We are big fans of the Ring Stick Up Cam Battery and Spotlight Cam Battery, but these wireless outdoor security cameras need to be taken down periodically to have their lithium ion batteries recharged. Enter the Wasserstein Ring Floodlight and Solar Panel Charger. This solar-powered charger is fitted with a pair of LED security lights and a charging cable that plugs into the back of a Ring Stick Up Cam Battery or Spotlight Cam Battery—providing non-stop power and security.
How well does the Wasserstein Ring Floodlight and Solar Panel Charger perform? Read on for our in-depth review. Keep in mind this product only works with the wireless Ring Stick Up Cam Battery and Spotlight Cam Battery, and not the wired versions of these cameras.
Wasserstein Ring Floodlight and Solar Panel Charger Review: Out of the Box
Wasserstein has conveniently packaged their popular solar panel system with a pair of LED security lights, then equipped it with a 13-foot cable designed to plug into the special charging port of the Ring Ring Stick Up Cam Battery and Spotlight Cam Battery. The unit arrives fully assembled, and includes an integral lithium ion battery, rated at 3.7 volts and 4,000 mAH.
Designed to be weatherproof, the device is well constructed from heavy-duty plastics and available in either black or white. The solar panel measures 7.5 by 7.5 in., and is rated at 4 watts. The panel can swivel on its mount and be adjusted for angle through a bracket on its back, ensuring it can be set to the optimal position for maximum sun exposure. In most of the U.S., you will want to orient the panel for southern exposure.
The two LED security lights can produce 600 lumens, and rotate and swivel in their mounts to enable pointing illumination in the desired direction. A motion sensor is fitted below the lights, and can be adjusted to detect movement in a range of 13 to 33 feet. Finally, a wall mounting bracket is included in the package, along with a pair of wall anchors and screws.
These Wasserstein units, as well as the Ring-branded Solar Panel, are intended to charge a single camera. So, you would need one for every camera you want to convert to solar power.
Wasserstein Ring Floodlight and Solar Panel Charger Review: Installation
Assuming you already have your Ring Stick Up Cam Battery or Spotlight Cam Battery mounted outside and its battery is fully charged, installation of the Wasserstein Ring Floodlight and Solar Panel Charger should take less than 10 minutes. But chances are, your Ring battery needs to be at least partially recharged, which can take a number of hours. So get that out of the way first. Keep in mind the Wasserstein solar setup is designed as a trickle charger to keep a fully charged battery topped off, so it can’t take your fully depleted battery to a full charge.
To begin, remove the lithium ion battery from the Ring cam, and fully charge it using the orange Ring cable that came with your camera. Then reinstall the battery into the camera body and replace the cover and security screw.
To connect the Wasserstein solar charger, remove the charging port cover from the Ring cam and plug in the end of the Wasserstein cable—reusing the Ring screws. Now you can reattach the Ring camera to your wall, fence, or soffit, then decide where you want to place the Wasserstein charger. Wasserstein recommends their system be at least 7.5 feet above the ground, and at least a foot above the camera. The bracket attaches with two screws, so depending the surface you may need to first install the wall anchors.
Once the Wasserstein unit and Ring camera are where you want them, coil up the remaining charging cable and tuck it behind the solar panel. Then switch on the power button on the bottom of the Wasserstein, and you’re done.
Wasserstein Ring Floodlight and Solar Panel Charger Review: Operation
Your Ring Stick Up Cam Battery or Spotlight Cam Battery will immediately begin charging once the Wasserstein unit is connected. There is no need to make any changes in the Ring app, but you should check the app to make sure your Ring was fully charged before you started. Just select the camera in the app, tap the gear icon to display the settings panel, then tap Device Health. The Battery Level metric is is at the top of the screen.
In our case, we’ve never seen the battery level in our Ring Stick Up Cam Battery drop below 96% since it has been connected to the Wasserstein. Typically, the battery level will drop three or four percentage points overnight, then recharge to 100% by mid-morning the next day as sunlight strikes the panel.
The Wasserstein unit does not have a Wi-Fi or Bluetooth radio and all of its settings are done via analog controls on the bottom of the unit, so there is no need for an app to manage it. In addition to the power switch, beneath the motion sensor module there is a sensing distance adjuster, light timer adjuster (the length of time the lights operate when motion is detected, from 10 to 60 seconds), and lux setting adjuster (the sensitivity to the brightness of light on the dusk sensor).
The appeal of these Wasserstein units lies in their ability to maintain the continuous delivery of power to the attached Ring camera, ensuring they are always at the ready when they are needed for sensing and recording events. And, since the Wasserstein lights will come on at about the same time as the camera begins recording, you are going to get better video quality in the dead of night.
Wasserstein Ring Floodlight and Solar Panel Charger Review: The Bottom Line
The Wasserstein Ring Floodlight and Solar Panel Charger is a well-built, appealing alternative to the standard Ring Solar Panel, which typically costs more than the Wasserstein but does not have the benefit of the security lights. If you have Ring Stick Up Cam Battery or Spotlight Cam Battery units guarding the exterior of your home, Wasserstein units can make the ritual of taking them down to recharge their batteries a thing of the past. Furthermore, they will throw more light on the scene during nighttime security incursions, adding another measure of safety.
