Can you extend the distance between the spotlight and the camera with a micro USB extension cable? I need to separate the spotlight by about 6 ft.
I tried using the Wyze 6 ft power cable that came with the camera by placing an adapter (female USB to micro female USB) on the male USB end, but the camera did not recognize the spotlight (even though the spotlight actually lighted for 15 sec after making the connection). I tried restarting the camera, but that didn’t help. When I reconnected the short cable that came with the spotlight, the camera immediately recognized it again. So the problem is either with the adapter (I tried several) or the extension itself.
I believe you will need a Data and Power Cable for that to work. Check the cables you are using and see if it is data rated or just power.
I can test mine with a Data MicroUSB cable later tonight, if you would like. I believe I have one
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spamoni4: Thanks. That would be great if you could test a micro USB extension and see if the app recognizes the spotlight. Let me know. If it works, I’ll buy an extension. When scrounging around on Amazon, most of the micro USB extension cables were long (10 ft plus) and it wasn’t clear if they were power only or power plus data.
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Will test later tonight and provide feedback
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Cool, that’s good to know.
Yea, you have to hook it up correctly. I extended where the camera was as the pig tail is attached to the light
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OK. So you put the extension from the pigtail (usb splitter) to the camera, keeping the pigtail next to the spotlight. Hadn’t thought of doing it that way. I take it that it doesn’t work if you put the extension from the pigtail to the spotlight? I may try that set up with the Wyze power cable/female USB adapter I have to see if that arrangement works. It’s not clear to me why having the pigtail close to the spotlight should be different than having the pigtail next to the camera.
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Let me try that for you… BRB
@williasp , Just checked it that way as well and it does work. So, disconnecting the cable from the spotlight and adding an extension there also worked
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OK, good to know. I’ll buy a micro usb extension cable and try it out. Thanks for the feedback.
Btw, I just re-tried my proposed workaround setup as follows:
Power cord (from power supply) is connected to female side of pigtail (usb splitter).
Spotlight cord on splitter is connected to spotlight (as normal).
Camera cord on splitter is connected to female micro USB/female USB adapter on micro USB side.
Wyze original 6 ft power cord (male USB end) is connected to adapter on female USB side.
Micro USB end of Wyze original power cord is plugged into camera.
Thus, splitter is connected to adapter to Wyze cord to camera.
The camera continued to work as usual. But the spotlight was not recognized (even after restarting). So the problem with that setup is either the female/female usb adapter or the Wyze power cord or both. As mentioned earlier, I first tried leaving the pigtail connected to the camera, and ran the spotlight line through the adapter to the Wyze cable to the spotlight. So neither arrangement worked, while your arrangement worked both ways. So a new micro usb extension cable seems to be the way to go.
How do you find a data cable vs just a power cable? All the extension cables seem to look alike. I found two white cables on Amazon (one Sumind ( Amazon.com ) and one Cellularize (Amazon.com ). Then there were a couple like this one ( Amazon.com ) that seem to be data cables. Not sure what to get.
These are what I have:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07L9Q7581/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_image?ie=UTF8&psc=1
but it is 10 ft. I am checking another source
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This may work also
and this one
SYbc and Power implies Data and Power
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You could probably get one from Best Buy, MicroCenter, Staples, or Office Depot
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OK, Great! Thanks for the suggestions. Super helpful.
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The Sumind cable does not say it is for data, so that threw me off. Yet, you say that’s what you have.
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Yea, it is confsing. Most are Data, but some only connect a few pins for power
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I bought the Sumind micro usb extension cable you mentioned and it worked to extend the spotlight. The camera recognized the spotlight immediately after I plugged it in. Thanks again for the helpful information.
Now I wish Wyze would fix the software bug that controls the spotlight. I have mine set up so that the spotlight goes on when motion is detected. The problem is that when it goes on, it stays on. So every night I essentially “reset” it. I go into the camera settings and change the spotlight setting to come on at sunset, go back to the live camera, then go back to the settings and check the box for the spotlight to come on with motion. That seems to fix it.
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Glad the cable worked for you.
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