Spotlight Cam Battery not charging with solar panel

Last week my Spotlight cam started to charge:dizzy_face::smiley:

This week it stopped charging, it’s been sunnier and warmer this week than last week.:angry:

Has anyone heard from Jennifer?

Found my answer about Jennifer the last time she responded to us…the customers

Jennifer_Ring

Community Manager
‎02-13-2020 10:51 AM

It’s been almost 3 weeks.

Any updates Jennifer?

Ring forgot about us?

I can’t make my solar spotlight cam charge properly. I am an older female living alone and I bought this so I wouldn’t have to be up on a ladder taking the battery in and out. What is the deal? What can you do to make this work? If this is a known issue why isn’t ring doing something to fix it?

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Forgive me if this does not fit on this group. We recently purchased the Spotlight Cam with solar panel, and two batteries. Installed it yesterday evening, but the solar panel may not be working. As you can see in the picture, it shows no indication of being installed or charging. Is this typical of the software or do I have an issue with Cam or Solar panel? Yes the panel is in full direct sunlight plus under a few inside lights and still no change. Temps are in the low 60s.

That line in device health means nothing. It’s ring’s brilliant idea to advertise. Try and get them to admit it. Just so lame.

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I just added my spotlight cams solar panel this weekend and it still shows the same message. My cams are new, only 3 months old. But that status in device health has always been there for me. The latest update that occured on Saturday was a new button when you first hit the … button. Just above the settings is a new button for Siren On. But it doesn’t appear that my battery is actually charging or show anything in the settings that shows I have a solar panel installed with either of my cameras

I recently got a solar panel for stick up cam battery and when pluged in the message goes away and shows connected. I tried it on other cams and still had the correct message. I can confirm it is charging. Dont know why some have the connect message and other dont.

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Fitted the latest generation battery stick up cam today which was supplied free of charge by Ring as my original cam of 4 years had stopped charging via the solar panel. I also installed the latest solar panel and pleased to say the cam appears to be charging. Interestingly in the App when the solar panel is connected to the cam it changes from battery to electrical socket as the power source, I was expecting it to say solar panel. Anyways when it’s charging via the solar panel the battery symbol changes to include a charging symbol inside the battery symbol. I’m in the UK with plenty of cloud cover and no direct sun today and appears to be charging ok.

Great feature request, how are we coming on this one Ring? Have this problem myself.

I think the new firmware is culprit. The solar panel is still charging the cam but the spotlight cam is used energy more than its supply from the solar panel.

Mine says…

Power Source = Battery

Battery Level = 91% (and it is charging via the solar panel)

Solar Panel Status = Add a Ring solar panel to Extend Battery Life

So power is getting through from the solar panel to the USB port on the camera, but the data connection between the panel and the cam is broken. The cable itself is built into the solar panel, so replacing that to troubleshoot isn’t an option, and there’s no debug logging in the Ring app to take this any further. :angry:

Same issue with my spotlight cam, really not acceptable that you pay so much for these + paying for monitoring and they don’t work. Should be a recall or a replacement to something that does work. Seems a regression in your firmware should not be too difficult to find.

Success story. Ring decided to send me two replacement Stickup cams to replace the two Classic Stickup cams I had (circa 2016). Bought 2 new solar panels (old connections are different). They are online and charging very well. Jumped from less than 20% in both to 40-50% in two days. Thanks you, Ring.

I want to say something else about Ring Community Support. I installed the new devices and was to send back the old ones soon. I asked them to resend the instrucitons as I had misplaced them. Tosay, our Governor issued a Stay in Place staewide order due to COVID-19. I asked the Ring support persons to please send the instrucitons asap so we could get the packages mailed before the 5:00 pm Monday (tomorrow) enforcememt date for the Order. They did so and then extended the return date so there is no need to rush to get it out. I’m 68 years young and I can’t tell you how much I appreciate that kind of aciton. Thanks so much, for added security protection and for being a good neighbor with a helping hand. Bravo, Ring!

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Brand new solar panel, brand new camera. Solar panel puts out 5V, but camera will not detect.

By brand new, I mean right from the box. See attached picture.

Ring is sending a new camera, hopefully it works.

I have the same problem. Just bought solar panel in last month, it’s plugged in. The app tells me to plug in a solar panel to extend battery life. The solar panel Is not charging battery at all.

After installing a new stick up cam and solar panel a few weeks ago it’s been charging fine, stays at 99/100% battery charge constantly. I don’t however get the solar panel option in the App, just say power source is electrical socket.

My solar panel has stopped charging my stick up camera. Hasn’t charged for 3-4 months now. Once a week I have to take down the camera and charge it, which is a huge pain. The solar panel is in direct sunlight, there is no dirt or debris on the panel, and the cord is plugged into the camera correctly. I believe the solar panel has simply gone bad. Does ring replace the solar panel?

Just installed a solar panel on my spotlight cam. The charge was at 90% when I connected the panel. Two days later, full sunlight, still at 90%. Tonight, I turned on the light to see the yard on the Ring app. After turning the light and cam on and then off, the charge level went to 100%.

I’ve had my spotlight cam for a few years always charge with the solar panel with no issues. Lately it has not been charging. I’ve reset it and swapped the battery location. I’ve also cleaned the solar panel and made sure there was connection. Any other ideas?

Same problem here. Initially the solar panel kept both batteries fullly charged. (They get several hours a day in Florida.) Now only one battery is receiving charging from solar panel.