Arlo|Smart Home Security|Wireless HD Security Cameras
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MortWiffle
Follower
Follower

I have Ultra 2 camera/hub system and the housing/camera lock works correctly;  you hear the audible click when fully inserting camera into housing.   The Floodlight Pro 3 uses exact same lock mechanism for locking floodlight/battery pack into the housing.

I am now on my third Floodlight Pro 3 [having returned first two] and none of them locks camera in place with the housing.   If you hold the unit with Floodlight facing the ground, Floodlight/battery pack falls right out.    I reported this to Arlo ... they sent me another housing; they must be insane expecting to repeat the exercise and getting different results.

Reality is that the Floodlight/housing lock does NOT work for Floodlight Pro 3.    It baffles me that a company makes a product and simply does not test it.   I have told Arlo they have a design defect and it is like talking to a fence post.

 

Has anyone else encountered this failure ...  or have you even tested the lock mechanism against gravity ?   My solution, if I am to keep the unit, is to wedge a flat toothpick between the housing and the battery pack, forcing a snug enough fit to prevent camera from falling out.

45 REPLIES 45
JamesC
Community Manager
Community Manager

Jguerdat/StephenB

 

This appears to be an error with the accessories grouping as the Anti-Theft mount is not compatible with Pro 3 Floodlight. I will reach out to the web team to request a correction.

 

Thanks,

JamesC

Fivepoints
Aspirant
Aspirant
8/15/22
This is my experience too. I had it long enough for the free trial after that I had to recharge the battery and issues trying to get it lock. Just had to recharge and say issue not to mention the continued offline issues. Sucks. Not a cheap floodlight.
wardog6670
Initiate
Initiate

After all this time and consumer issues still no design change.  No wonder Ring has the market.

Leenz
Aspirant
Aspirant

Yeah same problem, I think I'll use duct tape for now and go for a Ring camera

ls27
Aspirant
Aspirant

I'm so annoyed at this company, and I'm also really annoyed at Wirecutter for recommending it.

 

 

MrEdward
Aspirant
Aspirant

Makes no sense.  My does not latch either.  Where can I order replacement parts?  Or should I switch brands?

MrEdward
Aspirant
Aspirant

What was the solution for their latching problem with Floodlight Pro 3?  Parts?

 

MrEdward
Aspirant
Aspirant

I was looking at more cameras, but this problem seems to be their "normal".  

 

MrEdward
Aspirant
Aspirant

I guess I will try using this method that Arlo really should address.  I will make sure others in the neighborhood does not purchase the same problem.  

MrEdward
Aspirant
Aspirant

Arlo should send a replacement housing unit.  Why not?

StephenB
Guru Guru
Guru

@MrEdward wrote:

Makes no sense.  My does not latch either. 


It is difficult, and IMO a mechanical design flaw.

 

Personally I take the camera off the mount, and then I can press the housing fully into place.  Then put the camera back.

 

I also use an outdoor charger, so I don't need to remove the housing very often.

pc2
Guide
Guide

Remove o-ring and it latches easily.

StephenB
Guru Guru
Guru

@pc2 wrote:

Remove o-ring and it latches easily.


Yes, but not nearly as well-sealed against water.  So I don't recommend that.

 

Silicone grease might help - not something I've tried with the floodlight.

ChrispyMamaBear
Aspirant
Aspirant

Maddening! I even paid an electrician to install this Pro 3 Floodlight with the Arlo Solar Panel Charger.  Was thrilled when it worked... until it didn't 1 week later. I went through various troubleshooting steps to find the root cause.  (1) I removed it from the housing unit; (2) plug-charged it, just in case (since of course the app couldn't even tell me if it was charged or not given it went offline); (3) removed the device on the app, and re-added/sync'ed the camera - Presto! It worked OUTSIDE the housing unit.  I could see it had 100% battery charge.  But as soon as I popped it back into the housing unit, it went offline.  To be fair, it did *randomly* come back online when I went out about my day, but alas, when I returned home, it was back to being offline.  During its brief moment of online glory, the app did not show solar charging working, which means the floodlight was running on battery, another indication it's issue with the housing unit, since the solar charging cable magnetically attaches to the housing unit, which in turn should charge the camera within it. As previously mentioned, there is some mechanical design flaw with the way the camera locks into the housing unit.  Now, how do I get a replacement floodlight housing unit when there is no one from Arlo Customer Support to help live and I get the run-around with its useless bot?  What if the camera is now slightly damaged because of the housing unit, and thus a new floodlight housing unit won't even be a permanent solution?

JamesC
Community Manager
Community Manager

ChrispyMamaBear,

 

If you believe there to be a problem with your floodlight housing or solar panel charging, I encourage you to reach out to the Arlo Support team to open a ticket. Within the Arlo Secure mobile app navigate to Settings > Support.

 

JamesC

Samie09
Aspirant
Aspirant

I have a really hard time on a ladder trying to latch the Arlo floodlight back into the case.  I will have it on and working but when I turn the light off to save battery power it does want to come back on.  I would move in down lower but I already drilled holes in my wood bridge.. with my arms raised it’s hard to get the click when on an 8 foot ladder pushing with my thumbs on each side of the camera.  Thus is my security camera for night and it was expensive plus has a plan…. Just getting tired of getting out the ladder and the effort involved… each time it’s turned off for a short period…

StephenB
Guru Guru
Guru

@Samie09 wrote:

I have a really hard time on a ladder trying to latch the Arlo floodlight back into the case.


Get some silicone grease and apply it to the o-ring.

Samie09
Aspirant
Aspirant

Thanks,  I thought of something similar,  but thought against it due to damaging it.  It doesn’t come back on when disarmed always to help save battery power either—-   Thanks will try to reach casing today and clean it out also— big problem is, the ladder is in a decline and hard to reach… 

Samie09
Aspirant
Aspirant

Thank you for the suggestion… I took camera out of housing and clicked it back three times no luck,  so took battery out of casing and back in.  It started working again.  I find when disarmed for half a day to save battery power, floodlight doesn’t want to come back on…I may as well leave it on.  

DallasWizard
Guide
Guide

After many trial runs and practicing, I have found it takes great force to push the camera all the way into the plastic housing to hear the "click" to know the camera is in place and won't fall out of the housing once placed

at a secure location. I also have to take a ladder out each time I need to charge the battery as you want the camera up high enough that someone can't just come by and unscrew it from the mounts and walk off with it.
StephenB
Guru Guru
Guru

@DallasWizard wrote:

After many trial runs and practicing, I have found it takes great force to push the camera all the way into the plastic housing to hear the "click" to know the camera is in place and won't fall out of the housing once placed

at a secure location. 

Get some silicone grease and apply it to the O-Ring.

 


@DallasWizard wrote:
I also have to take a ladder out each time I need to charge the battery as you want the camera up high enough that someone can't just come by and unscrew it from the mounts and walk off with it.

If you get the outdoor charger, you could charge the battery in-place, without needing to take the camera down.  The cable is 25' long - of course you can use an outdoor extension cord if needed.  You'd still need to climb the ladder (unless you can leave the charger permanently attached), but you wouldn't have to fiddle with the housing.

Note the indoor chargers won't work for this.

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