Nest Outdoor Battery Camera Not Holding Charge

[INTERLINKED]

The Nest Outdoor Battery Camera.

This device clearly has a major issue.  

When mounted outside and plugged into power, the battery drains to zero and then switches off after a day or so.  After a while offline, a small amount of power returns and the camera operates for another day, then switches off again.   This cycle repeats.  

I have checked EVERYTHING.  Mounting.  Power supply.  Camera settings.  

We've tried adjusting recording time, quality IR settings, cables, adapters, the lot.  The camera does not hold power or draw enough to remain operational.  

Many other users have been experiencing the same issues dating back several years.  

Google has offered NO FIX.  

All that is offered is basic troubleshooting checks.  All completely useless.  

This is common across 3 cameras.  It's not a one off faulty unit.  The behaviour is replicated across 3 cameras. 

If anyone can help, please reach out.   Thank you.  

[MplsCustomer]

@INTERLINKED 

That doesn't seem right at all. We've had a battery camera for over 3 years, plugged in with the optional 10-meter power cable, and it's been "Live" and online ever since through Minnesota winters, and the battery has never depleted.

Are you using the optional power cable or the 1-meter charging cord that came with the camera? I'm asking because I don't think it's clear whether you can power the camera with the charging cord.

When you go to Settings | Battery, do your cameras show as "Plugged in" with an infinity symbol?

Were your cameras plugged in when you installed them? I'm asking because--at least when I installed ours--the camera had to be plugged in during the install in order for the install process to configure the camera as plugged in and not running on battery power. Some customers in this forum who added the power cable after installing the camera reported having to factory reset their camera and reinstall it in order for it to be recognized as plugged in.

Is your power cable feeding towards the FRONT of the camera? Are the contact points on the USB plug clean and dry? (We have our camera mounted under a camera shade.). Is the USB plug still intact. (The plug seems rather flimsy.)

[Guarcax]

Hi @INTERLINKED!

Thanks for posting in the community.
I’m sorry for the inconvenience that you’ve been experiencing with your 3 Nest Cam Battery. I understand that they are not holding the charge for the expected time. The cameras used to be mounted and connected all the time, but they are still draining even after checking the power supply, the camera settings, and the mounting. No worries, help is here.

I need some extra information to better assist you. Here are some questions for you:

• Are you using the cable included with the camera or the weatherproof cable that is on the Google Store?
• Have you checked if the pogo connectors of your cameras are clean?
• What is the temperature in the place where the camera is connected?

In the meantime, I will suggest you perform a factory reset on one of your cameras, and then you can set it up again in your account. You will need to fully charge it indoors before taking the camera outdoors. Then please monitor the camera and check if the behavior persists.

Tell me how it goes.

@MplsCustomer thanks for your assistance in this thread. 

Regards,

Daniel.