Arlo Certified Accessories | Solar Panel Charger
Arlo Certified Accessories | Solar Panel Charger, Weatherproof, Designed for Essential 2 (+XL) Security Cameras, Perfect for Keeping Your Cameras Charged 24/7, White
From the brand
Extended Range
| Weight: | 183 g |
| Dimensions: | 8.89 x 1.52 x 13.21 cm; 183 g |
| Model: | VMA6600-10000S |
| Part: | VMA6600-10000S |
| Colour: | White |
| Pack Quantity: | 1 |
| Batteries Required: | No |
| Batteries Included: | No |
| Manufacture: | Arlo |
| Dimensions: | 8.89 x 1.52 x 13.21 cm; 183 g |
| Quantity: | 1 |
Beneficial
Seems to have improved performance of ultra2 cam, less drop out.
For outside use pity plug too big for standard outside uk socket. Also a shorter cable version would be helpful.
Over a year without charging battery
This solar panel has kept my Arlo 3 fully charged for over a year. Since it is now February and the battery is at 100% charge I am blown away that I don’t need to do anything until something wears out.
I live in the south of England (so not the sunniest place in the world but not bad) and the panel is on an east facing wall tilted a bit south and up. The base station is in the room outside which the Arlo camera is mounted so I guess this reduces transmission power needs. I have all the factory settings on so there is an automatic floodlight at night and full detection of movement.
This is a perfect “mount and forget” solution with no need to run mains power or climb up a ladder to keep the camera powered.
Great with one major flaw
So the product does exactly what you would expect and charges the cameras as expected…. but as a product which will be used by most to mount externally using a power supply from indoors (as that is what is usually the easiest option for most DIY’ers) the major problem is the size of the end usb connector. As it is a right angle connector this also makes it worse. The size means that you world struggle to get a decent sized hole (around 2cm diameter at least) that you can easily pull the connector through. My only solution was to cut the wire and have an electrician friend graft it back together which is not ideal at this price point. A wire with a smaller connector or where you could disconnect easily at other point as part of the design would solve this. But on this basis it needs to lose at least a sta
Using these but very expensive
I didn’t like the price as its so expensive but better than the 3rd party ones that I bought which didn’t work properly all the time. Time will also tell how long the last in the english weather.
I have quite a few Arlo cameras around the house, and the only gripe I have with them is that they need recharging, not a huge amount but enough to annoy.
Anyway I saw the floodlight cameras and thought they looked really great, and I wanted some lights up anyway and thought these would suit, which they do actually, even just on battery they are really bright so I am happy with the purchase, but I knew the battery recharging would be a pain.
So I bought 2 of the solar panels to go with them, and I got to say that I am very impressed as the one camera has always remained at 100%, and the other goes up and down depending on how sunny it is.
It is vital you position so that the angle is getting as much light directly on it but you can swivel the solar panel all around and it has a fairly long wire as well so it hasn’t got to be right next to the floodlight.
Admittedly when I installed the weather has not been too bad, so I can imagine in the winter the drain will probably exceed to solar charging and will need to be topped up, so I bought a magnetic cable for when I will probably need it during those months and you can just remove the magnetic charge cable that comes from the solar panel and stick the outdoor charge cable on until it’s charged.
I got the extra cable because the floodlight for charging has a usb inside the camera case and you would need to remove the camera to access this which would be a nuisance and you have to press a button and take the whole thing off the bracket and the camera would not be doing it’s job of security while in the house charging, plus getting ladders etc.
I love viewing the cameras and seeing the little lightning through a green battery icon and thinking that it is charging for free and saving me a job.
So I do recommend these as very good, although they are a bit expensive but once up they make so much sense, and I may get some for my normal cameras as those ones are a bit cheaper.
Hopefully during winter months I won’t have to edit my review, but they seem to charge well in only normal days where the sun actually isn’t fully out and clouds obscure the sun.
Based on some other reviews I was a little sceptical regarding this charger, some were saying that in low light or non sunny positions it wasn’t charging well.
Bought for a high placed Arlo pro 4 where I didn’t relish the idea of battery replacement. I had to position on a west facing wall and so far the result is extremely good. We’ve had a mixture of Irish weather since fitting over a week ago and the battery came up from 90% to 100% within a couple of hours of connection and has stayed there since.
A week is no test of long term longevity, but so far I’m very pleased.
Not cheap bought on its own, but I found mine on Amazon in a bundled deal with the pro 4, which I had already decided on. Also meant no requirement for the XL battery upgrade. Even in lieu of a bargain, I still think it would be worth it, if your camera is difficult to access or your camera battery is starting to need changed more often over time?
Good cable, a must to make charging easier.
Bought cable due to security camera using charge very quickly, despite following manufacturer’s instructions.
I was sick and tired of having to take camera down and having to charge and then reattach. I attached charging cable to allow charging with camera in place. Can check charge percentage from phone.
Cable is good a length and quality feel, most importantly fixes securly into camera well.
Glad I purchased, has made life a lot easier.
Great product to go with Arlo Floodligh
I’ve had this nearly 3 months so have given it a decent assessment (over a cold/dark winter period). It is an excellent partner for the Arlo Floodlight, which otherwise would need charging quite often if you trigger it regularly. Since connecting the panel I haven’t had to charge the Floodlight, which is currently at about 99% battery. The main proviso is that it absolutely must be mounted somewhere that gets direct sunlight for at least some of the day ie ideally south facing. Without direct sunlight it doesn’t really generate enough power to top up the device it’s connected to. On cloudy days it only gives a small boost, but a sunny day soon tops it up fully.
Excellent little unit - but pretty useless in northern winters
This is a surprisingly small solar panel, yet it kept my Arlo Pro 3 Outdoor Floodlight Camera (which I guess is the most power-hungry of the Arlo devices) fully charged throughout 2022’s sunny summer and autumn. That’s hugely impressive, given that the floodlight camera covers the front of my house, with a lot of comings and goings by day and by night. However, after a couple of cloudy rainy weeks around Christmas time, the battery was completely flat. So, it is clear that the solar panel cannot keep a busy floodlight camera charged on anything less than hazy direct sunlight in summer, or full direct sunlight in winter. It’s also worth mentioning that, when the floodlight camera detects that it is connected to a solar panel, not the mains, the floodlight only operates at reduced brightness.
Connected up to my Arlo essential spot light, wireless camera. As battery was lasting 5 months when motion detection and everything turned off. But with normal viewing use it was only lasting 2 to 3 months. I just got fed up charging it. The price of this solar panel was much cheaper than others I had seen. I cable tied it up just like I did the camera. (Which was meant to be temporary but is doing the job of staying put very well lol). When I connected it up, the camera was on 30%. Viewing on and off through the day on my phone, and overcast weather the charge went down to 27. The thunder bolt was showing up ten minutes after first plugging it in. More sun shine in the days that followed and keeping the motion sensor off for now, and only viewing outside when needed. The battery charge is going up 7% a day, on sunny days. Testing the night vision and with the spot light on and odd viewing for 5 to 10 minutes through the day direct from my phone, only reduced the battery by 3%. Once it’s fully charged I will turn the motion sensor back on when needed. So far I’m really happy with this solar panel. But I don’t need to rely on it for constant security reasons. It’s mainly used to check on the kids when they r outside, when I’m not in the room to look out the window. I’m hoping even if or when the camera goes dead in the winter; it will turn back on come summer, without me having to mess about charging it again. Because every time I was having to remove it for charging, I was frightened of dropping the camera. Especially if I suddenly saw a spider.
Update: battery icon on camera setting wasn’t showing the thunder bolt all day and still showing 72% since the day before. But the next day the charge showed 84% and no thunderbolt still but the black bar in the battery icon is fully filled. So even though I was getting worried some days it wasn’t charging if the thunder bolt icon wasn’t showing, it is charging! So I’m still happy and the camera charge only goes down one percent, when I’ve viewed the outside from my phone a few times for around a total of 10 minutes a day. The extra charging percentage just takes a full day or even the next day to update on my settings it seems.
Update 3 years later: Blimey it’s still working. Every miserable and rainy winter with no sun, obviously it does go off for a few months. But then it charges it’s self back up, to use the rest of the year. My arlo battery icon settings are still all over the place. So I just ignore what percentage it’s on now. As the camera is still switching on and recording everything it hears or see’s. Plus this summer the kids have been outside every day. Then all the cats set it off constantly and foxes by night. Also the covering on the kids pool flapping about, sets it off to record a lot. So between 1 and 3 am I have found it has run out sometimes. But it’s back on shortly after the sun rises. I’ve also got it set to best quality video which drains the battery quicker. So this solar panel is still working great, and saves me the hassle of removing the camera to bring it in to charge. I’ll definitely buy another one, when needed.
Worth the money, both for the quality and the convenience.
Only recently upgraded my 5 x Pro 2 cameras to Ultra cameras and the picture quality difference is nuts.
However, an equally great upgrade is the power connection. The micro USBs on the pro 2 really are rubbish – they’re temperamental and corrode easily. These magnetic power connections are brilliant! It just clicks into place and works, without any fiddling.
The cable itself is nice and thick, which isn’t too much of a surprise, given the price point. You do need to plan, if fitting outside, as it is a fixed three pin plug at the power end, so it has to be fed to the camera from inside (not easy in a loft!).
Anyway, I’d totally recommend these cables and it’s worth the money to never have to go and swap batteries. Plus, the blue light on the front of the cameras stays on when they’re fully charged, which is all the time when plugged in, so potential burglars can see the camera nice and clearly, which is a great deterrent.
To preface my review, I bought an Arlo Ultra charging cable from a third party Amazon vendor before which failed miserably within the first few months. It’s still hanging like a dead vine from a tree.
Regarding the official cable, my initial assumption was wrong. I thought I’d only receive the Arlo Ultra charging cable which terminates to a USB. For 35,99, I considered this outrageous. Cables like this generally cost pennies to make in Asia.
However, as shown in my photo you actually receive an intergrated charging brick. The wire is apparently certified for UV up to 500H. Though the cable is unnecessarily packaged like an iPhone – even though… it’s just a cable.
I understand what NETGEAR are trying to do. But, their product user experience is not nearly as polished as they’re trying to make it out to be.
In summary, the cable is expensive. Yet, it’s cheaper than buying a rubbish cable only to throw it away. I will attempt to alter my review if the charger fails.