The battery life of solar powered security, or battery-powered cameras varies, and depends mainly on how it is used and set up. Prior to installing, you must ensure that your camera’s battery is fully charged from mains power, you cannot rely solely on solar power to get it to that point.
Both types of security cameras operate in standby mode, meaning they do not consume battery power until they are activated. This means, every time your camera is motion activated and/or records something, the battery is being used.
Here are some Battery Saving Tips we have for you!
Install and point your cameras only at important areas. E.g. if your camera is facing a very busy road or sidewalk, the cameras motion detection activates each time anyone passes by. This will drain the battery, we recommend to reposition the camera or adjust the field of view away from high-traffic areas, focusing only on what’s important.
It is very important to configure the Motion Detection, this will impact how frequently the camera is triggered. To conserve battery power you can adjust your camera’s motion detection sensitivity settings to Low.
Active time refers to the video clip duration once motion is detected. For the Ubox App you can set your camera to record for 15 seconds, 30 seconds, 60 seconds or Always. The shorter the active time, the less it will consume the battery. It is unwise to set it as “Always” because this will keep your camera in recording mode or recording continuously. Which will mean the battery runs out very quickly, which may also mean for those with solar power charging, the panels can’t maintain the battery at a usable level.
If you are using a Wi-Fi battery-operated camera, please make sure to install the camera where you have adequate Wi-Fi coverage. Do not place your cameras too far from your Wi-Fi router, as the further it is away from your router, the faster the battery will drain. Also, if you have an unreliable Wi-Fi connection, your camera has to look for a signal more often, again draining the battery faster too.
If you are using a 4G battery-operated camera please make sure to install the camera in a location with at least three bars of LTE signal strength.
Install your solar panel in an area where you get the maximum sunlight exposure to sufficiently charge your cameras battery daily. If you are installing in a shady area this will limit the amount of sunlight that your solar powered camera receives and is not recommended. Solar panel performs best under direct sunlight.
After installing a solar-powered security camera, it is a good practice to check the remaining battery life at night so you have an idea on how long the camera will run when sunlight isn't available. When the battery drops below 20% you should recharge it with mains power and consider battery tips above
