X10 Community Forum
🔌General Home Automation => Automating Your House => Troubleshooting Automation Problems => Topic started by: TinkerTom on May 11, 2009, 10:41:53 AM
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We have our cats litter box in a small half bath. The bath is only 36 inches wide but is nine feet long. The door is midway on the long side. The litter box is placed across from the door and slightly to one side. It's the only place to put it, the counter, fixtures and door prohibit it from being placed elsewhere.
We want to have the ceiling fan come on when a cat enters the area and turn off some time later. I have experimented with placing the motion sensor at different heights and angles of deflection and only get occasional triggers. I’ve tried high and angled down toward the litter box and at the same level of cat entering the litter box as well as various other positions on the wall opposite the litter box.
The action of a cat entering the bathroom and litter box does not trigger the motion sensor with any degree of reliability. Has anyone attempted to do something similar with any degree of success? Does anyone have a suggestion for the placement of the motion sensor?
Thanks
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You could put it right above the box at an angle. Then it would fire when the cat actually was in the box. If your getting mixed results there could be many things effecting it. Range to be one.
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I use a similar setup to start the "Pepe Le Pew Stink Good Fragrance Generator" (my own invention...un patented.) My MS14A sits on the floor against baseboard next to the litter box so cat walks within three feet of MS14A to get to box. MS14A tiggers reliably by cat or human (human bathroom also) with this arrangement. Both cats are short haired. A long haired cat may be well enough insulated that your motion sensor does not see it unless the cat is moving close to the sensor. Does it trigger OK on humans?
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You could put it right above the box at an angle. Then it would fire when the cat actually was in the box. If your getting mixed results there could be many things effecting it. Range to be one.
I've considered the range, hence moving the sensor to a position near the ceiling and pointing down toward the litter box.
At the current time I have it placed at cat height near the door so that they have to walk past it to get into the litter box. This looks as though it may be the location where it produces the best response.
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I use a similar setup to start the "Pepe Le Pew Stink Good Fragrance Generator" (my own invention...un patented.) My MS14A sits on the floor against baseboard next to the litter box so cat walks within three feet of MS14A to get to box. MS14A tiggers reliably by cat or human (human bathroom also) with this arrangement. Both cats are short haired. A long haired cat may be well enough insulated that your motion sensor does not see it unless the cat is moving close to the sensor. Does it trigger OK on humans?
I like the sounds of the "Pepe Le Pew" thingy. We have one long hair and it seems as though she will trigger the sensor. Since I have moved it closer to the floor it seems to be working better. It does work when I walk into the room.
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Oh, y'all like cats? I have one you can HAVE.
Fed-ex overnight morning delivery.
:D
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I'd give you my cats too! But.... then that would take half of my security system! rofl
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I'd give you my cats too! But.... then that would take half of my security system! rofl
I don't think "pole-cats" are technically "cats". rofl