Arlo|Smart Home Security|Wireless HD Security Cameras
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williadw1955
Star
Star

I have a solar panel plugged into a Arlo Pro camera outdoors ( I had to remove the plastic screw on the mount because the original screw would not allow the solar panel plug to go in ). That being said, I see no indication in the arlo app that the solar panel is plugged in or that it is doing anything at all. I plugged it in earlier at 100% and the battery drained to 0 and the camera died. I went to replace the battery and noticed.. I had forgotten to remove the plastic from the front of the solar panel. Okay.. I fixed that and plugged it back in. The camera battery was at 100% and has now dropped to 81%. I am assuming the solar panel is not doing anything at all. It is pointing at full sun the majority of the daytime.

 

Any help here?

 

Thanks!

 

18 REPLIES 18
migman_2001
Luminary
Luminary
The battery indicator on the app will show
a lightning bolt.
Some people have indicated not charging or draining battery. Make sure the cable is well seated. May need to reseat.
May need to restart base unit.

There is an app you can download to assist with optimum placement.
JamesC
Community Manager
Community Manager

williadw1955,

 

For troubleshooting tips, take a look here: My Arlo Solar Panel is not charging my Arlo Go or Arlo Pro camera battery; what do I do?

 

Please let us know if you continue experiencing an issue with your Solar Panel charging your camera.

 

JamesC

williadw1955
Star
Star

If I turn my camera off, using the app, if the Solar panel is working, will it still charge the battery?

So.. can I check it that way? Turn the camera off for a day and see if the battery charge percent increases.?

steve_t
Master Master
Master

You should just be able to tell from the battery level indicator. If the sun's shining on the panel, there should be a lightning bolt in the battery icon. If not, check that the connector is seated all the way into the camera's charging port. It's a bit of a tight connection and sometimes you have to push it in firmly. Of course make sure the metal connection parts are lined up perfectly before you give it a firm push

96708
Apprentice
Apprentice

Not to hijack your thread (but I cant post a new one for some reason), regarding the solar panel, if I use it for a cam where about 300 motion incidents are expected per day with an AP1 (not AP2), will the solar panel be OK? This assumes I start with a 100% charged battery. Will 300 motion incidents deplete it in one day? Currently I have an AP1 cam on a NG AC Outdoor Adaptor (under an overhang so cam and adaptor wont get wet) and I get 300 incidents per day. The new AP1 cam I am thinking of mounting near the existing AP1 will get the same level of activity. These cams monitor traffic on a road. 

steve_t
Master Master
Master

Depends on the duration of recording in total vs the duration of direct sunlight on the solar panel

96708
Apprentice
Apprentice

Yes of course. But assuming the average recording time whatever that is. Also assume half day of light. Maybe the question is best answered by someone using the solar in a similar situation rather than a math nerd :-).

steve_t
Master Master
Master

Haha. I'm no math nerd. I am using a solar panel. Vague questions get vague answers. Something something piece of string. But OK, I'll leave it to someone else to answer 🙂

96708
Apprentice
Apprentice

Im just throwing down some levity. Mean no harm nor foul on the comment. How many "incidents" are you experiencing and what is rate of depletion on your battery?

williadw1955
Star
Star

Maybe 15 activations a day and 1 min recordings.

But my main beef, is I have yet to see the illusive 'charding' icon when looking at the app.

I see no indication that the panel is doing anything or that the camera eeven knows it is there. It would be nice if there was some indicator that was always present on the app, to show a solar panel (or any type of external device) was plugged in. Being in the IT field myself, that should be an easy thing to code. Look at the device port, see if anything is connected to and report back to the app.

 

jguerdat
Guru Guru
Guru

The charging indicator (lightning bolt) is always there iff there's enough current being produced to be seen by the camera. It's not based on physical connection but by current. Assuming you can charge the camera normally with the USB charger (eliminating the camera as a failure point), that can only mean that 1) the cable isn't seated in both ends properly, 2) the solar panel or cable has a problem or 3) there's not enough light to produce enough current. Anumber of folks have been able to reseat both ends of the cable to make it work but that's not always going to be the case. If it's a hardware problem, your choices are to swap at the store or open a case with support here.

williadw1955
Star
Star

I am going to try to reseat the connections this weekend.

 

Not to rehash another case here, but ..........

I already have had a case opened with support for over .. maybe 3 months... where they were supposed to be sending me the replacement outdoor mount thumbscrews, because the older mount thumbscrews wont allow the solar panel connector to be plugged in while the camera is on the mount. 

That case is totally in shambles, as they have sent me like 4 replacement mounts ( the full mount hardware ) which are the same old mounts I had before! .. and the emails keep going back and forth on this. I have taken numerous pictures and answered tons of questions and have been promised the smaller plastic screws.. and they have never arrived. All I need are the smaller type plastic thumbscrews that allow me to put the Arlo Pro camera on the mount and still be able to plug the solar charger in. Anyone who has a solar charger knows exactly what I need and what I am referring to. I don't understand why the support people don't INSTANTLY, know exactly what I need. 

steve_t
Master Master
Master

96708 wrote:

Im just throwing down some levity. Mean no harm nor foul on the comment. How many "incidents" are you experiencing and what is rate of depletion on your battery?


Haha. All good. I only get around 20 activations a day and this camera is set for 30 seconds recording so 10 minutes of recording in a day. The solar panel is easily enough to keep it at 100% charge each day all year round but moreso currently with daylight being 6am-9pm

jguerdat
Guru Guru
Guru

williadw1955 wrote:

All I need are the smaller type plastic thumbscrews that allow me to put the Arlo Pro camera on the mount and still be able to plug the solar charger in. 


A faster solution is just go your local hardware store and check out 1/4"-20 nuts that would suit the purpose.

steve_t
Master Master
Master

williadw1955 wrote:


That case is totally in shambles, as they have sent me like 4 replacement mounts ( the full mount hardware ) which are the same old mounts I had before! .. and the emails keep going back and forth on this. I have taken numerous pictures and answered tons of questions and have been promised the smaller plastic screws.. and they have never arrived. All I need are the smaller type plastic thumbscrews that allow me to put the Arlo Pro camera on the mount and still be able to plug the solar charger in. Anyone who has a solar charger knows exactly what I need and what I am referring to. I don't understand why the support people don't INSTANTLY, know exactly what I need. 

Tell them you need the VMA4000 mount

 

williadw1955
Star
Star

They should know what I need. Are they not Arlo support? I am an IT support person for a Fortune 500 company. When someone calls with a support issue, I know what they are talking about. Maybe Netgear routes all their calls though a help desk in some 3rd world country. If that is the case.. then I totally understand. They have no clue what anything relates to.

On another note. I swapped the solar panel out with a brand new solar panel I had never opened. It is a cloudy day today, but I see no signs that panel is ( again ) doing anything. I verified the connectors were seated on both ends. Does it only show it is charging on days with full sun?

 

 

williadw1955
Star
Star

They look like magnetic mounts. I need the permanant screw in mounts.

jguerdat
Guru Guru
Guru

williadw1955 wrote:

On another note. I swapped the solar panel out with a brand new solar panel I had never opened. It is a cloudy day today, but I see no signs that panel is ( again ) doing anything. I verified the connectors were seated on both ends. Does it only show it is charging on days with full sun?

 


There has to be sufficient light to produce enough current to start charging and, hence, the lightning bolt icon. Cloudy days may or may not allow enough light to produce current since there's a wide variety of "cloudy" days.