarm where xxxxxx is the 6 digit password.

Alert Response : An SMS + 1 MMS + Email with snapshot + Call with ‘Listen-in’ (if enabled) + Siren (if plugged in and enabled) under the following trigger conditions :

Built-in PIR/Motion sensor plus the external PIR sensor are both triggered
Window/door sensor is triggered
External PIR sensor is triggered

4.3.2. Home Arm Mode :

Only the external Window/Door wireless detector or the optional smoke detector, gas detector or panic button will generate an alert. The built-in PIR/Motion detector and external PIR detector are disabled.

a) Setting locally using the Remote Controller : Press the button on the remote controller for 3 seconds, the unit will sound 3 beeps and LEDs will go off. After 10 seconds an additional beep will indicate the unit is Home armed.

b) Setting remotely by SMS command : The home arm mode cannot be set remotely by SMS.

Alert Response : In Home arm mode the built-in PIR and external PIR are disabled.
An SMS + 1 MMS + Email with snapshot + Call with ‘Listen-in’ (if enabled) + Siren (if plugged in and enabled) when the Window/Door sensor is triggered.

4.3.3. Silent / Panic Alarm Mode :

The Silent / Panic Alarm Mode can only be activated locally with the remote controller. There are 2 modes of operation :

a) MMS Silent / Panic Alarm : Press the button on the remote controller for 3 seconds.

b) SMS Silent / Panic Alarm : Press the button on the remote controller for 1 second.

Response : In MMS Panic Mode, the GSM/MMS alarm will send an Email with snapshot + Call with ‘Listen-in’ (if enabled). In SMS Mode, the GSM/MMS alarm will send an SMS + Call with ‘Listen-in’ (if enabled).

4.3.4. Disarmed Mode :

Only the external Window/Door wireless detector or the optional smoke detector, gas detector or panic button will generate an alert. The built-in PIR/Motion detector and external PIR

a) Setting locally using the Remote Controller : Press the button on the remote controller for 1 second, the unit will sound 1 beep and LEDs will go on.

b) Setting remotely by SMS command : Text ‘xxxxxxA0’ to the GSM/MMS Alarm where xxxxxx is the 6 digit password.

Alert Response : In Disarmed mode the built-in PIR and external PIR are disabled.
An SMS + 1 MMS + Email with snapshot + Call with ‘Listen-in’ (if enabled) + Siren (if plugged in and enabled) when the Window/Door sensor is triggered.

4.4. Built in Dual PIR and Motion Detection

Infrared heat and motion will trigger the GSM/MMS alarm when in armed mode. To reduce the number of false alerts, it requires the IR sensor to trigger and more than 15% of the picture image to change before the GSM/MMS alarm is triggered to respond. The motion detect technology is based on measuring the difference between subsequent images taken by the camera

4.5. Triggered Alarm Response Sequence

If the dual PIR and Motion detect are triggered, the GSM/MMS alarm will :

Take 2 snapshot pictures with a 1 second interval
Activate the siren (if plugged in and enabled)
Take a 3rd picture when the siren is activated
Send the pictures to designated email addresses
Call the programmed User phone numbers up to 3 times until a call is answered. Then ‘Listen-in’ is activated.

5. Using the Keyfob Remote Controller

The remote controllers must be within 30 meters of the GSM/MMS alarm to operate it.

Remote controllers must be registered with the GSM/MMS alarm before they can be used (switch on the GSM/MMS alarm and within 15 seconds, press a button on the remote controller)

6. Listen-In

The GSM/MMS alarm camera can be switched to listen-in mode when by sending it an SMS with the command ‘xxxxxxT’ where xxxxxx is the password. The GSM/MMS camera will call the phone number back and activate the device microphone so you can listen in to the surrounding of the GSM/MMS alarm camera.

7. AV output

The AV Out connector can be connected to a monitor or digital video recorder to view or record real-time images from the camera.

8. Backup Battery

The backup battery provides temporary power to the GSM/MMS alarm camera in the event of power failure.

The backup battery will charge automatically when the AC/DC power adaptor is plugged in. If the GSM/MMS alarm is powered off, the red LED power light will stay on until the backup battery is fully charged and then go out.

9. Real-Time Clock

The GSM/MMS alarm camera has a built-in real-time clock for time and date. The time and date is updated automatically on receipt of SMS messages.

10. Resetting the System

If the password is forgotten or the system needs to be reset, the administrator can text ‘C’ to the GSM/MMS alarm to reset the device and the password will default to ‘000000’

Note : After resetting, all the phone numbers and user set-up information will be lost and will need to be re-entered.

11. Factory Default Settings

Password : 000000
Arm Mode : disarmed
Siren : enabled
Image resolution : 320 x 240
Admin phone number : none
Email address : none
Emergency phone number : none
MMS APN name : none
MMS WAP Gateway : none
MMSs to send on alert : 1
SMS before MMS : enabled

12. Positioning of PIR Detectors

The built-in and external PIR Detectors are designed to detect movement in a protected area by detecting moving heat sources, for example, when a person moves within or across the devices field of vision. The PIR detectors have a triple zone lens to cover up to 12 meters from the PIR detector.