Frustrated today, dealing with a low-cost security system. The garage camera, purposely set up high so it can’t be stolen or blocked, needed a battery change.

This requires the use of my 32 foot extension ladder, a challenge to drag from the back yard fence to the driveway.

Of course, the battery change wouldn’t be needed if the solar charger, sold to me by the same company, actually kept the battery charged as they claim it will.

Knowing that the solar charger only delays inevitable, I purchased a second battery for those times when it goes dead. This way, one ladder event is required about every two months. If you don’t have a battery charged up, ready to go, you have to wait about sixteen hours to fully charge the battery, then climb back up and install it. So, you have to take the ladder down, re-stow it, and drag it back out once the battery is charged.

I’m all set, I think. I have a second battery. It is fully charged. I am already hot and sweaty after a 5K jog and mowing the yard. Drag the ladder out, pull the camera off its magnetic base, and swap the battery.


The app, so very convenient to use, shares that the camera has a fully charged battery. But, for whatever reason, there is no image from the camera.

I decide to remove the battery, remove the camera from the system, and reattach the camera to the system. Not gonna happen. The base station can’t add the camera.

Call the support line. The fellow, very nice, asks what charging device I used to charge the battery. I relate that the exact charging device I used is not a detail I choose to remember. He allows that the camera battery must be charged by a 5 vDC 7.5 W charger, at least. And, that, mysteriously, to me, the app can report that the battery is fully charged when it is in fact NOT.

I inquire…”so, you’re telling me that I must charge the battery with a certain power level, but you didn’t sell me that charging device with the camera or battery, and furthermore, that my app will lie to me and state that the battery is useful when in fact it is not?”

“Yes,” he related. “It is our number one complaint with the outdoor camera.”

So, he is sending me a new camera, a new battery, and a new charger.

This will make the third camera and the third battery the company has supplied me.

I think I need to eliminate my ongoing disappointments with this company. Although the competition may be 50% higher in monthly cost ($45 vs. $30), I am so very tired of the ongoing nonsense with this system.

1. The outdoor keypad for the smart lock will not work the lock, on its first keypad operation. You must depresss the code about three times.
2. Unlocking the door with the code does not turn off the system, in a sufficiently short time to avoid setting off the alarm upon opening the door.
3. The system can lose connection to a WiFi router only 12 feet away.
4. The response monitoring company cannot be accessed quickly to STOP a response, upon some inadvertent alarm.
5. The fire smoke sensor can just go off (yes at 3 am) with no fire or smoke. And, you will get a response from your local fire department even if you cancel it via the response monitoring company.

I will be inquiring of ADT this week. Carefully.

Please tell us what company to avoid.

quote:

Originally posted by V-Tail:
Please tell us what company to avoid.

Yes, please do.

I've got 7 Reolink cameras up, had them for years, 2 on solar power and no problems whatsoever.

I would like to know who to avoid in the future, though.

Relocate the battery and run wires to the panel.

I used to do this for security panel installs where the panel was either very inaccessible or locked away (to prevent disabling or tampering), such as yours.

Thinking that if you were buying a kit that someone made in their spare time,

I would be better for them to sell an 'electronic subassembly' instead of a completed item.

That is not the case here, so I have no idea.

The company claims to be safe.

quote:

Originally posted by 4MUL8R:

The company claims to be safe.

Complex?

Safelite

Naw, Safeauto

Maybe Snapsafe

SimpliSafe?

quote:

Originally posted by V-Tail:
Please tell us what company to avoid.

When you use consumer-oriented products these type of caveats will exist.
IP POE cams ~ you don't have these issues as they (Pros) think these things out.
.02

quote:

Originally posted by smschulz:

When you use consumer-oriented products these type of caveats will exist.

Seriously? I understand there's a difference between consumer, prosumer and pro level products, but it's OK for a consumer product to report to the app that the battery is fully charged when it's not charged at all?

You really simply aren't safe at all!

quote:

but it's OK for a consumer product to report to the app that the battery is fully charged when it's not charged at all?

No that isn't OK at all ... but IMO, using a battery operated wireless camera for anything other than amusement is not practical.

We're close to on the same page. I'm OK with wireless in some applications, but not for serious, really-need-this-video needs. And certainly not anything pro/ commercial.

BTW, the outdoor camera does not work anymore, even with two fully-charged batteries. I think I will simply mount the replacement camera down low, where I can access it. I will go up one more time with the ladder, pull the solar charger and magnetic mount, and put these into a tree in the front yard. We’ll see if the new camera, new battery, and new placement will keep things simply safe.

wired power source for outdoor cameras, period. Last thing I need is having to constantly monitor the battery status of a device, or have the battery fail at critical moments, which they will.

Received new camera and new wired power supply kit with LONG power cable and proper wattage. Also a far superior mounting device...obviously redesigned. No charge. Overnight delivery. Camera booted up instantly, attached to the WiFI IoT network, and has great image quality. For now, I mounted it on the solar charger, way up high. When it cools off, I'll run it via the power cable and reposition the camera close to the power outlet.

It is an ongoing challenge to keep this system running so I am simply safe. But, it is a responsive company, making hardware and software improvements, and charging me very little for my service.