VMC3030 Battery Life Problem

[jmrathbun]

This camera worked well for me, mounted in a tree overlooking my steep driveway -- I put it up in winter and turn it on only when there's risk of ice or snow on the drive so I can see if it's safe to go out. This year the battery life has gone from using 20% over the whole winter to using 100% in about four weeks. I got similar results from a new set of batteries. I tried ordering a new model but it lacks the magnetic mount on the rear that I need for my situation. I haven't found any way to talk to an actual person for support. Should I just give up or is there an affordable solution?

[TomMac]

Your working with the oldest camera that Arlo has at this point.... As to the reason all of a sudden, no answer.

Change batteries?  Make sure you are either using a 3.7v  li-ion chargeable cells or the original 123 non-rechargeable.

Also, Move a camera closer to the base to ensure it is not the camera.

But a cost saving idea for you would be a Pro or Pro2 model... you can use the old base ( tho I recommend a 4000 model ) and the Pro/Pro2 use battery packs over the 123 cells.  

You can use use to total of 5 cameras with 7 day video storage without fees as they are still under the legacy option.

[StephenB]

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@jmrathbun wrote:

is there an affordable solution?

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Using rechargeable batteries is one path.  Arlo recommended Tenergy in the past, though other brands might also work well.

Are you getting more videos this year than in past ones?  The most common cause of power drain is video recordings/streaming, the second is recovering from dropped wifi connections. 

Sometimes firmware updates can mess up power management - I don't have this camera in service anymore, so I have no idea if that is happening now.

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@jmrathbun wrote:

I tried ordering a new model but it lacks the magnetic mount on the rear that I need for my situation.

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The Essentials don't support the magnetic mount, but the Ultra/Pro 3/Pro 4/Pro 5 models do.  If you purchased one of those, and it  didn't come with one, then you could of course order it. 

Though on the newer cameras, the magnet is built into the mount, and not the base.  So if you are wanting to just attach the camera to some metal (such as a gutter), that won't work with the Ultra/Pro 3/Pro 4/Pro 5 models.

[jmrathbun · Accepted solution]

I appreciate your efforts to help me reach a solution. After looking at the options, I decided my particular camera was draining the batteries at a much higher rate because of some electrical fault, not because of any change in external conditions. I also received a notice from the company that they won't be supporting this camera much longer. That was after I ordered a replacement unit on eBay that's sitting on my desk atm, waiting for me to get around to setting it up. Fortunately, no icy weather is imminent.