Quality motion detectors ??

The majority of my automation business has been lighting control and Security. I have just recently been getting more involved with If/then logic and find it very interesting. I'm using Homeseer and I am investigating "occupancy sensors". I've been setting up X10 EagleEye and HawkEye sensors as well as a few other wireless motion detectors. To be blunt, IMO they suck :eek: . Sometimes (probably the majority of the time) they work pretty nice But other times I want to throw them through the window. Nothing more embarrassing then doing the dance and waving your arms around in the closet or where ever trying to get the thing to trip. Other times it turns the light on but for whatever reason slams it back off then you stand there for 10 seconds before it will acknowledge another move.
Sorry for being long winded, bottom line I know the wired and wireless motions in the Security industry are virtually perfect (especially "dual technology" which is all I use).
What does the Home Automation industry use for reliable Motions detectors?


-Kevin
 
:D :D
Just joined the board! My friend told me about this site. It's coooool!!

I use EagleEyes and they work great! I have a pretty big X10 system happening. In the important areas where I want to make sure I get a trip I set up two motion detectors. Not so close and angled a little different so they don't fire at the same time and cause a signal crash. Make sure you have fresh batteries in them too. I have about a 90% succesful hit from them.
Take care,
I'm going to cruise around the forum a bit. :eek:
Burkeman
 
If you already have Homeseer, do you have a security panel connected to it? If you do then standard security PIRs will be the way to go. If you don't have a panel connected you should look into getting some wired inputs into your system. The Ocelot is an inexpensive way to do this.

The direct answer to your question is that the automation industry uses the same detectors as the security industry for the most part.
 
I haven't quite gotten to that point but have been looking a lot as that will soon be the next item I need to address for security. A lot of people seem to like Optex and Bosch (sp?). I was leaning towards the former myself but have not been able to test it yet (and do not have experience with them at this time).

I have two small dogs, which of course complicates this.
 
intelli-home said:
The majority of my automation business has been lighting control and Security. I have just recently been getting more involved with If/then logic and find it very interesting. I'm using Homeseer and I am investigating "occupancy sensors". I've been setting up X10 EagleEye and HawkEye sensors as well as a few other wireless motion detectors. To be blunt, IMO they suck :eek: . Sometimes (probably the majority of the time) they work pretty nice But other times I want to throw them through the window. Nothing more embarrassing then doing the dance and waving your arms around in the closet or where ever trying to get the thing to trip. Other times it turns the light on but for whatever reason slams it back off then you stand there for 10 seconds before it will acknowledge another move.
Sorry for being long winded, bottom line I know the wired and wireless motions in the Security industry are virtually perfect (especially "dual technology" which is all I use).
What does the Home Automation industry use for reliable Motions detectors?


-Kevin
Kevin,

I agree with Mike that nothing beats motion sensors tied into your security system (the Elk being the best, IMO) but even then I find that for lighting control nothing beats QUANTITY of sensors. Let me explain:

I have several hard wired sensors running to my Elk, which is tied to HS. They work great, but it can still take a few seconds for them to recognize movement depending on one's angle of approach, etc. They're basically 100% for security because they WILL pick up a person's movement. But for lighting, even a few seconds can be aggravating. That's where multiple, CHEAP sensors come in.

Example: I have a hardwired sensor in our upstairs hallway, but it never triggered the light reliably and QUICKLY when someone entered the hallway in the middle of the night. After a zillion adjustments on my part, I finally just went online and found a low, low price on X10 RF sensors like those you describe and bought a bunch. I put one at each end of the hall, and then another on a perpendicular wall, and kept the hardwired PIR on as well. I then tied them all into a single Occupancy sensor using DooMotion (I noticed you were using Homeseer) and voila - perfection. One of those sensors WILL pick someone up, and FAST. And all for a fraction of the price of a really good PIR...
 
Thanks Guys!!

I do have an older NAPCO alarm panel. I don't have it wired to any automation devices at this time. I've been reading on the Ocelot and that sounds like the way I may go being I'd also like to get some IR devices tied in.
Yeah, in the security business we are always trying to keep the motions from triggers (false triggers). Now I'm trying to make them trigger. The security hardwired motions are outstanding devices I just wasn't sure how to tie them into automation reliably.
I'm with Macdodger on his quote "But for lighting, even a few seconds can be aggravating"

Mike, Your small dogs won't be a problem at all. You can get a pet immune motion. They are designed so that a pet will not cause an alarm. Pets under a certain weight and size are ignored through use of dual sensor technology. It compares a pet's characteristics against those of a people to decide whether or not to activate. Optex, Bosch, Napco, GE, Visonic are all very good.

Thanks again guys, I'll go with what I'm familiar with and try the Ocelot to get them tied in.

-Kevin
 
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