Arlo Q or Q Plus for Outdoor Use

[Ninety-9]

I get that I'm opening up a tired discussion.

Please don't state the obvious: Arlo Wireless = Outdoor, Arlo Q(+) = Indoor.....I get it.

I'm looking for solutions, here.  Perhaps there's a water resistant case, perhaps I could make my own water resistant case, perhaps I could seal it with silicone, or, perhaps Netgear will finally get a clue that an outdoor-rated Arlo Q(+) is an essential for more professional users and they're sitting on top of a HUGE opportunity to make security cameras for more serious market

Just a qualifier, my house is already wired for PoE.  I have a Lorex outdoor PoE system on my home, the cameras are great, but the UI is from the stone age and forget about remote viewing.

Why I am choosing Netgear Arlo:

-Arlo is a modern, internet-connected, cloud-based smart-cam that I can access anywhere.
-Arlo seems to be better suited for the power user, with more flexibility.

-It's more customizable and more powerful than your average Nest/drop Cam.  

-It doesn't require a lifetime of servitude (paid subscription) just to use my own cameras.

-7-days of motion recording works for me.

Why the Arlo Wireless doesn't work for me:

-I don't want to change/buy batteries. I plan to permanently install my cameras out of reach.

-I will probably opt for PoE, but the wireless Arlo Q is an option.
-I want 24/7 Live Monitoring, no sleeping. I plan to use a tablet to show a live splitscreen.

-1080p + sound is a bonus.

Why the Q (Plus) aren't suitable, at the moment:
-Not rated for Outdoor use.

[hionhifi]

I'm thinking a piece of waterproof marine tape might do the job. Something like Dynamite Clear Flexible Marine Tape (18M) on amazon.

[jguerdat]

The removable seal could just be a large enough piece of tape.

[artangel]

I just purchased a clear acrylic baseball case (a square one AND a round one 3.75" x 3.75") and will follow up with the results!

Has anyone else discovered any clever ways out housing it? Its currenly under an overhang with a 3 feet awning so its fairly protected but this is just an extra safety measure.

[drodge]

I agree.   There is a HUGE need for a powered outdoor unit.   I've had the Arlo wireless sytem for almost a year and love it.  However, I'm already seriously considering selling it and replacing with hardwired cameras.  THe battery life is terrible, and I'm sick of buying batteries and carting out the ladder every time they go dead.  I'd gladly pay to upgrade to an exterior AC powered solution, especially if it integrated with the exiting ones.  

[jguerdat]

The Pro cameras can be powered although you either need to get a weatherproof cable and power supply or be creative in doing that yourself.

[dvol]

I've tried to outdoor'ize two Arlo Q Plus with little success.  The housing and cabling are easy to waterproof with any quality outdoor tape, personally I use Duct Super Tough which is waterproof, UV resistant and easy to work with.  That's the easy part.

The camera's weak point is the lense.  Moisture will find it's way past the rubber gasket and settle on the inside of the lense.  Takes just a small drop to blur the entire image.  The camera continues to work but it will take 1-2 days for the moisture to dry out.

I've tried a bead of silicone over the rubber gasket, creating a seal between the glass and plastic housing.  This has helped during mild to moderate rain, but on really rainy days moisture still makes its way in somehow.

I've tried sealing the entire front of the camera with HD Clear packing take but that affects image quality and IR effective range.  I've taped over all the seams and with no luck.

My cameras are not covered, exposed to all the elements, running both Wifi and POE versions and they're functioning like champs, never had any connectivitiy issues or problems in over 6+ months.  Truly well made and dependable.  Probably the best cloud cams I've ever used.  Yes, I know these are not outdoor rated, but if they were IP68 rated this woud be the ultimate cam.

[LOAA]

Just want to add my voice to the many reuqests for a weatherproof Arlo Q. In Minnesota here – the land of weather extremes – from 97 degress to -20. (And that's just usually most weeks in March... 😉  ) The Q is working awesome for our condo building common areas indoors, but we'd love to expand to the outside for fighting the constant grafitti and other security issues of living in the heart of downtown. I'm just not up for modifying and re-building 6 cameras.

[hionhifi]

If you haven't tried spray rubber, like PlastiDip, that might be your best option. Tape off the important parts leaving the seems your trying to cover, and see if that seals the lens.

[aviatoruss]

I have the same problem.  I'm now going to have to relocate the camera outside, protected from the weather....

[georgebalanchin]

Arlo Q and Arlo Q Plus aren't meant for outdoor use and it's better if you purchase the Arlo Pro. In case of harsh weather environments, protective cases may not withstand and cause permanent damage to your security camera.

[frol41]

But did you not read his original post when you answer? It is stated in the clearest way possible why the answer you give is not in any way helpful. 

I will look for some sort of dome and make even send it to someone in China to make it happen. 

[JoshHudsy]

I would love an outdoor Arlo Q - its definitely needed! 

[Smxcan]

You can probably make it water resistant if you use tape (e.g., electrical tape, gorilla tape) to seal the screw covers, sync/reset buttons, and speakers, and then cover it with an Arlo Q silicone skin shown below (available on Amazon). Sticky tac can be used to seal around where the power cord plugs in.

[jguerdat]

Those skins raise issues in my mind for outdoor use, primarily that they will tend to increase the temperature of the camera (it already runs warm and we know that they will shut down when overheated) as well as the need to seal every possible entry point which would include the lens which could also lead to increased temps.

[RSBrock]

Newly purchased Argo Q will not connect to my phone?

[jguerdat]

It doesn't connect to your phone - it connects to your WiFi router. What have you tried? What do you see?

[RSBrock]

Yes, I understand it doesn’t connect to my phone, but it won’t  connect to my HotWire system and router.  All I want is to view interior activity on my iPhone by means of the ArloQ camera. Thanks

[jguerdat]

I don't know what a HotWire system is but it should connect to any WiFi that uses WPA2 and has no special characters in the SSID or passphrase. Newer firmware allows for greater flexibility with this but start with the basics. 

You haven't said what you've tried and what you see.

[Customer18]

Within a window, I have had positive results when the Arlo Q LED indicator and night vision were turned off, and I recommend turning off audio detection if the room the camera is situated in will be occupied. Keep in mind there should be adequate lighting outside to compensate for the night vision being turned off, and positioning the camera at an angle helped detect someone walking by a ground floor window. Your success might vary with distance and/or trying to do so from a higher window. However, because the Arlo Q is not rated for outdoor use I do not believe it should be used there, and I have concerns about positioning the Arlo Q within a window under certain circumstances because of the condensation that can collect upon the window as well as the moisture within the general area.

[berylium]

As a follow-up to my post from April 10 of last year, my Arlo Q Plus is still working just fine. Under an eave it works the same now as it always has over a year that included massive rain events like Harvey and Houston's usual insufferable humidity.

[agamoto]

Here's my recipe:

This exterior grade ethernet cable: amazon.com/EXTERNAL-outdoors-INTERNAL-Networking-Cable/dp/B016S7MMKY/

This PoE injector: amazon.com/TP-LINK-TL-PoE150S-Injector-Adapter-compliant/dp/B001PS9E5I/

This microscope cover slide: amazon.com/gp/product/B005Z4RWKM/

This silicone: amazon.com/GE-Silicone-Rubber-Kitchen-Sealant/dp/B01JQDLZ3W/

This waterproof fabric: amazon.com/Canvas-Fabric-Waterproof-Outdoor-Denier/dp/B018YJQ5AW/

The cover slips are very high grade optic glass and extremely thin. The 22mm square slips  sit just fine on plastic circle around the lens. A silicone bead around the edge holds it in place well enough. The audio ports are covered with the waterproof fabric, also adhered with silicone. An SD card is inserted, and covered over by silicone completely, I didn't intend to remove it and replace it, but cutting the silicone and laying a bead overtop when done wouldn't be too difficult. The silicone is clear, so the infrared lights can still shine through for nightvision. Ethernet cable plugged into POE unit, but the PoE is actually being provided by the injector at my switch. The RJ45 and USB ports are gooped with silicone as well. Had the unit in use here in Southern CA for a month now, partially exposed to a few hours a day of sun as well but overheating doesn't seem to be an issue thus far. Got this camera a foot away from a hummingbirds nest accross the yard. Works great! https://arlo.netgear.com/hmsweb/users/library/share/link/D1A3124A1EF35592_201805 

It's too bad the CVR only keeps 14 days. Would have been nice to create a continuous timelapse vid of these little guys as I've been recording them since before they hatched and now they're about to leave the nest.