MyTana ACB18 Control Box User Guide

: June 9, 2024
: MyTana

Table of Contents

MyTana ACB18 Control Box
Instruction
Warranty Information Inspection Systems
Controls and Ports
Operating the System
RECORDING VIDEO
Screen Menus
FILE MANAGEMENT MENU
TO COPY/MOVE OR DELETE FILES
Camera Care Tips Avoid costly repairs!
References
Read User Manual Online (PDF format)
Download This Manual (PDF format)

MyTana ACB18 Control Box

Instruction

Inspect your unit carefully upon receipt. Let us know right away of any damage you may note. Included with your purchase are:
WiFi Router (dongle) enables wireless connection to your phone or tablet (with our Viewer APP). Plugs in to USB port. See separate instructions for WiFi operations.
Removable USB (flash) drive

Warranty Information Inspection Systems

All products are warranted against defects in material and workmanship for one year from date of purchase. All products are individually tested prior to shipment. Damage due to negligence, abnormal usage, accidents, or alteration is not covered by this warranty. Examples of damage not covered by warranty:

Damaged Camera Head Connector Ends
For PGR systems: see back page for how to care for the camera head connection.
For our older systems with pin connectors on the camera head, we recommend keeping the head attached to the push rod at all times to avoid accidental damage.

Damaged or Broken Connection Pins
For current PGR systems with a patch cord, care should be taken to avoid damage to the pins. Read all instructions carefully.
For our older systems with pin connectors on the patch cord. Be sure to line up all notches and pin holes when connecting. Don’t force any connection.

Broken Sapphire Window
The sapphire is nearly as hard as diamond; however it can break with extreme impact, especially on sharp edges of broken concrete or clay tile. Using our IceBall, Snoball or other protective guides greatly reduces impact to the camera head.

Damaged Pushrod
The camera should not be forced through blockages. This can cause the wires inside the push rod to become kinked, buckled or severed. Guides and running water can help reduce friction as you push the camera through a pipe.

Controls and Ports

MyTana-ACB18-Control-Box-2

POWER SOURCE RECEPTACLE
Any 3 prong extension cord can be used to power unit or recharge battery. Can be plugged in to standard wall outlet.

POWER
Give the unit 30 seconds to fully boot up
Blinking Blue light indicates low battery. It will blink for 5-10 minutes before battery fails. Plug unit in to standard wall outlet to recharge.

TRANSMIT
Generates 512hz signal at camera head for locating (has nothing to do with Wi- Fi). Will lose picture and lights on camera
NOTE: You must be in Transmit mode to display the Footage count, or use either the Reel Select or Counter Reset buttons.
Transmit button may also remove persistent logo splash screen.

TEST PLUG
Allows you to test camera head separately from push rod MyTana classic style cams (w/pins) only

Unplug push-rod reel cord from REEL port
Disconnect camera head from the push rod, then carefully insert in to this port to test

REEL
Connect push-rod patch cord here, classic style (w/pins) only
COUNTER RESET Resets footage counter to zero

REEL SELECT
Selects reel size you are using to keep footage count accurate.
MSA- = mini reel (100’)
MS11- = mid-sized reel (150’ or 200’) MY30 (NGx10) = large reel (200’) PGR400 = muni reel (400’)
Also, hold REEL SELECT button for 3 seconds to switch from feet to metric (or metric to feet)

LED CONTROL
Full clockwise = full brightness
Use these CONTROL PANEL buttons for recording and working with files. See next pages.

Operating the System

BASICS
We strongly recommend doing a test recording BEFORE you perform your first inspection in the field.
Keep the shipping caps that are on the ends of the camera head and the push rod. Use them to protect these connections whenever you remove the camera head in the future.

Files
In this manual, the term “Files” refers to your recordings, whether video (.mp4) or snapshots (.jpg)
File Naming – by default, files are named with the date (YYYYMMDD) and a numbering sequence (-XX) ex: 20180205-02.mp4 – would be the third video recorded on Feb. 5, 2018 the first will be “20180205-00”, the second “20180205-01”, etc.

You can customize the names of files in the Overlay menu, see pgs 6-7 requires a USB keyboard

Startup

Push POWER button. Blue light around switch will glow. Wait about 30 seconds for MyTana logo to appear.

Battery
Recharge the internal battery by plugging the unit in to a standard wall outlet. Store the unit with half charge and in cool temperatures to extend battery life.
Transmit mode drains battery more quickly, use this only when locating 512Hz signal from camera head.

Ground Screw
Can be used for grounding purposes if needed.

RECORDING VIDEO

Push REC/PAUSE
Use the Control Panel arrow buttons to choose the drive you want to record to: Internal, External or Both. If external, be sure to insert USB (flash) drive in USB port. You can copy or move recordings to a different drive later. (see File Management menu selections next pages)
Push MENU/OK to start recording.
Red dot appears on screen and timer will start.
Push STOP/BACK to stop recording.

AUDIO
MUTE is the default setting for recording, meaning NO sound will be recorded (MUTE is ON if you see “MUTE” on the screen).
NG2 units have no speaker for playback, so sound can only be heard when playing back on a computer.

To Record Sound

Push UNMUTE and “MUTE” will disappear from the screen,the built-in microphone is now active.
Make sure cover is removed, see image opposite page.
If a wiFi dongle/router is in one of the USB ports, it could cause sound interference while recording to either the Internal or an external USB drive. Remove the dongle to prevent interference

TO TAKE STILL SHOTS

Press the SCREEN SHOT button if you want still shots, (not available while recording video)

WIRELESS STREAMING
See separate Viewer APP instruction sheet for using WiFi operations.

Screen Menus

MAIN MENU
Push MENU/OK on the control panel to bring up the Main Menu on the screen. Use the arrow buttons on the control panel to move the cursor to select any menu item.

Press STOP/BACK repeatedly to exit any menu and return to previous screens.

Play Video
View recordings by selecting the drive that you recorded to, Internal or external.
Refer to pg 3 for file naming information.
Use the buttons on the control panel to FAST FORWARD or REWIND during playback.

View Snapshots
Lets you see static (.jpg) images – if you took snapshots rather than full video. See page 3 for instructions on how to take snapshots.

Overlay (see pages 6-7)
Lets you to add, change or move the overlays that appear on your videos or images.
Most tasks require a USB Keyboard to be connected to one of the USB ports.

File Management (see right)
This is the menu where you will work most with your files.
You can copy, move, or delete files.

Setup
Lets you change the time and date in the unit. Your unit will arrive preset. If you wish to reset or change the time:

Select Setup, then MENU/OK
Select Set Date/Time, then MENU/OK
Use and MENU/OK to set the date and time

Push STOP/BACK repeatedly to exit menus
You can change the time format in the Overlay Menu, see pages 6-7

If an external (flash) drive is NOT inserted in one of the USB ports, this menu will show and you can only delete individual files from the internal drive.
When a USB flash drive is inserted into one of the ports, there will be new options to copy (or move) files from one drive to the other, and you will be able to work with a group of files.
The default menu gives options to Copy or Delete files from the either the internal or external drive.
You can change the COPY option to MOVE ( read caution below )
Use the buttons to move the cursor to

Toggle Copy or Move

Press MENU/OK
Menu items will now say “Move video from…” etc.
Press STOP/BACK to return to previous screen.

CAUTION!
COPYING files duplicates file(s) from one drive (internal or external) to the other.

The file(s) remain in the original location Recommended

MOVING files transfers file(s) from one drive (internal or external) to the other.

The file(s) are then automatically deleted from the original location. Do this procedure with care

FIRMWARE VERSIONS
These instructions are current for MyTana Firmware ver. 1755. Older versions may have slight-ly different options in the screen menus.
To find your system’s version, follow this path:
Main Menu > Setup > System Information > Firmware

You can change INDIVIDUAL to GROUP so you can select multiple files to work with at the same time
Use the buttons to move the cursor to
Select Files: Individual
Press MENU/OK
Menu changes to “Select Files: Group”
Press STOP/BACK to return to previous screen.

TO COPY/MOVE OR DELETE FILES

There must be a flash drive inserted in the USB port to Copy or Move files. Read information in previous section (left) before doing these procedures. Copying/moving files from a selected drive (internal or external) automatically chooses the other drive as the destination.
Use the buttons to move the cursor (>) to the procedure you want to do Press MENU/OK
Your list of files will appear for selection.

Selecting an Individual file: (default)
Use the buttons to move the cursor to the file you want to Copy/Move or Delete

Press MENU/OK
File will automatically Copy/Move or be Deleted.
** Remember: if you MOVE a file, it will automatically be deleted from the original location (see CAUTION, opposite page). Press STOP/BACK repeatedly to exit menus.

To select a GROUP of files:
Be sure the Menu shows “Select Files: Group” (see “change Individual to Group” left)
Use the buttons to move cursor to the first file you want to work with

Press MENU/OK
File will be selected as indicated by [x] Move cursor to the next file Press MENU/OK
Repeat until you have selected all the jobs you wish to work with

Press STOP/BACK
A screen will appear to confirm selections, it also gives options to Change the selection or Cancel the process.
Press STOP/BACK to apply the function and return to previous screens.

OVERLAY MENU
The Overlay menu lets you edit the text field overlays that appear on your videos or images.
You can also change the time format of the time/date stamp. Most tasks require a USB Keyboard Connect the keyboard to one of the USB ports on the front of the camera.

WORKING WITH CUSTOM TEXT

Tasks that do not require a keyboard are indicated >>

Adding Custom Text
Replaces date/time stamp at bottom of screen

Push MENU/OK on control panel to access the Main Screen
Select Overlay, then MENU/OK
Select Set Up Primary Overlay, then MENU/OK
Select Custom Text, then MENU/OK
5 custom text lines appear, select one then push MENU/OK Each selection allows 2 lines with 20 characters each
You can enter all 5 custom names while you are here, or just one at a time
Push STOP/BACK repeatedly to return to the Main Screen

Reposition Custom Text on the screen

Push MENU/OK on control panel to access the Main Screen
Select Overlay, then MENU/OK
Select Set Up Primary Overlay, then MENU/OK
Select movement you need, then press MENU/OK repeatedly until the title is in the desired location.
Use the buttons to toggle between the movement choices
– Push STOP/BACK repeatedly to return to the Main Screen

Delete Custom Text on a job

Push MENU/OK on control panel to access the Main Screen
Select Overlay, then MENU/OK
Select Set Up Primary Overlay, then MENU/OK
Select Custom Text, then MENU/OK
Select custom text to remove, then MENU/OK
Use backspace or Delete/Back keys to delete the title, then MENU/OK
Push STOP/BACK repeatedly to return to the Main Screen

Replace Custom Text with the time/date stamp

Push MENU/OK on control panel to access the Main Screen
Select Overlay, then MENU/OK
Check that Primary Overlay at the top of the Overlays menu has 16 x 16 showing. 16 x 16 is the display size of the time stamp 8 x 13 will also show the stamp but very small None will display nothing and the following steps won’t work Press the MENU/OK while the arrow is next to Primary Overlay to toggle between these… once it says 16×16, continue on.
Select Set Up Primary Overlay (2nd menu item) then MENU/OK
Select Text , then MENU/OK
Select ^d^t , then MENU/OK

Time/date stamp will display with CURRENT time/date

Push STOP/BACK repeatedly to return to the Main Screen

Find jobs with Custom Text

Push MENU/OK on control panel to access the Main Screen
Select Overlay, then MENU/OK
Select Set Up Primary Overlay , then MENU/OK
Select Custom Text, then MENU/OK
Choose the job you want to record that you have already named, then MENU/OK

To display text, push MENU/OK

Push STOP/BACK repeatedly to return to the Main Screen and continue with recording

WORKING WITH CUSTOM TITLES

Entering a Custom Title

Push MENU/OK on control panel to access the Main Screen
Select Overlay, then MENU/OK
Select Secondary Overlay, then MENU/OK
Select Title, then MENU/OK
Enter your title using the keyboard. If a 2nd line is needed, push MENU/OK to move cursor to the second line for typing
Push STOP/BACK repeatedly to return to the Main Screen

Reposition Title on the screen

Push MENU/OK on control panel to access the Main Screen
Select Overlay, then MENU/OK
Select Title Overlay, then MENU/OK
Select movement you need, then press MENU/OK repeatedly until the title is in your desired location
Use the buttons to toggle between the movement choices
Push STOP/BACK repeatedly to return to the Main Screen

Remove a Title

Push MENU/OK on control panel to access the Main Screen
Select Overlay, then MENU/OK
Select Title Overlay, then MENU/OK
Select Edit Text, then MENU/OK
Use backspace or Delete/Back on the keyboard to delete the title, then MENU/OK
Push STOP/BACK repeatedly to return to the Main Screen

CHANGE A FILE NAME

Replaces the default file name (ex: 20171116-01.mp4)
with your own text. Consider using what you use for Custom Title or Custom Text.
File names appear on your USB drive lists, or will display in Play Video Screen

Push MENU/OK on control panel to access the Main Screen
Select File Management, then MENU/OK
Select Rename, then MENU/OK
Select Internal, External or Both, then MENU/OK
Rename files
**Important Type in .mp4 at the end of the file name for videos, or .jpg at the end of the file name for snapshots–be sure to include the . (dot)
Press MENU/OK
Push STOP/BACK repeatedly to return to the Main Screen

CHANGE TIME FORMAT

Select Overlays, then MENU/OK
Select Primary Overlay, then MENU/OK
Select Time Format, then MENU/OK
There are 7 options to choose from,
Select HH:MM AM/PM, then MENU/OK
Push STOP/BACK repeatedly to return to the Main Screen

Camera Care Tips Avoid costly repairs!

GENERAL
NEVER USE A CAMERA TO CLEAR BLOCKAGES or ram it to jump an offset. This can result in kinked or broken push-rod, or damaged camera head.
TRAPS Don’t use this camera in any kind of traps. Even if a trap seems large enough, due to the tight turns involved, the camera could become lodged and incur damage.
*Our DrainTracker is designed to go through traps.
If it’s an option, consider running water to reduce push- rod friction as you push the camera through a pipe.

HOUSING
KEEP DRY Be sure to keep a camera frame or control box (both in-use and out-of-use) out of the “spray” of cable machines and jetters.

control panels are generally water resistant, but not waterproof
electronics housing needs venting for air circulation, so it too is not water proof
keep reel interiors as dry as possible

MyTana-ACB18-Control-Box-18

Never use wet/dirty gloves when operating the controls, dirt/grit can get into the buttons.
Use care attaching the push-rod patch cord to the Control Box to avoid damaging the connection pins.

PUSH-ROD
Don’t use a camera in the same line as a cable machine, the spinning cable can damage both the push-rod and camera head.
Cleanouts and entrances can be sharp; cover edges with a rag or use our Tiger Tail guide to avoid cutting the pushrod.
When pulling the camera out of the line, wipe the push-rod down with a cleaning solution on a rag.
When rewinding, stack the push-rod carefully into the reel to avoid kinking. MyTana-ACB18-Control-Box-22

CAMERA HEAD
ALWAYS USE A POLY COVER, like our SnoBall, SlimBall or IceBall camera guides. They are integral to the functionality and protection of the camera head. Keep a cover on the camera during transport to protect the threads and the head.

At the end of the day, check the camera head for damage and signs of water ingress.

GUIDES
ICEBALLS Our new camera heads accept multiple sizes of IceBalls suited for different sizes of pipes.

Remove the small IceBall before adding a larger size.
The 2.5” and 3” IceBalls are rounded to help jump offsets

MyTana-ACB18-Control-Box-120

Remove and clean the threads
regularly. Not doing this can result in micro amounts of crud hardening on the threads making them difficult to remove. Apply dielectric grease to the threads periodically or when changing sizes.
SLIMBALL guides were included with our older 15/8″ camera head. Inspect regularly for damage and keep clean.

A SNOBALL guide is included with our 11/16″ mini camera head. Inspect regularly for damage, replace as needed.

CONNECTION
For camera heads with pin connectors, we recommend keeping the head attached to the push-rod at all times to avoid accidental damage. If you need to remove, make sure to clean the push-rod around the locking nut that secures camera to push-rod. When re-attaching, keep steady pressure on the spring toward the rod to ensure that the guide pins stay securely fitted into the guide-pin holes in the front of the push-rod fitting as you tighten locking nut.