AOV Mode in Solar 4G Cameras: What It Is, How It Works, and How to Quote It as an Importer

What AOV mode is

AOV mode (Always-On Video) is an operating mode in which the camera records continuously, around the clock, while holding standby draw very low — instead of waking up only when a PIR sensor picks up a moving heat source. The image sensor stays live permanently, and AI scene analysis decides when to raise recording quality and when to conserve power. AOV is a generic industry term — not a trademark, and not one manufacturer's proprietary technology — and it has become the label for the category of solar 4G cameras a distributor should be quoting whenever the end customer complains about "events the camera never recorded".

For an importer, that distinction is not a spec-sheet footnote. It is the single biggest driver of after-sales complaints in the solar segment. A PIR-triggered camera hands you scattered clips; an AOV camera hands you a timeline. When the end user is a farm, a construction site or a truck yard, the timeline is what stands up as evidence for an insurance claim or a cattle-rustling report.

AOV versus PIR triggering

A PIR sensor reacts to moving thermal contrast inside a narrow detection cone. It works well for a person walking straight at the lens from close range, and it fails in three scenarios that happen to be the most common ones in the field.

Why this matters to your margin, not just to the end user

A "the camera didn't record the theft" complaint almost never ends in an approved warranty claim, because the unit performed exactly to specification. It ends in a negotiated return, a goodwill replacement, and a customer who does not reorder. Selling AOV from the outset for livestock, construction and wide-perimeter applications is a margin decision, not technical generosity.

The power budget: battery, panel and storage

Recording continuously costs more energy than waking on an event. That is why AOV mode only holds up when the battery-and-panel pairing is sized for the actual installation site. In the SolaGuard catalogue, manufactured by Shenzhen Leksell (TÜV Rheinland certified, plus CE, FCC and RoHS, plant established in 2012), the ranges are specific and bounded:

• Battery: 8000 mAh to 20000 mAh depending on the model. Nothing above that exists.
• Solar panel: 8 W or 15 W, integrated.
• Storage: microSD up to 128 GB as standard; anything larger is only assessed as a custom order.
• Resolution: 1080p to 2K as standard. 4K exists only as a bespoke or OEM development.
• Ingress protection: IP66 on outdoor models.
• Installation: 5 to 10 minutes per camera, with no electrical work and no WiFi, because the link is 4G LTE.

One practical warning when you review any supplier's spec sheets: if a single document mixes different IP ratings between paragraphs, or promises a card capacity the model cannot accept, that supplier is not describing the product they are about to ship. Always insist that the final order sheet restate the exact mAh figure, panel wattage and IP rating of the quoted SKU.

What to confirm with the factory, not the catalogue

Runtime through overcast days depends on latitude, panel orientation, shading, temperature and how many events the site generates. No catalogue number can answer that honestly. Send the project location and the usage profile, and ask for the recommended configuration in writing before you close the order.

The AOV models available for wholesale

Out of 150 SKUs in the catalogue, 49 models run in AOV mode, with wholesale prices quoted per order. The dual-lens line is the one distributors serving farms and construction sites ask for most, because it covers the wide shot and the detail shot from a single mounting point on a single SIM.

The remaining AOV models, with batteries from 8000 mAh and 8 W panels for less demanding sites, are in the full catalogue.

Commercial terms for wholesale buyers

The advice for a first-time buyer is to start with the 10-unit trial, install it across two or three different sites — one with partial shade, one with frequent rain, one with heavy event traffic — and only then decide the battery and panel mix for the volume order. Tier-by-tier terms are set out on the wholesale page.

Private label on AOV models

OEM and private label are available on every model, including all 49 AOV units, from 100 pieces: logo, packaging, manual and app customisation. The factory also builds to specification — higher resolution, a different battery or panel, non-standard storage, your own branding — but in that case the minimum quantity, price and lead time are agreed person to person, never from a public table. If your plan is to build a regional brand on this category, start with the dealer programme.

How to request a quote

Send your estimated quantity, destination country, application, and whether you need private label. The Ho Chi Minh City office handles orders for Vietnam and Southeast Asia; Latin America is quoted directly with the factory.

• WhatsApp: +86 188 1869 9870
• Phone: +86 188 1869 9870
• Email: info@solaguard.net

State in your enquiry that you need AOV models: it is the fastest way to rule out the PIR-triggered references and get a quote that matches what your end customer actually expects the equipment to do.