Arlo 2 camera kit

[waynestractor69]

We got the Arlo kit about 3 weeks ago after having some Christmas lights stolen from our front yard. I really like the ease of install but due to the amount of action around our house the batteries really don't last long. I bought some 600mah Tenergy Rechargeables hoping they would help, but they only last 12-24 hours at best! I decided I would try something a little bigger, so ordered some Anker 20,000mah packs from Amazon. They are only $45ea and should last quite awhile between charges. The one that is under the eaves I just plugged directly into the cameras micro usb port, and the one on the front of the house I will put through the battery door via a hole and silicone it, then put the battery pack itself under the garage door overhang. Looking forward to seeing how long these will last between charges.

[JamesC]

waynestractor69,

It sounds like due to the amount of activity your batteries aren't lasting as long as expected. You might try reducing the motion detection sensitivity. For more information, take a look here: How do I change the motion sensitivity on my Arlo camera?

JamesC

[waynestractor69]

I have the sensitivity set about half way, so it will trigger when movement is detected about half way up our driveway, which is about 20' long. Unfortunately with the very long delay is does not really catch much before they are past the cameras view. I wonder if there is any chance something can be done about the delay in the future? I managed to get 7 days out of my 20,000mah battery before it died. I also ended up buying an Arlo Q for our main camera as no matter how I set it up and how low the sensitivity is it still picks up every car that drives by our house, so it records 100+ videos every day!

[jguerdat]

What was the total amount of video recording and live viewing per day was that camera doing?  Spec life is 5 minutes per day total. If within that spec, the other likely issue is the WiFi connection (distance, blockage, interference all gets in there).  A poor connection will cause the camera to work harder to maintain the connection, taking the battery down.  Since you plugged a 20Ah battery in and it wore down quickly, there's either an issue with your setup or a bad camera.

As for the Q camera recording everything, I'd recommend setting up at least one zone for the camera (Settings, My Devices, your camera, Video Settings) and then use them in your modes/rules.

[waynestractor69]

Looking back through the week it appears that camera recorded 12 minutes of video, it does not seem to be triggering very often, and maybe 2 or 3 minutes of live viewing. 

As for the Q, I have set the zone as small as I can and still be able to have it trigger when someone walks in the driveway from the trail across the road. The problem is the way the road curves in front of our house I think.

[jguerdat]

Maybe you haven't selected to use the zone in your modes/rules? Just creating a zone doesn't put it to use.

[waynestractor69]

The zone was selected, I am now trying a smaller zone to see if it will help.