Recently I made a roundup of the best HomeKit outdoor cameras. I personally have been using the Eufy camera system for over a year as I love the image quality and the ease of installation. What if you want to take full advantage of the Eufy camera system without having to worry about power supply? Eufy now has a solution for you with a new Eufy Solar Panel option to continuously charge your Eufy cameras.
HomeKit Weekly is a series that focuses on smart home accessories, tips and tricks on automation, and everything related to Apple's smart home framework.
I have four Eufy outdoor cameras, the wired doorbell and two Eufy indoor cameras, so I am “all in” with Eufy as a camera manufacturer. I was very impressed with the ease of use, compatibility with HomeKit, and overall value.
At the back of my house I have two cameras, one of which can reach the camera to take it off for charging. The other one needs a ladder because I installed it so high. That's why I decided to switch to solar charging. This particular camera receives direct sunlight, so I knew it would be an excellent solar powered option. Eufy recommends facing the solar panel to the south if you are in the northern hemisphere.
Install the weatherproof cable adapter
The first part of the process was to turn off the existing camera. If you have activated the anti-theft device on the camera, you should deactivate it before unscrewing the camera.
Next, find the adapter set that will fit your camera. Eufy includes adapters for all compatible cameras. The solar panel is compatible with EufyCam, EufyCam E, EufyCam 2, EufyCam 2 Pro, EufyCam 2C or EufyCam 2C Pro. The first step is to connect the waterproof adapter to the micro USB cable of the solar panel and then connect it to the camera. Then take the adapter that covers the plugin and screw it in. The camera is then screwed back into the original bracket.
Assembly of the solar module
The Eufy solar panel bracket screws into your home, but it includes a very long cable so you don't have to place it right near the camera bracket. If you want to place it right on your roof, you'll have enough cable play to bring it back into your camera. My only complaint about the Eufy solar panel is that the cable is longer than I need, but it cannot be replaced with a shorter one. You can wrap the cable around the back of the solar panel, but it's still a bit cumbersome.
As soon as everything is mounted on the Eufy solar panel, open the Eufy app and switch the camera to solar energy. The solar symbol is now next to it, indicating that it has been switched to solar energy. How fast it charges depends on the type of weather you are currently facing. It was very cloudy in the days after installation, so it took longer to charge.
Wrap-up on Eufy solar panel
The Eufy solar panel is an ideal addition to Eufy, as the HomeKit connection discharges the battery more than without it. If you want to use Eufy with HomeKit, add this solar panel for the camera locations with access to direct sunlight.
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