POS Battery Charging System!

[TMProperties]

I purchased the Arlo Go Model # VML4030VWQ, to monitor a remote property that has been broken into in the past. It's 1-1/2 hr. from home. I have been fighting the battery issues since day 1. It shows that I have a high percent charged battery but I receive the "charging fault... See KB article" message. I thought the issue was rain water related. It appears anytime there was rain or heavy fog. This morning I received a message that it was too cold to charge the battery.  I find this device is not robust enough for outdoor use as advertised. Please help me with this issue. I need 24-7 surveillance on this property due to past illegal activity.

[jguerdat]

While it could be a hardware issue, it's likely due to a connector letting moisture in but you don't tell us if you're using AC power or a solar panel. Especially with the panel, it's very important to remove the cable from both ends and let things dry out fully. Once dry, reinsert the cable, taking great pains to ensure the cable is fully seated on both ends. It can be very difficult to ensure this so take your time.

As for being too cold, that's a li-ion issue where the batteries shouldn't be charged if too cold.

[TMProperties]

Sorry... I am using the factory supplied, 110 VAC Power supply. And yes there is a water issue with the charging port location and it is allowing moisture into the charging connection. This is a terrible design for a product that claims to be an outdoor camera. $500 for a device that doesn't work! The manufacturer must have never field tested this in a moist/wet and cold enviroment. It's terrible that I have wasted money on this device... 😞

I feel that untill I find a functional replacement I should hold the manufacturer finacially responsible for all damage due to my not being able to monitor a property 1-1/2 hr away from my home.

[AncientGeek]

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@TMProperties wrote:

Sorry... I am using the factory supplied, 110 VAC Power supply. And yes there is a water issue with the charging port location and it is allowing moisture into the charging connection. This is a terrible design for a product that claims to be an outdoor camera. $500 for a device that doesn't work! The manufacturer must have never field tested this in a moist/wet and cold enviroment. It's terrible that I have wasted money on this device... 😞

I feel that untill I find a functional replacement I should hold the manufacturer finacially responsible for all damage due to my not being able to monitor a property 1-1/2 hr away from my home.

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If your camera is located such that it receives some direct sunlight, you can improve the cold weather performance by installing a black Arlo silicone skin on the camera.  When a skin is installed on a camera that receives direct sun exposure during cold months, the skin absorbs the heat and warms up the camera, allowing it to charge at lower ambient temperatures.  I have seen mine charge in the teens F rather than stopping at 32F.  Perhaps the skin would help with the moisture issue also.

[alien_scones]

Dont bother with the silicone skin. It only retains more moisture to leach into the already faulty connector.

Paint your camera black instead.

[AncientGeek]

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@alien_scones wrote:
Dont bother with the silicone skin. It only retains more moisture to leach into the already faulty connector.

Paint your camera black instead.

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I like the skins because I can take them off in the summer when I don’t want them to absorb heat from sunlight.  So far, I’ve been lucky with the power connector for my solar powered cameras.

[TMProperties]

Well...

It just gets worse. I drove 1.5 hours to the location to see if I could relocate the camera inside and watch the property entrance from indoors through a window. Guess what It doesn't work. Apparently the Motion sensing will not work through the window. So I relocated the camera back to the original location. Immediately I received an off line error. So I unplugged the power source and received a 3rd degree burn from the power connector while handeling the connector. I looked at it close and it was a complete meltdown along with the connection on the camera itself.

So it looks like Verizon will need to refund all money tomorrow. There is no way they can convince me to continue to use this product. Looking for suggestions for a similar product that WORKS as advertised. If it's possible to give a NEGETIVE 5 STARS I certainly would.

Additional photos comming

[TMProperties]

[TMProperties]

[AncientGeek]

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@TMProperties wrote:

Well...

It just gets worse. I drove 1.5 hours to the location to see if I could relocate the camera inside and watch the property entrance from indoors through a window. Guess what It doesn't work. Apparently the Motion sensing will not work through the window. So I relocated the camera back to the original location. Immediately I received an off line error. So I unplugged the power source and received a 3rd degree burn from the power connector while handeling the connector. I looked at it close and it was a complete meltdown along with the connection on the camera itself.

So it looks like Verizon will need to refund all money tomorrow. There is no way they can convince me to continue to use this product. Looking for suggestions for a similar product that WORKS as advertised. If it's possible to give a NEGETIVE 5 STARS I certainly would.

Additional photos comming

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Correct.  I believe PIR motion sensors don’t work through modern glass windows, since so many of them are Low-E designs that block IR radiation.  My Arlo Q Plus camera does recognize motion.  I was told that is because it uses the image sensor to detect motion.  

With regard to the power cord failure, was that an Arlo outdoor power cord?  Were either the cord or your hands wet?  Wow.  Those are very limited power devices.  I’m surprise it could even generate enough current to have a “meltdown”.  Did you test the outlet to be sure it is wired correctly?  Also, it should be a GFCI.

[TMProperties]

Hopefully I can return to Verizon! See other posts.