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Scheduling two cameras

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Bilxthebroker
Tutor
Tutor

I have recently bought an Arlo Wireless kit with two cameras.

 

I have to say that I find the scheduling / set up interface unnecessarily confusing - I am not at all tech-shy, but there is nothing intuitive about this and it really needs a rethink.

 

Anyway...I want to have Camera 1 scheduled to switch on to Motion Detect at Midnight each night and switch off at 0630 each morning, and I want to have Camera 2 switch on at 0600 and switch off again at 0700. 

 

It seems the only way to do this is to create two Custom modes, one for each camera, which I have done successfully. I have then switched on Scheduling mode and added the two cameras into the calendar. That's all fine, but for some reason I simply can't fathom, the calendar will not let me turn on the second camera before the first one is shut down, nor vice versa.

 

Where am I going wrong?

 

Thanks.

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jguerdat
Guru Guru
Guru

It's just a bit of fiddling.  First, you'll need one more mode with two rules so that both cameras are on at the same time.  Then you will schedule Camera 1 from midnight to 0600.  Next, the new mode will be used from 0601 till 0630.  Finally, the Camera 2 mode will be used from 0631 till 0700.

 

Maybe not neat and clean but does it at least make sense?

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25 REPLIES 25
jguerdat
Guru Guru
Guru

It's just a bit of fiddling.  First, you'll need one more mode with two rules so that both cameras are on at the same time.  Then you will schedule Camera 1 from midnight to 0600.  Next, the new mode will be used from 0601 till 0630.  Finally, the Camera 2 mode will be used from 0631 till 0700.

 

Maybe not neat and clean but does it at least make sense?

Bilxthebroker
Tutor
Tutor

Hi - and yes, thanks, a bit tortuous but it does make sense!

 

I have set it up and will test it overnight.

 

Thanks again.

Shoeless
Star
Star

I just installed Arlo base station and two cameras (one interior and one exterior) and I cannot for the life of me, figure out how to schedule each camera to run on a different schedule. I have read, re-read and RE-READ the solution in this thread and I still can't get my head around it. 

 

Could someone explain it using different terms or something? The UI is horrid, which doesn't help.

 

Thanks in advance. 

 

Shoeless

Bilxthebroker
Tutor
Tutor

I agree - the UI is horrible and not at all intuitive! But the reply above helped me enormously and proved to be correct - I think the obvious way for the scheduling to be set up would be for each camera to be progammed entirely seperately from the other, but that's just not the case. If you follow the answer above, it will work.

Shoeless
Star
Star

I know it helped you but I can't figure it out. I have a new MODE called "Away/Sleep" in which I was able to set BOTH my cameras to ON. But that seems pointless because I can achieve the same thing with the default "Armed" mode whenever I go to bed or leave the house. 

 

I just can't understand the relationship(s) between MODE, RULE and SCHEDULE. Intellectually I get it but I can't figure out how to implement what I want, despite the explanations in this thread.

 

When the person who solved it says "Schedule Camera 1 for midnight to 6:00 am" I'm not sure if "Camera 1" he mentiones is referring to a rule or a mode and becuase the UI is so abysmal, I can't even noodle my way through it by trial and error. I end up confused. 

 

So frustrating. And I TEACH my clients to use their technology, so I'm not an idiot or technology-averse. It just makes no sense to me. 

 

 

Shoeless
Star
Star

 

 

Ok...  I have deleted all previous custom modes and started over and after much wailing and gnashing of teeth, I THINK I am getting there. 

 

I have TWO custom modes as follows: 

  

Basement Door Mode - this records 60 seconds of video when motion is detected on my exterior basement door camera.

 

Combo Mode (for which I created two rules, each to record 60 seconds of video when motion is detected on EITHER the basement camera or family room camera)

 

 

Now that I have these two modes in the system, I successfully scheduled COMBO MODE (activating BOTH cameras) from midnight to 0600 am while I am asleep. 

 

And I also successfully scheduled BASEMENT DOOR MODE to watch the basement exterior from 0601 until 1159, at which point combo mode will take over again.  

 

These two schedules effectively mean the basement door camera is ON AND RECORDING 24/7, PROVIDED THAT THE MODE DOT IS SET TO "Schedule."

 

However, I do need the interior family room camera to be activated when I leave the house. But because I'm self-employed, I come and go at various hours of the day depending on my client load. Am I forced to open the app and switch the dot from "Scheduled" to "Armed" every time I leave the house and then put the dot back on the "Scheduled" mode every time I come home? (akin to an alarm system)

 

Thanks for helping me think through this!!

Shoeless 

 

ps: Android Arlo app keeps crashing. I'll look up another thread for that problem, I guess.

Bilxthebroker
Tutor
Tutor

Glad to hear you're getting there - it sounds like you're going through the same agonies as I did!

 

I am also self-employed and have no particular schedule. What I do is switch on Geo-fencing when I go out, and I find that works very well. Like your point with the change in scheduling, I'm frustrated that there doesn't seem to be any way of setting that up automatically rather than having to go on to my phone to set it manually every time, but perhaps I just haven't worked out how to do it yet.

 

I'm an iPhone user, so can't help with the Android issues I'm afraid!

Shoeless
Star
Star

I'm not even sure I want to know what Geo-fencing is. I can only assume from the name that it does something when it recognizes when you're away from the house and then it does something else when it recognizes that you're back home? 

 

If you have to activate Geo-fencing manually anyway, why use it at all? Why not just manually toggle the system between "Armed" and "Scheduled" when you leave and come home? 

 

(Unless I'm missing something about Geo-fencing of course.)

 

Shoeless

Bilxthebroker
Tutor
Tutor

It's good, try it! It works for me because I don't want the system armed at all when I'm awake and at home, and I only want certain parts of it operating when I'm out during the day, this differs from nighttime.

 

Oh what tangled webs we weave....

Shoeless
Star
Star

I definitely want my basement exterior camera ON when I'm home during the day, so I have just set up geofencing for my phone to be on "Armed" when I'm away and "Basement" when I'm home. 

 

So to be clear, "GEOFENCING" mode and "SCHEDULE" mode are mutually exclusive. You either use one or the other and you don't toggle between, right?

 

Also, I have a husband who lives with me (yeah that's how that works usually LOL) so I presume that I will have to grant him access to my account and then we'll need to set up HIS iPhone with geofencing too, so that if I'm away but he's home, that the system isn't recording him every time he moves through the kitchen. Yes?? 

 

I'M GETTING THIS THING slowly but surely! 

 

Thanks again!! You rule.  🐵 

 

Shoeless

Bilxthebroker
Tutor
Tutor

Talk about the blind leading the blind!

 

I do actually toggle between Geofencing and Schedule - so I switch on whichever is appropriate, but I may not need to do that - if there are any real experts listening in to this conversation they might be able to tell me!

 

I have helped my wife set up the App on her phone so that she can check in on the videos etc., but haven't gone so far as to duplicate the Geofencing functionality - I think I'll leave that particular challenge for another rainy day!

Shoeless
Star
Star

It appears that geofencing is supposed to be a "set it and forget it" kind of mode, much like "Nest" thermostats, where the system sets itself one certain way when you (and/or your wife) are HOME and the system sets itself a DIFFERENT way for when you (and/or she) are away. But that still doesn't address the time you and the family are HOME but asleep. In that case, geofencing wouldn't work because your phone is in the house, but you still want to be fully armed. 

 

So maybe the way to go is to stop using "scheduled" altogether, and instead just toggle between geofencing during the day and "Armed" when going to bed. 

I'll sleep on it and maybe my subconcious brain will figure it all out. 

 

I agree with you about adding the spouses. I want to get the system nailed down pretty well FIRST then add the hubby into the mix when I'm confident that I know what I'm doing. And even then, I'm not sure there are enough rainy days coming up! LOL

 

SLEEP TIGHT!  🙂 

 

Shoeless

TomMac
Guru Guru
Guru

Sorry for your pains... seems we all go thru it at one time or another.

 

These tips may help;

1) Only ONE mode can run at a time

2) ANY cam NOT in the running mode will be OFF

3) New Mode started will overwrite the previous

4) any Schedule that runs thru Midnight must be broken into two parts ( up to 1159pm, and restart at 1200am)(( elimniates the day change))

5) try not to edit the ARMED mode which is a default so you can go back and look at it ( create a new copy )

 

As to Geozone, it seems to work well with one phone at this time but is having a bit of problems now and then with 2 phones running ( still in beta )

 

I found it easier not to schedule but use just the regular arming of custom modes and/or the geozone with a single phone.

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Osok
Tutor
Tutor

I think somebody has to smack me in the head with a hammer, how can this be so complicated and confusing.  This is the part that I bought this system for, and it is so confusing.  Whoever wrote this part of the software needs to be fired.  Helpless, but I am trying to figure this out. I have camera 1 for my driveway and camera 2 inside my garage.  Camera 1 I want off from 6 am to 6 pm and on from 6 pm to 6 am.  Camera 2 on from 10 pm to 6 pm and off from 6 am until 10 pm.  I just can not get it to work, I might ask my neighbor to smack me with the hammer

JamesC
Community Manager
Community Manager

Osok,

 

You'll need to create custom modes containing the rules for cameras you want to be active and then input those custom modes into the schedule for the desired time frames.

 

For more information on custom modes, see here: How do I create a mode to assign different actions to each camera?

For more information on how to use the schedule feature, see here: How do I configure and use the Schedule option?

 

JamesC

Osok
Tutor
Tutor

Omg I figured it out, these post have really helped, once I understood the method it is actually easy.  So with the recent update the pan and zoom option is no longer functional, will this be coming back ??

jguerdat
Guru Guru
Guru

I just tried pan and zoom on a wireless camera using both the app and browser with no problems.  Did you take the snapshot first?

Osok
Tutor
Tutor

Yes I did take the snap shot, I tried it again and this option is still not functioning, I guess there is a glitch.

jguerdat
Guru Guru
Guru

 Have you tried both the app and a browser? For the app, try reinstalling it. For a browser make sure Flash is installed and updated (make sure the browser is, too). Also, try a different browser.

Osok
Tutor
Tutor

I re-installed the app, I am not using a browser, I am using my I-pad and I-phone.  They are both up to date.

Osok
Tutor
Tutor

For some reason, it is working now, I guess a ghost in the machine, lol

jguerdat
Guru Guru
Guru

Osok wrote:

I re-installed the app, I am not using a browser, I am using my I-pad and I-phone.  They are both up to date.


The reason for asking about a browser is that it's a troubleshooting step. It adds potentially valuable information.

Osok
Tutor
Tutor

Now, the camera in my backyard records movement, and sends notification, but it does not show me in the video, I guess this is trial and error, and a bit of a learning curve.

jguerdat
Guru Guru
Guru

Are you using an iOS device?  There seems to be a spate of such issues with a recent update of iOS (10.2?). If so, open a case using the Contact Support link at the bottom here to raise awareness.

 

There's nothing about viewing videos after receiving a notification that should be trial and error.  Just to be safe, try a browser and see if that works.