Arlo Essentials Outdoor 2nd Generation experience

[WBeatty]

I purchased a 3 pack of the Arlo Essentials Outdoor cameras with solar panels back around March, 2024 at Costco.  I have been a long time owner of the original Arlo Cameras and they were much more reliable than those just purchased.  

These new camera batteries last a fraction of the time my original stand alone battery powered cameras lasted.  Also, the solar panels are useless in my opinion.  I have used one solar panel in the front of my house that gets afternoon sun and the camera charge seems to last longer without the panel plugged in.  Very disappointing.

Also, when I try to view the activity zones, all I see now is a very washed out video in the middle of the day.  I am probably going to just chock this up to experience, sell these (or pitch them),  and cancel my maintenance plan because these are useless.  My originals which I had for about 5 years were a much better product.  They are definitely NOT worth paying a $13 montly fee for.  

[JamesC]

WBeatty,

How much activity is the camera seeing? The solar panel will provide a trickle charge but may not be charging the battery at the same rate that it's being drained. Take a look here for more information: https://kb.arlo.com/000045870/How-to-troubleshoot-Arlo-Solar-Panel-charging-issues

JamesC

[fradster]

We are having the same battery life issues with our cameras at our vacation rental property.