Battery too cold to charge!?

[digitaldias]

I bought an outdoor charging cable for one of my Arlo Ultra's in the hopes of getting local save video in 4k, however, once connected, I now get the message that the battery is too cold to be charged. It's only -2C outside (28.4F), which is mild weather here in Norway.  When we bought the kit, we did so because the camera is listed to work fine down to -20C (-4F). 

I live in Norway. The temperatures will turn towards positives somewhere in March. Does this mean that the outdoor cable will not help me at all?? 

[StephenB]

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@digitaldias wrote:

It's only -2C outside (28.4F), which is mild weather here in Norway. 

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There are issues with all consumer lithium batteries if you charge them them below freezing - so the charging circuits don't allow it.  There is some more information on that here: https://batteryuniversity.com/learn/article/charging_at_high_and_low_temperatures

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@digitaldias wrote:

I live in Norway. The temperatures will turn towards positives somewhere in March. Does this mean that the outdoor cable will not help me at all?? 

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No, it doesn't mean that.  The outdoor cable will still power the camera, even if the battery isn't charging.  You can even take the battery out if you like (the camera might run at a somewhat lower temperature if you do).

[digitaldias]

Thanks! Should I take the battery out, or is there no damage to it even in cold temperatures other than the no.charge? 

[StephenB]

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@digitaldias wrote:

Thanks! Should I take the battery out, or is there no damage to it even in cold temperatures other than the no.charge? 

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There shouldn't be any damage to the battery or camera if you leave the battery in.

If it gets too cold, the camera will shut down.  I've seen some posts here that say that they were able to run the cameras at a lower temperature with the batteries removed.  However those posts were with other camera models, and the Ultra might behave differently.

Personally I leave the batteries in (though Boston isn't nearly as cold as Norway in the winter).

[jguerdat]

I used an outdoor power cable last winter to an Ultra camera and found it continued to charge and operate fine down to about 0F, apparently due to the camera being awake due to external power being supplied. Don't know if that was a fluke but if you warm the camera/battery and use the external power does the camera then show the battery as charging?