Rocky Americas - Frequently Asked Questions

Read our newly published guide and overview on How to Choose Vehicle Rear View Backup Video Camera.

Technology

Q: What is CMOS?
A: CMOS stands for complementary metal oxide semiconductor. Pronounced see-moss, CMOS is a widely used type of semiconductor. CMOS semiconductors use both NMOS (negative polarity) and PMOS (positive polarity) circuits. Since only one of the circuit types is on at any given time, CMOS chips require less power than chips using just one type of transistor. This makes them particularly attractive for use in battery powered devices, such as portable computers. Personal computers also contain a small amount of battery powered CMOS memory to hold the date, time, and system setup parameters. CMOS can provide full anti-blooming resistance, allows functionality on the chip (camera-on-the-chip), allows higher speeds (up to 60 MHz per output channel), allows accessing only parts of the image (ROI), and can be based on standard manufacturing processes.

Q: What is CCD?
A: CCD stands for charge-coupled device. CCD is a very sensitive electronic device that is revolutionizing astronomy in the 1990s. CCD cameras are composed of silicon chips that are sensitive to light, changing detected photons of light into electronic signals that can then be used to make images. When a picture is taken, the CCD is struck by light coming through the camera's lens. Each of the thousands or millions of tiny pixels that make up the CCD convert this light into electrons. The number of electrons, usually described as the pixel's accumulated charge, is measured, then converted to a digital value.

Q: CMOS vs. CCD, which one is right for you?
A: CCD sensors are popular for digital cameras, and are generally associated with higher quality images. A CCD simply converts incoming light to electric charges and sends them to another part of the camera to be processed. This minimizes the noise that could be caused by complicated interactions with other components (thus keeps high image quality). CMOS sensors, on the other hand, perform more tasks. They are normally programmed to convert the electrical charges to digital data, detect edges and perform image processing. The multi-functional chip allows the camera to be much smaller, run on less power and create less thermal noise. CMOS sensors are also much cheaper to produce. However, all of these extra functions tend to create more overall noise (and lower image quality) because of resistance and interference. Recent advances have pushed the CMOS technology to produce much less noise while still taking advantage of the other benefits of the technology.

Q: Why does my CMOS camera always start out with red pictures?
A: Good question, however this is normal for CMOS image sensors and there is nothing wrong with your camera. The reason really comes from the fact that the light-sensitive pixels in the CMOS image sensor are actually more sensitive to infrared than visible light-especially the red-detecting pixels. Thus in environments that have a great amount of infrared such as a room illuminated by regular light bulbs, the image you get from your camera would start out very very red. At this moment, the Auto Gain and Auto White Balance functions of your camera start to work. Auto Gain enables the camera to adjust up and down on the gain of R, G, and B color channels equally so the dark images are artificially brightened and bright images are artificially darkened. Auto White Balance adjusts the relative gains of R, G and B colors, so overall the image's total R, G, and B brightnesses are equal. After a few seconds, the reddish color becomes less and less, and the color of your image becomes normal.

Q: Can I use my wireless camera/transmitter & receiver kit on vehicles?
A: The answer is yes and no. You can use it on vehicles, however, we do NOT recommend to do so nor we sell our wireless kits for that purpose. The reason is very simple, when a wireless kit is used in vehicles, it usually encounters great amount of interference with the vehicle's electronic circuits and your receiver may not receive any signal at all, especially when the vehicle is moving. Note this problem applies to all wireless applications and it does NOT depend on the frequency band (900MHz, 1.2GHz, 2.4GHz, 5.8GHz, etc.) the wireless application uses. Almost all wireless vehicle rear view systems sold in the market today are security/surveillance camera systems being re-marketed for vehicle use, which are not designed for vehicle use at all. Wireless vehicle rear view systems are still the future and we have been looking for manufacturers who can overcome the difficulties with new technology.

Q: What is TFT and how does it compare with conventional LCD?
A: TFT stands for thin film transistor. A TFT is made by depositing thin films for the metallic contacts, semiconductor active layer, and dielectric layer. TFT's main application is in design of flat-panel displays, a kind of liquid crystal display (LCD). TFTs are the better variant of the LCD technology and more flexible one because with TFTs each pixel is controlled individually by means of several transistors (usually one to four). As of 2004, the TFT technology has been providing the highest resolution of all flat-panel techniques, however it is also the most expensive LCD technology. TFT screens are sometimes called active-matrix LCDs as it incorporates an active-matrix, as opposed to a passive-matrix or "dual-scan" technology, thus the screen is refreshed more frequently than in conventional passive-matrix displays.

Q: What is ATSC standard and how does it compare with NTSC standard?
A: ATSC is a set of standards developed by the Advanced Television Systems Committee for digital television transmission. ATSC replaced much of the analog NTSC (National Television System Committee) television system in the United States on June 12, 2009. On that day, all full power television stations in the United States started broadcasting in digital only. Digital television enables sending and receiving of moving images and sound by discrete/digital signals, comparing with analog signals used by analog television system. As the result, digital television produces higher quality image, sound and more programming choices than analog.

Setup & Connecting

Q: Why does my 2.4GHz camera/receiver kit give me such a bad picture or no recognizable picture? Is this a defective product?
A: No, absolutely not a defective product, each kit has been fully tested before it is shipped to you. We often receive this question, here is the reason. 2.4GHz frequency band is a pretty busy band, there are a lot of products use this same frequency band. If you have any other electric appliance that uses the 2.4GHz frequency band, those appliances will cause interference to your 2.4GHz wireless camera/receiver kit and the signal between the camera and receiver will be disrupted. Common consumer electric appliances also use the 2.4GHz frequency band are cordless phones, wireless computer network, etc. If you have those appliances in your house or in the houses/buildings around you, these appliances must be turned off for your wireless camera/receiver kit to work. Usually in order to make sure your kit has nothing wrong, we suggest you to bring the kit to and use it in a different place where it is sure there is no wireless electric appliance around.

Q: The receiver becomes hot for my wireless camera/receiver kit, is there a problem?
A: Usually that is normal. Because the 9/12V receiver power supply provided by the manufacturer in the kit does not provide "regulated" power level, from time to time, the output voltage can reach 15V or even higher, which makes the receiver hot.

Q: How is the black male power socket being used for the 4-connector cable that connects to wireless transmitter?
A: This is so called "power pass through" socket, normally you do NOT need to use it with one exception: if the video source uses the exact same power supply level in terms of voltage and amperage as your wireless transmitter, you can plug in the video source power input socket into this power pass through socket, thus the video source does not need to be powered separately.

Q: I didn't get a manual with the product I purchased, should I get one?
A: Most of the rear view cameras are very simple to connect and only comes with a specification sheet, if you do need connecting instructions, please contact us. Most wireless transmitter/receiver kits do not come with any manual because they are very simple and usually they are used as components. However, if you do need connecting instructions or some help on connecting the components, feel free to contact us.

Q: Can I power on the wireless transmitter and receiver before attach antennas?
A: NO. It is a big no. To avoid permanent damages, antennas for BOTH the transmitter and the receiver MUST be attached before the devices are being powered on.

Q: What power supply should I use for the wireless transmitter/receiver kit?
A: Most smaller transmitters and receivers use "regulated" 12V DC 1A power supply, some high power transmitters uses "regulated" 12V DC 2A power supply. Power supply requirements can be found in your user manual or specification sheet that comes with your transmitter/receiver kit, you must use correct power supplies for both the wireless transmitter and the receiver. If your kit comes with power supplies and they are at different amp levels, the larger one is for the transmitter. Switching power supplies between the transmitter and the receiver will cause permanent damages to the devices. Contact us if you are not sure for your kit.

Q: I am trying to feed the audio output of my wireless receiver to a line level audio recorder, but nothing received at the recorder, what's wrong?
A: The audio output for our wireless receiver is at mike level, not line level. You either need to amplify the signal before feeding into your line level audio recorder, or use a recorder takes mike level input.

Q: The wireless transmitter/receiver kit I received cannot transmit over the advertised distance, what's wrong?
A: Actual reception result will vary depending on environmental and topographical conditions. Wireless transmission reception result can be greatly degraded based on a lot of factors such as whether there is a LOS, the objects between the transmitter and the receiver, the material of the objects in between, the structure/material of the building environment, the above ground clearance distance, other electronics and appliances in the same environments, the topology, the temperature and humidity, whether the transmitter and/or receiver is moving, etc., just to name a few. The LOS range in the specifications is the manufacturer lab rating in a "perfect" environment.

Q: How is the blue/green power wire being used for the monitors (apply to both LCD and CRT monitors)?
A: This is the wire to be connected to your vehicle reverse mode electric circuit. When it is connected, the monitor is automatically turned on when your vehicle is in reverse mode. However, most of our customers find they would rather to not use this auto function, in that case you should use black tape to make sure the blue/green wire is NOT connected to anything else.

Q: Is there a way I can cut the supplied system/proprietary cable into two pieces and reconnect them?
A: Many customers have asked this question, so they can leave first piece of cable attached to the truck and the second piece of cable attached to the trailer, and connect them only when the trailer is being used. That would be a nice feature, however currently we do not have any tool that can cut the cable and attach plugs to reconnect them because this is a specially design system/proprietary cable that passes both power and AV signals.

Q: Can I connect other cameras to the CA1 or CA2 inputs of my HQ2000AV system?
A: No. HQ2000AV system uses a specially designed S-Video like (note it is not the S-Video type you know) cable to connect to the HQ2000AV camera(s). The CA1 and CA2 inputs can only be connected to HQ2000AV system camera(s) using the supplied special S-Video like cable. We cannot help you if you try to connect a non-system camera to the HQ2000AV system, and it may cause permanent damages to your HQ2000AV system and your non-system camera if you insist to do so.

Q: I do not see connecting cable in my Vehicle Rear View System package, did you forget to ship?
A: No, absolutely not. Except certain systems that use proprietary cables/connectors, there is no connecting cable comes with your vehicle rear view system. Because your system uses regular RCA type video cable and it can be easily found in your local electric stores (such as Radio Shack, BestBuy). Excessive length of cable can reduce the quality of the video. Our customers have told us NOT to ship the RCA type cable with the system, so they can get the cable according to their needs in term of the length of the cable.

Q: Can I connect my rear view camera directly to my vehicle power electric circuit?
A: The answer is Yes and No. Your camera works with 12V power supply and is designed to operate with constantly changing voltage levels (within normal range) produced by vehicles' battery and alternator. However, some vehicles have a very high momentary voltage at the vehicle starting time and the overload might cause damage to the camera. If that is the case for your vehicle, you will need to install a fuse/voltage regulator/etc. to protect your camera. Please consult professional vehicle audio/video equipment installers if needed.

Payment

Q: Why don't you take my credit card number directly?
A: In order to protect our customers' privacy, we use PayPal, the most reputable 3rd party online payment processing vendor, to process all our credit card and electronic check transactions. No employee from Rocky Americas Inc. would ever ask for your personal sensitive information, nor we receive any of your personal information from PayPal. Your PayPal payment would be sent to us and the transaction will appear on your credit card statement as "Rocky Americas".

Q: Do I have to have a PayPal account to send payments?
A: No, you do NOT need a PayPal account in order to send payments to us through PayPal. Once you are on PayPal web page, you can choose appropriate button or link (such as PayPal's "Guest checkout" or checkout for not having PayPal account) to continue the process without using a PayPal account. However, you need to make sure the shipping address you provide with your payment MUST match your credit card/bank billing address. Your PayPal payment would be sent to us and the transaction will appear on your credit card statement as "Rocky Americas".

Q: Why does my shipping address have to be confirmed by PayPal?
A: In order to prevent possible fraud, PayPal does not suggest merchant to ship anything to "unconfirmed" shipping address. Common frauds include using stolen credit card to make purchase online but ship to a different address (address of the person stole credit cards) other than the credit card's billing address (the real credit card holder's address). If you provided an "unconfirmed" shipping address, in order to avoid shipping delay, you must contact us and provide a sound reason.

Shipping

Q: What is your shipping/delivery time?
A: For all in stock products, your orders are shipped out the next business day after full cleared payment is received. If the product you ordered is out of stock, you will be notified the next business day after we receive your payment. Based on your location, please find the standard shipping estimated delivery transmit time in the Estimated Delivery Transit Map (for 48 lower states only). For other locations, international shipping, and Insured/Tracked/Air/Priority/Express shipping's, please contact us. We are not able to ship your order out on the same business day because our shipping carrier's pick up truck comes in the morning, so please do not ask.

Q: How do I track the shipping of my package? Why isn't the shipping/tracking status being updated?
A: Almost all packages we ship out can be tracked online through the shipping carrier's web site. You will receive shipping and tracking number information from us in the "Notification of Shipping" email after your package has been physically shipped out. We created a Shipment Tracking page on our site that you can enter your tracking number to track your package. For small light weight items, especially those that you did not purchase shipping insurance, the package would most likely be shipped out via USPS standard shipping service. USPS does NOT have a good online status tracking system and in some cases the shipping status for a package might not get updated until it is delivered, we would have no control on that. However, in almost all cases, we have found that USPS standard shipping is the fastest standard shipping service among all shipping carriers. Also note USPS and other shipping carriers might NOT update shipping status during weekend. If daily online shipping status tracking is absolutely a must to you, please contact us immediately after you submit your payment, and we will try to arrange the shipping of your item through other shipping carriers.

Q: Do I have to sign for delivery of my package?
A: Signature from an adult at the delivery address is mandatory when total transaction amount is over US$250, the shipping carrier will not deliver the package without the signature. The mandatory signature requirement is to ensure safer transactions and is set by our payment processing vendor, PayPal. We will not be able to ship your package without the mandatory signature requirement when total transaction amount is over US$250.

Q: Why do I have to provide my telephone number for shipping? What if I didn't provide telephone and you have already shipped my package?
A: Most shipping carriers require recipient's telephone number for accurate shipping. When there is a problem in shipping, shipping carrier (and your country's Custom Services for international shipping) will use recipient's phone number to contact you. If you didn't provide your telephone number to us, we either delay the shipping of your package or we ship your package out without your telephone number. If we did ship your package out without recipient's phone number, you will have to contact the shipping carrier directly to provide your telephone number to them because once a package has left our location, we won't be able to add any information to the package. We take special care of our customers' privacy, your telephone number will be used for shipping purpose ONLY and will be discarded once your package is shipped out.

Q: It looks like my package has been damaged, what should I do?
A: We strongly recommend our customers to purchase shipping insurance so most packages we ship out are insured to the full value of purchase transactions. However we understand it is your choice and some customers choose not to purchase shipping insurance. If shipping damage did occur and you did purchase shipping insurance, you must contact the shipping carrier directly to file a shipping damage claim. Please do not contact us and let us file the shipping damage claim for you because we are not able to do that for you. The package is at your address and the shipping carrier needs to go to your location to inspect the package. However, we would be happy to provide any statement such as "repair and replacement cost" statement that you might need to file together with the shipping damage claim, contact us with the claim reference number you received.

Q: The estimated/guaranteed delivery date has passed, why haven't I received my package?
A: The standard shipping service is not guaranteed, the estimated delivery date might not be accurate, please contact the shipping carrier. If you paid for faster shipping such Express/Overnight shipping, please contact the shipping carrier with the tracking information to find out the exact delivery date, and if you want, we can file a shipping charge refund claim with the shipping carrier for you, however it is still up to the shipping carrier to decide whether you will receive any refund on the guaranteed shipping. If shipping carrier does issue a refund to us, we will pass that refund to you as soon as possible. Note, handling fee is not refundable.

Special note to international customers: your package can be held at your country's Custom Services for indefinite time, you might be contacted by your country's Custom Services and you might be required to pay custom duty/tax. We or the shipping carriers have no control on the delivery time for international packages, however the shipping carrier will try their best to deliver your package to you as soon as the package is released by your country's Custom Services. Please make sure that you provide us and the shipping carrier your telephone number in case they need to contact you.

Q: I won't be at home during the day, will my package be left outside?
A: When your package is shipped out, we will send you "Notification of Shipping" email that contains detailed shipping (and tracking if applicable) information. If the "Notification of Shipping" email stated that your signature is required for delivery of your package, the shipping carrier will NOT leave the package at your address without adult signature. These packages are usually the ones with high value. For other packages that the "Notification of Shipping" you receive does not indicate your signature is required for delivery, and for most locations, your package WILL be left outside at your address. Shipping carriers usually deliver during business hours, if nobody is available at the time of the delivery, most shipping carriers choose to leave the package at your front door. Please contact the shipping carriers directly if you require special delivery (you are responsible for any additional special delivery charge that might occur) or want to arrange pickups at your local station. Note packages being left outside in extreme cold or hot weather can cause permanent damage to your item(s), we won't be responsible for the damage in such case, nor shipping carriers.

Q: I am an non-U.S. customer, how are you going to ship my item(s)? Do I need to pay custom import duty/tax?
A: We will ship your package and fill out the custom declaration form with the full value of your purchase. It is illegal to declare a custom value that is lower than the actual value you paid. However, we do understand there are special rules with certain countries, please contact us if you have special requirements for custom declaration. Keep in mind, no matter how we fill out the custom declaration paperwork, your country's Custom Services has the right to open the package for inspection and collect import tax/duty for the value it determines. You are responsible for any custom brokerage fees and/or custom tax/duty.

Warranty

Q: What warranty do I have on my product?
A: Warranty is offered for products purchased directly through our web site ONLY, detailed warranty information can be found on our Support page. Additional warranty can be purchased through other independent warranty providers such as SquareTrade, see next Q&A for details.

No warranty/return/exchange is offered by us, Rocky Americas Inc., for products bought through other web sites include but not limited to ebay.com, half.com, sell.com, amazon.com, etc. No warranty/return/exchange is offered for clearance items, as-is items, or "make offer" items. No return/exchange is offered for customized items or parts. All products we sell and ship are brand new products that have been fully tested by our technicians. Because our prices are very low, for products that are not bought directly from our web site, we simply do not have the resource to provide warranty, return, or exchange services. However, those products that do not qualify for our warranty may still qualify for manufacturer warranties, and warranty can be purchased through independent warranty providers such as SquareTrade (see next Q&A for details). For information and issues related to manufacturer warranty, the end user will need to contact the manufacturer directly since we are not allowed to handle any manufacture warranty issues. Please contact us if you need contact information for a particular manufacturer.

Q: I received a SquareTrade Warranty flyer/email with my purchase, what is that?
A: As a reputable merchant, SquareTrade and us have joined together to offer our eligible U.S. buyers the option to purchase the "SquareTrade Warranty" ("Warranty") on certain categories of our electronics products. With the SquareTrade Warranty, for literately pennies a day, you will enjoy a lasting worry-free shopping experience on eligible electronics for up to 3 full years. The SquareTrade Warranty costs 30-50% less than what retailers charge for an inferior warranty. For example, a US$169.99 camera would cost only US$22.99 for a 3-year complete coverage. Your item is fixed or you are paid the item's full purchase price in 5 days, guaranteed, you will not find such a warranty anywhere else. The Warranty protects your electronics from any mechanical and electrical failures that occur through normal use. The Warranty has no deductible or hidden charges. You can manage all your warranties and file claims online, you will receive a prepaid shipping label from SquareTrade when you need to send the item to SquareTrade. Established in 1999, SquareTrade is the largest independent warranty provider in the world, backed by an A-rated insurer with over $1 billion in assets. We encourage all customers to purchase the SquareTrade Warranty, however we are NOT related to or responsible for the Warranty that SquareTrade might offer to you. The SquareTrade Warranty is a sole agreement between you and SquareTrade. Please contact SquareTrade directly for any Warranty related issues. Click on the SquareTrade Warranty link above to get details, quote, and purchase this 5-star rated service for your peace of mind.

Q: When I submit payment through PayPal, I am asked if I want to purchase "Money Back Guarantee", what is that?
A: We are a "selected PayPal merchant". As a selected reputable PayPal merchant, PayPal offers our eligible United States buyers the option to purchase its latest "Money Back Guarantee" ("Guarantee") that allows buyers to get a 100% satisfaction guarantee on their purchase of physical goods for up to US$1000. Under the "Guarantee", PayPal will reimburse the buyer for the amount of the transaction when the buyer is not completely satisfied with the purchase and returns the goods to PayPal. Buyers can file a reimbursement request on the PayPal web site within 30 days of payment. NOTE "Money Back Guarantee" is an optional item you could choose to purchase from PayPal and you are NOT required to purchase the "Guarantee". Although we encourage all buyers to purchase the "Guarantee", we are NOT related or responsible for the "Guarantee" PayPal may offer to you AND we do NOT receive any money that you pay to PayPal for purchasing the "Guarantee" (the "Money Back Guarantee" fee will show on your PayPal payment page as a separate item). The "Money Back Guarantee" is a sole agreement between you, the buyer, and PayPal. Please contact PayPal directly for any "Guarantee" related issues. Click on the Money Back Guarantee link above to see if you are eligible to purchase the "Guarantee" and to read its restrictions.

Q: The product I received is DOA (Dead on Arrival), what should I do?
A: For DOA items, we only accept exchanges for the same model items and you MUST contact us within three (3) calendar days of delivery for RMA # (Return Merchandise Authorization Number). Items that we receive with no RMA # will simply be discarded because for security reason our receiving staffs are not allowed to open unexpected packages and they have no way to verify the content of the package. All returned items with RMA # must be in original packaging includes plastic wrappings, must be in brand new condition with no sign of usage, must include all accessories and free items came with the package, and must have the complete Quality Control Seal on each component of the product (Quality Control Seal is used to ensure no end user can open the component. No product can be returned or qualified for warranty service if it is broken). Failing to meet these return requirements will result in rejection of the package and/or being charged for restocking fee of 15-100%.

Q: I opened my camera (receiver, monitor, transmitter, etc.), I just want make sure there is nothing wrong. Can I still get warranty services?
A: No. No product or component can be opened by end user. At the time a component is opened, all warranty services are immediately revoked. This is not just the manufacturers' policy, more importantly, it is to ensure the safety of end users because a lot of electronic components may contain high voltage electricity inside. Most of our products have one or more "Quality Control Seal" on the back, once the seal is broken, all your warranty services are immediately expired and no return or exchange is allowed under any circumstances including DOA items. This is a common policy among all electronic equipment manufacturers and distributors, and it is strictly enforced by us as well.

Q: I cut the cable (or altered any part) of my camera (receiver, monitor, transmitter, etc.) in order to fit my application, can I still return it or get warranty services?
A: We are NOT able to accept any item that had been modified or altered (dis-assembled, cable/plug/socket cut, parts removed, product opened, etc.), please do not ask.

Q: I bought your products from a trade show, expo, exhibition, event, rally, etc., what warranty do I have?
A: Products bought directly from us in an event will have our standard warranty as stated in our Support page with the following exceptions (not limited, here are just some examples): clearance items, as-is items, sales items, wholesales items, quantity sales items, items were not purchased by an end user, etc. Note, items NOT purchased directly from us such as through a reseller, vendor, merchant, etc. do NOT carry our warranty, the seller you purchased from would have its own warranty policy.

Q: I bought your products from a retailer, reseller, vendor, distributor, etc., what warranty do I have?
A: Items not purchased directly from us do NOT carry our warranty, the seller you purchased from would have its own warranty policy, please contact the seller you purchased from directly.

Communication

Q: Why haven't I received your response to my question?
A: We respond to EVERY email we receive, however, there are situations that we did reply to your email but you did not receive our reply. Usually the problem is on your side: your email account's quote has been exceeds; your email account has spam filter turned on that do not accept emails from unknown addresses (other than those listed in your contact list); your corporate email tool automatically delete those suspected spam emails. Please note all our replies are sent to you from email accounts on rockyamericas.com domain, however some might be transferred to you through hotmail.com domain.

Q: I contacted you a month ago for quote/questions, why don't you recognize me?
A: In order to protect our customers' privacy, we do not keep our customers' emails, telephone numbers, addresses for more than two or three weeks. Unless you made a purchase AND has record with us, we won't be able to retrieve or remember the contact you had with us for more than a month ago.

Q: Why don't you honor the quote you gave me a month ago?
A: Any price quote we give you is ONLY good for purchasing within 5 business days and is ONLY good for the quantity purchase we quoted on. All prices are subject to change without notice.

Others

Q: The model number for the product I received does not match the model number I purchased from your web site, why?
A: Make sure the product you received is the correct product you purchased. For the model number/part number printed on the product you received, most times we try to use the actual model number/part number from the manufacturer on our web site. However certain products are listed on our web site with their industry well known generic model numbers such as 203C for the color pinhole micro camera, the actual part number from the manufacturer would be omitted from our web site to avoid confusion.

This page is being updated regularly, if your question is still not answered on this page, contact us.