topic Re: Arlo Essential Solar Panel question in Arlo Essential Wire-Free Cameras

Arlo Essential Solar Panel question

jmader72 — Tue, 22 Nov 2022 19:14:49 GMT

I connected the solar panel to my Arlo Camera. Based on the icons showing, it is clear that the solar panel is connected properly.

The first time the power dropped below 100%, it immediately charged the camera until it reached 100% again. After that first time, it does not automatically charge. I have 2 options. I can unplug the panel from the camera and then plug it back in, or I can go to the app and restart the camera. Either of these tasks causes the camera to go into a charging status and continue on until it reaches 100%.

Again, once it drops below 100% later on, it will not automatically start to charge unless I do one of those tasks.

Is there a setting I am missing or is this a known issue?

Arlo 4 Pro Cameras using Solar Issue

ybnice — Mon, 21 Nov 2022 02:22:51 GMT

I have 2 Arlo 4 Pro Cameras, both with the certified Solar Panel. A few days back, the Arlo Server was down; could not see any Library and subscription, said to renew when it was active. A few hours later the Server came back online and working 100%. Since this time, both Cameras are very, very slowly losing charge. This has never been the case. The 2 Panels face directly into full sunlight and I live on the sunny East Coast of Australia - always charging to 100% every day, no matter what season it is. I have disarmed both Cameras so to cause no recording to use battery. I have contacted support and getting nowhere. Could this be a firmware update problem?
Thanks in advance if anybody can help.

Re: Arlo 4 Pro Cameras using Solar Issue

jguerdat — Mon, 21 Nov 2022 14:25:48 GMT

Firmware could be an issue but first, is the battery icon showing a lightning bolt through it, indicating it's connected to the panel? What is the "sun" icon showing? Have you tried reconnecting the panel to the cameras?

https://kb.arlo.com/1179176/What-do-my-Arlo-camera-s-battery-level-icons-and-notifications-mean

Re: Arlo 4 Pro Cameras using Solar Issue

StephenB — Mon, 21 Nov 2022 16:48:30 GMT

@jguerdat wrote:

Have you tried reconnecting the panel to the cameras?

I'd also remove/reinsert the battery while you are at it.

Re: Arlo 4 Pro Cameras using Solar Issue

ybnice — Mon, 21 Nov 2022 20:53:00 GMT

The Sun icon is showing just like it always has for both cameras, none of the displays have changed. The battery icon always shows as a grey color. The same issue is happening to both Cameras and both panels. No I have not reconnected both panels and have not removed each of the batteries. Thought this would not have to be done because it is happening to both cameras, connected to its own separate panel, with the same exact very slow gradual percentage loss. My cameras are very high. and to do that I would need to get my electrician with his long ladder. I am still putting the problem down to Firmware update or alike, It only started happening when the Arlo Server came online as normal, after having intermittent down times for a few hours.

Re: Arlo Essential Solar Panel question

ShayneS — Wed, 23 Nov 2022 16:29:03 GMT

Please reach out to the Support Team to further investigate this issue you are experiencing. You can find several options for contacting support though the Arlo Mobile App by navigating to Settings/System/Support.

Re: Arlo Essential Solar Panel question

HLStephenson — Sat, 26 Nov 2022 14:02:29 GMT

I'm having the same issue, did you ever get a answer from support?

As reported the solar charging worked for a few months when new, but to keep the charge peaked now I need to restart the cam every month.

Possible firmwear update changed something?

Re: Arlo Essential Solar Panel question

jmader72 — Sun, 27 Nov 2022 16:18:50 GMT

Hi,

No, I have not received any guidance yet.

If I receive any useful tips, I will definitely share.

If anyone else finds an answer first, please let me know.

Thanks!

Re: Arlo 4 Pro Cameras using Solar Issue

ybnice — Tue, 29 Nov 2022 18:19:23 GMT

Just a follow-up...
I got sick of the continuous Arlo Support telling me to do this and that over and over again to no avail and would not listen to my suggestion that it is a Firmware issue.
My 2 Cameras dropped down to 30 percent. I got my Electrician to visit and he could see nothing wrong with the 2 Solar Panels, leading again to believe it is a Firmware problem if connected to a Solar Panel and it needs to be addressed. These 2 Panels were in full sunlight all day. Arlo Support kept telling me it is the amount of recordings it is doing that is draining them but it has been doing the same amount for over 1 year up until a few weeks back.
In the end, 2 days ago, I got my Electrician to hard wire the 2 Cameras to the Electricity of my Home - bingo... they shot up to 100% so quick and stayed there. What is happening now, it records heaps at night because the neighbours over the road have all these flashing Christmas lights and lighting up their 4 cars in their front yard lol. No real biggy as Cameras stay at 100% and work.

Re: Arlo 4 Pro Cameras using Solar Issue

Bajathree — Wed, 30 Nov 2022 14:14:02 GMT

I am having a similar issue on my 2 Pro 4's using Arlo solar panels. All have been working fine for months just until about a week or 2 ago where I noticed that my camera battery life on both cameras was below 100%. I live in sunny FL and batteries were always at 100% prior. I unplugged the solar panel cord and reconnected and the cameras would start charging and go back to 100%. However once at 100% and the charge indicator turns off the cameras over time start to slowly start to drain and the solar panel don't start to come back on and automatically charge. I once again have to disconnect the panel connection to the camera and re-connect it to get it to start to charging again.Suspicious that this issue occurred on both camera/solar panels at the same exact time. I returned both panels to Best Buy where I bought them and they replaced them with brand new Arlo panels and they seem to be doing the same exact thing. So is it the camera or a software issue?

Re: Arlo 4 Pro Cameras using Solar Issue

ybnice — Wed, 30 Nov 2022 23:10:13 GMT

@Bajathree
Ohhh I knew it. The Electrician said the same as I predicted - a firmware or even a software issue. I got sick of going around in circles dealing with Arlo Support, they would not listen and I was getting nowhere saying it was the high amount of recordings my camera was doing (was exactly the same amount the past year). In the end I got my Electrician to hardwire to the power in the home and all is working now as it should. The Electrician, buying the 2 outdoor cables, fitting etc cost me $600.00, the price I had to pay to get my Arlo Cameras to work through no fault of mine but a fault caused by Arlo.
Something seriously needs to be done to bring back support to Arlo USA and not outsourcing to another Country where they just follow the norm of reading out of a manual and never escalating the issues and ignoring what actually customers are saying and experiencing. Australia's biggest telecommunications brought back local support as they were getting too many complaints and losing business.
Good luck with dealing with support Bajathree as it is hopeless, but I am not going to leave it at that. I am officially going to write a letter of complaint to Arlo about their support network and not listening to the customer.

Re: Arlo 4 Pro Cameras using Solar Issue

Capsgator — Mon, 05 Dec 2022 16:43:12 GMT

I have 12 Arlo cameras and 7 of them have the Arlo solar panel installed. Something has occurred in the last 30 days (i don't know specifically when) but none of them appear to be charging via the solar panel. I see the grey icon on each of them that they are connected to the panel but now none of those icons flip to green to indicate charging. I see the percentage continue to decrease. I've restarted all of them, removed and replaced the battery, rejoined the network... nothing works.

As its all 7 of them and not one or two, I have to think its more a systemic issue and perhaps firmware related. Will be opening some form of ticket.

Re: Arlo 4 Pro Cameras using Solar Issue

ybnice — Mon, 05 Dec 2022 17:13:07 GMT

@Capsgator

Good luck dealing with Arlo Support as I got nowhere, so darn frustrating. Sending heaps of emails back and forth and numerous phone calls to them tell them it is a firmware issue and it falls of deaf ears, sending you links to try this and try that.
I have, as said above, paid over $600.00 to my electrician to connect my Cameras to the power of my home last week, disconnecting them from the Solar Panels. This worked and Cameras are working perfectly without the Panels. This is proof there is a firmware issue if you are using Solar Panels to charge the Battery.
I am so angry about the whole scenario and the unnecessary cost I have paid to get my Cameras charging again.

Re: Arlo 4 Pro Cameras using Solar Issue

ybnice — Tue, 06 Dec 2022 03:02:43 GMT

Another update...
It was USELESS again talking to Support today, just not listening and getting nowhere as usual.
I explained there are others experiencing the same problem as me (referred them to Arlo Community Forum) and I want a refund on my 2 Solar Panels, which now have just gone over 1 year warranty. I said I do not care as I have been dealing with you to fix the problem for a number of weeks now which took me over my warranty period. He transferred me to Accounts.
Spoke to a lady there and she will look into it. I said Arlo should not be selling the Solar Panels for Arlo 4 Pro as they do not work. She also will contact the Technical Team about the Solar Panel firmware issue. In the meantime I said, due to my extra expense of connecting to the Power of my Home, I want a full refund of the 2 Solar Panels as not working as they should. She said she will contact me within 24 hours.

Re: Arlo 4 Pro Cameras using Solar Issue

ybnice — Tue, 06 Dec 2022 13:04:16 GMT

It was exactly around this date that the problem started for us all within .... The LATEST Firmware update was:-

Arlo Pro4 VMC4041P - 1.080.18.4_52_ec35062
15 November 2022

Re: Arlo 4 Pro Cameras using Solar Issue

Roger_Jr — Sun, 11 Dec 2022 12:51:57 GMT

I can confirm that I’m also having the same issue with my Arlo Solar Panels (in Australia). I have 5 Solar Panels that stopped charging my Arlo Pro 4 cameras, which must have coincided with the last firmware update on 15 Nov.

They have all stopped charging at around the same time, despite attempting to swap out the battery, reseat the magnetic contact on the cable etc. Didn’t notice this until only recently when one of the batteries went flat. Plenty of sun, little rain recently and warm temperatures.

It has to be the most recent firmware release, never had this issue previously and purchased the solar panels at different times (several months apart).

Re: Arlo 4 Pro Cameras using Solar Issue

Capsgator — Sun, 11 Dec 2022 13:14:04 GMT

While I have found first tier support very much unhelpful on this issue, I do think we all need to be creating support cases to raise the priority of the issue. I had to do that in the app under the support area. The more we all create cases the likelihood a fix comes quicker.

Re: Arlo 4 Pro Cameras using Solar Issue

jguerdat — Sun, 11 Dec 2022 15:08:54 GMT

I agree with creating trouble tickets to raise awareness 100%. In the meantime, as a test, try removing one camera from your account and then add it back in to see if that helps in any way.

Re: Arlo 4 Pro Cameras using Solar Issue

Roger_Jr — Sun, 11 Dec 2022 21:33:41 GMT

I also tried removing one of the cameras from my account. After that, re-added it back to my account after connecting it to the base station. Made no difference to the Solar Panel charging issue.

Looked at the support area in the App. I will make contact with Arlo support later today (they open at 9am in Aus). If anyone knows of a web portal to submit the tickets (other than chat) please let me know.

I’m guessing that this issue would be affecting all customers (with the Arlo 4 Pro and Solar Panel) right now.

Re: Arlo 4 Pro Cameras using Solar Issue

ybnice — Mon, 12 Dec 2022 02:27:35 GMT

@Roger_Jr

There is no way any support will forward you to the Section that is responsible for firmware update. This area I found out through ringing them and getting nowhere is, the Intermal Team. They told me this with my very last phone call to them on 9 December 2020, speaking to the Accounts area (10 phone calls all up with Support and Accounts). Twice they told me they will contact them and raise the issue. This I know would not be done. The only thing that has been done is an App update which will do nothing.

I have been still contacting them, of course nothing happening, I want a refund for my 2 Solar Panels. My last call to them, I got rather abrupt with them, saying I have 2 Solar Panels that do not work and the Store where I purchased them from will probably only give me a credit. This is so wrong and not right and Arlo should cease selling them as it is kind of fraudulent selling a product that does not work any more due to firmware.
I did not want to drop my Cameras so low so they could be damaged by anybody just to be able to take out battery and manually charge each time grrr. So now, I am going to clean my Solar Panels and return them to JB HI-FI, hoping for a refund (Australia has a 2 Year Warranty) so Arlo Accounts told me. I do not need replacements, as I was forced to pay my Electrician to hard wire my Cameras to the electricity of my home for them to work, and working as they should be, perfectly. An unnecessary cost of $618.20 because Arlo WILL NOT listen to the Customer.