Outdoor cameras - motion detection delayed

October 23 - We just installed the newest Simplisafe outdoor camera. We've got the premium monitoring and the full security system. We've seen the same issues:

(1) When someone comes up the front steps to our door, the video begins when they are around 10 feet from the (8' high) camera.. so we see the top of their head. It doesn't pick up motion anywhere near 30' away. (2) Sometimes the camera doesn't detect someone coming to the door at all -- no video produced as I tested it out. (3) Oddly, when someone LEAVES the home, the camera wakes up and produces video immediately. I've now upped the motion detection to 'high' from medium and will see if that makes a difference. But - after a week of the camera sitting in our inside hall for one week pre-installation on high, the fully-charged battery dropped to 75%... so high sensitivity may be a big battery drainer.  So far we are disappointed. The so-called professional reviews of this camera were good. I wish I'd seen this forum first!

We installed our cameras last week and have noticed the exact same thing with a delay. What’s worse is our 18 year old son has been coming home early hours of the morning and the outdoor camera hasn’t ever picked this up. Not even a delayed recording, absolutely no recordings over night. Which is very worrying! We’ve contacted support so will await their reply. Very disappointed so far. 

The saving grace is that all the cameras are triggered to record if the alarm is triggered.

However, there are way too many quirks while using the cameras ... Like you can't view or connect to them while they are recording, in addition to the other things previously mentioned here.

Natalie90, please don't just reach out to Paul. There are many of us on here who have these exact same problems. I have called customer service a myriad of times because my cameras, when set to all motion, record all night. However when they are set to people only, UPS can walk all the way up to the door without triggering any cameras.

There needs to be a functional update, either that or some type of refund for products that don't operate even closely to how they are advertised. And these cameras, with solar panels (the way all of mine are set up) are not a cheap investment. 

Still no fix or solution in sight they got thier money worth so why should they care lol

Advised firmware update is coming.

I have exactly the same problem !!!  Ridiculous !!   Like 50 recordings a day and if it's a person, I barely get a glimpse of them. I'm starting to get second thoughts about my simpli safe system.

Well I pulled ALL my cams, outdoor and indoor. (I had 9 running)  I got off the phone with  a "specialist" who did confirmed a new firmware was coming, but surely could not say if it would solve the issues.

One on the major issues is the sensor the outdoor cam uses to "wake it up" is only made to detect horizontal movement.  As such, anything coming right towards the camera, it will not see and thus will not "Wake up".  HE did not seem shocked I removed all the cams and reduced my monthly cost. (You pay more just to be able to even view the cameras.)   

But also...What I found out was reducing the service level (as I no lonfer needed camera support) also removes the ability to use home automation!!!!  Thus no Google Home or Echo device support without paying the higher fee. WHAT?!?!? 

So cameras aside, I will now sadly be looking for a new complete system that will work with home automation devices.  I am SHOCKED to have learned this when everything other DIY system have the ability to use home automation.  (Like when going to bed, I can say, "Hey Google, Goodnight" and it would not only turn off the lights etc, but also lock the doors etc.  This is something that is supported by mostly any other system without the need to pay an extra $10 a month for it.

SO BAD SimpliSafe, so, so, bad. 

Is there a limit in feet that the outdoor camera needs to be from the inside monitor?  My proposed location outside is 35 feet from the monitor inside the house.

The outdoor camera doesn't look like its waterproof.  Does the camera need to be protected from rain and snow?

My outdoor camera seems to be responding much better and faster to motion now. Firmware is 1.10.2.368

My firmware is also this same version.  I have noticed an increase (and more consistent) notification of people walking by my camera, hence triggering a notification.  

I am afraid of switching back to (all motion) again so that I can catch cars going up my street, as the last three times I did this the cameras hit a 3 minute repeater loop as soon as it gets dark.  Inevitably they'd wind up dead by morning.  The only way I could interrupt this loop would be to climb a ladder and open the battery door. 

I'll try to switch back this weekend when I can monitor them more closely to see if the new firmware fixed the problem with the sensing "All" motion when there is no motion there. 

Hopefully we can give credit where credit is due with this new update.

I am experience 

Same issues on all my outside cameras..not sure if we will continue with this system.

We have same issue with all outdoor cameras.not sure if we will continue with SS.

Also sucks that I cannot get video footage on my alexa show 15.

Sad to say that even after the last update and working with high level customer service, who was really great BTW, we have in fact returned all of our SS cameras. 8 of them.  

As mentioned before, we do like the SS system itself and will continue to use it for now.  But we could not count on the cameras and the extras cost to use them made no sense.  And now that I have downgraded service, we also have lost Alexa and Google support which only come with either the NO Monitoring service or the Full Monitoring with camera support.  You can not use it with the monitoring service plan. (Meaning dispatch service.)  

While I was able to return most of the cameras to Sams Club...I could not return the indoor cams that I bought from SS. I also have too much $ into the system and time to switch out to another service. (Yet I still have two door sensors that can not be reached by the base.)   

SS is over extending IMHO.