Arlo Pro: “please change your battery” while camera is hardwired.

[zachhandy]

I have a camera that is on the edge of range from the base station. The battery was draining rapidly compared to other cameras so I added a permenant AC wire and left the battery in the camera intending it to act as a backup. that battery eventually drained (I suspect due to a period of very cold weather preventing charging) and it stopped checking in with the base station. I then removed the battery in favor of just the AC, but the camera still shows the “time to replace your battery” error and is preventing normal opperation. I tried to power cycle the camera with no success. how do I clear this error and return the camera to normal operation?

[brh]

@zachhandy

I am not sure why you are getting this message with the battery out unless you are not using the original Arlo Power adapter. Place the battery back into the camera and using the original power adapter and let the battery fully charge. (I believe that is the only way to charge it if it goes to 0%). Then using the same power adapter try taking the battery out and plug it back in.

If you are using a non-Arlo power adapter it may not work as the Arlo one is a dual voltage unit as compared to a power adapter/charger for a smart phone which is single voltage). The Arlo unit uses 5 volts for normal voltage and nine volts for charging the battery, although that should be of no consequence if the battery is out of the camera.

Any way charge the battery back up so that it does not become defective. 

Brian

[jguerdat]

Most times, power cycling the base helps this. However, the battery should not have drained while powered, especially if you were using the Arlo charger which would not only run the camera but would keep the battery charged. Its possible you have a bad camera but try swapping cameras around to see if the problem persists with the charger left in the original location but a different camera.

[steve_t]

Any chance of a screenshot of the "Time to replace your battery" error notification?

[zachhandy]

Thanks all for the suggestions. I will be trying to delete and re-add the camera while plugged into AC, and rebooting the base station. As it turns out I lent my ladder to my neighbor so it may take a day or two to respond back.

Can’r screen shot now as I already removed the device from the app before realizing the ladder issue. Iwill definately follow up.

[zachhandy · Accepted solution]

I thought I would update everyone on the solution that worked. All of the suggestions mentioned did not clear the error. Also, I was using a 3rd party power cable (supposedly for arlo pro) that was working well initially, but apparently was malfunctioning as well.

No attempts to clear the error status from the base station worked, so I “removed the device”, detached it from my garage, brought it inside, charged the battery to full with the official arlo pro charger/cable, then re-paired the device. I then removed the battery all together and remounted it with no battery and connected the official arlo pro charger/cable as it’s power source. and everything is opperating normal again.

I would like to state that it is an extremely frustration choice by Arlo firmware to not have the hard wired power as a primary source when connected, and use the battery as a backup only charging when below 50%. Instead the camera clearly defaults to battery as primary power and charges on demand, when above minimum charge temperature. this is quite frankly foolish design. It makes use of batteries in winter area cameras impractical, and adds layers of inconvenience to owners.

Arlo staff, please reconsider this software/firmware choice to opperate as one would logically assume and practically need.

thank you to all who responded.

[steve_t]

Glad you're working again. I have several AC powered cameras and I'm sure that the AC power is the primary power source.

Along with your 3rd party cable are you using a 3rd party power adapter? If so, that may also have contributed as the camera can't charge off just any USB charging adapter. It needs to be one that can output 9V, not just 5V

If anything, the moral of the story is to avoid 3rd party parts, especially if you want to maintain any sort of warranty

[zachhandy]

The 3rd party cable and charger were rated for 9V, I did the necessary research before purchase. I'm not sure I can corroborate the appropriate unit behavior based on my experiences.

Either way the issue is solved, and my request stands.

[JPC]

Two of my cams are using a 3rd party cable with original NG adapter connected to a scheduled smart plug to turn on to charge the batteries.. It's been working flawlessly.. One cam however with the original NG cable and adapter had been giving out the dreaded "Use the Orig. Pwr adapter" sign and would not charge the battery so I ended up taking the battery out and used the plug-in pwr. only and all good... I also installed 2cams at my sister's house with the original NG cable and adapter with batteries inside connected to a smart plug.. It was fine for about a week, and few days later, again, it suddenly throws that error to use the orig. pwr adapter to charge.. so had to go back took out battery and just used plug-in pwr. only and all good... So in the end, it doesn't matter 3rd party or Orig. it will have that error in SOME of these cams...There is obviously a quality control issue here.. I do agree with @zachhandy that the battery should not be prioritized to pwr. these cameras..It should be secondary... There is a design flaw and quality build on this and NG needs to correct it..