The Ring Spotlight Camera comes in three versions, battery, wired, and mount. It’s commonly understood that there is a Ring Spotlight Wired and a Ring Spotlight Battery, with the Mount version as a sort of afterthought. But with three Ring Spotlight Cams comes plenty of mounting options and differing hardware for each one, some of which would probably be best if purchased on your own.

What Hardware Do the Ring Spotlight Cams Come With?

Ring Spotlight Cameras are shipped with all of the tools necessary to install and mount the cameras where you want:

Each Ring Spotlight Cam comes with the basic tools necessary for mounting and installing it. But, although it’s enough to get you started, it doesn’t quite have everything for every eventuality.

For example, some mounting surfaces, such as brick, mortar-bound concrete masonry, or cinder block material, will likely require a different set of tools, as the drill bit supplied by Ring is not very efficient.

Do Ring Spotlight Cameras Have Spare Hardware Kits?

There are spare hardware kits available for all three of the Ring Spotlight Cameras. However, most of the items in the spare kits aren’t specifically designed to be used with a “special tool” or only Ring-provided toolsets.

In this case, a drill bit is a drill bit, and a Philipp’s Head screwdriver is just that. If you prefer the spare kit matched with a particular Ring Spotlight Camera, you can always order it.

  • The Ring Spare Parts Kit for the Ring Spotlight Battery comes with the same tools, screws, anchors, and mounting plate that the camera comes with. Everything on the kit list can be found at a local hardware store, even a reasonable facsimile of the mounting plate. However, for $1.99, the Ring Spare Parts Kit gives you quite a bit, and for the parts you don’t need, it’s always good to have some to spare.
  • The Ring Spare Parts Kit Wiredessentially doubles the number of screws, clips, and anchors you get in the Battery version. Also, if you prefer to hardwire the plug-in version of the Spotlight Cam, you can purchase the Hardwire Kit and turn the Ring Spotlight Wired version into a permanently hardwired version.

What Accessories Are Available for Ring Spotlight Cams?

There are several accessories and add-ons available that can be installed with the Ring Spotlight Cam:

  • Ring Pole Mount: The ring pole mount is exclusively for the Ring Spotlight Camera (Battery) and the Ring Solar Mount. It attaches to poles between 1” and 3” and holds both the Spotlight Cam and the Ring Solar Mount. It’s useful with fence railings, flag poles, decks, and boats.
  • Ring Solar Panel: Designed for the Ring Spotlight Camera (Battery), the Ring Solar Panel is 7.75 x 5.50 x 0.50 inches, with a 13’ power cord, and requires 3-4 hours of direct sunlight per day to charge the Ring Spotlight Cam.
  • Rechargeable Battery Packs: The rechargeable battery in Ring Spotlight Cams is a lithium-ion battery that’s rated for 6-12 months of use before requiring a charge. You can also purchase the Ring Charging Station to charge your Spotlight battery or it will charge two at the same time.
  • Ring Gutter Mount: This is great for those who have gutters and don’t want to drill holes in the side of their homes. It’s especially useful for rental properties where drilling holes might be a no-go with the landlord.
  • Ceiling Mount for Spotlight Cam Wired: The ceiling mount is perfect for getting the Spotlight Cam at optimal elevation. It’s also a great option if you want to refrain from drilling holes in the side of your house.
  • Ring Spotlight Camera Skins: While not made by Ring and certainly not useful in a constructive way—outside possibly providing more weather protection—Ring Spotlight Camera skins are a great way to add a bit of personality, or make your camera blend into the background.
  • Aobelieve Vinyl Siding Mount: If you’re stuck with the vinyl siding of your house as the only option to mount your Ring Spotlight Camera, this mount is designed for getting it done without drilling holes. The Vinyl Siding Mount will also hold other Ring cameras as well as the Ring Solar Panel and the Ring Super Solar Panel.
  • Ring Spotlight Camera Mount Hardware Kit: If you’re looking to convert your wired Spotlight Cam into a hardwired mount that’s tied into your lighting system, the mount hardware kit has everything you need to set it up. It’s also a good kit to have handy if you ever need some spare parts for your existing Spotlight Camera Mount.

There are plenty of options for mounting your Ring Solar Camera and some for adding aesthetics or giving your Spotlight Cam a little bit of cover. Regardless of what you choose to do with the Spotlight, there’s hardware available to help you get it done right.

How Many Batteries Work with the Ring Spotlight Camera?

The battery version of the Ring Spotlight Camera will work with two batteries at the same time. However, the batteries only drain one at a time. They don’t work in conjunction with each other, and the Ring Spotlight will switch from one to the other when the first one dies.

Batteries for the Ring Spotlight are 3.65V, 6040mAh, 22.046Wh Lithium-ion rechargeables. They’re rated to last between 6 and 12 months, depending on overall usage and settings.

Each battery features a quick-release tab, and it snaps into place when sliding the battery into the Ring Spotlight battery compartment. The batteries go in with the opposite side of the tab first.

To remove the batteries, press the button at the bottom of the Ring Spotlight Cam to open the compartment, then simply depress the quick-release tab and either pull slightly or let gravity drop the battery out.

What is the Hardwiring Process for Ring Spotlight Cam?

All of the wiring for the Ring Spotlight Cam takes place within the light panel and is sealed with the waterproof mounting plate and gasket:

  • Since you’re dealing with live wires, you first need to shut off the circuit breaker to the light fixture or shut off the main power if that specific one isn’t labeled.
  • A hanging hook is provided in the installation kit so you can hang the mounting plate to the light fixture as you connect the wires running from the back of the mounting plate to the wires in the light fixture.
  • The black wire (live) and the white wire (neutral) coming from the light fixture will connect to the black and white wires from the Ring mounting plate.
  • The Ring mounting plate also comes with a red wire. The red wire is useful if you want to tie other lights on the same circuit to the Ring Spotlight Cam. You can run additional floodlights into the panel box—behind the mounting plate—through side holes on the light fixture.
  • The white wire from the auxiliary floodlights will tie in with the two white wires from the Ring mounting plate and the light fixture.
  • The black wire from the Auxiliary floodlights will connect with the red wire from the Ring mounting plate. When the Ring Spotlight is triggered, the spotlights will come on, along with the auxiliary floodlight, when the red wire is used in this manner.

Note: The hardwired version of the Spotlight Cam comes with wire caps to seal the threaded wires together. As an additional precaution, you should also use electrical tape to cover the base of the wire caps and the insulated wire, removing any unintentional hotwire exposure.

What Materials Can the Ring Spotlight Cam Be Mounted On?

The Ring Spotlight Camera Wired and Battery both come with plenty of screws and anchors to secure the mounting plate to materials such as sheetrock or wood. It is possible to also mount the device on vinyl, concrete, or brick, but you’ll need to purchase additional tools and materials that do not come with the standard mounting kit.

For example, if you want to install the device on vinyl, it’s recommended you purchase the vinyl siding mount. If you want to mount the camera on brick or concrete, you’ll need the appropriate screws and drilling equipment.  

What Tools Do I Need to Mount Ring Spotlight Cam on Brick/Concrete?

To mount the Ring Spotlight Cam on brick or concrete, you’ll need a hammer drill and different bits from what’s provided. The hardware that comes with the Ring Spotlight Camera is effective with most mounting surfaces. However, brick, concrete, and other masonry surfaces are problematic.

The drill bit that comes with the Ring installation kit is not up to the task of drilling through brick and concrete, and Ring doesn’t run any “buy one Ring Spotlight Cam, get a free drill” deals. You’ll have to come up with your drill.

Hammer Drill

Drilling through masonry, especially brick, can be tricky, and it’s advisable to use a hammer drill while keeping plenty of space between the holes if possible. Unfortunately, the drill bit provided by Ring isn’t cut out for masonry and will probably strip long before you reach an inch of depth.

Tapcon Screws

You’ll also want to look into purchasing Tapcon screws rather than use the provided anchors. Tapcon screws are specifically designed to hold well in concrete and brick. (Be sure to drill a full inch past the length of your Tapcon screws before withdrawing the bit.)

If you decide not to use Tapcon screws, you can use the provided anchors for a standard screw. The anchor and screw method will hold up well—not as well as the Tapcon screws—and it will be more than sufficient to hold up the Spotlight Cam in any weather.

Tungsten Carbide or Diamond-Tipped Drill Bits

Your drill bit should be tungsten carbide or diamond-tipped and avoid drilling into the mortar between bricks at all costs.

Your drill bit should either be 5/32” (for 3/16” screws) or 3/16” (for ¼” screws). Either size will work fine for the holes on the Ring Spotlight Mounting Base.

Vacuum and Wire Brush

You’ll also want a vacuum to suck the dust out from the fresh hole and a wire brush to clean the hole out once you’re through drilling.

Are There Installation Differences Between Ring Spotlight Cameras?

Although the features of each type of Ring Spotlight Cam are largely identical—with a few sacrificial exceptions with the Ring Spotlight Battery—there will be some installation differences between the wired and battery-operated models.

For example, the major difference between the mount and wired version is that the Ring Spotlight Mount is hardwired directly into an existing light panel rather than being plugged in with an adapter.

What Hardware Should I Buy Before Installing Ring Spotlight Cam?

The spare hardware kits and the kit that comes with each Ring Spotlight Cam should be enough to install the Spotlight Camera. However, you may need to purchase additional hardware—such as a hammer drill—to support brick or concrete installation.

If you’re looking for an added layer of installation strength, you can certainly invest in longer screws or screws with a higher material rating than the ones that come with the Ring Spotlight Cam.

If you’re not big on using the supplied anchors—which really aren’t needed for anything outside of sheetrock—you can purchase a stud finder to ensure that the screws find their way into a 2×4.

Aside from the poor drill bit, the Ring Spare Kits are surprisingly robust and come with most if not all of the parts for their Spotlight cameras. Ring didn’t exactly go out of their way to supply a premium tool package to go along with a premium camera, but what’s there is sufficient for the task.