‎Outdoor Camera no longer sends motion detection alerts when battery is plugged in to 2.0 Amp 5V power cube with outdoor cable | SimpliSafe Support Home
 
rmolinowski's profile

Sunday, February 18th, 2024 7:17 PM

Outdoor Camera no longer sends motion detection alerts when battery is plugged in to 2.0 Amp 5V power cube with outdoor cable

For the last year+ I have had my SimpliSafe outdoor camera on a covered front porch with a permanent 5V, 2.0 Amp (max) rated cube and outdoor 15 foot cable.  As of a few weeks ago, we started to notice that we were no longer getting motion detects on the camera.  After three reset/reboot conversations with Simplisafe they shipped me a new camera.  After replacing this camera, I get the same end result.

And before anyone suggests that I check the settings for the camera motion detection (detection ON and notifications ON) and the iPhone settings (all notifications in Simplisafe App turned ON), I already tried all of that with every different permutation of sensitivity setting.  Rest assured, everything is ON.  Plus I'm getting motion detect notifications under certain situations, as described below.


The camera is no more than 20 feet from the base station and router.  The router is no more than 20 feet from the camera and base station.  I have no problems streaming video.  That works perfectly, every time.


Note that the camera is actually detecting motion per the status light (blink once bluish on detect) with and without the power cube plugged in, but there were no motion detects on the timeline or sent to the iPhone when the power cube is plugged in.  After some experimentation, I found that when I left the battery cable and power cube unplugged, I was again consistently getting motion detect notifications, both on the timeline and via iPhone.  So I replaced the power cube and cabling and still the same result: motion detection per the status light but no events sent to the base station to update the timeline and notify via iPhone.  Again, after unplugging the power cube I started getting motion detect notifications again.


So why would this setup of outdoor rated permanently plugged in battery charging cube suddenly become a problem when it worked perfectly for over a year?  So far this points to two possible things, as I have changed out the camera:


1) A buggy software push to the cameras/base station from Simplisafe.
2) A bad base station.  Yet all other sensors seem to respond just fine.  Perhaps cameras have a separate antenna/circuit?


Anyone else experience this?  I'm sure SimpliSafe will "simply" say: "Buy our cable."  Well why?  Will you guarantee it?  5V, 2.0A outdoor setups are readily available and nothing special.  At the high cost of the camera, it should come standard.

Captain

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5.9K Messages

4 months ago

@rmolinowski "Becuase why?"  How about elminating SS's excuse and then getting to the bottom of the issue without letting SS off the hook? My apologies for being so direct but their response is not that much different with a lot of companies and I am following my own advice with an issue I am having right now with a technical product and another company. I spent $48, now its all their equipment/software and a tech is coming out tomorrow to solve their issue. Yes, I don't like I had to spend the $28 bucks but now they own the problem.

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10 Messages

@captain11​ See response, below.

10 Messages

4 months ago

@captain11​  If it makes you feel any better, I've been having a conversation with Alyssa in their development department and they believe this is related to a recent software change they've made that regulates how the cameras behave when they are in a low versus high (>90%) state of charge and are or are not plugged into a charging unit.  In fact, I sent them some feedback on the behavior of the two cameras I have after letting them discharge down to about half, and we've found that indeed, the problem is dependent upon the state of charge of the battery.

So SimpliSafe isn't "off the hook" at all.  They sent me a replacement camera and are sending me an outdoor cable free of charge, just to be sure that's not the problem (it isn't).  The real problem is that this seems to be software related, as I suspected.  Moreover, this is one of those problems where you won't notice that you even have a problem until the Amazon delivery person shows up at your front door and the camera doesn't detect.

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Captain

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5.9K Messages

What is odd is that my two cameras do work fine with the SS power kit.  Also, I was unaware that they are shipping you the two power kits at nc. Once you have them installed, please post your experience with them if you get a chance. Thanks!

10 Messages

@captain11​ Post is below.

10 Messages

4 months ago

So I installed the outdoor power cable and unsurprisingly it works just like the aftermarket outdoor power cable.  Moreover after some experimentation I have found that once the battery charge goes below around 90%, the camera sends motion events to the base unit again even with the power cable plugged in.  But once the battery charge goes above that threshold, the motion events cease.  In short, what this does, for anyone using a battery charger permanently affixed to the outdoor camera, it renders the motion detection ineffective because the battery is pretty much ALWAYS charged above 90%.

I also forwarded SS the results of my testing.  So my question is: when does SS plan on fixing this software bug that is related to performance mode?  I'm running camera software version 1.20.  One would think that due to the LIABILITY concern that this would be a high priority fix.

(edited)

Community Admin

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3K Messages

@rmolinowski​ This is quite concerning, thank you for bringing this to our attention. Our engineering team is investigating a similar issue, and I've just forwarded your case details over to them. 

A member of the team will reach out to you soon to get to the bottom of this.

I'm having the same problem with a brand new from ss outdoor wireless with solar panel from ss, myself. 

Community Admin

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3K Messages

@gretchencgreg02​ Thank you for bringing this to my attention. Our engineering team is actively looking into this to get to the bottom of it. I've sent your case over to them for further investigation.

Captain

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5.9K Messages

@rmolinowski​ Just found this thread again and read your post.  Just got back from a 2 week vacation and, as before, my two outdoor cameras worked fine and the batteries never go below 100% as they are connected on the AC kit.

Was your camera issues resolved? And if so, how?  Again, my apologies for not seeitn your post until now.

3 Messages

@emily_s​  I am having the same exact issue. Once camera plugged in, it stopped sending motion notifications.

1 Message

3 months ago

Have the same issue. Got on SimpliSafe chat and got no help.

Community Admin

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3K Messages

@mmisra​ Our engineering team is actively looking into this issue to find its root cause. I've added your case details to their ticket to further assist with their investigation.

1 Message

1 month ago

I have the same issue and tried to troubleshoot with a SS tech person. No luck. We reset the cameras, he was able to "detect motion" but didn't know why no alert was going out. Our batteries are backup as the cameras are plugged in (outdoor). We have 2 not working. Next step is probably seeing if our internet tech can figure anything out. They use SS at their store. Most the SS tech got through was a SS icon showing up at the top of my phone (Android) but no sound. I'd be happy noticing an icon, but that didn't happen more than twice. I get notifications for everything else: updates, alarm triggered, device offline, etc. 

3 Messages

25 days ago

I am having the same exact issue. Outdoor camera was working just fine until I decided to plug it into power. It stopped sending motion notifications. the SS customer support did not help much.

Captain

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5.9K Messages

Suggest you always use the "NY  piranha effect."  If you get an agent who cannot successfully assist you, politely ask to be escalated to the next level of support.  The vast majority of agents at SS are very good, professional, polite and knowledgeable.  Once in a while you get someone who needs more training, somewhat lacking in aptitude or, worse in my book attitude.  I have always been escalated on the spot, or, arrange a callback.

Right now, I am in a situation where a travel company is having "technical difficulty" with my specific carrier that has been going on for over 10 days. I called the carrier in question, after 3 transfers got to a director in their "Vendor relations for partners" and advised after several rounds of questions the issue is a disputed business policy and not technical.  Now back to the travel company and up to the CEO escalation dept wanting to know 1. why was I lied to 2. When will the business issue be resolved?  So far, a $500 credit to my account but still no resolution to my issue, advised to wait until Friday. (Don't know why).

Try to escalate. Please post your outcome here if you get a chance. Good luck.

SS Its been two months, an answer/solution had to be found by now.

 

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3 Messages

I haven’t signed for subscription plan yet. I was told that I shouldn’t have been getting motion push notifications from the camera without a subscription plan. Is that true?

Community Admin

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3K Messages

@Bassilsaid Even if you are subscribed to a monitoring plan that doesn't include video recordings, you should still receive push notifications when your camera detects motion. 

You mention that your Outdoor Camera only stopped sending notifications when plugged in, so it certainly sounds like you're experiencing the same bug as the others in this thread. Our engineering team is still investigating this issue, so I've added your case details to their ticket.

1 Message

7 days ago

Wow, thank you for posting this fix!  I've had the exact same issue for months and months and tried everything.  Countless hours on the phone with SS and was given the same instructions you received with no resolution whatsoever.  Saw your post last night unplugged the outdoor cameras from the power source and like magic began receiving motion detection alerts again!  I cannot believe SS has not fixed this reported issue or at the very least trained their reps on how to respond.  It should not be necessary to unplug the cameras let them discharge and then replug to cycle again in order to receive motion alerts.  But at least I know now.  Thank you again!

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