Arlo Pro 2 - Continuous Power With 5V/~2A DIY & Any Impact To The User Experience?

[jamestylin]

Hi guys, 

My house is currently under construction and I am planing to use Arlo Pro 2 as my security cameras (outdoor). I would like to have 24/7 recording but I do not have power outlets at my planned camera locations, so outdoor power cable is not an option. I will probably still get the Netgear out door power adapter (VMA4900) though, see below for the reason.

I have read discussions on 9V/5V and understand Arlo Pro 2's charger is Qualcomm Quick Charge and will supply dual voltage when charging (9V) and running (5V) the camera.

My idea is that since I want continuous power supply, I don't really need 9V to charge the battery. I plan to have  5V/2A cables from the electric box to the camera locations. And from there, I will hook it to the NetGear out door power supply (Maybe cut the wire and just throw away the adapter)  so I can use the weatherproof mini usb to plug in to the camera.  

Questions:

1. Will that work? Any better ideas?

2. Will there be any warnings/alerts in the app of wrong powers? 

3. Can I use 3rd party weatherproof mini usb cable for the smae purpose? (Pangda or Wasserstein etc) 

Thanks a lot!

[TomMac · Accepted solution]

1) Unknown, tho I have run the Pro2 on a large battery ( output 5v ) You don't need the battery installed either

2) If the specs are off in the voltage , YES the app will tell you. They have very tight voltage spec which is why some 3rd party and solar panels throw errors

3) Haven't tried... but if your going this far, why not just use something like coaxseal ( putty like, use it all the time for antenna connections, it can be removed ) or sealant...either way the warranty will prob be void

Test one first before doing all

[jamestylin]

Hi @TomMac

Thanks, 

1. So you are using an external battery supplying 5V power to the camera? Have you encountered any problems?

2. By your method (external battery supplying 5V, assuming my understanding is correct), did you get any warning messages? Does that mean if I can provide stable 5V power, I won't see any warning messages?

3. that's a good idea, I will check it out, thanks! I am not worried about the splice though. it's the mini usb to the camera part I am worried about! Since all I need is the mini usb, not the adapter, I figure I can get some cheaper cables. 

Thanks for sharing, I am planning to get 10-12 cameras. Considering Arlo or Nest now...

[TomMac]

1) I have, but only tested for a week, no longer running on external battery... ran a regulated 5v power supply and was able to adjust as needed +/-... no issues as I copied the V output from the original adapter

2) see above... all I can say if  it's done right you shouldn't

3) watch the cheaper cables, small gauge wires with dc can drop voltage over distance... or have an adjustable supply to read/adjust the V at the far end

Once again, your out there on you own, so as they say measure twice, cut once