Has anyone found a good solar panel for the outdoor cam yet? Id love to find an option that keeps it topped off or close… Just curious as to what people are going to use?
thanks
Unless I am mistaken, you can not operate the camera while it i charging. Therefore I would assume that any time the sun was out, the camera would be non-operational.
i was using it last night while charging… didnt seem to hinder it at all.
Interesting. Specific discussions when it was first announced was that you could NOT leave it plugged in all the time. I wonder if that changed…
The official stance from Wyze is that you can’t use the WCO while plugged in, but that’s only because you have to remove the weatherproof seal to plug it in. It’s perfectly capable of running while plugged in.
I’ve charged my WCO a couple times from a 28W foldable solar panel (RAVPower I think) I got on Amazon a while ago. It’s not a permanent solar panel, but I suppose if you had a weatherproof solar panel with USB output you could set it up semi-permanently. Just seal the USB cable into the back of the WCO with some clear silicone and it’s now a powered weatherproof WCO.
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Wyze should make a solar panel!
Do you think I could use this solar panel?:
https://www.amazon.com/ZUMIMALL-Rechargeable-Battery-Wireless-Security/dp/B07V5N5C2L/ref=sr_1_7?crid=38QIXZAEXJH3I&dchild=1&keywords=roelink+solar+panel&qid=1596659953&sprefix=Reolink+sol%2Caps%2C146&sr=8-7
I haven’t done much research on small permanent solar panels so I couldn’t give a recommendation. I also haven’t tested slow/trickle charging the WCO; my solar panel outputs 2 amps (10 watts) per USB port under full sun so that was never an issue.
That being said, assuming you don’t use the live view too much a 3.7W panel like the one you linked would probably keep the WCO topped off. Looks like it has a custom USB plug on the camera end to fit a particular camera model so it might not fit the WCO without modification.
Good to know!
I’ll look at other options like the ones for blink witch have a micro USB port also. It probably won’t be long until someone makes third-party solar panels for the WCO.
This Reolink might work:
That particular solar charger puts out 6v vs 5v and in excess of 500ma. Wyze devices utilize 5v
I am trying this one out for a regular V2. WIll let you know how it goes. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07VRXPGLG/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
I’m new to wyze, the WCO is my first wyze product. So far been mostly happy with it (did my research before committing).
The one thing I wish wyze would make is a solar panel where the micro USB plug includes a molded rubber cap the same dimesions that protects it currently. Then you could plug in and still have the same level of weather protection. Thinking even simpler, they could just offer a 10ft charging cord with this feature, but I’d prefer an official solar panel from wyze to ensure compatibility.
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Just a thought but couldn’t something be 3D printed that would afford the environmental protection
I see no reason why an enclosure couldn’t be 3D printed.
However wyze wants to claim you can’t be plugged while recording (as i believe it voids the warranty) if your outdoors, even though the cam will still function. If they were to simply mold the protective cover onto the end of micro USB plug, that would solve everything and then they could offer 1st party accessories such as solar panels or any other plug in accessories.
Really, I would prefer official product rather than diy solutions.
Good luck with that… But I do agree that an adaptor that completes the seal yet allows you to plug a micro-usb cable would be great… There are literally 10s of millions of different adapters.
I purchased a solar panel from Amazon, Unfortunately it keeps triggering alerts that its 100% charged every 30 seconds. No way to turn off.
I really wish they would come out with a solar panel for the outdoor cam. That is the one down side I am finding with them
That won’t happen with the current generation of WCO and the reason is based on water tight integrity… It will likely be included in the next generation of camera
If only there was a way to disable the full charge alert
If it were me I would look into IFTTT