So I already have a wired Cat 5/6 surveillance system that I have been building out for years on top of a smart home built on a z-wave base. One of my ZWave garage door controllers start opening at random times in the middle of the night so I started looking around at other choices. I came upon Wyze V3 with a Garage controller that I have been experimenting with for a month. This got me checking out othe Wyze products. Now the features of the V3 are great but I already had a camera in the garage. The programming for the garage controller has a lot of room to grow. The fact that it will not automatically close the garage after a specified time is a real loser!
Well you wonder what this has to do with the tech support on eBay I mentioned in the title! WELL, I found that Wyze has a outdoor camera that can operate remotely with a solar panel! Dam I said! Perfect to put on my shed you keep an eye on the yard. I find a V1 Outdoor camera with base on eBay but the specs say “The V1 models do not include a built in battery. They solely charge through the charging cable and adapter” and say that’s nuts. How could they be wireless and not have a battery. The Wyze FAQ says they do. Why does this person say it doesn’t. So I ask again and get the same stupid answer. What kind of people does Wyze have giving support on eBay with stupid answers like that?
I doubt there is any connection between who you are talking to on eBay and Wyze.
The battery-powered V1 Wyze Outdoor Camera has the exact same battery in it as the V2 Outdoor Camera. So all WOCs have a battery. The solar panel recharges that battery. Without the battery the WOC would not run at night, as the Wyze solar panel has no battery.
Sounds like someone is selling a V1 WOC with a bad or missing battery?
Here you go. Try this. Turn Sonoff Basic to garage door opener with eWeLink - YouTube
Its been 4 years since the video was made. So, the Sonoff Basic is probably $8 now, but still doable.
Its a great WiFi switch even if you don’t hack it. Once you add it to your net, you can see other features in the Settings. Such as scheduling a time(s) to turn it on. So, you can close that do at a time of your choosing.
Welcome @marv.morris!
Or they are just not aware of how the camera works. I would message the seller and ask for clarification that the camera works. You could also provide the support article just to make sure it’s not a misinformed seller.
This was in the WYZE direct eBay storefront not a random seller which is why I was surprised by a) the listing having the deceptive copy & 2) the stupid answer given not once but twice after I confronted them with a quote from the Wyze website description of the camera model in question. I asked him/her how it could hold a charge but not have a battery or capacitor to which they responded that it did not have a battery but could be charged when plugged in! I don’t know. Seems like the wrong people answering the questions is the problem and then the incorrect information provided to the people putting the items on eBay.
Has anyone used the Outdoor Cam with a solar panel?
eBay is not currently on the list of authorized retailers for Wyze. Would you mind posting the link to the product listing? I have a suspicion this might be a seller posing as an official store for Wyze.
I have a V1 outdoor camera that has been running with the solar panel since said solar panel was released without issues. The V1 WCOs do have an internal battery. The solar panel itself doesn’t have a battery, it just charges the camera via the micro USB port.
Hey all, I’ve been curious about this and finally took the time to contact Wyze support via email. Here’s their response:
Currently, our authorized sellers are Wyze, Target.com (shipped and sold by Target ), Chewy.com (shipped and sold by Chewy ), Amazon.com (shipped and sold by Amazon.com, does not extend to international Amazon marketplaces ), MicroCenter, PetSmart , Home Depot , Walmart, Best Buy, Costco, eBay Wyze Direct and select Amazon Books locations in the U.S.
eBay Wyze Direct is selling refurbished and used stuff at good prices with greater or lesser guarantees.
Read the listings carefully, ask the seller a question if in doubt. Also look at the seller feedback and especially filter for the neutral-to-negative responses. You are taking some risk of time and trouble (notwithstanding the guarantees) so make sure you’re up for that. 