Putting Arlo Solar Panels to the Test | DEEP DIVE

Steve reviews the Arlo Solar Panel which is compatible with the Arlo Pro, Arlo Go, and the Arlo Security Light System. Steve dives into optimal positioning for solar panels and tests charging while the panel is in the sun VS in the shade.
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[@twotallable]

This panel can put out close to 100 watts kzbin.infoUgkxOqI2yqX0XVrhR2BMJciTWrHJpG8FhJyg when positioned in the appropriate southernly direction, tilted to the optimal angle for your latitude/date, and connected to a higher capacity device than a 500. The built in kickstand angle is a fixed at 50 degrees. Up to 20% more power can be output by selecting the actual date and latitude optimal angle.The 500 will only input 3.5A maximum at 18 volts for 63 watts. Some of the excess power from the panel can be fed into a USB battery bank, charged directly from the panel while also charging a 500. This will allow you to harvest as much as 63 + 15 = 78 watts.If this panel is used to charge a larger device, such as the power station, then its full output potential can be realized.

[@markhall3323]

Thanks for the video for info I felt you took a long time to get started over two minutes.

[@emamihaelagimpirea6136]

We’ve only had the cameras up and running for a short time. kzbin.infoUgkxOXxsTZ3ptV_Pk0fFl8bNZvVqeoqBQFwe So far we love them! I got the outdoor mounting kit for them and they were easy to install. Once you download the app, it walks you through the very easy set up. The clarity, and range is awesome. I am thinking seriously about adding another camera or two to my 3 camera system. The price is lower than a lot of comparable systems.

[@danafatujr7214]

Yup I just purchased the arlo pro 3 Costco now running a deal for 3 cam w hub 399. And has 2 solar panels I think for 130?. I just went to Best Buy and bought 1 solar for 79. I have been watching numerous KZbin videos with different type of hacks to either strap down with para-chord or use a hose clamp to jimmy a way to secured one camera with solar panel up high on a palm tree(mind u, u cant really be screwing into palm trees, they’ll slowly die). My palm tree is prime perfect for my backyard that’s perfect looking down back under my lanai(patio) the second floor has our jacuzzi but I can see if anyone is entering from our ur side gate leading to our backyard and again pan most of the back yard. Mahalo again for helping me decide from all the great cameras choices out there. Where I live Ewa Beach is rated 5 on Oahu, the hottest and the most sun on the island. Gurans those cameras will be 100% 24/7....Arlo pro 3 is the one. Btw I’m not doing that subscription bs, I’ll be plugging in an external HD in the hub....not another bill!

[@collinhu3787]

Dana Fatu Jr I bought mine around April as well. I’m living in Las Vegas so my cameras are very easy to get overheated and then the battery doesn’t last long as before. I’m considering to buy the solar panel for my camera.

[@darakeeganyballa9075]

You asked for situations for the camera mount which solar panels would be better. First your reviews are the reason I went with Arlo. I am going to get 1 solar panel as I have 1,camera in a driveway and mounted at top of garage.I dontclike ladders so solar panel will be great. I've only had my cameras since Oct 19th but the activity around my place is so much i have had to charge each one every few weeks, not every few months. I plan on doing a full review including an amazing feature i found, including the 360 playback once a video is downloaded. I also appreciate your tip about just setting the panel in the gutter with the heavy mount so i don't have to drill or be on the ladder more than needed.

[@evelynsilva7221]

I'm disabled and have to have someone come and take my camera down and then put it back up. So this will very helpful

[@JPEBeard]

How about the 25 foot cables that you can drill though the wall and plug it in?

[@bizo255]

Have you had any water issues with the new panels? I had the older model and water got inside and killed the panel.

[@quacktony]

Hi, Whats the mount you're using on your glass window?

[@Giznil24]

How did you get that other camera to stick on the gkass window?

[@TheBluesk8r]

Do the Arlo cams have a system to shut them off from getting solar power when they are fully charged? Or is the solar power going to keep forcing its way into the battier and degrade the life span?

[@dm91214]

3 minutes 10 seconds into this Solar Panel piece you show a time-lapse video. Does this unit have time-lapse capability or was this clip speed up in editing? This week I will demolish my home to start construction on a new place. I plan on mounting my Ultra, 12' high on a tree with a solar panel and the base station will be at a neighbors house. Any suggestions on the best settings I should make or any other advice? Thank you for time and effort you put into these videos.

[@RLJSlick]

Great video. I've been using 2 of these solar panels for 2 years now. They wasn't easy to get setup but they have been working great for the most part. They don't work in temperatures around freeze or lower. I haven't had to charge the battery in my 2 outside Alro 2s in 2 years. BTW you can always just turn off the notification, and keep the camera on.. PS make sure you clean the solar panels off once in a while, remember what happened to Mars Opportunity rover. LOL

[@ReviewsOrg]

Great call out on the temperature. Tough to test for that in SoCal. :)

[@matthewr600]

So with your call to Arlo about the panel providing the power necessary for the features wanted that are only supplied under direct power, did they mention what the power requirements are? Are they looking into building larger panels that will provide enough Amps or Watts as needed? I would consider looking at larger panels from aftermarket manufacturers, but that raises the concern about charge controllers and if an aftermarket manufacturer is thoughtful of that consideration so as to not overcharge the batteries.

[@capitalj1414]

Unfortunately my camera kept going off and drained in a day! I also have a tree that keeps the motion going and there was a large storm/winds for a few days. Apparently when the camera is completely dead the solar panels do nothing and wont charge it.

[@johnmitchell4311]

Trouble shoot ac power has been disconnected from arlo device?

[@LRS7B]

Charge every *2 to 4 months* ? My two Ultra’s are more like every 2 weeks *MAX*

[@ultra888]

Mine to.

[@Nick-om4ln]

Same here on Pro 3's. Less actually. Called Arlo and waited over 60 mins on hold. The tech said the 2-4 month timeframe is based on 5 mins of use per day. 5 mins! Funny I didn't see that on their website anywhere? Good luck if your cameras catch cars coming by and for me, that's what I want. I would of loved to catch whatever clown blew through my mailbox before I had cameras. I live in a subdivision and my main camera that catches the cars lasts two days! To Costco they are going back. There is not enough positive reviews to invest further in the solar panels, given cold is an issue. I live in Wisconsin. It gets cold.

[@mike6784172]

Mine too

[@once_upon_a_dime5696]

My Neighbour brought a system and it's more like every 2-3 days for her, we turned down all the settings ect and it still chews thru them

[@stefonetyus4869]

@@once_upon_a_dime5696 good now I know the cameras my job put up sucks. Thanks

[@dannyderrick900]

I'm somewhat confused as I have two Arlo Pro 3 cameras running on battery power and both have allowed me to set a Activity Zone that seems to function well. Am I living an illusion.....?

[@lisaw6332]

I have mine up...it shows it charging but with an orange triangle with the lightning bolt... but my charge keeps dropping. Is there a certain setup required?

[@alllivesmatter5640]

Will this work with the Arlo Go?

[@joshuabennett723]

My Arlo pro 2 only lasts 2 days before I need to charge it

[@zziinn333]

I have a solar panel and a arlo 3 attached to the gutter in the front of the house and its allways powered up above 50% over night ive never had an issue im considering the same set up for side of the house. i have an arlo 3 hardwired to the garage at the back of the house

[@janetboddy8183]

You mention the solar panel will not supply enough power to enable some features like activity zones. That seems like a big loss of functionality. What is required to get activity zones enabled, a 120 volt outlet with a charger attached to each camera?

[@artflory9321]

I’m having a lot of problems with the Arlo 2 camera and the Wasserstein they say update the firm ware Also some other up dates possibly needs done How is this done . How do I do it. My camera is charged all day till the next morning then dead What’s the sense of having a solar panel if it’s Like this

[@narezdog]

Is there a better option now 3/22? Even something not made by Arlo. I have Arlo 4 Pro. I am mainly concerned that when it gets cold as in under 20degrees Fahrenheit I 100% have to have power to my cameras because the extreme cold kills off the camera battery quickly.

[@raghibphotography]

Question! What if I'm constantly getting sun (let's say 12 hours a day. Will it keep charging even after 100%? I have a house somewhere overseas and I want to buy this but not be constantly charging over and over? That would also drain the cameras built I'm rechargeable battery correct?

[@celindaporterfield4999]

question - have you had issues with laying the panels in or on your raingutters? is there issue with wind, rain etc. We have raingutters on all wood fascia so not sure where we can attach via the mount.

[@jessietee42]

If the electricity goes out, I love that the flood lights will still continue to work (with the solar panel)

[@SmileFNPlug]

Very helpful You deserve a like :)

[@demolitionphenix457]

Temps limite of the ultra plz

[@DownRange02]

I have 3 Arlo Pro 3 cameras outside & all on Arlo solar panels. Have had for quite some time. All 3 are running activity zones & stay fully charged. As usual, Arlo tech support was wrong I’m afraid.

[@ejude6513]

Solar panels can run activity zones? You probably live where you get lots of sunlight. Probably won't work here in Seattle.

[@cynthiascariati6543]

Hi Steve I love your videos.. I'm currently working on a proposal for my homeowners association to install all of cameras at our entry Gates. I currently use them on my two homes and love them and their features. I'm in the process of writing a report to counter a critical report from a fellow homeowner saying that the quality of resolution is poor... And he's also questioning me about the weather conditions that the cameras can withstand. He's big on pushing a commercial system that's way over the top and price. Can you give me any details about the housing of the cameras and how good they would be under certain weather conditions ?? We are currently in Southwest Florida and our main weather here is sunny hot humid rainy in the Summers and an occasional hurricane... Thank you for making the videos. I will be scouring them over the next couple days.

[@ccampbell7214]

Ask for recommendations for the solar powers as I'm reading the little booklet right now.. It says keep out of weather rain snow and anything like that.. I noticed that yours are totally exposed..

[@chaincommander5980]

EXTREMELY INFORMATIVE!!! How do u adjust Motion Notification to save battery lifetime? My neighbor's car's invisitors continually turn this on draining my battery every 10 days :(( 🙏

[@xxvenegasxx-_rng4749]

I just got the Arlo essential spot light and I installed them yesterday evening, today is almost 6:00 pm and I’m at 50% battery life on one of the cameras. I’m like wtf right now Is it normal or should I return them ?

[@BradFulton]

Can you let me know about those features that would be missed, “activity zones” and “3 second look backs”? I’m looking to get these up for parking lots for security alerts/ accidents/ Liabilty /etc. I’ll need 30-60 days play back capabilities…will the Go 2 w/ Solar Panel allow this?

[@max-timothy-lev9834]

Regarding the 2 specific features couldn't you just disconnect the solar from the base and just make use of the battery to get the other two features...?

[@atcbill]

Have you noticed the “frosting” over the solar panels that come as they sit out in the sun over time? I have solar lights that have panels that have gotten the glazed look on them due to the sun. (Almost like headlights do that have been on a car a long time) I can see spending the $80 each on them but not if they glaze over and only last a year or two.

[@yhap2003]

that's my problem with the older arlo solar panel. The haze started after a year and now the panel doesn't provide enough juice to keep the trickle charge going. Have to replace it. This is no difference since its plastic top and not glass, the haze will form then you need a new one

[@chadmiller9187]

For me the solar panels work great on warm days or any day where it is above freezing. If it is below freezing, the cameras will never charge due to limitations of the batteries in cold temps. So in the winter I need to bring my camera in to charger it every week or so until it warms up again outside. With this, the solar panels are not real useful in the winter months.

[@GiovanniStefani]

It all comes down to "What is your time worth". I got tired of seeing my BIL (Brother-in-Law) getting up on a ladder to charge the two cameras I bought him, so I used my solar panels I had from my other house. I live here now, so I just bought two more for the back of the house to power my two Arlo Pro 3's. Haven't had any issues other than the front of the house only gets sun for about 6-8 hours depending on the time of year, but that is enough to charge them. These might be pricey, but if you buy a knock-off and they don't last as long, you end up buying replacement panels. I've had my first set for over three years, so the $79 USD I paid has paid for itself.

[@justinsgarage1125]

Has anyone snipped off the magnetic connector and and wired on a micro USB for the Arlo Pro 2? I picked up 2 of these panels for $20 each and would like to make these work!

[@txmade72]

Very hot days in Texas panel want charge at all. Give notification thats not working due to extreme heat

[@themeloit-live]

How many cameras at once can you charge with a single panel?

[@GiovanniStefani]

If you haven't got the answer yet, only one camera per panel.

[@dennisramirez8848]

My Arlo ultra only last 1 day :/

[@user-jb3bs2mr8e]

Neat 3 panals

[@jeffkain4537]

Just hooked mine up (solar panel) 1/23/21 it’s 25 deg with a feels like 17 deg. Not sure if anyone mentioned but won’t charge if it’s too cold out. I’m in NY and it gets cold here just saying. I still love my Arlo system tho. I have Utra with 5 cameras and just purchased the Pro 3 lighted camera to add on.

[@bethanngibb]

Did it require a power cord to be plugged in? I see one is included but where my cameras are, there is not an outlet close to ANY of them so that would deter me from purchasing from jump street. 🤔

[@MRMORGAN817]

I'm pretty sure you don't need to plug a solar panel into a power socket

[@VashtiWood]

I'm looking for the technical specs (output etc) but can't find them on the website... What does it say on the box?

[@lanapfeifer6339]

i read 4 watts 6 volts on ebay not sure if that is right

[@lawrencecromwell6516]

I have Zones and Motion Sensing working great running on the all my solar powered Arlo 4 Cameras. The panels get at least 4-6 hours/day of tangential sunlight and are always keeping the batteries at 100%. I am running a schedule that runs from ~10PM to 6AM and the cameras only run when animals or creeps wander in the yard.

[@joeg9810]

Mine suck, bought two solar panels and they do little to help. Very disappointed.

[@danielrice5474]

Nice video. But in my area when it storms and rains hard, with your gutter installation, your solar panel would be GONE!!

[@TheZuver1]

Remember this it also depends on how much your camera records if your camera goes off a lot and records a lot of videos the panel is not gonna charge it as much as if your camera only records a few videos

[@markcolby1910]

Go Steve

[@wendyfernandez819]

Show me how to assemble it

[@bcrphoto7]

I went to Best Buy to gat this Flood Arlo Cam, they did not have it, so it's ordered. After you saying you loose the activity feature using battery power, thats one feature I need for the front camera. They said you are wrong and that feature does work under batt power, So who is wrong here?

[@terencejlewis]

I look at it as a money vs risk since my Arlo cameras are mounted on the second level of the house. Being a retired military veteran. I want to mitigate my risk when economically possible, which outweighs the risk of falling from a ladder. The solar panel is not that much money, but that is relative to each person’s financial situation. Overall, if you can afford it get the solar panels, especially if your cameras are mounted high.

[@hobo_jesus]

I invested in this panel and It shows its charging, Panel is right in the sunlight but it's not enough! battery is still draining started at 100% been 4 days now its 46% I see the idea but the power its providing is not enough. I have the panel in direct sunlight.

[@kevinchen830]

Is your camera always on?

[@anilbhandari4706]

Check to see how much video it is recording a day. If it is a lot (as mine was), look at the video to see what is triggering the recording. Adjust the sensitivity for motion and audio.

[@frankleung127]

I actually asked the Arlo customer support. He said the solar panel designed to KEEP battery level only, not charging it to 100%.. is this the case??

[@joycelynschmid6928]

That’s my experience too, I hear all these people on UTube saying the panels charged their battery which is not really true. The first time the cameras were installed I noticed it was charging after that no more. Aril’s website stated the solar panels DOES NOT charge batteries ( you would need an Arlo battery charger with USB cable and suitable Arlo adapter) very disappointing indeed

[@chrisporche15]

i cam here looking to find out if it would grant me activity zones. Mostly what i want i dont mind changing the batteries as much. however this makes it a hard pass for me. Hardwire it is...

[@ExcaVision_LA]

mine only last 2 days

[@pereira1m]

Well, if you're building a new house better make a security project and install an USB outlet near each camera.

[@carlos10571]

Yeah getting notifications every 10 seconds is ridiculous. Can never get more than three weeks of battery life.

[@pandorakid229]

It would be better if there was external battery in the solar

[@ChristmasEve777]

For this price, you could buy a 100 watt solar panel!! However, that would be huge and you wouldn't have the right connectors or voltage regulation. With a 100 watt panel, you could run MANY of these cameras and get all the features. Problem is BULK and you would need weatherproof buck converters, proprietary charging connectors.... it just sucks to spend the same on that tiny solar panel....

[@deegee9560]

I wipe my solar panels once a month with a slightly damp cloth, then dry! All three have cracks in the glass really bad after 2 years! These are over priced and they used junk or recycled stuff-no uv protection! Not sure what to do...I'm still waiting for the refund for the camera charger plug that burned down houses and was a recall! Yep, that's why I bought the solar chargers! The customer service is like trying to talk to an ai machine that sends you into circles! It's like a game, but if you get to level 3 tech...you have scored!!!! Better yet ask to speak to a US upper level tech...ahhhhhhh....played this customer service game for over 100 hrs....They should pay me to talk to them! I've taught them!!!!!

[@kdm784]

2-4 months my @$$. 2 weeks tops is all my main fronts last with occasional live viewing

[@dandenham3139]

How can I get a tax credit on the purchase of this solar panel? Had you going didn't I?

[@sanchopanzaandsonnycrockett]

Far out🎉😊🇵🇷

[@danielpenovich3098]

IT'S MORE LIKE EVERY THREE DAY'S IF YOU HAVE A LOT OF TRAFFIC

[@BluePatch-pc7sx]

I AM SOLD!!!

[@nonyabizness8692]

I have Arlo camera for the past 3 years. I can honestly say it is cheaper to get a Lorex NVR system. You get 4-4Kcameras, constant recording and no battery issues for about 1100 bucks. Oh, and no monthly fees.

[@markttevol1291]

Don’t by this product if you don’t plan on paying the monthly subscription because it will only work in live mode with no recording and by the time you get it to load it’s probably to late. I didn’t do my research before buying this product. It really sucks!

[@GiovanniStefani]

I don't think you're correct here. I do have a subscription, but if you use the hub with a USB storage device, you don't need the subscription. Personally, I wanted the cloud storage (vs local USB storage). If someone breaks into your home, they will surely take the cameras and any recording services (e.g. Arlo Hub with USB storage).

[@Charliesdad98]

I'll tell you for a fact they do not last in the Australian sun cracked after 12 months

[@alexandrastratanphotographer]

the batteries are very expensive and I am not that fond of the fact that you have to recharge them so much, I do like the system, however if the batteries were more reasonably priced, they do not last, I would advise if you are looking to make the investment, do lots of research and read comments on utube, reviews etc, do consider alternatives

[@grimer1805]

what alternative though

[@stefonetyus4869]

@@grimer1805 different camera system buddy, not this cheap solar crap

[@sharlened5716]

It is DEFINITELY NOT worth what it costs!!

[@royjones8012]

No more Arlo products please!

[@ReviewsOrg]

lol, I think this was the last one! But we wanted to make sure we covered most of the Arlo suite. Got some more (and different) coming up soon!

[@terrykotschwar6876]

You are showing the magnetic version of the solar panel...I have the plug-in type and can't get the solar panels with plug-ins. I have ordered solar panels from ARLO and Wasserstein Solar Panel for Arlo Ultra/Ultra 2/Pro 3/Pro 4 and Arlo Floodlight (3-Pack White)...each time I get the magnetic ones. I have tried to contact ARLO but get a Tech Center in either the Phillipines or India. I am sorry I am Tech Support and can't help you on this one. Please contact ARLO directly...you CAN"T!!! There is no phone number to call, no USA contact, no info about contacting them..l.NOTHING...ARRRRGH!

[@Lyndi123123]

Way overpriced.

[@BigMoe1010]

Create a problem. Sell a solution. That’s what I think

[@dsbond8048]

Arlo sucks. Don't buy.