Arlo pro 4 with Solar panel - connection lost

[GregAld]

Let me preface this first by saying I love my Alro cameras. This issue is just driving me crazy.

I have three Arlo Pro4 cameras and three Arlo solar panels. Recently two of the three solar panels have been causing two of my cameras to go offline as soon as I connect them. I've had to reset both of cameras multiple times. They would only stay online for a few minutes, then go offline. When I removed the solar panels from the camera, I no longer had the issue. So the issue is clearly related to the solar panels.

The odd thing is that I have had both of these solar panels hooked up to these cameras for almost two years now with no issues. I was mystified. I’m an IT Support Lead for a living. So instead of just logging a ticket, I researched the issue on the Support site to try and resolve it myself. I tried the following troubleshooting steps:

Ensured that the firmware was up-to-date on both cameras.

Tried the suggestion of and charging my batteries to 100% and then reattach the panels.

Finally I switched both of the solar panels to different cameras and had the same results.

My assumption is that the solar panel are have become defective after less than two years of ownership.

Date Ordered: 11/3/21

Total $191.40 ($63.80 each)

Please let me know if Arlo stands behind its products and what you can do for me to replace these solar panels

Thank you very much

Greg A

[ShayneS]

Thank you for the feedback. I have notified the team and I will update you as soon as possible 

[GregAld]

For me yes

[GregAld]

Thank you very much!

[ShayneS]

The Arlo development team is currently investigating this issue. We will provide an update as soon as we have more information to share with the community.

[GregAld]

Any update yet Arlo team?

[Sandstone1]

My replacement was shipped out yesterday. Get them to replace yours.  

[Sandstone1]

The new panel corrected the issue.

[Blly2005]

Has anyone found a solution to this problem? 

[jguerdat]

On my cameras with solar panels attached, if the battery is at 100%, the lightning bolt is not shown. If the battery voltage drops lower, it's shown until 100%

[ssldaddy]

I am having the same issue. I have been using my Arlo Pro3 cam on solar charger with no issue but one day suddenly it started dropping the connection. I thought it was the problem of the solar charger as it was working fine on its own with our solar charger. I purchased another charger (vma5600) and tried it with my camera it’s still not working. I have gone through all the trouble shooting but still no luck. Please give me some solution. 

[BKB23]

This just started to happen to me, is there any solution yet. Panel and pro 4 camera are less than a month old 

[StrickD]

I am having the same issues and have narrowed it down to the solar panels. My Arlo 3 Floodlight will send a factor reset if I pull my solar panels to the camera. Also if I charge it with the Arlo charger that came with the camera the camera stops working. I do not see a charging indicator, and if I look up the charging status on the app it's says camera is inoperable while charging. SINCE WHEN? I now have the camera outside without the solar connection, but will hate to continue to take it down every 2 - 3 weeks to charge it.

Arlo we need your help. I have seen so many others are having the same problem in the chat. Your customer service and tech support has been slacking since you no longer have a phone number for technical support. I do not want to buy another solar charger from Arlo because I am seriously considering dropping my Arlo subscription and moving on. Is there a solution to this problem? Please advise! 

[BKB23]

I see that there is still no response from ARLO. Does anyone want to buy a solar panel charger for an ARLO camera?. It will happily make your camera unusable

[Stevefromak]

I've had 2 of my 4 Arlo Pro 4 camera solar panels replaced by Arlo after filling out extensive trouble report. I was having the same issues that everyone else here have stated i.e. going offline as soon as I plug in solar panel, or worse draining battery rapidly. Problem was I had to pay for shipping on both of the faulty ones, back to Arlo before they would ship replacements. Those seem to be working fine, but now, as of yesterday a THIRD one is doing the same thing!! I don't know whether to go thru the hassle of filling out the replacement paperwork again or just tossing it and going to Best Buy or Amazon. I have had no issues with my original Arlo cameras and solar panels, but they told me they needed to be replaced as they were "end of life". I might just have to switch companies..the Pro 4s are no upgrade!!

[dlbyers]

I am having the same issue as mentioned in this thread.  
Product Info:

• Pro 3 Floodlight camera model FB101    SN A7W5277TD1E60
• Solar panel model VMA5600   SN A6B1257SA031E

A few weeks ago the battery apparently drained to the point where I couldn't even synch the camera.   I purchased a new battery & charger and got the camera working again and subsequently was able to charge the original battery also and it seems fine.

Set the camera back up in its location and, having read this forum, did NOT plug in the solar panel.   The camera worked flawlessly for 10 days.   I then plugged the solar panel in and within 6 hours I got the message "Arlo received a factory reset request from (camera)".

My troubleshooting indicates that there is either a problem with the solar panel, the camera charging circuitry, or the camera firmware.   I am actually currently looking to purchase several additional cameras & have liked the Arlo thus far, however if it has become essentially a brick just a couple months beyond the warranty period and the manufacturer won't stand behind a widespread problem, then I will choose products accordingly.

Please advise as to how I should proceed.  

[dlbyers]

Arlo support case number is 43899843

[BKB23]

Hi. I have been troubleshooting this problem for awhile and have found come to some conclusions.

1. It seems to be a software issue. When the camera is plugged in to the solar panel and recharges the battery to 100%, the software shuts down the camera thinking there is a fault with the battery. Resetting the camera will fix this temporarily.

2. As long  as the camera does not recharge to 100% when connected to the solar panel it will work fine.

3. There does not seem to be any problem on how the solar panel functions, as it works providing power to the camera. I tested this on 3 different cameras, each at the same location and each at two other locations

4. The cameras when not connected to the solar panel worked fine using the same test methods.

5. Each camera is on the same firmware 1.080.21.0_21_427ee73.

6. I then used attached the outdoor power cable to the cameras and have not had any issues.

7. It seems to be a bug in the firmware that does not like how much power the solar panel can deliver to the battery, causing this issue

8. Arlo reached out to me and are sending a firmware patch for me to test. I will share what happens once this happens and I can test it.

[dlbyers]

I spent an extended amount of time on chat with tech support.  The result is that they are sending me a shell assembly (currently on backorder). 

At first I found this to be a bizarre solution given that it is just a piece of plastic with three sets of double-sided contacts and a magnet.   

Then I examined the outside contacts on the shell with my phone zoom and they look a bit corroded, so they may be on to something.  If the contacts aren't making a solid connection, especially when the battery is full but the panel is still sending power, the camera's firmware may be interpreting the intermittent connection as a fault that requires factory reset.

I'll update when I am able to test the new shell.

[presotto]

I had similar problems and ended up giving up on the first pro 4 that experienced it since it was flakey from day 1.  Now my other two pro 4s stop charging and eventually drop off line both with the vma5600 and also with after-market panels.  When I look at the contacts on the magnetic connector, I find corrosion.  Cleaning the corrosion doesn't help.  I've even put on a new pro 4 case with no result.  I got a replacement vma5600 from arlo and that stopped working too after the first rain storm.  I think the magnetic connector is a mistake.  I have 7 pro 2's with the old style mini usb connectors and arlo panels and they have been working for 7  years now.

I don't mind debugging the problem since it has been driving me bonkers.  Does anyone have a schematic for the panel and connector?  On working ones, it seems like there is a  7+V DC difference between the most forward pin and each of the other two.  On my dead ones I'm seeing 7VDC on one and about 1.5 on the other.  I'm also seeing a voltage difference between the forward pin and the magnet which is just crazy, like the connector itself is screwed up.  I now have enough dead panels that I may start carving up the connectors to see what is happening.

[BKB23]

Just an update

1. Since installing the firmware they sent me I have had no issues.

2. I will have to wait for warmer weather to see if heat is an issue

3. We have had some heavy storms, gusts up to 50mph and heavy rain at times and the camera is charging and working fine.

4. I have swapped cameras and have had no issues with the charging

5. I have not seen any corrosion yet but will check more often. I live close to the water and everything corrodes eventually. I scoff at stainless steel screws- often only make 2 to 3 years.

6. I had some lag in the camera sending a picture in live view but that has gotten better

6. the firmware I am using is 1.080.21.0_427ee73

I will keep you updated

[presotto]

Since I have 3 not working solar panels, I decided to take one VMA5600 apart.  The panel is sourcing 7.5 volts on its two wires, i.e., it is happy.  However, the connector is toast ( https://photos.app.goo.gl/qCnFnW7UMo4TPggp6 ).  The connector has three pins.  One pin connects to the red wire (+) from the solar panel.  One other pin connects to the black wire.  The third pin connects to the black wire via a 47k ohm resister (probably used as a sense wire?).  In my dead panel that resister is fried.  Makes sense given that I saw a blue stain around that pin before taking things apart.  Salt water blown in from the ocean (I'm only 100' away) by the storm probably infiltrated the connector.

The connectors on my two after market panels were, of course, different internally.  However they did still had the 47k resister and one was burnt out in the same way.  The other had a short between two pins.  in both those the panel was indeed still working.

Also water infiltrated my pro 4.  I have since taped over the speaker hole and used silicon sealant around the face plate where the slide on body meets the plate.  Maybe this will survive the next storm better.

I have more VMA5600s coming.  This time I'll put sealant around the magnetic connector that doesn't seal worth a damn despite the little gasket on it (30 knot winds trump a piddling magnet with ring gasket).

I'm also looking to build my own connector for the three panels since it seems a shame to throw then out.  Given that the connector didn't have a blocking diode, I assume one is in the camera itself to keep the battery from discharging at night.

I have 7 pro 2s and in 7 years, only two panels have died, one from the panel itself getting too opaque and the other from I don't know what.  That's why I blame the magnetic connector.  I'm now had 3 VMA5600 panel failures, two after market ones, and one pro 4 failure in 2.5 years.  At least one of the failed panels got replaced for free but the new one had this burnt out connector in mere months.

I really like the pro 4s because of width of field and built in lights but if this happens again, I'm giving up on them completely and looking for something else.

[presotto]

Took  apart the connector on  an after market pro 4 solar panel (vma5600 replacement).  It was the same as the vma5600 connector, just with a slightly rearranged trace on the little circuit board.   This one wasn't working because two pins were shorted together by salt water intrusion.  Man I hate these magnetic connectors.

[z1traa]

Hello, noticed this happen twice in the last 8 hour period. First time I paired it again and it looked all OK however it just happened again. We have had a lot of rain over past 24hrs period and I have a genuine Arlo solar panel connected (added this a couple of weeks ago - unsure if this is related).

I spoke with Arlo support (after putting me on hold for 15mins speaking to next level team) who claim this is a known issue that has been affecting some customers since the 29th of March and will be fixed in the next firmware release (somewhat a generic fob-off message).

I've reset it again and disconnected the solar panel just in case it was contributing to the issue.

Anyone else experiencing this issue?

[No_Such_Luck]

Maybe using some Die-Electric grease on the magnetic connection might help with the water intrusion/corrosion issues???

[drwarren2000]

I started having the EXACT same issue with my arlo Pro 4 camera connected to a solar panel.  Arlo, please help!!