Do you have to let the Arlo Pro batteries fully drain before charging them?

[rlturner04]

I have the Arlo pro VMB4000 base station with 4 wireless cameras.  Do you have to let the Arlo Pro batteries fully drain before charging them?

[TomMac · Accepted solution]

No...they are li-ion and can be recharged at any time.

* if in use they will charge to aprox 80%, put camera into off mode ( in settings ) to get a 100% charge.

[rlturner04]

Thank you!!  Do you know if the Arlo Pro Skins block some of the camera view?

[TomMac]

No they don't...the flap is a sun shade ... sort of a duck bill on a baseball cap to keep glare out

[ColoradoPotts]

Hi,

I have been trying to find the perfect security camera for my condo. I love that Arlo is wireless and has quality video and 2 way audio, but am very concerened about battery life (Colorado weather can be very cold or very hot) and how long it takes to get a full charge when recharging. I expect that the answer will be vague and say something like "it will depend on how often it is triggered"...that is not going to be helpful, so a more detailed reply would be greatly appreciated.

From what I can tell, Netgear wants us to buy the camera with a station, plus an additional rechargeable battery and a charging station (these 2 items add about $100 to the price of the initial 1 camera with base purchase price - seems pretty sneaky to me). If you don't get a charging station, can you even charge the battery that comes with the camera?

The dropdown menu does not have the model I have been looking at on Arlo's website: https://arlo.com/en-us/products/arlo-pro/default.aspx It is the 

Arlo Pro Smart Security System with 1 Camera (VMS4130)

As an aside - can't someone just walk up and take the camera? If they are wearing a mask, I'm dead in the water...it's not like they are screwed into your home. They appear to snap onto a bracket that is screwed into your home. Is this correct?

Looking for some clarity. Thanks!

[deputidave]

You asked, "can you even charge the battery that comes with the camera?"

Yes you can charge the battery while it's in the camera there is a mirco usb port, the kit will come with a power adapter and usb cable.

You asked, "As an aside - can't someone just walk up and take the camera?"

Well if you use just the magnetic dome to affix your camera to the wall and if it is low enough then Yes, but, the camera should come with a mount that screws to the wall or ceiling or wherever, and then the camera screws into the mount, which makes the taking a bit more complicated, but if it is put within reach of a bad guy, then it wouldn't take too long to dismount.  So I suggest placing high enough that a six foot man isn't able to reach it, but low enough that you get a adeqate camera angle to make out faces or whatever it is you are trying to video. You are able to invert the image on the camera so it doesn't matter if you mount it upside down.

The audio is great, it picks up sounds and voices nicely.  Talking through it is a different story, you have to wait a bit for the mic connection to engage before you speak, but once you do, it is very clear to people listening for a good distance too.  I am sure it depends on your wi-fi connections etc.