Arlo|Smart Home Security|Wireless HD Security Cameras

Essential with solar charger

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Rebtop
Aspirant
Aspirant

The app is useless. The charger is useless. Support is useless. 

This app was showing the camera at 100% before it lost communication capability. I got my ladder out and took it down. Plugged it into my charger. After 15 minutes it started to communicate. The indicator was now 3%. Not the first time. I have NO confidence in these units. 

Worthless. I am trying to get my money back for the 5 units I have. 

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TomMac
Guru Guru
Guru

You state it lost "communication capability".... what do you mean?

 

It is normal if the cameras lose contact with the base or wifi they will drain the battery.... sort of a cell phone that keeps pinging for a cell site, it uses more power doing so.

 

So, how long where they unlinked?

 

Many use a UPS on the base unit or router so if power goes out for a short time the camera do not disconnect.

 

As to refund, that may be needed to contact the point of purchase.

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Rebtop
Aspirant
Aspirant

I did not get a resolution. They are like great tennis players. They put the ball back in my court. Why?

Very simple request. My application shows the charge status as over 90%. Pick a number between 90% and 100%. Then unexpectedly, it stops communicating because the power is drained to nothing. The status of the charge did not change to indicate low power before this event. 

StephenB
Guru Guru
Guru

@Rebtop wrote:

Then unexpectedly, it stops communicating because the power is drained to nothing. The status of the charge did not change to indicate low power before this event. 


When the wifi signal is lost by the camera, the camera goes into a mode where it is actively looking for the wifi signal to come back, so it can rejoin.  This can take a lot of power (enough to drain the battery if it lasts a while).  Of course, if it happens at night (or when the panel isn't generating power), then the panel won't offset that.  

 

A simpler way to say this:  You think it stopped communicating because the power drained.  But it is also possible that the power drained because it was unable to communicate.  And that second possibility would also explain why you never saw a low power alert.

 

I'm not saying that your power issue was certainly caused by the loss of connection - just that it could have been.  

 

Is this happening with all your cameras, or just one?  If just one, you could try swapping it with one that is closer to your router (or base if you use that).  Then see if the problem follows the camera or not.

Rebtop
Aspirant
Aspirant

Guru. If you followed the thread you will see this was discussed previously, previously, previously. 
I have two Essential cameras with solar chargers connected. 
The app stops monitoring the power level correctly when a solar panel is attached. 
One camera is 20 feet away. The second is 30 feet away. Both act the same. Comm is near perfect. 

Please address the real problem, the app does not work correctly.