Help with pro camera not charging can’t sync

[Kaicarlton]

I bought a house with an existing pro system but the batteries on all the cameras were dead. I started a new account, got all of the cameras except one charged up and synced to the base station. The one I have left I cannot get to hold a charge, I have tried replacing the battery and used different chargers. When I plug it in it flashes blue for a second and then turns solid blue. When I unplug it it is dead. I have not been able to sync it to my base station so I can’t see if it’s charging. Any advice?

[Dannybear]

Have you read this article?

https://kb.arlo.com/000052305/My-Arlo-Pro-or-Arlo-Pro-2-battery-is-dead-what-do-I-do

[Kaicarlton]

Yes, but since I have never been able to get this camera to sync, I have no way of seeing it in the app to know if it’s charging…

[Dannybear]

So the camera will not sync if the battery is removed and then externally powered by the Ac charger?

Move the camera near the base station without the battery but Ac powered and try manually sync again.

[Kaicarlton]

Ok- I didn’t know that was an option I will definitely try that and get back to you, thanks!

[Kaicarlton]

Nope. When the battery is out there are NO lights on the camera, even when plugged in. No syncing. When it’s plugged in w battery, Blue light blinks for a few seconds then turns off then turns solid blue. Sync button does nothing.

[Dannybear]

Can you confirm that the camera is a pro model camera, label is inside battery compartment.

Have you tried another battery from a working camera to check if the camera is working.

What charger and cable are you using, are they the arlo supplied version as the pro and pro2 cameras use the Qualcomm QC charger method with a 9vdc.

[StephenB · Accepted solution]

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@Kaicarlton wrote:
Nope. When the battery is out there are NO lights on the camera, even when plugged in. No syncing. When it’s plugged in w battery, Blue light blinks for a few seconds then turns off then turns solid blue. Sync button does nothing.

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Try swapping the battery with one in a different camera, and see if that lets you sync the camera.

As @Dannybear says, it would be helpful to confirm the camera model numbers, since there is a chance that the ones that did charge are a different model than the problem camera.

[Kaicarlton]

Swapping the battery worked!! When I put a fully charge battery in it I was able to sync it thank you so much! Strangely I was able to put the dead battery in my other camera and it charged just fine? Totally weird.

[Dannybear]

To speculate, the camera will not let you charge a dead battery for safety reasons as the battery could explode.

To prevent it from happening the camera likely disables the charger circuit internally and will not reset until it sees at least a half charged battery and is connected to the base station. At the same time the camera also reduces the wifi transmission signal to almost nothing so you are forced to move the camera near the base station to connect it, that way if the battery explodes you will be close by to see it.

This could explain why the problem camera would not start with a under charged battery but would in a camera that was already connected.

[StephenB]

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@Kaicarlton wrote:
Strangely I was able to put the dead battery in my other camera and it charged just fine? Totally weird.

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Agreed.  Though it is possible that if you tried enough battery removal/reinsertions on the first camera it might have started charging.  Though as you said earlier, it's hard to know since the camera isn't in the account.