X10 Community Forum
🔌General Home Automation => Automating Your House => Troubleshooting Automation Problems => Topic started by: lviper on September 07, 2011, 03:52:55 PM
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I have a MS14A mounted on my front porch to have a remote chime sound when someone steps on to the porch. Sometimes it does not sense motion. I checked the batteries and they are good. I use alk batteries. I replaced them anyway but I still notice this problem.
So I'm wondering if it might be the location. I will try and describe it.
I have 4 steps leading up to a covered porch. At the top of the steps are 2 posts on either side of the steps. Then you have maybe 4 or 5 feet before you get to the front door. The sensor is located on the post to the right and is only about 4 feet up from the porch facing the post on the other side of the steps. So if you were standing on the porch between the posts it would only be about 4 feet up from your feet.
I also have black tape covering about half of the sensor because it was picking up street traffic. So now you would have to reach the top step and take one full step past the posts before the sensor would see you. Seemed to work fine but sometimes it will not detect you. So I'm wondering if maybe I'm too close to it or the black tape is affecting it.
I thought about moving it to the ceiling of the porch. Would that be better? I'm trying to limit it's range so it will only sense motion on the porch. If a pic would help, let me know and I will post one.
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Pics are always helpful. ;)
>!
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Pics are always helpful. ;)
>!
I'll take some when I get home tonight and post them.
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heat and light will always affect the way these work.
if the other post is close enough and the sun is shining on the other post, it may be enough to confuse the sensor.
With your pics discribe which way the steps face. ;)
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Didn't get a chance to take pics last night. Will try tonight. But the problem occurs at night as well.
There is a short time in the AM when the sun does shine on the sensor and I get false detections, but that only last for maybe 10 minutes.
While you wait for the pics, the sensor in on a post facing East. The steps lead South to the front door. So you do pass sideways past the sensor.
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Try mounting the detector to face the front door.
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Another clue that is MOST important...
How close to the receiver is the motion detector?
I have had to add an 18" piece of wire parallel to the left side of the detector to increase the range.
Let me try and splain'...
I
-I-----------
|I ooooo |
|I ooooo |
|I |
|I |
-I-----------
I
I
I
I
I
I
^
^
This ^ wire is BEHIND the detector and is 18" long (indicated by the I ).
The transmitting antenna inside the motion detector is on the left side so this is the reason for the positioning.
It can be a very thin piece of solid or stranded, but acts as an "antenna booster" and REALLY does work.
I found this addition on another post in these forums and did NOT come up with it, so I am NOT claiming that it is my idea, just posting for your info.
As was explained before, looking "into" the sun blinds the detector. Do you have the "24/nightime only" option set for 24 hr operation? I believe the default is 24 hour.
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Motion sensors are most sensitive with the detected object moving across it detection area.
Moving directly towards and away from them is less sensitive.
http://kbase.x10.com/wiki/Motion_Sensors
http://kbase.x10.com/wiki/Optimizing_Motion_Sensor_Detection
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MS 14A can be a PITA as many have learned long ago. PR511 are so much better motion sensors and you can do so much more with them but they do require 110 V AC.
No motion sensor is going to be 100% dependable and a ribbon / strip / mat pressure sensitive NO switch would really be best for a door area alarm / signal,IMO.