The Reolink Keen is one of the few 100% wireless pan and tilt home security cameras on the market. It’s handy for watching areas where no power outlet exists. Unlike other cameras, this one is powered by batteries. There is no A/C cable. That means you need to periodically replace the batteries in this camera. This article will discuss how to replace the batteries in a Reolink Keen. We’ll also discuss how to prolong battery life and make a few recommendations for replacement batteries.
A Reolink Keen requires four lithium CR123A batteries for power. There’s a battery life indicator within the app. The manufacturer predicts a battery life of 500 minutes of recording and up to 180 days of standby time. Your results will vary depending upon the amount of camera usage. The more it’s used, the less the batteries will last. The batteries aren’t very expensive but it can add up over time.
We reviewed the Reolink Keen a few months ago and found it to be a useful addition for watching areas that didn’t have a power outlet nearby. However, we found out from experience that the batteries do not last as long as what we expected. It’s especially worse with motion detection active. The more you monitor for motion, the less your batteries are going to last. And we’re talking a lot less. Potentially less than a month between battery changes. Hence our first tip is to turn off the PIR sensor or limit the use to a short period of time.
The Reolink smartphone app tells you when it’s time to change the battery. The app shows the amount of power remaining. We found there’s a very short period of time between when it shows as full versus when it’s about to run out. A photo of that display accompanies our article. Check the battery indicator at least once per week.
Now here is how to change out the batteries in a Reolink Keen.
The photo that accompanies this article has a close up of the bottom of the Relink Keen. You will need to open up the camera. It’s easy. Note the small tab underneath the camera. That needs to be pressed in while pushing the battery compartment door towards that tab. The battery compartment door will come off and be suspended by a wire.
This will expose the battery compartment where four batteries will be seated. Like any battery operated device, simply remove the batteries and replace them. Note the drawing on the bottom of the camera showing battery orientation and be sure they are facing the right way. Once the camera is closed back up, the camera will be accessible. Be sure the button that was pressed to open the camera clicks back in place. Since the camera door is integrated into drawing power from the batteries, it needs to be properly closed in place.
Be sure to get the right batteries for your Reolink Keen camera. Reolink recommends four non-rechargeable CR123 lithium 3-volt photo batteries. However, we asked Reolink about a rechargeable battery and they responded that you can also use four rechargeable CR123A batteries in with a voltage of 3.6V-4.2V.
Stick to name brands on the batteries. They will last longer versus most off brand. We prefer Energizer CR123 Lithium Batteries. These batteries are reliable and will last longer than most other brands. Our experience has been, if you never heard of the brand, there’s a fair likelihood it’s not going to last very long.
If you’re going to use the PIR sensor or simply want to save some money on batteries long term then consider rechargeable batteries. Consider the Tenergy Rechargeable CR123 Batteries & Charger. You can save a lot of money over time and these rechargeable batteries are actually marketed for security cameras.
Don’t wait until the batteries in a Reolink Keen are down to almost nothing until replacing. Keep some on hand for the next time the battery indicator starts getting low. If using rechargeable batteries, keep four spares ready to go.
All of these articles are written by someone (me) that figured out how to do this stuff the hard way. I have owned and tested dozens of cameras. Manufacturer support varies. There are a few good companies that provide timely answers when you have questions. There are several that sell you the camera and seem to have little interest in post sales support (which leads me to finding out stuff the hard way).
