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🔌General Home Automation => Automating Your House => User Modified Devices => Topic started by: MatrixPC on July 01, 2008, 05:32:37 PM

Title: MOD: A more reliable MS10A motion detector
Post by: MatrixPC on July 01, 2008, 05:32:37 PM
Alright, this is my 2nd post >!
I read the forum and sure some of you are crying loud that the MS10A security motion detector isn't that reliable.  I didn't really believe that myself until I try it out.
I registered 2 motion detectors with ActiveHome pro and place it at the same spot, facing the same direction that I'll use in the future with the DS7000. 
I set both to 1 mode detection.  Over the period of 3 days, the activity log show up that the 2 detectors report there are motions in the house when there is not suppose to have any motion because no one is at home.  Well if both of them sent detect signal at about the same time, then I can assume that something in the house cause them to trigger, but the trigger is vary between the 2.
Next I set the motions to 2 mode detection.  For 2 days, there isn't any log in the activity monitor, and I thought it was great, but I'm wrong.  I can walk back and forth in front of the sensor and not trigger the motion on the 2nd or 3rd pass.  Again 1 work better than the other.  The one that give more false trigger on single mode does better on double mode.  The one did better on single does worse on double.  I mean I can't use them at all if this is how they work.  The Active Eyes motion detector MS16A is much more reliable than this MS10A.

How reliable is this modification?  It is depend on how reliable is the motion detector you bought. You can even use the MS16A for the mod.
I bought a 15 bucks 180 degrees replacement motion detector for those floodlight at Wally World make by Brinks security and modify it.  Along with this 15 bucks PIR, I also use my existing PIR that is part of the Brinks home alarm system that is no longer in use.

Part needed:
- (x) Source of reliable PIR.  You can use one PIR or a few of your choice.   I'll be using the 2 PIRs mention above.
- (x) Some wire preferable telephone/security wire.  I bought 100 feet 6wires telephone pre-wire for 10 bucks at Wally World by Phillips/SBC.
- Soldering tools
- Optocoupler (depend on your PIR and optional)

Detail of the modification
- The extra PIR that you buy is probably a normally open relay switch.  What you have to do is cut the power trace on the relay and turn it into a dry contact relay.  This contact relay will trigger the MS10A when motion is detect.  If the PIR you buy has a LED that lit when motion is detect, you can use the optocoubler instead of the relay.  If you go with this option, you can remove the relay.
- The MS10A is divided in 2 portions.  The portion that is responsible for the detect and trigger the sensor is enclosed inside the "metal case".   You know what I mean when you open the "plastic" case  ;)  In the middle of the board (bottom end of the "metal case"), there is a ground switch circuit that trigger the sensor.  Basically, if you ground this point, the sensor will trigger a "motion detected".

I will follow up with a more detail description and picture of the modification.  As of now, I'm just exploring the circuit and make some pseudo testing.  So far, the Brinks PIR that is part of the Some security system (BHS1000) is very reliable with the MS10A.

You can try my modification to the Door/Window sensor Normally Open DS10A Door/Windows sensor (http://www.x10community.com/forums/index.php?topic=15686.0) in case you miss it.

Title: Re: MOD: A more reliable MS10A motion detector
Post by: MatrixPC on July 01, 2008, 05:33:34 PM
Reserved for detail description and step-by-step instruction.











Title: Re: MOD: A more reliable MS10A motion detector
Post by: HA Dave on July 05, 2008, 05:03:54 AM
Alright, this is my 2nd post

WOW.... I just noticed your posts! Welcome to the forum MatrixPC !
Title: Re: MOD: A more reliable MS10A motion detector
Post by: tom j on July 10, 2008, 02:44:39 AM
I actually always considered the MS10a's the Akilies heal of the system. That's why I always recommend using the two movement mode apposed to the one, with the one there's just to much room for error a draft or sunlight, or a heat source could possibly trigger a false alarm. I actually prefer the Pro version of the MS10a's, PMS01 they just seem more reliable in the 2 movement mode but if you get some good 10a's they should be fine. What I would recommend is that you TEST TEST TEST the motion detectors in the areas to be protected to make sure the 2 movement mode responds to motion like it should, just make sure you let the units settle a few minutes between tests. Hope this helps!

Tom j.