Battery suddenly shows low

[tlernst]

Checked the status of my Arlo today around noon and everything looked good, including the battery status (it was black with 3 lines).  Later this afternoon, around 3 PM I checked again and the battery status was red with one line showing.  What will cause the battery to drain in a couple of hours? The camera was armed, but there was no activity. I have the latest firmware (Version 1.2.4941) and app update (2.0.4_12416).

[Schorschi]

That doesn't sound right. It shouldn't do that.

On a long shot, check if your camera emits a clicking noise. I had a camera that did that and ate through batteries in a day. It was the infrared filter being moved constantly back and forth in front of the lens running down the batteries.

I was able to exchange the camera through Arlo support.

If that isn't it with your camera, try resetting it by opening the battery compartment for a few seconds. Also try removing your camera from the base station (in Settings) and resyncing it. Recycling/resetting your base station could also help.

If that doesn't do anything contact support.

[tlernst]

I was traveling when this issue happened and didn't have a chance to investigate until I return home recently. I tried all the suggested solutions and nothing resolved the battery low warning.  I replaced the batteries and the battery indicator now reads normal (fully charged).  This takes me back to my original question, why did the Arlo battery suddenly go from fully charged (three black lines) to very low (one red line)?  In fact, I received a warning from Arlo that my battery was at 7%.  This all occured overnight and I don't feel this is normal.  This is not something I want to have happen again when I'm out traveling and need to find out why this happeened.

[jguerdat]

What kind of batteries? That may have an effect as can weather and re ordjng/live viewing times. I'd be inclined to think it was the specific batteries but...

[TomMac]

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tlernst wrote:

  I replaced the batteries and the battery indicator now reads normal (fully charged).  This takes me back to my original question, why did the Arlo battery suddenly go from fully charged (three black lines) to very low (one red line)?  In fact, I received a warning from Arlo that my battery was at 7%.  This all occured overnight and I don't feel this is normal. 

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Were they OEM  primary cells or Rechargeables??

If the first, then something like that shouldn't happen. Only thing that could pull down the batteries is long level record.

If Rechargeables ( li-ion ) then I could see it happening.  Li-ion cells drop like a rock at the end of the usage cycle.  I've seen them go from good to dead in short time.... the cams I use them in, I keep good track of the number of days.

[tlernst]

They were OEM batteries and I wasn't engaged in a long recording session. In fact, I was away and Arlo was armed, but there wasn't any local activity.

[Zandian]

Something is definately wrong. I have eight cameras and I've been swapping batteries every few days. One camera hasn't lasted a week and I haven't even accessed it. No recording, no motion detection, no IR. I had one that has lasted months because it never gets accessed. Yesterday it was full, today empty. Something to do with the last firmware update I'll bet. Panasonic, Surelight, Energy, doesn't matter. All these and other problems I've been having are really getting annoying!

[Schorschi]

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Zandian wrote:
Something is definately wrong. I have eight cameras and I've been swapping batteries every few days. One camera hasn't lasted a week and I haven't even accessed it. No recording, no motion detection, no IR. I had one that has lasted months because it never gets accessed. Yesterday it was full, today empty. Something to do with the last firmware update I'll bet. Panasonic, Surelight, Energy, doesn't matter. All these and other problems I've been having are really getting annoying!

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This is a long shot, but I had a camera a few weeks ago, that would emit a clicking noise in intervals of about one second, continuously. It was the infrared filter being moved back and forth in front of the lens that drained the batteries in a day or two. This only happened if the camera had Night Vision activated and had at least one motion event causing a recording or a live in low-light confitions. So, get up close to your camera(s), and if you hear a ticking sound, it might be the same. If it is, you qualify for a replacement.

[Zandian]

Geez I hope I don't have to replace 8 cameras. I did actually have one that wouldn't come online. Replaced the batteries and it was making that clicking noise. Opened the battery compartment a couple times and it stopped and came back online. But now a week later and the batteries are about 50%. But all my cameras are burning through batteries. I had two I've replaced already that got stuck with the ir light on even when not active. I confirmed it by looking at it with another camera. It would stay on for at least a half hour then eventually go off. Enough to kill the battery very early. Now this! I can't be replacing 32 batteries every month! But I'm sure Netgear will have no idea what to do and simply tell me to reset my cameras. Very frustrating

[tlernst]

I agree. I feel like the latest firmware update may be the cause.

[JamesC]

Zandian,

You might consider relocating your base station. If the cameras are struggling to maintain a connection to the base this could cause battery drain. Do the affected cameras show good signal strength in the UI? Are there any nearby wireless devices that could be causing interference?

JamesC

[Zandian]

That would all makes sense if I didn't already have them in place for close to a year now. Yes there are a couple pretty far out there but historically their battery drain was reasonable given the conditions. This recent problem of significant battery drain across my 8 cameras started happening in the last month or so-very close in time to the last firmware release. I've had to s swap batteries in 4 of the 8 within the course of two weeks, now one more is showing the green screen saying it has to be replaced and a sixth is down to one bar. That one showed full battery one day then one bar a day later It is about four feet unimpeded from the base station. It hardly ever gets accessed And does not have motion detection on. None of the 8 do.

[tlernst]

The camera has a clear line of sight to the base station and the signal strength is good. I have another Arlo unit  that has to connect to the base station through 2 walls and I don't have any issues with the unit. So, I don't think the base station is the issue. 

[tlernst]

Sounds like my issue. I first noticed the battery drain shortly after the firmware update.  Just curious, you have 8 cameras and don't have motion detection activated on any unit, what do you use them for if you're not accessing them?

[Zandian]

Three to check the baby in various places, one to check the dogs, one to check the front door, one to check the garage door, the others to check around the property. I would use the motion detection more often if I could set zones. Without zones every move of the trees set them off so I just turned that off-partially because I don't want them recording all the time and uploading over my 768k upload DSL, and the other because it burns up the batteries. I do actually turn the front door motion on a lot of the time

[Zandian]

I've also noticed an increase in failures to connect and connection delays.

[hokeysmoke]

Today, one of my cameras went from 3 bars to "It's time to change your batteries."  The batteries lasted 4 months and the camera took more than 1600 videos, so I am not complaining about short battery life.  I think the metering system is not accurate.

[Escapaul]

Them in throwing out good batteries for nothing. Once again I have to wait for a fix most likely

[hokeysmoke]

I just had a second camera go from 3 bars to nothing.  This one had been running for more than 6 months, but never went to two bars.

[negated]

I had set up 3 of my 5 cameras outside back in December 2015 and the 4th one I had not set any rule for, just put in the batteries at the same time as the rest of the other 3.

Then a couple weeks ago I put the 4th one outside. Within 48 hours it went from 3 bars to one. The other three cameras that have been outside and taking video all this time still show 3 bars. But the 4th one which had the same batteries at the same time as the 3 that have been working this whole time, has been showing 1 bar for the last 2 weeks and still going strong (you would have thought it would have died already).

I'm thinking this is cosmetic. 

[Zandian]

Now I just got an alert that anotherof my cameras has dead batteries just replaced them a week and a half ago! This is now costuming me real money Netgear. This needs to be fixed!

[Escapaul]

Now four more cameras just dropped to one bar! What the f is going on Netgear! I'm demanding some free batteries at this point!

(But the app update today did improve connection time)

[Schorschi]

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Escapaul wrote:
Now four more cameras just dropped to one bar! What the f is going on Netgear! I'm demanding some free batteries at this point!

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There is now a battery percentage showing on a camera's Settings page with the newest app update (2.1.0).

[tlernst]

Maybe cosmetic, maybe not. Whichever, it is not good, especially when you are away on a long trip like I was. It don't know if your system is going to keep running until you get home. The battery indicator needs to be linear. Its not useful if it goes from fully charged to almost depleted overnight. Arlo needs to fix this!

[tlernst]

Good luck with that request!!!!