My solar charger did not work until the batter got to (I think cannot remember) 30% and I brought the battery in charged it, then replaced it and the solar keeps the battery charged between 90-95% most of the time.
Hi neighbors! While there are limited troubleshooting steps to take when involving the solar panel, it’s important to be mindful of device and environmental variables.
If you are seeing a message in your device health in iOS that says “add a solar panel,” this is not an indicator of your Solar Panel failing to charge. This added feature is advertising the Solar Panel as an addition to your battery-powered devices. It’s best to observe the battery percentage throughout a sunny day to see if the battery level is changing.
For those that are noticing a battery draining with a Solar Panel connected, as seasons change and cold weather is more consistent, the charge life of a battery can differ. Check out our Community post about battery draining for tips and tricks on optimizing battery performance.
The best steps for troubleshooting your Solar Panel are as follows:
- Clean panel to remove any dirt, dust, or debris.
- Check the adapter is securely plugged into the device.
- Ensure there is no debris or damage to the adapter or port area.
- In most locations, winter means overcast. Please ensure your Solar Panel is receiving several hours of direct sunlight per day.
If these steps do not resolve your concerns, it would be best to reach out to our support team here for more in-depth troubleshooting.
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Thanks for confirming that the Ring 2 app ‘Solar Charger Status’ is just an advertising suggestion and not an actual status indicator. I was expecting it to indicate that the Solar Panel was installed or live after I installed my Solar Panel and was concerned when it hadn’t changed even in bright sunlight. I disconnected the Doorbell to test the Solar output and found it is delivering just over 5 volts which is standard USB voltage so I took that as proof that it was actualy doing something useful. Battery % eventually went up slightly confirming as much.
I just bought Video Doorbell 3 and it’s hardwired. App says it is hardwired and also says solar charger is connected (I dont have a solar charger, just hardwired).
My doorbell 3 did report Solar Charge Status as being connected, however is no longer does, the device claims to be hardwired, however the battery is not changing. I wonder if the app has been change to not reference the solar charger.
I’m having the same problem. I’m hardwired, and for months, my ring said it had a solar panel when it did not. It stopped charging, so I removed the device and reconnected. It started working again, but kept the annoying message of having a solar charger. I now notice the latest release, the solar message is gone, but it stopped charging again!!! I removed the device this morning and readded it, so time will tell. The hardwire appears to be working as the hardwire chime still rings when I push the button. I’m guessing it’s another software change that did more harm than good.
Did anyone answer this???
This site is stupid. Why are there kudos??? Shouldn’t it show replies or answers from Ring???
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I’m having the same issue with my charger I just installed for my Ring 2. I’m thinking it doesn’t work.
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I just got a solar charger and it is showing the same thing, anyway for it to show up
Do you have a phone number for support, can’t find one anywhere?
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I installed a solar charge on a Ring doorbell 3 on 8/27/20. The doorbell faces south, a perfect spot for solar. I charged the battery to 90%. Device health shows solar connected, power level stayed around 90%. Then it said 18%, and was put offline. I had to remove and recharge the battery today. I have a doorbell 2 facing north, no solar charger. I charged battery up to 100% on 8/27/20. The power level was 50%. So solar charger so far works worse than no solar charger.
I fully charged both batteries 100% today. I also installed a solar charger on the one facing north today. It says solar not connected. I will give it a week to show solar connected. Now I will see solar charger work on doorbell facing N. or S., or worse, stay tuned.
I have had the Ring 1 solar charger (micro-usb) since the end of December, and my Ring doorbell doesn’t show that it’s charging, the battery percentage drops daily, and the app itself says
Solar Charger Status
Add a Ring solar device to Extend Battery Life
How can I make the solar charger register in the app and charge the doorbell? I will return the charger if it doesn’t work, but I need to get it figured out ASAP before the 30 day window closes.
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Same, I have a solar charger but it says hardwired
I have the same issue, Doorbell 2 worked fine for a couple of years, then all of a sudden it stopped showing hardwired and now it shows battery and every about three weeks the battery is depleted. I called tech support and after spending about an hour and a half, resetting, taking pictures of the transformer, etc. The answer I received is that the doorbell 2 does not support hardwired configuration, even though the website advertising video doorbell 2 says it can be battery or hardwired configured. I was advised to upgrade to the video doorbell 3 which is the only model that supports hardwired configuration.
Also having this issue in 2022.
Same issue in Sept 2022 – hardwired but Ring 3 stopped recognizing the hardwire and instead says solar is connected when it’s not.
By the way, not sure why people with a nonworking solar charger keep posting here. This is not the thread for that.
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Same issue Nov 2022. Doorbell 2. Hardwired was working fine. Dont have a Solar charger. Hardwired stopped charging doorbell after 2 years, reset the doorbell & now says Solar Status connected (even though I dont have solar), and doorbell still isnt charging.
How many doorbells have they sold worldwide, yet they still cant fix a problem like this which people have been having for nearly 3 years? It’s appalling customer service.
Out of interest, do you use a resistor with your AC adapter? Asking because Ive just come off the phone to RING who said that a software update started blocking hardwired charging to doorbell 2 where the current wasnt regulated, ie where a resistor wasnt being used. But dont want to go and buy a resistor if it wont fix the problem. It doesnt explain the additional appearance of the incorrect solar status, but might explain the charging issue. Thanks
