Spotlight Cam Battery not charging with solar panel

Try unplugging the solar panel and see if it changes to connected.

Good eye Oxstang! So it would not be a strech to say, the cam thinks to try to charge when not connected to a panel and to display an ad when actually connected to a panel and not charge.

Best explanation I’ve seen all month.

Sounds like an easy fix, I guess we have angered Ring (wish my Rings worked as well as this software, didn’t let me use the word “pi**ed”) and they will wait to send update.

Makes good sense. I keep coming back to one thought. Why would Ring add a field with the word “status” in it and I’m suppose to believe it’s just there as an ad.

Some ones got some splainin’ to do.

Just to add my voice to this issue as well. My panel has been working great for months and now my batteries need to be charged. Cleaned the panel off and checked the connections and no luck. From all the other similar issues in here it appears to be something ring did. Hopefully they fix it soon.

I am having the exact same issue. I have an extra solar panel that is new and it still isnt working. What gives? Im very frustrated.

If I were a betting man, I’d say that “what gives” will sooner or later be a class action lawsuit by someone.

I did that. Didnt work

Feels like Ring has abandoned its support for the older gen cams and is now focused on the newer cheaper Stick Up cams. Was looking at the two 3rd gen Stickup cams and looks like no way they would work with the current solar panels. Not saying Ring won’t fix this issue, just doesn’t look like it is on their priority list. Hotest topic on the Security Cams forum and only weigh in was canned bot answers.

Class action will not help any of us, unless you will be happy with getting pennies on the dollar of your “security camera” investment.

Agree that class action won’t help us, but unless something gets done soon I would bet it is in the future. When customers feel ignored lawyers are always ready to step in and make a fee.

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I will add that I deleted the device and readded it. It still says solar charger connected, but at least it started charging from the hardwire again.

@Marley_Ring wrote:

We take your feedback very seriously, neighbors, and appreciate you all taking the time to share your experience. As there are only a few troubleshooting steps that can be done with the solar panel, it’s important to also consider device and environmental variables.

If your concern comes from seeing “add a solar panel” in the Ring app device health on IOS, this is not an indicator of your Solar Panel failing to charge. This is merely advertising the Solar Panel as a helpful tip to neighbors with battery-powered devices.

For those who are noticing battery draining with a Solar Panel connected, do keep in mind, as seasons change and cold weather is more consistent, the charge life of a battery can differ. Check out our Community 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.

Of course, if these steps do not resolve your concerns, it would be best to reach out to our support team, at 800-656-1918, for more in-depth troubleshooting.

Marley,

While I can understand what you’re trying to explain, when using the troubleshooting points, they don’t “ring” true. I’ve had a hardwired floodlight cam (obviously no issues) and four of the 1st gen stick up cams all with solar panels. Those too also are working perfectly fine, still charging, etc, to this day. I live in norther WA state, so “direct sunlight” isn’t terribly common here, yet those stick up cams are charging. It’s simply the spotlight cam and its solar panel. Like soooooooooo many others, my spotlight cam won’t charge, either. And it probably gets the most exposure to “sunlight” than the other four I have.

12 pages of comments in this thread can’t be a coincidence. We can’t see the firmware version or even the last push date.

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I deleted and reinstalled it. Still nothing.

Has anyone tried the aftermarket power cord for the camera to see if it will work? I saw them on Amazon. I realize the AC cord looks like it’s more for indoors, but we have other outdoor electronics plugged into marine boxes that have worked amazingly for a few years with no problems in the rain.

Regardless, thinking my solar panel is getting returned.

Keep emailing them help@ring.com

I’m not going away.

I have the same issue and came here looking for answers. I also performed all of the troubleshooting tips provided in this thread with no success.

Would anyone from Ring chime in and provide an update to this issue?

Same here. I installed solar panel for my spotlight cam this weekend. It was 67 degrees and sunny in NY for 2 days this weekend. No charge.

Hope to climb ladder with a multimeter this weekend to see if the panel is outputting 5V.

+1 for the useless “Solar Panel Status” in the app.

I’ve had the solar panels on all my spotlight cams for over 6 months without issue. After the most recent update on the app, I noticed a “solar panel status” notice under the battery level area in the device health section of the app… And it says to “add a Ring solar panel to extend battery life”… I HAVE RING SOLAR PANELS ON ALL OF THEM… And now, all of a sudden, the solar panels are not keeping ANY of my batteries charged… Coincidence??? I don’t think so… I think the newest update caused issues… It needs to be fixed ASAP!!! I had no issues before this most recent update… now, nothing but issues!

Sorry to hear about this concern persisting neighbors! As previously mentioned, there are several steps you can take to optimize solar panel and battery operation. Hours of direct sunlight, a clean panel, and a secure adapter connection are the best first things to check. Usage is also a factor to consider in high traffic areas or if events have increased.

As there are many of you sharing these concerns and feedback on steps taken, we’ve shared this with our team for who is investigating this further as we speak. I appreciate your patience thus far on the matter, and recommend reaching out to our support team for further troubleshooting, if you have not already. We will certainly keep the Community updated with any information received.

Panels have all been checked/cleaned (first thing that was done)… cables have all been checked and rechecked (disconnected and reconnected), We are in sunny Southwest Florida with no trees near the panels, panels on roof of house facing the sky without any shaddow coverage except for the occasional cloud which we haven’t gotten much of lately as this is not rainy season (solar panels worked perfectly all through rainy season btw) … This only started happening after the most recent update to the app… Prior to the update, everything was working great! I wish Ring would just go back to the previous version of the app… Worked much better. There is no other reason that ALL 4 of my solar panels would just suddenly stop keeping all 4 of my spotlight cam batteries charged… Simultaneously… The issue is definitely the newest app update…

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@sherbear97124 wrote:

Has anyone tried the aftermarket power cord for the camera to see if it will work? I saw them on Amazon. I realize the AC cord looks like it’s more for indoors, but we have other outdoor electronics plugged into marine boxes that have worked amazingly for a few years with no problems in the rain.

Regardless, thinking my solar panel is getting returned.

Yes, that does work (for now, Ring could break that function as easy as they did the solar panels) , here is a screen shot of a Spotlight Cam I have connected to an external power supply.

Spotlight Cam, one battery, one AC adapter power supple, NO solar panel. The AC plug has been keeping the battery at 100% for several months.

This cam is plugged into power simply because the outlet was there (it’s in our dog kennal). My four other cams are no where near outlets. If I have to run power outlets to each one, I would rather just get a REAL security cam and have the power and signal ran.

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