How to Extend Camera Battery Life When Using Battery-Powered Security Cameras

For those who have been using battery security cameras, it’s fretting how battery-operated security cameras constantly experience quick power drain or  low battery in a very short period of time.

Or sometimes, a 5-minute window of live view or recording consumes a significant amount of battery life.

So how to prolong, extend the battery life of your battery security cameras? Or are there any tips to help users extend battery life without frequently changing batteries or spending a whooping sum of money on batteries every few days?

Today we are sharing some helpful tips to help you manage your battery-powered security cameras smartly and prolong battery life with some energy-saving practices.

Important Notes

Going for a battery security camera with a rechargeable battery pack, for example, Reolink Argus 2 and Reolink Go goes a long way in saving money and troubles. Of course, having a rechargeable battery-powered camera also need to manage, extend, and prolong battery as long as possible. To do so, here are more helpful tips.

Tip 1. Use Battery-Powered Security Cameras with PIR Motion Sensors

In sharp contrast to common motion sensor security cameras which trigger alarms by relying heavily on the changes in the number of different pixels, a passive Infrared sensor security camera or PIR security camera triggers alerts by measuring the difference in the infrared spectrum.

Plainly speaking, it can better distinguish human and animals smartly from blowing trees to reduce unwanted nuisance dramatically.

Battery-operated cameras with embedded PIR sensor or external PIR sensor, for example, Reolink Argus 2 rechargeable battery-powered security camera and Reolink Go could help extend battery life significantly because they tend to pick up movement more accurately and reduce false alarms.

Of course, placement of PIR sensor battery-powered cameras plays a role in battery life. For example, you can position external PIR sensors or battery security cameras with PIR sensor on a higher and open space inside the house, and avoid places where domestic appliances clusters, such as air conditioner and heater.

Tip 2. Adjust Motion Sensor Sensibility

If there are constant false alarms you are experiencing with your better security camera, chances are your battery camera won't last very long on a single charge.

To reduce false alerts or filter out unwanted alerts, try reducing sensor sensibility accordingly and regularly. By doing so, it could consequently reduce the number of motion detection and motion alert, which reduce battery consumption.

Tip 3. Schedule Motion Detection Time

Most battery-powered security cameras are constantly on standby, which means it won't use battery unless it's activated. In order to put the WiFi security cameras to good use, you may schedule the motion detection time based on your need to reduce battery usage.

Tip 4. Place PIR/Camera in Less Traffic Areas

Many users have been constantly plagued by unwanted motion alerts, be it as by your furry dog, the cute cat or blowing trees, a culprit for rapid power drainage.

Maybe moving your battery-security cameras somewhere else when possible, to an area with less animal traffic.

Changing monitoring mode accordingly will avoid consuming battery power excessively. For example, when you stay at home, disable motion detection via apps, do it according to your preference to avoid unwanted motion notification.

Security cameras with face reorganizations like Nest cam could help reduce false alarm by filtering out unwanted alerts. Security cameras which utilize deep learning or 3D sensor technology helps cut down false alerts too, which in return helps save battery.

Or alternatively, integrate an outdoor security system into your home security system, running outdoor surveillance cameras at full steam while you are at home to extend your battery-powered wireless security camera battery life.

Tip 5. Switch to Rechargeable Batteries, Solar Panel or Plugged In

Some security camera providers only supply one primary battery. The battery life of primary battery varies and the time it can sustain on a single charge depends largely on the quality and how users exploit the security cameras.

Instead of frequently changing one pair of non-chargeable batteries after another, it’s strongly suggested that users take the initiative to switch to rechargeable batteries after the first pack of batteries maxes out.

Or try using the rechargeable battery-powered security cameras like Reolink Argus 2 so that you don’t have to swap out the battery every few months. Or even better, get a Reolink solar panel ($29.99) for constant solar charging.

Reliable and trusted rechargeable batteries are essentials in prolonging battery life, such as standard rechargeable battery from Panasonic.

Or if there is a USB port available for power supply, place security cameras in places where a power outlet is accessible or power adapter is within reach, plug in the electrical outlet and run security camera on the constant power supply.

Tip 6. Use Your Battery Security Cameras in Temperate Conditions

Some users complained about the abnormal battery status indication when battery-powered cameras are placed in a freezing cold weather.

Indeed, working temperature of battery-powered security cameras, whether they are rated for indoor or outdoor use, could have an impact on its functionality, especially if you are placing the camera in places with excessive heat or areas with freezing cold air, the battery status indication could go berserk.

That’s because when they are placed in extreme conditions, cameras will underperform or be induced to indicate low battery.

Tip 7. Ensure Battery-Operated Cameras Are Running on the Latest Firmware

There are many glitches and annoyances associated with outdated camera firmware, if the firmware was not updated to the latest, some loopholes embedded in the firmware could undermine the general performance of the camera, for example, a bug that reports low battery falsely while you might have just switched new batteries.

Making sure the camera is running on the latest firmware is not only crucial to the well-being battery-powered but also helpful to extend battery life in the long run.

Sometimes, apps could also be blamed for the low battery indication. Try using the latest software version also helps.

Tip 8. Integrate Other Surveillance Cameras/Systems

Undoubtedly, solely relying on single security camera is not enough to cover all the grounds, that is why it’s important to integrate security system into your home and business to keep an extra pair of eyes on areas of interests, as well as help extend the battery life of security camera.

Security cameras with a pan-tilt-zoom feature, nevertheless, will expand areas of coverage. It’s still reasonable to integrate outdoor security cameras, such as wired PoE outdoor security cameras with night vision or Wi-Fi enabled security cameras into your home defense system, to boost overall security.

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Take full advantage of battery-powered wireless security cameras with its flexibility and portability; at the same time change them with PoE system at night to extend battery life efficiently because night vision will drain the battery pretty quick.

Conclusion

Despite the fact that battery-powered security cameras are not inherently created for continuous recording, battery-operated security cameras are, in its nature, proved to be more flexible and versatile in terms of placements, applications, mobility.

By managing your battery-powered intelligently, you can extend the battery life of them to a greater extent.