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Security camera guide

Reolink Argus PT Ultra 4K Solar Pan-Tilt Camera

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A wire-free outdoor spot where a solar-charged pan-tilt camera can be mounted

The Argus PT Ultra is a 4K battery camera with a 355 by 140 degree pan and tilt head, a 21.6Wh battery and a 3W solar panel in this listing's box. Reolink rates its PIR detection to 10 metres and lists person, vehicle and pet alerts. The spec sheet attached to the listing and Reolink's product page disagree on card size, Wi-Fi standard and IP rating.

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Published specifications

  • Maker: 1/2.7in CMOS, 3840x2160 at 15 fps, H.265; 90 deg H, 110 deg diagonal
  • Maker: pan 355 deg, tilt 140 deg; 1 guard position and up to 32 presets
  • Maker: 21.6Wh battery; listing: 3W panel in box; guide: charge at 0C to 45C
  • Maker page: microSD up to 512GB; listing's attached sheet says 128GB
  • Maker page: IP65 and Wi-Fi 6 with WPA3; attached sheet says IP64, 802.11a/b/g/n
  • Maker: -10C to 55C (14F to 131F); 481 g with battery; 2-year limited warranty

Fit and limits

Strengths

  • One camera turns 355 by 140 degrees, with a solar panel included in this box
  • Local storage on microSD, Home Hub, NVR or FTP; Reolink says no cloud plan needed
  • Panel can mount with the camera, apart from it, or strapped to a pole or tree

Caveats

  • The spec sheet on the listing and Reolink's page disagree on card, Wi-Fi and IP rating
  • Guide says it is not built for 24/7 recording or constant live streaming
  • Reolink's guide gives a battery charging range of 0C to 45C only

A battery camera that pans, tilts and runs on sun

The Argus PT Ultra is a wire-free 4K camera with a built-in 21.6Wh rechargeable battery and a motorised head that Reolink rates at 355 degrees of pan and 140 degrees of tilt. Reolink's product page describes 360 degree automatic tracking, and this listing sells it with a 3W solar panel for charging.

The listing's box row names the Argus PT 4K camera, a 3W solar panel, a quick start guide, a USB-C cable, a bracket, a strap, a reset needle, a mounting template and a surveillance sticker. The quick start guide adds that a power adapter is not included and that the solar panel is not included if you buy the camera alone.

Reolink's page shows four ways to mount: camera and panel together on a wall, the two separated on a wall, the camera on a ceiling, or the panel strapped to a pole, railing or tree. The listing gives the solar panel cable as 4.5 metres.

The listing's documents and Reolink's page disagree

Three important specifications differ between the spec sheet attached to this listing and Reolink's product page. The attached sheet says microSD up to 128GB, Wi-Fi standard IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n with WPA-PSK and WPA2-PSK, and IP64. Reolink's product page says microSD up to 512GB, 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax with WPA3, and IP65.

The listing itself matches each document in turn. Its storage table says 512GB and its table lists Wi-Fi 6, which match the product page, but its Waterproof Rating row says IP64, which matches the attached sheet. The attached quick start guide is dated April 2023. We cannot tell from these documents which figures apply to a given unit.

Before relying on a large card, WPA3 or the IP65 figure, ask Reolink to confirm the specification for the unit you are buying. The size figures also disagree slightly: the quick start guide says 98 by 112 millimetres, while both spec sheets say 98 by 122.

Picture, night view and detection

Both spec sheets agree on a 1/2.7 inch CMOS sensor at 3840 by 2160, 8 megapixels, at 15 frames per second in H.265, with 90 degrees horizontal, 47 degrees vertical and 110 degrees diagonal field of view. Night view uses two 850 nm infrared LEDs rated to 10 metres, which the listing gives as 33 feet, plus two 6500K spotlights for colour.

Detection uses a PIR motion sensor that Reolink rates up to 10 metres at a 120 degree horizontal angle, alongside person, vehicle and pet detection. The quick start guide warns that an object moving straight toward the PIR sensor may not be detected, and advises mounting the camera at an angle to the area you want covered.

Recording is motion-triggered. Reolink lists one guard position and up to 32 preset positions for the pan and tilt head; the listing's table says 64 preset points, which does not match either Reolink document. Alerts arrive by push notification and email, and the camera has two-way audio and customised verbal alerts.

Battery and solar: the limits the guide states

The quick start guide is direct about limits. It says the camera is not designed for running 24/7 at full capacity or for round-the-clock live streaming. Recording is listed as motion-triggered on the spec sheet, and continuous recording is not among the recording modes listed on either spec sheet.

Reolink's page says 20 minutes of sunlight a day with the 3W panel powers the camera all year round, and the listing gives a 20 minute minimum daily sunlight figure. The guide says to charge only with a DC 5V or 9V charger or a Reolink solar panel, not with other brands' panels.

The guide gives a battery charging range of 0 to 45 degrees Celsius and a use range of minus 20 to 60 degrees, while the camera's operating range is minus 10 to 55 degrees Celsius, or 14 to 131 Fahrenheit. Temperatures below 0 degrees Celsius are outside the guide's charging range. Read the guide's battery safety instructions in full before installing.

Placement, storage and network

For outdoor use the quick start guide says the camera must be installed upside down, 2 to 3 metres above the ground, where it gives a PIR detection distance of 2 to 10 metres. It also asks you to cover the charging port with its rubber plug after charging.

Storage is local first. Reolink's page lists a microSD card, which is not in the box, the Reolink Home Hub, a Reolink NVR or an FTP server, and says no cloud subscription is required. Reolink's page specs also list Reolink Cloud where available. The listing's A+ block recommends a high-endurance card formatted in the Reolink app before use.

The camera works on 2.4GHz and 5GHz Wi-Fi, and the guide recommends 5GHz. Reolink lists Google Assistant and Alexa for smart-home control, although its product page marks part of the Alexa feature as coming soon. The guide's troubleshooting section covers Wi-Fi setup problems.

Warranty: two years, with conditions

Both spec sheets state a two-year limited warranty. The quick start guide adds that the warranty is valid only if the camera was bought from the Reolink official store or a Reolink authorized reseller. Reolink's policy page says the period begins on delivery and that registering a new product adds six months.

The policy page tells buyers who purchased from third parties to contact that third party for warranty service, so check who the seller is on the listing before ordering. Its exclusions include damage from installation, drops, power outages, non-Reolink batteries, extreme temperatures or severe weather, and products that have been painted or tampered with.

Refunds through Reolink are limited to purchases from its own online store within 30 days of delivery. Any warranty return has to be authorized by Reolink technical support and needs proof of purchase, so keep the order record.

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Primary sources

  1. Reolink product page for the Argus PT Ultra, with the Specs table
  2. Reolink Argus PT Ultra Quick Start Guide supplied with the listing
  3. Reolink Argus PT Ultra specification sheet supplied with the listing
  4. Reolink US Warranty and Return Policy

Primary sources checked .

Compare with

Side-by-side pages, this model next to: Blink Outdoor 4 with Sync Module Core, 1-Camera System, Reolink Lumus Pro 4K Wi-Fi 6 Plug-In Camera.

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