Honeywell ACU

Analog Converter Unit

Average rating:

(based upon one review)

The Honeywell ACU is an analog converter unit that turns any analog security camera that puts out NTSC video into a Total Connect compati...

This product has been discontinued and is no longer in stock.

Description

The Honeywell ACU is an analog converter unit that turns any analog security camera that puts out NTSC video into a Total Connect compatible camera. Before the ACU was released, only the IPCAM-WI2, IPCAM-PT, or IPCAM-WO security cameras could be used with AlarmNet’s Total Connect video service. Now, you can integrate any existing analog camera into your Total Connect video account. Also, if you desire a security camera that has more advanced specifications than the IPCAM Series security cameras, all you need to do is add an ACU to the camera to make it compatible with Total Connect.

A Total Connect video account supports up to (6) IPCAM Series security cameras or analog cameras upgraded with an ACU. Each analog camera that outputs NTSC video would need its own ACU. With the Total Connect video account, you can look in live to your property from any web browser, Tuxedo Touch or Tuxedo Touch WIFI keypad or iPhone®, iPad®, Blackberry® or Android™ device. Simply pull up the web based account or the application on your smartphone to view all connected cameras. You can choose between a multi-camera view or a larger single camera view. You can also setup the account to send you an email and/or text message every time a new motion activated video clip is recorded by the ACU enabled security camera. The text message can simply alert you that a new video is available for your review or you can have the email go out with the actual (10) second video clip so that you can review what caused the recording. You do not need a security system to utilize the Total Connect video account. However, if you do have a Honeywell security system that uses the Total Connect service for remote access, you can integrate the video service so that you can arm or disarm the security system from the same application that you use to view your security cameras. If you get a Total Connect notification that your home had an alarm, you can instantly pull up the live video feed from your home or business to see what caused the alarm.

The Honeywell ACU analog converter unit can be connected to your router with an Ethernet cable or you can use the built-in WiFi feature to send the video feed wirelessly. The ACU even has a ‘VIDEO OUT’ BNC connector so that you can send the NTSC video from the analog camera to a local video monitor. Each ACU includes (1) analog converter unit, (2) antennas for the wireless WiFi connection and a 12V, 1A power transformer to provide power to the ACU. When connecting your analog NTSC security camera to your ACU, you should use 75 ohm cable such as RG-59. Once the camera is connected, you can choose to connect the ACU to your router using an Ethernet cable or by using WiFi Protected Setup (WPS) wireless security. If you are going to use the WiFi feature, your router must support WPS security and have a WPS encryption button. If your router lacks these features, you can add a WAP-PLUS wireless access point to easily set up the WPS connection. The WAP-PLUS would wire into your router using an Ethernet cable and then would provide the wireless WiFi connection out to each of your ACU units.

With a Honeywell ACU analog converter unit you can unlock all of the amazing features that a Total Connect video account offers using any analog NTSC security camera. Of course, if you don’t already have any analog security cameras, you can bypass the need for an ACU by simply using the IPCAM-WI2, IPCAM-PT or IPCAM-WO security cameras with your Total Connect video account.

Note: New Honeywell ACU devices have the firmware update 1.0.09R02 needed to work with the HTML5 Total Connect 2.0 platform. You should treat any camera using the Honeywell ACU as a "legacy" TC2 IP Camera. For more information, please review this helpful FAQ.

Brand: Honeywell

Reviews
Allows Analog Cameras to Work With TC2
Submitted on 08/01/2019 Alarm Grid

We strongly recommend the Honeywell ACU for anyone who wants to use an analog security camera with the Total Connect 2.0 platform. This device is ideal if you have existing analog security cameras and you want to start using them with TC2. However, if you are looking for new cameras to use with TC2, then you are probably best off just getting new Honeywell IP Cameras. Still, the Honeywell ACU fills an important niche, and we have found that it works very well. That is why we give it 5 stars.

When you use an analog camera with the Honeywell ACU, Total Connect 2.0 will consider it to be a "legacy" IP Camera. You can have a maximum of six (6) legacy cameras on TC2. This is very important to keep in mind when planning your video surveillance network. Our technicians are still satisfied with the performance of legacy TC2 Cameras and the Honeywell ACU when used today. We have also found that the Honeywell ACU is easy to use. You can connect the analog camera to the ACU VIDEO IN port. We recommend using a 75 ohm cable like an RG-59 to connect the camera to the ACU module. You can then connect the ACU to your IP router through a wired ethernet connection, or you can use its built-in WIFI feature with a WPS setup.

What is interesting about using a Honeywell ACU is that the video analytics happens at the server level. The Total Connect 2.0 Server will recognize pixel changes in the video stream sent in by the ACU. That is how it knows that movement is present and to begin capturing video clips. Our technicians have found that this works very well and that a camera used in this manner will work just as well as a regular Total Connect 2.0 IP Camera.

There is one very important note about Honeywell ACU. Since this is considered a "legacy" model, the ACU had to receive a firmware update 1.0.09R02 to work with the new HTML5 platform of Total Connect 2.0. Honeywell pushed down a critical firmware update to all legacy TC2 IP Cameras and all ACU devices on March 24, 2016, to make these devices compatible with the updated version of TC2. Any newly purchased Honeywell ACU module from our website will have this update applied and will work with TC2. This also applies to any ACU manufactured after the date when Honeywell pushed the critical update. Additionally, any ACU module that was online and connected with TC2 at the time when Honeywell pushed the update is also compatible with TC2. However, any ACU manufactured before the date of the update push that was not online and connected with TC2 to receive the update will NOT work with TC2. This is very important to consider if you are considering buying a used ACU device elsewhere.

Bottom line, the Honeywell ACU is excellent in fulfilling the role of allowing analog cameras to be used with Total Connect 2.0. We recommend this product if you have an existing analog camera that you want to use with TC2.

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