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How to Hardwire Power to a Arlo Pro Camera

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Janick Bergeron edited this page Jan 18, 2018 · 8 revisions

Note: I tried posting these instructions on the NetGear community but the post was not approved.

Arlo's quoted 4 month battery life is based on an average of 5 mins of active recording a day. If, like me, you have the camera recording a lot of activity, the battery can drain in less than a week. If the camera is not in a convenient location to recharge, that is not workable. Hard-wiring the power to the camera is the only solution.

1. Order the following:*

2. Remove the battery.

The battery requires a USB link that supports Qualcomm's FastCharge protocol, and most USB power supplies do not.

3. Shave the USB connector.

The female USB connector on the camera is recessed to be water resistant. The male connector on the supplied cable is shaped to create a relatively good seal when properly seated. However, a regular USB male connector is too large and will not seat correctly. Using a sharp blade, shave the USB connector on the DC-DC converter until it can be fully seated into the camera.

Shaved Connector

4. Seal the USB connection.

Using silicone caulk, seal the USB connection to prevent water damage.

Caulked

5. Attach mount.

Unfortunately, the tightening screw on fixed wall mounts cannot be used with the USB cable in place. It needs to be removed, and the mounting screw must be tightened directly, using a pair of pliers.

Mount

6. Wire DC-DC converter.

Attach landscaping wire to DC-DC converter. Make sure to connect the ribbed conductor of the landscaping wire (one side of the rubber sheathing is ribbed, the other is smooth) to the red (+) wire, and the other to the black (-) wire.

6. Mount DC-DC converter near camera.

Mount the DC-DC converter near the camera, using tie wraps to secure the USB cable to the wall mount. Run the landscaping wire to the location of the AC-DC converter. The latter should be located near a 110V outlet, preferably in a sheltered location.

Install

7. Wire the AC-to-DC converter.

Cut the 12VDC automotive adaptor from the AC-DC converter. Remove the outer insulation to expose the red and black wires. Connect the red wire to the ribbed landscaping wire, and the other to the black.

8. Plug the AC-DC converter.

Plug in the AC-DC converter into a wall outlet, and you should now see you camera display a "power" symbol rather than a battery symbol.

Power

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