Arlo Essential Spotty Recording Motion

[mfranmac]

I am sure this subject has been brought up before but most discussions are closed or no definitive answer.

My Arlo Essential watching my driveway only captures motion part of the time.  I see in my library a person walking their dog one direction and I know they return the same route but that is not captured.  This happens more often than not.  There will be gaps of hours when I know cars are passing by but they are not captured.  I have three cameras and have exchanged them (took the entrance camera and traded with the driveway camera) and this worked for a short time and then the same issue appears - part time recording.  Any suggestions?

[StephenB]

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@mfranmac wrote:

My Arlo Essential watching my driveway only captures motion part of the time.

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How far away is the camera from the person and dog?  Similarly, how far away is the camera from the vehicles?

[mfranmac]

The motion is between 18 and 25 feet.  When I first placed the cameras in February all motion in this area was captured in the library.  Around mid-May the intermittent motion capture began.  After two weeks I traded my entrance camera with the driveway camera.  Again it captured all motion for a short period of time and now back to the gaps.

I have tried setting zones, both finite and wide, read the online info to make sure I have the settings correct and now wondering what to do.

[StephenB]

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@mfranmac wrote:

The motion is between 18 and 25 feet. 

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FWIW, the spec'd range is 23 feet.  Arlo cameras are most sensitive to motion across the field of view, and more sensitive at the bottom of the field of view than the top.

So perhaps repositioning might help, especially if the missed motion is at the top of the field of view.  You could also increase the motion sensitivity (done in the mode for the camera).  Activity zones won't help with missed motion, as all they can do is exclude some areas from motion detection.

The change in performance might be weather-related (ambient temperature can have some effect, especially if the outdoor temps are close to body temperature).

It sounds like the missed motion is in areas on the edge of your property (or outside it altogether).   You could also try using the motion detection test to gauge where motion is reliably detected.  That might help you sort out how much the drop off in performance matters.

[mfranmac]

Thanks for the replies StephenB...

I will take your advice and reposition the camera to change the field of view.  I have changed the sensitivity level from 80% to 90% to see if that will help.  Also, will try the motion detection test to see if that will also improve motion capture.

[MrBill923]

I had same problem after about 3 months. Camera worked fine, then not. See my post from a few weeks ago. I have done all trouble shooting with Arlo support, nothing has changed. It is just inconsistent. Frustrating. 

[mfranmac]

I repositioned the camera and changed the motion sensitivity to 90%.  I captured a bit more but still the same issue with missing people or cars within the listed field of vision.  The same issue, a person walks one direction and I know they will be coming back the same way and they are not captured and will see a vehicle parked close to me but nothing showing on how they got there.

What I find interesting is the camera is able to pick up vehicles passing 25 to 30 feet away.  If it can capture motion for that distance, why can't it capture motion consistently within its listed field of range?

[StephenB]

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@mfranmac wrote:

What I find interesting is the camera is able to pick up vehicles passing 25 to 30 feet away.  If it can capture motion for that distance, why can't it capture motion consistently within its listed field of range?

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Vehicles are much bigger than people, and generally create more heat (IR).

In my area right now, the ambient temps are in the 90s, which is of course close to body temperature.  That also makes it more difficult for the PIR sensor to distinguish a person from the ambient IR.

[mfranmac]

I can understand that the ambient temps may affect but when people are walking by but if they are walking by within a minute to 3 minute stretch and are caught on camera in one direction but not the other the issue remains.

I can also understand the ambient temps during the day but at night when the temps drop that reasoning goes away.  Still get the one way direction capture as well as the long lags in anything being captured for several hours when there is pedestrian and vehicle traffic.

[StephenB]

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@mfranmac wrote:

I can understand that the ambient temps may affect but when people are walking by but if they are walking by within a minute to 3 minute stretch and are caught on camera in one direction but not the other the issue remains.

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Have you tried walking in front of the camera at various distances?  Then you could tell if this is happening close up, and if not, then gauge the distance where the problem begins

[MrBill923]

I finally got Arlo to do a RMA and exchange my unit. As soon as I send my "bugged" unit back they will send replacement. Good luck with yours. 

[mfranmac]

Stephen B,

The last couple days I did various experiments. I walked during the early morning, the afternoon, evening and late at night.  I walked from side to side 20 to 30 feet on each side of the camera and distances from right under the camera to 50 feet away from the camera.  In these experiments I was able to see myself at decent peripheral views as well as front to back.  Other cars and people walking were within the same field of vision.  No missing pieces were made while I did my experimental walks, yet the missing segments continued throughout the day.  An Amazon truck within these same parameters was missing, a neighbor walking her dog was captured walking one direction (within 20 ft of the camera) but not the other, kids on bikes going one way but not the othe retc. 

[mfranmac]

I have been patient long enough with these cameras and they continue to be spotty at best recording what should be quite simple.  I have tried every suggestion that the guru and others have given me to no avail.  These are horrible cameras.  I will be replacing this terrible product with a Wyze system. I have advised my neighbors who were looking into getting a similar system to steer clear of any Arlo product and look at other alternatives such as the Wyze.  I am not sure if the reviews of the Arlo cameras are paid reviews, but given my history with these I would not doubt it.  Any place I can do a review of the Arlo camera I will make sure to advise people to look elsewhere.  These are a complete waste of money.