UPDATE. With the mounting plate replaced, and the unit mounted, I can add a couple of stars to the rating. I bought the Arlo Pro 3 Floodlight Camera to upgrade the Arlo Pro camera guarding my driveway. I liked the idea of adding a floodlight to the driveway as an extra security measure. Around the house, have six Arlo Pro cameras powered by solar panels and six Arlo lights. On the front door, I have an Arlo Pro camera and an Arlo doorbell camera. Also, I have a couple of Arlo Qs inside the house. In other words, I'm a long-time Arlo user and have generally been an Arlo fan. I had to order a replacement for the mounting plate because I made the mistake of using the screws that came with the unit to mount the unit to wood. Even with pilot holes, the screw head stripped, and I damaged the cheap plastic mounting plate trying to get the screw out. My bad. I've worked with Arlo stuff long enough not to trust the cheap components that come with it. Arlo customer service was accommodating and sent a replacement mounting plate. I went to the hardware store to buy wood screws and used them to mount the replacement mounting plate. Using wood screws, the installation was simple, took a few minutes. A concern, the only thing holding the big unit against the wall is a tiny screw. Even when it is screwed in tightly, the unit still twists on the mount; so, we'll see how long the mounting lasts. Also, mounting the heavy unit on a plastic mount seems risky; the unit wobbles in the wind. I recommend that Arlo rethink the mounting plate option, replacing it with a deeper metal plate for--at least give the impression of--improving quality. The image quality is exceptional, and the floodlight brightly lights the entire front yard. The floodlight triggers almost instantly, about 1 second lag time from motion to light. I wish I could say the same for the camera. Even with the strongest Wi-Fi and fastest Internet connection money can buy, my Arlo Pro cameras have a 5-8 second lag. I was expecting a similar lag time with the Arlo Pro Floodlight Camera. I was disappointed to find that the lag time is usually worse, from 8 to 20 seconds. I know that Arlo might blame that on the Wi-Fi network or distance from the base. But, the lag time remains the same if I test it five feet from the router without any obstructions. That means someone can walk from one end of the view to the other, and the camera only captures them leaving the view. The motion detection is strong. Set at 80%, the light and camera capture movement up to 35 feet away, easily covering the entire driveway and sidewalk. I can't speak about the battery life yet. But, be prepared for a huge battery. The battery is 3 times longer than the standard Arlo battery, but it still fits with the same charger. I have a mount for an Arlo solar panel that I used for the Arlo Pro camera. However, Arlo Pro Floodlight Camera requires a different solar panel ($60) or a different outdoor cable ($50 for 25 ft.) for external charging. I'll wait for the first battery charge to wear out before buying the solar panel. The auto-tracking feature is kind of cool but seems experimental at best. It degrades the images. Also, it has difficulty tracking the motion. It gets confused if there are multiple moving objects in the frame. For example, if I'm walking in the driveway, it focuses on the flag waving on the edge of the view. PRIOR REVIEW I will update this once I have a working system mounted. Meanwhile, a tip: If you're mounting the Arlo Pro 3 Floodlight Camera on wood, toss the screws that come with it and get some real wood screws from the hardware store. The screws that come with the unit melted. The heads stripped as I screwed them in by hand. And, yes, I drilled pilot holes. Attempting to hack saw the screw, I damaged the cheap plastic mounting plate and had to call customer service for a replacement. I blame myself. As a long-time Arlo user with seven cameras, six lights, and five solar panels, I learned long ago that Arlo's functionality is solid. Still, Arlo components are cheap, especially the mounts and the mounting screws. I usually buy third-party components before mounting Arlo equipment; but, no third-party mounting components are available for the floodlight camera. Meanwhile, as an Arlo user and fan, a suggestion for Arlo: Sweat the small stuff! Improve the quality of the components. This heavy and long unit should include a wall mount made from metal and quality screws for wood.
