Arlo Pro Solar Panels Not Charging Cameras

[jl2742]

Ever since getting the last update (iPhone) on the Arlo app, both outdoor cameras are not responsive to the solar panel charging. There’s been some other ‘bugs’ but this seems to be the biggest problem. I didn’t note any firmware updates as part of it, but the fact it’s both cameras/solar panels and not one leads me to think it’s an issue with the coding and update. Anyone else experiencing similar issues or have any advice?

[StephenB]

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@jl2742 wrote:

Ever since getting the last update (iPhone) on the Arlo app, both outdoor cameras are not responsive to the solar panel charging. 

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The app isn't involved in managing the charging, that is handled by the camera itself.  It's hard to know exactly what happened, since I don't think the Pro firmware has been updated for a while.

Can you confirm that you have the Pro camera (VMC4030)?

[jl2742]

Hi, yes they’re both VMC 4030s. Yeah I can’t even recall the last time they put out a firmware update for these, and I know there should be no connection whatsoever with the app change. I just don’t know what else correlation wise. If it was one, ok it’s going bad or connectors went bad or the panel itself. The fact it is both…no lightning strikes or anything else that would or should have fried anything. It’s got me baffled. 

[StephenB]

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@jl2742 wrote:

I know there should be no connection whatsoever with the app change. I just don’t know what else correlation wise.

Of course the app is reporting the charging status, and that reporting could be broken.

Are the cameras suddenly needing frequent recharging?

[BrookeN]

Do you see a faster drain with the solar panels or are the cameras just not responding to the solar panels? 

[jl2742]

Well I took them off Solar and charged them both up to 100% via hard wire and then wanted to give it time and see what happened. One appears to be charging or sustaining battery even though the app isn’t showing it as charging by solar panel. The other one is dropping and getting nothing from the panel. I cleaned out the connections and still nothing on the one. A message did some up and say it’s not a compatible device. So I’m not sure what to do. The app continues to show that neither is charging however one seems to be getting some charge but the other one, definitely is not. 

[jl2742]

One definitely is but the other seems to be sustaining some charge and charging from the solar panel even though the app isn’t indicating as such now. 

[jl2742]

Well I took them off Solar and charged them both up to 100% via hard wire and then wanted to give it time and see what happened. One appears to be charging or sustaining battery even though the app isn’t showing it as charging by solar panel. The other one is dropping and getting nothing from the panel. I cleaned out the connections and still nothing on the one. A message did some up and say it’s not a compatible device. So I’m not sure what to do. The app continues to show that neither is charging however one seems to be getting some charge but the other one, definitely is not. 

[BrookeN]

Sorry for the delay in my response. Are these Arlo Solar panels or are they third party?

[jl2742]

They are Arlo solar panels. Never had an issue but suddenly non-operational. 

[BrookeN]

Are you still seeing this same behavior?

[Ibarra005]

I’m jumping on this thread, the exact same thing happened to me. I installed my Arlo solar panels and they worked perfectly. A month later I saw that there was an update for the pro cameras. I have three and also the doorbell. After I accepted the update the solar panels were no longer charging. It said that they were not compatible. I restarted the cameras, synced them again, changed them fully with the outlet charger and nothing changed. Again they were working fine prior to the update. I’m very frustrated, if I would have known that this would happen I would have never updated the system… help!