great job! normally, i dont leave comments but the fact that you took the time to break down the numbers for both and did it in a worst-case scenario was great. i was impressed. great job man. keep up the awesome videos.
Do you need constant recordings made ? Is motion activated not good enough ? I feel most of it would be enough but if not a more tebust system would be warranted anyway
Good info! Honestly though if you need these devices to be recording nearly non-stop you may want to pursue plugging into a normal outlet and skip the solar. That said, most consumers probably don’t need always on video recording making both panels a compelling alternative to battery only
I have had these devices for years now, really if you require constant non stop recording these devices are not for you. Would be better off with traditional wired cameras and a DVR. That all said I put one of my stickup cams in my shed and it works perfectly just no power. I am going to get the small solar panel…
I've bought the set as well and my learning is that you have to use the battery setup even when you wire it with the Solar panel. If you choose the wired setup your story is corrrect.and the battery runs out very quickly. However when using the battry setup it loses only 1 to 3 % during the night and with only a little bit of sun it will load the battery back to 100% in just 1/2 hour meaning that only 1/2 hour after sunset the battery is filly loaded again! And even in the heavest recording setup this is the case. So you're story is partly correct and only when using the wrong battery setup, So wired instead og battery. For me the smal solar panel works like a charme using the battery setup mode, conitnue recording sensitivity and taking a picture every 3 minutes (the 30 Sec option is only available for wired setup)
Thank you for taking the time to post this. This confirms that for motion detection activated recording in an area without a lot of activity that the small solar panel should have no problem keeping it charged. This begs the question, do they have a version of the solar panel that will work in Utqiaġvik, Alaska in December? =-). Sub and Like added!
No problem! If there is sunlight and without much activity even the small one is more than enough. I don't know if they have anything for Northern Alaska LOL! Appreciate it!
Actually I did connect both panels. It didn’t change the voltage (around 5.7 volts) but I think it will increase the wattage a little. I’m wondering if the two panels could be wired in series instead of parallel, would that double the voltage?
Great Video. Thank you. I was wondering about the plug from the solar panel. In the manual they mention two little screws to fix the cable in the camera. But the plug has no fixture to adapt the cable additionally with screws to fix them. As i can see in your video it don´t seem that the cables from the two panels have that two. Maybe for the current ones it is not necessary anymore to attach the cable from the solar panel additionally with screws? So plug in in the camera and that´s it. Am i right?
Just picked up a pair of the Wasserstein solar panels to hook up to spotlight cams as well as additional batteries. Hopefully it keeps them going for a while
Not sure I understand. Solar panel comes with small screws and that plastic mount to screw into the wall. The solar panel then slides and snaps into that plastic mount. From there you just plugin the solar power adapter to the camera.
Only the newer solar panels will have that specific cable with the bracket mounting system that directly attaches to the back of the Ring spotlight cam. I too have the older cable without the bracket so I gave Ring a call and they’re sending me the new cable with the bracket attached.
I bought a camera with solar panel included, how do I know if the solar panel is working? Since the second day the battery has 98%. And with the panel in the middle of summer, 12 hours of sun. Ring
If you check the settings of the ring camera, you just click on the battery and it should say plugged in or outlet or something along those lines next to "power source" if it says "battery" during the day, it's not charging. But based on your percentage I would assume it's working.
Thanks for the video, but why does the solar panel drain so much battery at night if it is not being used? I've noticed on my camera that the panel will drain the battery by over 10% even if it is not recording. Is this a problem with the panel? Thanks
@@landpet My power mode is set to optimal battery life, and there are virtually zero notifications. So there is no way it can loose over 10% in one night. I have confirmed this by leaving the camera unplugged and it will stay on 100% under the same settings for more than a week. Its obvious that the solar panel is draining and battery from the camera
It's kinda sounding like overall the smaller Solar Panel is more dependable, meaning it will actually fully charge the device, whereas the larger one will only go 25%, which seems weird. Is it possible to use two of the smaller solar panels to charge one device? I don't like the idea of recording every 15 minutes because you may miss something important.
I have the same camera shown here, I’m getting 2/3 weeks with the battery… if I install either panels will it give me more days than 2/3 weeks? That’s my concern I don’t want to change batteries alll the time…to hard wired the camera will be to much work…do think I’ll get more days?
If you can point the larger panel to the sun (I live in a sunny area), you will probably get away with never charging the batteries since yours lasts 2 to 3 weeks without it.
I’d imagine during the winter months, in the NE I’d need the larger panel unless I set it to record only when motion is detected, instead of every (insert number) minutes, similar to the doorbell.
I've tried both with plenty of sun and no luck. It seems like one needs a bigger one. I've added the dc charger that plugs to the camera and battery still runs low. I think since amazon bought out ruling its went to not so good
Good comparisons. I have to test which one works for me. Do they have the same Mount? I want to try the regular one first to see if it will last and don’t want to have to drill multiple holes
I can't remember if it's the same hole size anymore. I just have the large one as of now. If your battery lasts for weeks, then I would think the small one would be fine. If your battery only lasts a few days, I would probably opt for the larger one.
Sometimes lol, depends on how cloudy it is. Typically it doesn't do well on cloudy days. If it does get cloudy more commonly in your area, I would opt for the super solar panel since you would typically get more power out of that compared to the regular one.
My neighbor's system drives me nuts. He has it set so that the spotlight comes on every time a car goes down the street on either side of the road. This is ridiculous. He needs to set the perimeter to his yard only.
Thanks a lot for the video. When I have my solar panel connected and the cam switches to „wired mode“, ist drains my battery within one day. Should I keep the camera on battery-mode? Otherwise, do you know if I can add a wired power connection to the StickUpCam Battery and do you have any recommendation?
Np, Good question. My stickup cam is in battery mode. During the day it recognizes the solar panel and the "Power Source" goes to "Power Outlet". In order for the solar panel to work properly, it needs to be in "battery mode". I would try that first before switching a wired power connection. If that doesn't work, the official power supply is here: amzn.to/2XJNKbG But I think switching to "battery mode" will solve your issue.
@@landpet Thanks a lot for this sentence “In order for the solar panel to work properly, it needs to be in "battery mode". ”, I've been struggling with the 2 power modes settings.
Can the solar panel also connect to the Ring Door Bell 3? I thought about getting the solar mount for it but my patio has a roof and sunlight barely gets that deep.
I don't think so, unless it has that power plug. I don't have the Doorbell 3 to try it out though. Amazon makes this specifically for the Doorbell: amzn.to/3jrUoet Granted it doesn't have the best ratings.
generates a bit less now but it depends how much traffic you get, I use those now moving forward since I"m not in a high traffic area anymore. Batteries last easily now.
So if I need to record frequently during the day and not record much at night because of reduced activity, would the super solar panel suffice? I live in a sunny area also
Or, by the power cord and has it connected via electric....and install the power cord yourself or have someone install it (i believe you'l have to drill a hole into the house to feed the cord inside, and then plug the cord into a wall socket- As 1 option)
❗️👉Great Content for the solar panels- very help descriptions, couldn’t find any information with the difference between ring panel & the other also your precise description on how to utilize the batteries while the solar panels is charging.
How long does the ring camera need to be on to accrue $100 in electricity? I can see the solar option being great if you can't get power to the ring camera.
I think that would take a very long time to accrue since the camera itself doesn't use much power. More of the point is that it's a wireless setup, so it's easy to set it up pretty much anywhere (so as long as there is a WiFi connection in the vicinity) and maintenance free.
Great video and information. Does having a 2nd battery installed in the Stick Up Cam allow you to get by with the smaller solar panel as opposed to the Super one?
Thanks! Excellent question. The stick up cam actually only supports 1 battery unlike the spotlight cam. Even if it did have 2, it would eventually run out if you were recording so frequently. In my opinion, if you're not pointing this to the street or don't have constant movement day and night, then even the small one will do. If you have decent amount of movement both day and night, I would opt for the bigger one.
I know it says that on the box but it works fine with the Stick Up Cam. I know because I've been using it for a long time. They work fine for the stick up cam.
Yes, hardwired is always preferred but it's easier to have a solar solution since you don't need to have any existing power wires to put up a camera practically anywhere.
Why are you recording every 30 seconds??? Way to much recording. Just put it on people mode motion setting and it will only record when it detects a person in motion and your battery will stay 100%. If your doing that much recording you need a powered plug in cam.
Even with that, if it’s enabled constantly, it would still run out, granted it would last a few days longer. But I just reduced the sensitivity and it’s fine
Trying to work you point is, if you want to set the camera to record every min , it’s plain obvious you need a wired camera, just set it on the people only setting and it will last as it’s designed to do, this is a pointless video
I wanted to see the limitations of the solar panel. I originally thought it could handle almost constant recording but that doesn't seem to be the case. I also point out the differences between the larger and smaller solar panels and what they maxed out at.
It's refreshing to see a comparison that actually outlines the data that truly matters. Masterfully done, Sir.
Thanks
great job! normally, i dont leave comments but the fact that you took the time to break down the numbers for both and did it in a worst-case scenario was great. i was impressed. great job man. keep up the awesome videos.
Thanks! I thought worst case scenario would be ideal since the whole point of solar panels would be to avoid charging completely.
If only the reps at Ring could provide this kind of information! Great Job! Thanks
No problem!
Bombbbb video !! One of the best detailed videos on TH-cam that answered all my questions!! 👍🏻 thanks
Awesome! Thank you!
Another option for those who have the spotlight camera is to have both batteries. But thank you soooo much for giving a genuine review
It helped me alot
You're welcome!
I have two batteries and swap them.
Do you need constant recordings made ? Is motion activated not good enough ? I feel most of it would be enough but if not a more tebust system would be warranted anyway
This super panel is excellent. Works well for me. No complain. 6 stars.
Yup it works great
Good info! Honestly though if you need these devices to be recording nearly non-stop you may want to pursue plugging into a normal outlet and skip the solar. That said, most consumers probably don’t need always on video recording making both panels a compelling alternative to battery only
Thanks and good point! I was just very curious to know if these solar panels can keep up with almost full time recording and I found my answer.
I have had these devices for years now, really if you require constant non stop recording these devices are not for you. Would be better off with traditional wired cameras and a DVR.
That all said I put one of my stickup cams in my shed and it works perfectly just no power. I am going to get the small solar panel…
Thanks for this big dog. There’s not much information on these solar panels at all, besides this video
No problem, glad it was useful
Oh oh. I only got the standard solar panel. So I have to take out the batteries and charge separately every few days?
Only if your camera is constantly recording or records very frequently. Other than that you should be ok
I've bought the set as well and my learning is that you have to use the battery setup even when you wire it with the Solar panel. If you choose the wired setup your story is corrrect.and the battery runs out very quickly. However when using the battry setup it loses only 1 to 3 % during the night and with only a little bit of sun it will load the battery back to 100% in just 1/2 hour meaning that only 1/2 hour after sunset the battery is filly loaded again! And even in the heavest recording setup this is the case.
So you're story is partly correct and only when using the wrong battery setup, So wired instead og battery.
For me the smal solar panel works like a charme using the battery setup mode, conitnue recording sensitivity and taking a picture every 3 minutes (the 30 Sec option is only available for wired setup)
Good to know, thanks
Thank you for taking the time to post this. This confirms that for motion detection activated recording in an area without a lot of activity that the small solar panel should have no problem keeping it charged. This begs the question, do they have a version of the solar panel that will work in Utqiaġvik, Alaska in December? =-). Sub and Like added!
No problem! If there is sunlight and without much activity even the small one is more than enough. I don't know if they have anything for Northern Alaska LOL! Appreciate it!
Great info. But if you want full function of camera why not get a wired one?
Thanks, didn't want to run a power wire.
The wire one is more expensive, but definitely more accurate, 24/7 100%
Because I don’t have power in my outdoor shed.
I have an extra one of the smaller solar panels. Would it help if I connected both to my Ring doorbell? Thanks
I don't think you can connect more than one to one ring device
Actually I did connect both panels. It didn’t change the voltage (around 5.7 volts) but I think it will increase the wattage a little. I’m wondering if the two panels could be wired in series instead of parallel, would that double the voltage?
Great Video. Thank you. I was wondering about the plug from the solar panel. In the manual they mention two little screws to fix the cable in the camera. But the plug has no fixture to adapt the cable additionally with screws to fix them. As i can see in your video it don´t seem that the cables from the two panels have that two. Maybe for the current ones it is not necessary anymore to attach the cable from the solar panel additionally with screws? So plug in in the camera and that´s it. Am i right?
Yes that seems to be the old one. new one is a single plug with no screws.
Just picked up a pair of the Wasserstein solar panels to hook up to spotlight cams as well as additional batteries. Hopefully it keeps them going for a while
How good are those? 2 for the price of one ring panel sounds great but not seeing much feedback on them.
Seems like the solar panel doesn't have the small screws and adapter to hold the connector to the camera? The instructions still show it too.
Not sure I understand. Solar panel comes with small screws and that plastic mount to screw into the wall. The solar panel then slides and snaps into that plastic mount. From there you just plugin the solar power adapter to the camera.
Only the newer solar panels will have that specific cable with the bracket mounting system that directly attaches to the back of the Ring spotlight cam. I too have the older cable without the bracket so I gave Ring a call and they’re sending me the new cable with the bracket attached.
I bought a camera with solar panel included, how do I know if the solar panel is working? Since the second day the battery has 98%. And with the panel in the middle of summer, 12 hours of sun. Ring
If you check the settings of the ring camera, you just click on the battery and it should say plugged in or outlet or something along those lines next to "power source" if it says "battery" during the day, it's not charging. But based on your percentage I would assume it's working.
Great detail. Very helpful
Thanks
Very helpful and detailed review. Thank you.
Glad it was helpful!
Great info...thanks for taking the time.
Thank you so very much for the everyday people information. I was wondering what the difference between the two panels.
No problem, I had the same question so I thought it would be useful
Thanks for the video, but why does the solar panel drain so much battery at night if it is not being used?
I've noticed on my camera that the panel will drain the battery by over 10% even if it is not recording.
Is this a problem with the panel?
Thanks
Not necessarily, it's most likely the motion settings, the camera is always checking whether to record or not.
@@landpet My power mode is set to optimal battery life, and there are virtually zero notifications. So there is no way it can loose over 10% in one night.
I have confirmed this by leaving the camera unplugged and it will stay on 100% under the same settings for more than a week.
Its obvious that the solar panel is draining and battery from the camera
Hmmm that's interesting. Never seen that before.
It's kinda sounding like overall the smaller Solar Panel is more dependable, meaning it will actually fully charge the device, whereas the larger one will only go 25%, which seems weird. Is it possible to use two of the smaller solar panels to charge one device? I don't like the idea of recording every 15 minutes because you may miss something important.
The bigger one charges more throughout the day compared to the smaller one. You cannot use two smaller ones on a single camera.
I have the same camera shown here, I’m getting 2/3 weeks with the battery… if I install either panels will it give me more days than 2/3 weeks? That’s my concern I don’t want to change batteries alll the time…to hard wired the camera will be to much work…do think I’ll get more days?
If you can point the larger panel to the sun (I live in a sunny area), you will probably get away with never charging the batteries since yours lasts 2 to 3 weeks without it.
I’d imagine during the winter months, in the NE I’d need the larger panel unless I set it to record only when motion is detected, instead of every (insert number) minutes, similar to the doorbell.
Yup larger one is the safer bet
Awesome review thank you
Thanks for watching!
can you join a second solar panel? Does it pay to have two batteries?
Only one solar panel per camera. You only need 2 batteries if you don’t get much sun and there’s a lot of movement.
I've tried both with plenty of sun and no luck. It seems like one needs a bigger one. I've added the dc charger that plugs to the camera and battery still runs low. I think since amazon bought out ruling its went to not so good
hmmmm, mine has been fine, I do have to wipe the solar panel down every now and then but it's been fine as long as it's not recording every minute.
I have the smaller panel and am very happy with it.
Yup they're both great, just really depends on an individuals needs. Thanks for your input.
Very useful info!! Thank your for testing and making the video!
You're welcome!
Good comparisons. I have to test which one works for me. Do they have the same Mount? I want to try the regular one first to see if it will last and don’t want to have to drill multiple holes
I can't remember if it's the same hole size anymore. I just have the large one as of now. If your battery lasts for weeks, then I would think the small one would be fine. If your battery only lasts a few days, I would probably opt for the larger one.
Thank you for the video. This is very helpful.
Glad it was helpful!
Does it charge on a cloudy day?
Sometimes lol, depends on how cloudy it is. Typically it doesn't do well on cloudy days. If it does get cloudy more commonly in your area, I would opt for the super solar panel since you would typically get more power out of that compared to the regular one.
Really informative. I live in non-sunny are of the pacific northwest and am thinking about getting the Super Solar. Thank you.
You're welcome! Yeah I would go with the Super Solar as well.
very helpfull, thank you!
My neighbor's system drives me nuts. He has it set so that the spotlight comes on every time a car goes down the street on either side of the road. This is ridiculous. He needs to set the perimeter to his yard only.
How the solor panel cable looks like?
Just like a regular power plug (a circle plug) for it, it doesn’t have any screws on it, that’s the older version.
Thanks a lot for the video. When I have my solar panel connected and the cam switches to „wired mode“, ist drains my battery within one day. Should I keep the camera on battery-mode?
Otherwise, do you know if I can add a wired power connection to the StickUpCam Battery and do you have any recommendation?
Np, Good question. My stickup cam is in battery mode. During the day it recognizes the solar panel and the "Power Source" goes to "Power Outlet". In order for the solar panel to work properly, it needs to be in "battery mode". I would try that first before switching a wired power connection. If that doesn't work, the official power supply is here: amzn.to/2XJNKbG But I think switching to "battery mode" will solve your issue.
landpet Thanks a lot for your answer. I will try this. The wired-mode has some interesting features. That’s why I switched to it.
@@AndreasGaul No problem! Yup, as you mentioned wired mode does have more features but at the cost of drawing more power.
@@landpet Thanks a lot for this sentence “In order for the solar panel to work properly, it needs to be in "battery mode". ”, I've been struggling with the 2 power modes settings.
@@canygmail2631 you're welcome!
Just bought two smaller ones. Had them on sale.
Nice!
Very helpful. Thanks for sharing your findings
Glad it helped!
Great review. I
Thanks
Can the solar panel also connect to the Ring Door Bell 3? I thought about getting the solar mount for it but my patio has a roof and sunlight barely gets that deep.
I don't think so, unless it has that power plug. I don't have the Doorbell 3 to try it out though. Amazon makes this specifically for the Doorbell: amzn.to/3jrUoet Granted it doesn't have the best ratings.
What about the 4w panel?
generates a bit less now but it depends how much traffic you get, I use those now moving forward since I"m not in a high traffic area anymore. Batteries last easily now.
@@landpet just realized ring panels only work for cameras. No way to hook up to battery video doorbell
So if I need to record frequently during the day and not record much at night because of reduced activity, would the super solar panel suffice? I live in a sunny area also
As long as there's not much activity at night, the super solar panel should be fine.
Or, by the power cord and has it connected via electric....and install the power cord yourself or have someone install it (i believe you'l have to drill a hole into the house to feed the cord inside, and then plug the cord into a wall socket- As 1 option)
❗️👉Great Content for the solar panels- very help descriptions, couldn’t find any information with the difference between ring panel & the other also your precise description on how to utilize the batteries while the solar panels is charging.
Thanks
How long does the ring camera need to be on to accrue $100 in electricity? I can see the solar option being great if you can't get power to the ring camera.
I think that would take a very long time to accrue since the camera itself doesn't use much power. More of the point is that it's a wireless setup, so it's easy to set it up pretty much anywhere (so as long as there is a WiFi connection in the vicinity) and maintenance free.
Can it be split and support two devices
I don’t believe so
@@landpet 😕
Great video and information. Does having a 2nd battery installed in the Stick Up Cam allow you to get by with the smaller solar panel as opposed to the Super one?
Thanks!
Excellent question. The stick up cam actually only supports 1 battery unlike the spotlight cam. Even if it did have 2, it would eventually run out if you were recording so frequently. In my opinion, if you're not pointing this to the street or don't have constant movement day and night, then even the small one will do. If you have decent amount of movement both day and night, I would opt for the bigger one.
@@landpet for some reason I was thinking of my Spotlight Cams when I asked the question. Sorry for the mixup!
@@achogyoji no worries, I imagine it will last less with the spotlight since it also has lights again with frequent recordings.
Well explained
Thanks!
Great video. Subscribed.
Thanks for the sub!
Will one super solar panel work for all six of my cameras equally? Or I'd have to purchase a solar panel per camera?
Solar panel per camera
Ring Spotlight Cam Battery
I know it says that on the box but it works fine with the Stick Up Cam. I know because I've been using it for a long time. They work fine for the stick up cam.
do the panels have internal voltage regulators ?
I'm not entirely sure but I don't believe so. I think the battery has it's own safety system to prevent overcharge.
@@landpet is the center pin the positive on the harness?
@@cueballsi typically the center is the positive and around it (the cylinder) is the ground.
I thought the Eufy cam had a rechargeable battery that lasted several months. I think harwire is the best as YMMV.
Yes, hardwired is always preferred but it's easier to have a solar solution since you don't need to have any existing power wires to put up a camera practically anywhere.
GREAT VIDEO!!! It was very informative. Thank you very much
You’re welcome!
Nice review. Thank you
No problem!
And thanks for this video, very useful 👍🏾
No problem!
im on day 4 with my stick cam and its still at 90% and no solar
Yes it does last a while when there’s not much motion around
Better consider plugging into an outlet
Easy Fix Use 2 Battery's. I Never Have An Issue And I Use The $60 Panel
Depends on the traffic amount, most people will be fine. I placed this in a very high traffic area to test out the worst case conditions.
Why are you recording every 30 seconds??? Way to much recording. Just put it on people mode motion setting and it will only record when it detects a person in motion and your battery will stay 100%.
If your doing that much recording you need a powered plug in cam.
I was really running a test to see where it maxes out. I've calmed down on the settings now and it's pretty much doesn't drop below 85% or so.
Ring Solar Panel And Super Solar Panel Only For Ring Spotlight Cam Battery!!!!
I know it says that on the box but it works fine with the Stick Up Cam. I know because I've been using it for a long time.
Dude get a double battery spotlight cam with a solar panel
Even with that, if it’s enabled constantly, it would still run out, granted it would last a few days longer. But I just reduced the sensitivity and it’s fine
Thanks. Ring is so misleading
No problem!
Big lies guy don't believe this guy is all falls solar panels are really good
I'm confused, I mentioned that I do like the solar panels, just can't have it on that often on a very busy street that's constantly recording.
Wired camera are best for 24/7 recording 🤣
Yup, just a test
Trying to work you point is, if you want to set the camera to record every min , it’s plain obvious you need a wired camera, just set it on the people only setting and it will last as it’s designed to do, this is a pointless video
I wanted to see the limitations of the solar panel. I originally thought it could handle almost constant recording but that doesn't seem to be the case. I also point out the differences between the larger and smaller solar panels and what they maxed out at.
Stop recording so much duh!
I'm testing its capability, but I have reduced my recording times.