I am considering using a new v4 cam paired with a v1 floodlight. My existing v1 floodlight with v3 cam works fine but would like the higher res and color night vision of the v4.
Has anyone here done this yet?
Did it work well ?
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@timloga - from everything I have read and know about the floodlight v1 (I had 1 installed for a couple years), the firmware is strictly for the v3, even as a secondary camera on the floodlight. Supposedly, an outdoor power adapter is needed for outdoor use of the v4. The power requirements for the v4 with it’s embedded spotlight wouldn’t be met by the floodlight as a power source. Perhaps more substantial info can be provided by other forum contributors.
Thanks - your point about power makes sense so I’ll not try it.
I DO have a v4 using the outdoor power adapter and it works great.
V4 power requirement is 5V 1 amp which is the same as V3. In theory, the V4 should work in the auxiliary USB Type -A port on the Floodlight. IRRC, that port is capable push up to 5V 2 amps. @carverofchoice mentioned about powering a Eufy camera + Wyze V2 using a splitter cable here.
You can check out the discussion on this particular thread.
@DannyQ confirmed he was able to power a V4 on the secondary USB port on the Floodlight V1.
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@grapefruityoda - any subsequent issues experienced by @DannyQ or there is no dropoff in functionality of the v3 on the floodlight and v4 on the secondary power connection? The power split inside the floodlight is independently supported?
I don’t think @DannyQ experienced any issue afterwards. He did mention he was going to try and use an extended USB cable on the auxiliary port to power a V4, but he never got back to update his findings. Having said that, @bassoprofundo did experience some issue with the secondary USB port in that thread, but it is likely his Floodlight V1 could be defective or dodgy power source.
Furthermore, I was previously using the auxiliary USB Type-A port to power an extra V3 and I did experience some issue only when using 33 feet long extended USB cables which I noted below. The main V3 camera on the Floodlight V1 had no issue at all.
@SlabSlayer did some indepth testing on the auxiliary USB Type-A port of the Floodlight V1.
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@grapefruityoda - Thank you. I had thought about adding a second cam when I had a floodlight v1 in operation. Because of it’s location, I would have had to run an extension cable up, over, around and down my chimney for a cam to be usable. I put up a pan v3 on the side I wanted to cover and eventually replaced the floodlight v1 with a v2. Good info from testing by @SlabSlayer.
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I am running a OG cam on a 15 ft USB extension cable, and a Pan Cam V3 on a 20 ft USB extension cable, using a USB-A splitter cable on the auxiliary USB-A port of a V1 floodlight (which has the built-in Cam V3 as well), and I have experienced no problems at all. I have been doing that for a year and a half so far, at temperatures 10-20 degrees below freezing in the winter, and up to 107 F in the summer.
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Good to know there is versatility with use of the USB-A port on the floodlight v1 for secondary cams. A 5v/1a and 5v/2a cam on a USB-A splitter to the floodlight v1 port verifies the independent function within the floodlight wiring. Maybe I should have explored more before moving on to the v2.
I ended up connecting a v4 cam to the v1 floodlight aux USB port using the standard USB and so far it is working great. It is under a soffit so the cable is not exposed to extreme weather.
I’ll be checking on using automation to see if the v4 can control the v1 floodlight…
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@timloga - How did the automation go for controlling the floodlight with the v4 on aux usb port?
That USB port is power only; it won’t control the floodlight.
@p2788deal - Understood. But aren’t automations a function of wifi and cloud operations? Isn’t the usb port just for power on all cams except battery cams? Are any communications for a cam’s operation done thru the usb port except maybe for floodlight, spotlight and cam pan motor power? The usb port connects to a “dumb” power adapter, the intelligence is from the cam’s chip, circuitry and cloud communications.
Of course I could be wrong, it wouldn’t be a first. Always open to being corrected and new discovering.
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My understanding is that the V3 has additional firmware section that has local control of the floodlight, for example, the PIR sensor can activate the light without having to go thru the WiFi. Connecting a V4 using that extra USB port won’t accomplish that; that command goes through the server first.
@p2788deal - Regarding automations, and I have several in operation, you can create automations for a v4 to do multiple things as long as it is online, one of which is to turn on/off the floodlight on a v1. I created the automation but can’t test because I no longer have a v1. I could in theory and reality create the automation for my v2 floodlight as a test to see if a non-integrated cam can control a floodlight, e.g. turn on lights if cam detects motion. If automations are controlled and work as I believe, again in theory, you could have any cam control a floodlight on/off function.
Now that we have gone down this path, I will create an automation for my v2 with a spare cam I have for “remote” control and report back success or failure. Stay tuned!
I’m familiar with automations. I’m simply describing the difference between the 2 cases, one with a floodlight with a built-in camera and another with external camera.
With the former, you don’t need an automation rule to engage the light when the PIR sensor detects motion.
update
Yes, an automation rule for the v4 can motion trigger the v1 floodlight on - exactly what I was hoping for.
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Great! I also did some testing with a couple cams and found that apparently automation for motion on any connected cam could turn on the floodlight. Worked for my v2 floodlight using a v3, cam pan v3 and a battery cam pro.
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Does anybody know if the V3 Pro will work in place of the V3 primary port? The picture on the V3 cam that came with my flood light is so fuzzy and grayed out now. I see people saying you can’t use the V4 in the floodlight but can you use the V3 Pro?
Good question, best for a wizard, maven or moderator response. My understanding is the fw, etc is specific to the v3 and there is probably enough of a difference in the v3pro for it not to work. An uneducated guess, I’ve been wrong before. 