Pro 3 Floodlight shutting off after 4 seconds in cold

[Retired_Member]

Floodlight plugged into power using arlo outdoor cord, battery says it’s too cold to charge. Battery is at 1%.

Camera will not record for 2 minute setting, only goes for as long as there is motion and the light turns on but flickers and dies after 4 seconds regardless of how long video records for. 

Turning light on via the app also results in light flickering and shutting off after 4 seconds. It is currently 10 degrees F.

i understand the battery can’t charge but this is hard wired so why won’t the camera and light operate properly?

[jguerdat]

My floodlight is also powered and remained charging to the recent -1F ambient temp. It's recordings and lighting properly. 

I'd start by charging the battery and ensuring the magnetic connector is properly seated (it sounds like it is or you wouldn't be getting the "too cold to charge" message) and that you see the lightning bolt through the battery icon.

[Retired_Member]

The lightning icon is there, odd that the battery reads 0%, the unit has never been operated without being connected to power.

This behavior only started last night, and has ended once it is light out (the recording length is the correct 2 minutes again). A clip at 6:15 am was for 14 seconds, with light activating for 4 seconds, then a clip at 6:25 am was for 2 minutes with no light activation. Temp difference was negligible.

My light is on a beta (I think) firmware as one side was brighter than the other. Arlo pushed an update to it and corrected that, not sure if it makes a difference.

[Retired_Member]

Also thank you for the feeback.

Another odd thing is that once it’s bright out enough for the light to not come on, I can again turn the light on for its 10 minute setting time, whereas before it was only staying on for the 4 seconds and then flickering out. I’d really like to not have to get on a ladder in the current weather to swap its battery. Any thoughts?

[Retired_Member]

And now it has reverted to the same behavior but it is asking for me to attach a compatible charger. This is with an arlo charger connected and the lighting bolt showing on the battery indicator.

[jguerdat]

I'd still start with a fully-charged battery before anything else.

Since you're on a test firmware, the mods would be in a better position to help. @JamesC , @ShayneS , @BrookeN 

[BrookeN]

The Floodlights have been moved over to the production firmware, so it is no longer on a experimental build. I think changing the battery out and seeing if that changes the behavior you are seeing would be the next step. 

[Retired_Member]

I'll try that, I am wondering why the battery has gone to 0% if this has always been on the Arlo outdoor charger. 

If the light is disabled, the camera will record motion for 2 minutes as it is supposed to. If motion is set to trigger the light as well as record, the light flickers and dies after about 8 seconds and the camera will record about a 20 second clip or until motion stops, but not go the full 2 minutes.

If I turn on the light manually it flickers and dies after about 8-10 seconds. It's like a strobe light, very fast flicker. It has not been below 0 degrees, more like 2 overnight.

[BrookeN]

Can you perhaps bring it inside and test it to see if it is working as expected in the warmth after you get it charged?

[Retired_Member]

I was going to this morning, and discovered last night it has started operating correctly again, even with the 0% battery, and last night being even colder. 

If it acts up again I will bring it in.

[BrookeN]

Sounds good, just keep us updated. 

[Retired_Member]

And arrived home this evening the camera has shut down completely, says I need to plug it in, although it’s plugged in. Will try bringing it in tomorrow and charging the battery but the entire point of the outdoor cable is so I don’t have to do that.

[Retired_Member]

So I am on with tech support- who says technically yes the camera should be operating as it is plugged into ac power (sent a screenshot of the app showing it is plugged in) and it is 23 degrees f outside. Arlo claims it goes to -4 F so I am not sure why this is not working.

They have asked me to let it warm up inside for 2 hours before I put a charged battery in it.

I asked for a replacement as this is obviously not operating correctly and is still under warranty but they won’t do that until I warm it up and get it operating? Not feeling 100% confident about this procedure.

[BrookeN]

@Retired_Member Can you please let me know the outcome after you bring it inside?

[BrookeN]

@Retired_Member how is the behavior you were seeing now?

[Retired_Member]

So I let it warm up as tech support asked me to, and put a fresh battery in it. It ran with a green battery icon at 100% charge for a couple days (even though it was below freezing).

Now it has switched to red battery icon with "too cold to charge" and is draining the battery, which is now at 70%. This makes me worry the camera will not run off the ac cord, only the battery so it will die in cold weather. Is that normal behavior or can it run off its ac cord?

[jguerdat]

Are you using the Arlo outdoor charger? My floodlight is also connected to power and remains charging in sub-freezing weather.

[Retired_Member]

Yes I am, and sadly it won’t once it gets cold enough. I live in Maine and we have days where it won’t get warm enough for the battery to charge.

Basically the camera will only run from power to the battery, and when it’s cold for long enough it will run itself out. I thought the AC cord would be able to run the camera if the battery was dead but this is not the case. I should have bought the wired option.

However I just discovered that the wired one will remove itself from your account if the wifi drops, and must be manually added back which is ridiculous. Neither product seems ideal I think I shall look at another solution.

[jguerdat]

What are the temps when the Pro 3 floodlight won't charge? In Rochester, NY it worked just fine down to just below 0F.

I replied to another of your posts about the wired floodlight.

[Retired_Member]

When it gets to 20 F or so (or below) I get the red warning icon and it says it's too cold to charge. After 3 days the camera runs itself out of juice. It's a high traffic zone and provides light for my driveway, so it gets a lot of use.

It makes sense given it is protecting the battery, and I should have inquired before I made the assumption that the camera could run off its charging cord. A wired option is the correct one for my needs so I would mark this one up as me getting the wrong model for my needs.