Battery drains fast and cannot use the Arlo camera in window. Usable for urban living?

[Kittykam]

I bought the Arlo camera to supplement my home security system. Thinkinng that is a big mistake now that it is set up. Battery life is down to 82% after an hour before I've even mounted it outside. Despite the fact I cannot use the Arlo camera in a window as pictured. Are these cameras just for the burbs? Is there an option that can manage city living? I can't see how this is going to work. It would have been more fun and provided just as much protection to flush this ungodly sum of money down the toilet.

[AncientGeek]

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@Kittykam wrote:
I bought the Arlo camera to supplement my home security system. Thinkinng that is a big mistake now that it is set up. Battery life is down to 82% after an hour before I've even mounted it outside. Despite the fact I cannot use the Arlo camera in a window as pictured. Are these cameras just for the burbs? Is there an option that can manage city living? I can't see how this is going to work. It would have been more fun and provided just as much protection to flush this ungodly sum of money down the toilet.

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Look around for posts on battery issues.  I think others have recommended power cycling the base station and cameras or perhaps even doing a reset on everything and reinstalling from scratch.

You can use Arlo cameras through windows, except that Arlo cameras like all cameras with IR LEDs are problematic at night when trying to use them through windows.  There is too much IR reflection.  LogiCircle has a camera with a specific "stick-on" window adapter to help the night vision issues through a window.  I've not tested that yet.

You can turn off night vision in settings to eliminate the IR reflection.  If your interior is dark and there are city lights outside, you may be able to use it like that at night.  There are also stand alone IR illuminators.  I'm not sure if turning off night vision still allows the camera to see IR light or not, I think it does on my Arlo-Q Plus.  If so, a separate illumination source either outside or through another window nearby, might also solve the problem.  My Arlo Q-Plus sees the IR lights from two outdoor NestCams that I have on a shed in my back yard.

[jguerdat]

The Night Vision setting for the camera is to turn the IR illuminators on and off. It does not affect the camera's ability to work at night although external lighting would then be needed. One thing to note, though, is that the cameras won't detect motion when placed behind glass which blocks the IR needed for the PIR detectors. The Q cameras will work through glass since they use pixel-based detection instead of IR.

As to the OP issue, many folks use these in urban settings. You just have to be clever in their use and positioning. Placing them above normal reach (hence the directions suggesting 7-8 feet above ground level) as well as screw-on mounts allow reasonably secure mounting. You can also hide the cameras using skins or something like a birdhouse. Some folks have used cages to protect the cameras.  It's quite possible to successfully use these in many (most? all?) urban areas with some thought. If still wanting indoor installations, return the wireless system and use the Q cameras instead.

Edit: Forgot to address the battery issue - spec battery life is for less than 5 minutes total useage including recording and live viewing. Other things get in there, too, such as walls, ductwork, mirrors, other metal objects causing blockage as well as 2.4GHz interference. These cause the camera to have to work harder to maintain the connection, draining the battery.