Solar panel not charging Tapo C420
Hi,
I have a 5v solar panel and when I plug it into my Tapo C420 camera, the battery status does not show that it is charging and says that there is no power supply. It is already place under bright sunny sunlight. The solar panel is not Tapo A200 but a 3d party solar panel. Can a 3rd party solar panel charge/work with C420 camera? Or is C420 only work with Tapo solar panel? If so, can I request tp-link to remove this restriction via FW update?
Thanks.
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As I understand there is no restriction for third-party solar panels, but there is no guarantee for compatibility.
The camera battery has an overcharge protection mechanism, after a full charge, the next charge will start when the battery capacity drops to about 90%. Usually this prompt means the camera is not currently charging, not that the solar panel is not connected.
What's the battery level of your camera? Does solar charging work when the battery is low?
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Hi,
The battery level is 85% so based on what you mention, it should start charging. When I plug in a battery bank, it shows that it is charging.
Thanks.
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As I understand there is no restriction for third-party solar panels, but there is no guarantee for compatibility.
The camera battery has an overcharge protection mechanism, after a full charge, the next charge will start when the battery capacity drops to about 90%. Usually this prompt means the camera is not currently charging, not that the solar panel is not connected.
What's the battery level of your camera? Does solar charging work when the battery is low?
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Hi,
The battery level is 85% so based on what you mention, it should start charging. When I plug in a battery bank, it shows that it is charging.
Thanks.
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Did you resolve the issue? I just bought a 6V solar panel and it is charging a power bank when connected but not the camera. Is there a minimum level of charge the solar panel needs to have to work?
Thanks
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Ya. I suspect so. Those small panel likely does not produce enough current to charge the cam battery. I bought another solar panel which is bigger (about 40x20cm). With this, the cam is charging fairly well. Hope this help.
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I have a third party solar panel and it works perfectly. I have a different issue though, how can I have a waterproof connection between the cable of the solar panel and my camera? in the Tapo C425, the USB-C door is just next to the case lid. I have to lift the lid to plug the solar panel cable, and here it is the issue: the lid stays open and it is not anymore water proof.......Any advice?
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