Outdoor Cameras - Temperature Question

@captain11,

I'm sure you've seen this already but if not, please know that the solar panels low end operating range is much much higher than the camera itself. Per https://support.simplisafe.com/hc/en-us/articles/4408796020109-Wireless-Outdoor-Camera-Solar-Panel-Accessory :

The solar panel is designed to charge the camera battery between temperatures ranging 32°F to 120°F. The Solar Panel will not try to charge the battery outside of that temperature range.

It sounded like you were going to stick with AC power but I still wanted to share.

the question is will the cameras survive

I'll go a step further because I'm curious:

At what temperature (low end) will the camera stop working properly?
At what temperature (low end) might there be damage to the camera itself?
What are the effects on battery life and integrity as the temperature reaches 0? Or below?
Is the camera protected against the formation of ice on its shell?
Is there a temperature or weather condition when cameras should be brought indoors to protect the camera itself, the battery, etc?

@Johnny M,

Aside from the questions above, can you speak to any environmental testing methodology/results outside of the IP65 rating? For example, as far as I know, the IP standard doesn't account for ice accumulation on an object like the NEMA standard does. DId y'all happen to test ice accumulation on cameras?

Also, I have feedback about the documentation. There is some inconsistent language across multiple articles with regards to temperature and that might lead to some confusion on your customer's part.

https://support.simplisafe.com/hc/en-us/articles/4407844277389-Advanced-Security-and-Sophisticated-Features-with-the-Wireless-Outdoor-Security-Camera

"Designed for all weather extremes, the SimpliSafe Wireless Outdoor Camera works in the snow and rain, and in temperatures from -20° to 113°F."

https://support.simplisafe.com/hc/en-us/articles/4407853925133-Installation-for-the-Wireless-Outdoor-Security-Camera

"Note: the Outdoor Camera's optimal temperature threshold is ​​-20° to 113° F"

The content on the first link sounds much more definitive than the second link. The second link makes me think that it will continue to work outside of those ranges but maybe there will be issues the further out I get?

You all address this with regards to higher temperatures at https://support.simplisafe.com/hc/en-us/articles/4407862139021-Wireless-Outdoor-Security-Camera-Video-and-Audio-Troubleshooting

The Outdoor Camera's optimal temperature threshold is ​​-20° to 113° F. If the camera overheats from high-usage and its temperature rises above 145°F, it will shut down in order to protect the battery from damage or catching fire. Once the camera has cooled back down, it will turn back on and resume functioning.

But I couldn't find anything that indicated the camera would shut down down and turn back on if the temperature went too low.

@Worthing yes, I am aware of the solar panel's more limited temp range and you are spot on both of my cameras will be AC powered prior to winter settling in across Chricagoland. For now, however, my backyard camera is on battery only and I have not yet installed the AC adapter, as I want to see how it fares now and as firmware updates come across aimed to improve performance (motion, battery life, troubleshooting tools etc).

So far, knock on wood, the cams are performing well, including the motion detection that some have reported the contrary. Quite happy with them both, just wish the AC power adapter was priced a bit lower.

Installing an outside cam at my daughter's next week, but due to the layout with detached garage, placement of trees, back porch entry etc location is a bit up in the air.

Same question here...  I tried getting an answer by calling and speaking with a support person and all I got was essentially that the camera (model CMOB1) will become less functional at -4 degrees F (unreliable motion sensing and recording), and either the camera or the battery or both will likely become permanently damaged if exposed to lower temperatures.  Advised to bring it inside to keep it warmer if such low temps are expected.  Also of concern is that the solar panel that I use to keep the battery charged will stop charging at a much higher temp:  32 degrees F!  So I guess I will lose video coverage in the winter here.

I looked at the link provided above to see if the low temp limit on the camera is in fact -20 degrees F or -4 degrees F and the current spec is -4 degrees F,  so perhaps SimpliSafe raised the low temp spec since the original post?