Rechargeable batteries for use with Arlo cameras

[Coltsbro84]

I am looking for the best rechargeable CR123 batteries that I can find, for use with my Netgear Arlo four cam system. I bought the green stripe Tenergy that claim to have 750mah power. Six batteries with a charger run about $25. I'm not happy with these batteries, because when fully charged (only takes about an hour to charge with a 500mah charger, from what I understand, it exerts as much energy as it stores, so I'm thinking that these batteries are more like 200mah) but back to the story, when fully charged, these batteries only show the camera as being half charged, with a day's use putting it into the low battery icon, and only lasting about a week.

I have since then ordered four Nitecore batteries, rated at 3.7 volts and 650mah. Now the volts are 0.5 higher than what's to be used with the camera, I'm hoping that this does not affect the camera. 650mah is probably true from the reviews and the steep price tag they are asking of around $10 per battery. I'm hoping that they are quality batteries and worth it, and I purchased a Nitecore charger to go with it. I'll be able to test them out here in a few days and get back with everyone on performance.

I just want to know, has anyone tried the rechargeable batteries that I have mentioned? Or do you have other suggestions?


Tenergy (link here: http://www.amazon.com/Kits-RCR123A-LiFePO4-Rechargeable-Batteries/dp/B001EYHO9G/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&a...

Nitecore (link here: : http://www.amazon.com/Nitecore-RCR123A-Protected-Rechargeable-Battery-Black/dp/B00D2OCQB2/ref=pd_sim...

Nitecore charger here http://www.amazon.com/Nitecore-IntelliCharger-i4-Battery-Charger/dp/B005UAI372/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&am...

[jguerdat]

Tom said his were gray. My plan is to check for differences. It'll take a while since they're gonna take a while to discharge. Haven't received them yet in spite of the claimed USPS 1st class shipping. Instead it's that infernal UPS to USPS Smart Post or whatever the actual name is where it takes a week to get handed over to USPS. Takes at least a week to get the shipment instead of 3 to 4 days cross-country...

[TomMac]

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jguerdat wrote:

Tom said his were gray. My plan is to check for differences.snip..

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yes, my are gray, but also using 4 ultrafires....

I have seen no difference between the two sets, Both sets DO NOT live up to their rated capacity of 2300 mahr ( and I think none will ).

As I 've posted before, I've never seen a batery in that form that hits half of the non- rechargeables ( < 750 mahr ) in the real world.

[Coltsbro84]

My GTL purple label batteries died the other day. Stats are: 10 days, almost 400 videos (400 I'm estimating, 297 the past seven days) at 15 seconds with standard quality. For the first day battery indicator was full and quickly changed to medium. Medium battery for the remainder of the time. I remember one day the battery showed two full bars, and later on that day it said change batteries, so I didn't really see a low battery indicator and I don't have email notification on, so say what you will. These are great batteries for the price. Going back to the Nitecore in that same camera and going to record the stats for those batteries. I expect them to be similiar, although the battery indicator works better with the nitecore gradually draining the battery, vs the GTL where it was sort of a sudden drop to dead.

[jguerdat]

Hmmm. My batteries are lasting much longer before 2 bars are shown as well as many more minutes of video. I wonder if it's just an issue of needing a few cycles before full utility is realized?

[Coltsbro84]

I'll have to get my voltmeter out and see if I have a bad cell. I like your idea on the batteries needing a few cycles to settle in. 

[jguerdat]

I like anything that's free and easy... 🙂

[TomMac]

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jguerdat wrote:

Hmmm. My batteries are lasting much longer before 2 bars are shown as well as many more minutes of video. I wonder if it's just an issue of needing a few cycles before full utility is realized?

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Mine seems to do better after 2-3 charges...also match the closest voltages in a set of 4 after being off the charger for a few hours ( and have settled down )

[AnthonyArmato]

I ordered these to try. I doubt they're really 2000 mAH, but we'll see how they perform.

http://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B00Q43RUXM/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1

[RobertRosal]

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AnthonyArmato wrote:

I ordered these to try. I doubt they're really 2000 mAH, but we'll see how they perform.

http://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B00Q43RUXM/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1

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I look forward to hear your results.

[TomMac]

Just be careful...  there are manf's size variences for the 16340 cell. 

Check the fit as some can be longer to make it hard to close the shell.

[AnthonyArmato]

Yeah. They should be fine though. *Fingers Crossed* Almost 1 month in and all my OEM batteries read full except 1, which has dropped 1 bar.

[AnthonyArmato]

Batteries arriving today.

[AnthonyArmato]

Just reporting that the batteries fit fine.

[EM2Ranch]

jguerdat wrote:
Hmmm. My batteries are lasting much longer before 2 bars are shown as well as many more minutes of video. I wonder if it's just an issue of needing a few cycles before full utility is realized?
Mine seems to do better after 2-3 charges...also match the closest voltages in a set of 4 after being off the charger for a few hours ( and have settled down )

Which brand are you using? Can you post the link to where you purchased them?

Thanks

[jguerdat]

I have two different models, the purple GTLs of which I haven't yet put into use:

Gray UltraFire

http://www.ebay.com/itm/251452806142?_trksid=p2060353.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

Purple GTL

http://www.ebay.com/itm/121199269063?_trksid=p2060353.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

I should be receiving a shipment today of test batteries.  I'll be starting a new thread specifically to this test so I can report on them.

[jguerdat]

BTW, my heaviest usage camera went to 2 bars yesterday. Only 9 days but 232 minutes of recording.  Compared to the suggested 4 minutes per day that Arlo uses to describe battery life that's equivalent to about 58 days.  Best quality, 60 second videos.

[jguerdat]

Has anyone else noticed that resolution decreases at anything other than the middle when batteries (perhaps related to being rechargeables) are getting down?  My camera still shows 2 bars but I expect a warning in the next day or so based on the number of minutes recording so far. I've noticed this before but wanted to see it happen again.  It seems to affect only night vision so far but might just be less noticeable during the day when the illumination isn't being used.

[TomMac]

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jguerdat wrote:

Has anyone else noticed that resolution decreases at anything other than the middle when batteries (perhaps related to being rechargeables) are getting down?snip....

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Haven't seen this effect... I always run on best video setting...

The gray Ultrafires finally went bust ( while i was away of course )...

They made 37 days to 2 bars, On day 46 there was an email that batteries were at 0% and the camera went down some time prob before that (but less then 8 hrs).

So total run is aprox 45 days till dead running camera in spec usage. 

BTW, these are matched sets and tho I was unable to check batteries soon after drop out, the batteries were in the upper 2v range when I got to them.... hard to tell if battery recouped any while cam goes into "batteries need to be changed" mode

My usage due to above will be change out at 35 days to avoid any possible problems with +/- usage demands.

[RomC]

I purchased the same batteries and ran into the same problem.  I decided to test the batteries to see how long they would last. It's been almost a week and I noticed today that the battery indicator is showing empty but the camera is still working and taking pictures.

I would feel a little more comfortable having the status indicator showing the batteries as fully charged when I put them in the camera. It would give me a better idea of how often to replace them. Right now I am waiting for the camera to stop working.

Will let you know how the test works out.

[TomMac]

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snip...It's been almost a week and I noticed today that the battery indicator is showing empty but the camera is still working and taking pictures.

I  snip

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That is a sign of possible your using the last version (actually 2 back ) of s/w on yr camera... check the version.

cam should be 1.2.2545

[RobertRosal]

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TomMac wrote:

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snip...It's been almost a week and I noticed today that the battery indicator is showing empty but the camera is still working and taking pictures.

I  snip

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That is a sign of possible your using the last version (actually 2 back ) of s/w on yr camera... check the version.

cam should be 1.2.2545

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Hi TomMac, 

What changes have been made with 1.2.2545?  Looks like I was back on 2412, My Arlo is not auto updating.  I will reboot my base station first and see what happens.

Also when did this come out?  I wish we would get an email when there is a new version or some sort of notification.

-Robert

[AnthonyArmato]

I agree, Some type of firmware update notification should be available. My unit is also still on 2412.

Tom did post it here however: https://community.netgear.com/t5/Troubleshooting/S-W-changes-update/m-p/4991#U4991

[RobertRosal]

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AnthonyArmato wrote:

I agree, Some type of firmware update notification should be available. My unit is also still on 2412.

Tom did post it here however: https://community.netgear.com/t5/Troubleshooting/S-W-changes-update/m-p/4991#U4991

Great, tried everything and still I don't have the latest, what gives?

[jguerdat]

Hmmm...  My base is set to autoupdate (tried toggling it but if I leave the screen and return, it's back on) and both cameras are on 2412.   I rebooted the base to see if things update ovcernight but they should have anyways, especially on the camera that I just put the TangsFire batteries in.

[TomMac]

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jguerdat wrote:

Hmmm...  My base is set to autoupdate (tried toggling it but if I leave the screen and return, it's back on) and both cameras are on 2412.   I rebooted the base to see if things update ovcernight but they should have anyways, especially on the camera that I just put the TangsFire batteries in

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Sometimes it takes overnight for the sytem to update the new SW... remember it may not go out to all areas at the same time.

I would just reboot the base ( make sure auto-update is on ) via either the power button or the 'restart base' from the program and let the system do it's thing over night ( if it doesn't happen right away )