Getting MS-10 Motion Sensors to work with Home Seer?

[Bauerlein44]

Hello I am a relative newbie to the world of Home Automation. I would like to incorporate the X10 MS-10 Motion Sensor into my Home Seer system. I am thinking that the MS-1o, because it is powered by 4 AA batteries, has a greater RF range than the MS14 Hawkeye sensors I currently use.(2 AAA batteries) I found great documentation in the Docs folder in my Home Seer folder and I followed the directions precisely and I also followed the direction s that came with the MS-10 sensor.
Does anyone have any experience on how to set these things up so they will integrate with Home Seer?
Also, in a perfect world, I would like to have the MS-10 activate the X10 Chime Module in my office when triggered. There is no provision to set a house/unit code on the MS-10.
Any thoughts?

 

[BraveSirRobbin]

The MS-10 motion sensor does not send a 'typical' X-10 signal like the Hawkeyes. It is meant to work with the Protector Plus Security System. That said, their are receivers that work with Homeseer that will also receive this signal, plus those of the popular DS10a sensor (that a lot of us use and hack here for various DIY projects).

You will need to purchase a W-800 receiver (older model), or another newer one, whose model number is something like RFX.... You will also need to get the appropriate Homeseer plugin for whatever model you purchase.

Their is also an DIY antenna you can easily build that will greatly extend the range of these receivers as well as described here.

If you are using Homeseer to activate typical X-10 devices in your home, you will also need to incorporate a signal injector/receiver for your powerline like the CM11a (I believe there are also other newer devices as well).

I'm not familiar with the chime module you mentioned and am of course assuming that it works via receiving an X-10 signal via the powerline.

Once this is all installed you can easily setup events in Homeseer for the actions you described.

 

[Bauerlein44]

Thank you for getting back to me. I should have explained my situation a little clearer. I do have the ACT TI 103 X10 Interface, I do have the WGL W800USB RF Antenna Kit, I do have the Radio Shack Antenna, I do have the Signal Amplifier and I do have the Home Ser Plug-In, AC-RF2. Where I am having trouble is getting Home Seer to "see" the sensor. It does not generate any kind of x10 activity in the log so I cannot create any events based on motion being detected. I am very close to having this set up correctly, I feel like I am just missing somersetting.
For those who might also be following this path, there is excellent documentation about the AC-RF2 Plug-In in the "Docs" folder in the HSPO folder.
I am unable to attach any screenshots here in this forum for some reason or I could illustrate where I am at much clearer. Thanks for replying and I apologize for not painting the whole picture.

 

[BraveSirRobbin]

Yea, all of that info would have saved me a lot of typing <_< . Do you see any devices when you setup that plugin? Somehow you have to sync the motion sensor with the plugin (isn't there some kind of button you push on the motion sensor, the plugin recognizes it, then Homeseer creates the device).

Sorry, can't give any more help as I don't have that particular plugin and I'm using the older version of Homeseer with my W800 serial interface.

 

[Bauerlein44]

Hey Robbin. I have been able to get the MS10 Motion Sensor to activate a Chime Module in my office when triggered. My whole rationale for doing this was because I feel the MS10 has greater RF range than the MS14 Hawkeyes I am using. I placed the Radio Shack antenna in the rafters in the garage as central as possible but I had to get close to the MS14 Hawkeyes in the front of my house. The MS10 is going into my back yard area and I have established that the MS10 generates a strong enough RF signal to reach the antenna in the garage.
It took alot of configuring in Home Seer AND in the Plug-In.(Ac-RF2). It was definitely a learning experience for me. I learned alot about RF, the ACRF2 Plug-In, and Home Seer.

 

[BraveSirRobbin]

Great news, good job!

 

[Bauerlein44]

Thank you. I see you are in Las Vegas. Have you been able to get to the Consumer Electronics Show?

 

[BraveSirRobbin]

Going Thursday