Arlo Essential Solar Panel question

[jmader72]

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?

[jguerdat]

Gotta ask - what are the ambient temps? The batteries won't charge below freezing and you may be reconnecting the panel when it's above that.

I have 3 panels connected to an Ultra, Pro 3 floodlight and Go 2 that all stop charging when cold but resume when warmer.

[JRay1]

For me, it's been mild temps (40-60F) during sunny days and there's been no charging unless I disconnect and reconnect the solar panel.

[jguerdat]

How about at night when temps fall?

[Bajathree]

I live in FL....this time of year near 80 daytime....evening dropping into 60's. 

[JRay1]

Definitely colder, and a few nights below freezing.  However, I have 1 camera that has full southern sky exposure.  Even this time of year it's getting 5-6 hours of direct sun, weather permitting.   I could maybe expect it to need some warm-up time before charging, but I've checked throughout the day and it never does - unless I unplug the panel then it immediately starts charging.

[ybnice]

@jguerdat 
So far all posters are in sunny Australia and sunny Florida.  All 4 Seasons here in Australia the Panels worked fine until last Firmware update.  This has got nothing to do with Temperature but solely a Firmware issue.  Problem started from day 1 of last Firmware update last month.
I am returning my Solar Panels for a full Refund to the Shop within the next few days and good riddance to them - nothing but a headache dealing with Arlo Customer Support that do not listen to the Customer.  I will be informing the Retailer that these Solar Panels will not work with Arlo 4 Pro and they need to contact Arlo to sort it out re Firmware.  As currently they will be selling a product that will not work as it should.
In the end, as I said above, I have since had my Cameras connected to the power of my home and working awesome, as they should.
Finally, I got a Survey to fill in today from Arlo re Arlo Support.  I put every point as negative and put at the lowest 1.  Giving specific details of the horrible dealings I have had with them,

[Capsgator]

So the temperatures where im at are very very mild and well within specifications lowest 65F and highest 85F.  Here is the crazy part.  I have 12 cameras with 7 of them on solar panels... and ALL of them are impacted by this.  I'm really struggling to find any other example of where this could be anything other than recent software.  I get if its one or two... could be battery issues, could be placement issues, could be even an adverse advent... however in this case, its 7 cameras placed in various places around the complete perimeter of the house.  Support keeps asking me to follow instructions to remove batteries, reboot, recharge the battery from an outlet, all of these aren't helping yet i keep getting the same scripts.  My favorite was this helpful interaction... 

AGENT (Arlo Support): Kindly be informed that the solar panels will not charge the device it will only hold the charge with the help of the sunlight.

AGENT (Arlo Support): Your battery will get drain if there is no sun light.

USER: i live in florida... i have sunlight all day long

USER: these have been working for many many months

AGENT (Arlo Support): I'm sorry, I have checked the resources none of the solar panels will hold the charge and so it will get drain automatically if there is no light. It will not help you to charge the camera.

...

AGENT (Arlo Support): I'm extremely sorry, May I know whether the charge gets hold with the help of the sunlight?

USER: i dont understand what you are saying

USER: what charge gets hold

USER: there is a battery... it is draining because the solar panel is not charging the battery

AGENT (Arlo Support): Please check whether there are any shadows on the solar panel.

AGENT (Arlo Support): Also, Please unplug the solar panel and plug it again.

USER: i really dont know how to tell you this any other way.... it is directly in the sunlight... there are no shadows or trees. i unplugged them all yesterday and plugged it again

USER: i restarted them all today USER: both days... direct sun

USER: all 7 cameras USER: there appears to have been an update to the cameras that has broken the solar panel connection USER: it is being reported in the community forums

[ybnice]

@Capsgator 
Oh my, not good.  Going round and round in circles is the norm I am afraid.

Arlo need to bring back support to USA.  If they keep going along at this rate, they will lose business.

[Bajathree]

Sounds similar to my experiences with support....they just keep saying the same thing and forwarding me the troubleshooting link to try....like we are all idiots that don't know what we are talking about. There is no acknowledgement by Arlo that there is an issue going on. Arlo... set up an Pro 4 camera with a solar panel and see for yourself....or do you already know but just don't want to acknowledge cause you don't currently know how to correct it?!?!?!

[Tonyschawks]

I have Arlo Pro 2 and Ultra cameras setup to a vmb5000r6.  The latest Arlo firmware installed globally in early December 2022 does not permit solar power recharging for any of my cameras.  I have 3 solar panels and I receive ‘double check connection' or it simply doesn’t maintain the charge.  Is anyone experiencing similar issues with the latest update?

[Bajathree]

Yes....there is another thread in the community on this issue. Recently many of us including myself have seen the solar panels stop charging our Pro 4's. If you unplug the charge cord from the panel to the camera and reconnect it should start to charge....HOWEVER the problem is once your camera battery reaches 100% or you lose light.. you camera will stop charging and not automatically start to charge again until you again disconnect and reconnect the charge cord from the panel. Arlo support so far has been of no help on this issue and I have gotten nowhere. I have even replaced the panels with brand new Arlo panels and still have the same issue. This issue happened to 2 of my camera/solar set-ups exactly at the same time....just as it did with many other people. This is all reported to have occurred exactly around the time of the last firmware update. 

[Monteagle]

I have the exact issue with my Arlo Pro 4 and solar panel.  When the sun is out, I need to disconnect and reconnect the magnetic connector to charge the camera which causes the sun icon and charging icons to turn green.  If I do not disrupt the charging cable connection, then the sun icon will remain grayed out.

Firmware: 1.080.18.4_52_ec35062

Camera: Arlo Pro 4

[Dkmb]

Any updates to this?  I am having same issue.  I have 5 on solar panels and all not working.  When I get up and reconnect each cable it works to grt to 100% and then stops again.  

[Tonyschawks]

Bizarre how a firm ware update disrupts solar power charging. Arlo support told me to disconnect, swap out batteries, and resync. Obviously for most that is a significant effort because how difficult it is to get to the cameras in the first place. In essence a soft and hard reboot due to their firmware update. 

[Dkmb]

Thank you.  I climbed up on ladders and did that to 3 of the 5 cameras.  Shows working now and if that continues I will do the climb for the other two cameras this weekend.  Fingers crossed.  All worked great for months and then while we were out of town for a month this happened.  Exactly why I did Solar to begin with so I wouldn’t have to worry!

[Monteagle]

Oh, and my camera is just a week old so the battery is not an issue.  My other five pro 4 cams are plugged into an outlet and charge via USB cable without issue.

[Jo060]

Same issue here on all 4 panels. I too found that restarting each camera gets the solar charging to work again.

These cameras turn to mush without a restart every couple of days anyway, so I make it part of my weekly routine.

It could be coencidence, but if I don't restart for a few days, the battery usually gets down to about 96% before the camera allows it to charge again on its own. Maybe it's a built in feature for battery health? 

[Bajathree]

I have tried camera restart....hard reboot....removing and reinserting battery...cleaning all the contacts...deleting camera and reinstalling...nothing works to get it to start to charge again other than disconnecting and reconnecting the charge cord from the panel to the camera.

[jmader72]

Ah! Yes... maybe I'm not giving my camera a chance to charge on its own. I was assuming it would charge whenever it drops below 100. 

[Dkmb]

I reached out to arlo support and they asked me to reboot and resync and add camera again.  When I went back to the support after being on ladder they closed the case cuz I wasn’t answering them in the last five minutes because I was on the ladder on the app.  So they closed the case!

[Roger_Jr]

Any acknowledgement by Arlo of this issue yet?   Looks as though I will need to be changing out batteries in my 4 x Arlo Pro 4 cameras and Floodlight camera.  A couple have gone flat already. Solar panels are connected and recognised and still no charge. Temps here in Australia where I am have been around 22C (71.6F).

I am looking at PoE cameras in the longer term as I have a network switch to support it.  Want to get this issue dealt with first. I thought these solar panels would work longer than 1 year.

Base station firmware has appeared a couple of times in the last month but not for the Arlo Pro 4 or Floodlight 3 camera, which needs to be updated to remedy this issue ASAP.

[AZRockster]

About 3 weeks ago, I noticed the same behavior from my 3 Arlo 4 pro cameras connected to solar panels.  Here's what happened:

- All 3 cameras stopped charging from solar panels (the cameras are about 6 weeks old).

- They all worked fine for about 2 - 3 weeks with solar panels charging the camera batteries.

- 1 Pro 4 camera is connected to an Arlo solar panel and it does not charge unless I disconnect solar and reconnect.

- 2 Pro 4 cameras are connected to Wasserstein solar panels and they also do not charge unless I disconnect solar and reconnect.

- The last 2 points clearly show it is NOT a specific solar panel issue, but a firmware issue.  

- 1 Pro 3 (not Pro 4), is connected to a Wasserstein solar panel and it keeps my Pro 3 charged to 100%.  This solar panel gets the least amount of sun compared to the other 3 connected to Pro 4's.  

This is clearly a Pro 4 firmware issue.  Arlo please fix it ASAP!

[Dkmb]

Hello all;

I have the same issue as all of you have stated.  Started a few weeks ago and I have 4 Arlo pro 4 and I Arlo floodlight all hooked up to solar panels.  All stopped working and only solution is reseeding the connector.  I have opened a ticket and shared it’s a firmware update and nothing.  I have removed from account, added back in and same thing happens.  So frustrating.  

[ybnice]

Why was my post taken down...? Is it an offence to give info re Head Office contact in USA...?

[Capsgator]

All... please please please open support cases via the app.  Thats the only real way to bring attention to the larger impact to end users.  They don't read these forums at all... or so i was told.  I have a case open and they are sending me a new solar panel to swap out with an old to rule that out.  I give that 0% of a chance to resolve as it is affecting... 7... of my cameras and not a single stray panel.  When I explained that and that others are having the same issue, the response I got was we don't have any other open cases for this type of issue which I know is inaccurate.  Open those support cases.  Reference this chat item that has 800+ views as I type.