A200 solar panel stopped charging after 2 months
The solar panel charged the camera for a little over two months from the date of purchase, keeping the Camera at 100% charge. Since approximately October 23, the battery has slowly run down. I can recharge with the AC cable on an indoor socket but the solar panel connection is not working.
(Note, I have three C425 cameras and three Tapo A200 solar panels, purchased close to the same time in August 2024; the other two are charging fine; only this one has stopped charging)
1. Check the Tapo Solar Panel's appearance and see if there's any damage.
The Solar Panel is not damaged.
2. Make sure the Tapo Solar Panel’s charging cable is connected to the camera tightly.
The charging cable is properly connected. I have checked it and removed/reinserted several times.
3. Ensure the installation location of the Tapo Solar Panel is unobstructed and has enough sunlight.
The solar panel is unobstructed and gets plenty of sunlight.
4. If there is any dirt/pollution on the Tapo Solar Panel, please use a dry cloth to clean it and see if it works.
The panel is clear. I did wipe it.
5. Try to power the camera with the original power adapter.
1) If the camera can't be powered, it may be the camera is abnormal. You can contact your retailer or local support to check if the camera is under warranty.
The camera is working fine.
2) If it's not the camera issue, check the following information and post them on this thread for further analysis.
- The test results of the above steps. See Above.
- Was the Tapo Solar Panel able to charge the camera before the problem occurred? YES. If so, how long was the Tapo Solar Panel functioning normally? Two months.
- Has there been any extreme weather like heavy rain? No.
- Photos of the front and back of the Tapo Solar panel.
- Photos of the locations that installed the solar panel and camera.
@wpc09 Further to my post about the solar panel not working, I took it down and looked closely. In the lower left corner, there appears to be a loss of adhesion for whatever the film is over the solar cells. Photo attached. Is this within warranty for replacement?
@wpc09 I am attaching the Battery Level Chart. It shows proper solar charging up through October 10. There was nothing remarkable on that day. On October 26, I received a Tapo notice that the charge was down to 91%. I checked all the connections and made sure the panel was clean, but it wasn't charging. So on October 27, I brought the camera inside and recharged to 100%. After putting it back outside that day, the battery has slowly declined to 98%.
Solar energy output charting had been turned on since I purchased the panel, but the chart shows nothing. I will attach that chart to a separate reply.
It looks like solar energy has not been delivered since October 11.