Activity zones and pro 5 sensitivity

[ICanCU]

When creating an activity zone on the iPhone Arlo app, with a Secure subscription,does the camera capture motion within the enclosed activity zone area that is colored purple… or… is motion within the enclosed area that is colored purple excluded from triggering the camera and notifications? I am having difficulty getting an Arlo pro 5S camera from capturing motion, triggering a recording and a notification even though I have the sensitivity turned all the way up. I have thought that creating an activities zone might enhance the probability of the camera, capturing motion and making a recording. Perhaps I am wrong and that the camera is more likely to be triggered by emotion if there are no activities zones utilized. Mounted in the same location as the pro 5S my previously had a pro 4 and it did a better job of capturing activity than does the pro 5S

[StephenB · Accepted solution]

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@ICanCU wrote:

When creating an activity zone on the iPhone Arlo app, with a Secure subscription,does the camera capture motion within the enclosed activity zone area that is colored purple… or… is motion within the enclosed area that is colored purple excluded from triggering the camera and notifications?

The purple area is included.

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@ICanCU wrote:

I have thought that creating an activities zone might enhance the probability of the camera, capturing motion and making a recording. Perhaps I am wrong and that the camera is more likely to be triggered by emotion if there are no activities zones utilized. 

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It makes no difference on battery power.  The camera triggers whenever the passive infrared (PIR) sensor detects motion - the camera isn't capturing video at all until that happens.  The video is streamed to the Arlo Cloud (whether in-zone or not). The Cloud then determines if the video is in the activity zone or not in the activity zone.

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@ICanCU wrote:

Mounted in the same location as the pro 5S my previously had a pro 4 and it did a better job of capturing activity than does the pro 5S

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The "max detection distance" for both cameras is supposed to be the same - about 25 feet

• https://kb.arlo.com/000062617/How-far-away-can-Arlo-Cameras-and-Arlo-Video-Doorbells-detect-motion

It's worth cleaning the camera face, just in case something is blocking the PIR sensor.  

Have you used the motion detection test while walking in the field of view?  That can be useful when troubleshooting motion detection.  The camera is more sensitive to motion across the field of view than it is to motion straight towards the camera.  It is also more sensitive at the bottom of the field of view than the top.