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🔌General Home Automation => Automating Your House => Troubleshooting Automation Problems => Topic started by: wyx2000 on November 04, 2011, 04:04:19 PM

Title: Eagle Eye triggerred by sunlight, is there way to prevent it?
Post by: wyx2000 on November 04, 2011, 04:04:19 PM
I have a Eage Eye in a dark place, I want it to sense movement, but it always triggerred when the outside sunlight changes, any idea to prevent it?
thanks
Title: Re: Eagle Eye triggerred by sunlight, is there way to prevent it?
Post by: dhouston on November 04, 2011, 04:43:37 PM
I doubt it. Motion sensors see changes in infrared energy within their field of vision. That's pretty much what shifting sunlight is.
Title: Re: Eagle Eye triggerred by sunlight, is there way to prevent it?
Post by: wyx2000 on November 04, 2011, 05:11:32 PM
Quote from: dhouston on November 04, 2011, 04:43:37 PM
I doubt it. Motion sensors see changes in infrared energy within their field of vision. That's pretty much what shifting sunlight is.

So you will always get failed detects when you use eagle eye outdoor? when sunlight is affected by cloudy.
Title: Re: Eagle Eye triggerred by sunlight, is there way to prevent it?
Post by: dhouston on November 04, 2011, 05:15:35 PM
They make a motion detector intended for outdoor use.
Title: Re: Eagle Eye triggerred by sunlight, is there way to prevent it?
Post by: dave w on November 04, 2011, 05:28:21 PM
Quote from: dhouston on November 04, 2011, 05:15:35 PM
They make a motion detector intended for outdoor use.
  • http://www.x10.com/security/x10_dm10a.htm
I don't think the "Robo Dog" PIR detector has been available for more than a decade.
Title: Re: Eagle Eye triggerred by sunlight, is there way to prevent it?
Post by: dave w on November 04, 2011, 05:30:16 PM
Quote from: wyx2000 on November 04, 2011, 05:11:32 PM
Quote from: dhouston on November 04, 2011, 04:43:37 PM
I doubt it. Motion sensors see changes in infrared energy within their field of vision. That's pretty much what shifting sunlight is.

So you will always get failed detects when you use eagle eye outdoor? when sunlight is affected by cloudy.
I have that trouble with one particular detector. It varies seasonally. Try repositioning the sensor. Aim it downward if possible.
Title: Re: Eagle Eye triggerred by sunlight, is there way to prevent it?
Post by: Brian H on November 04, 2011, 06:08:25 PM
If I remember correctly. My DM10A also only sends an On signal and never an Off signal. Like most of the other X10 sensors after a no motion detection timeout.
Title: Re: Eagle Eye triggerred by sunlight, is there way to prevent it?
Post by: dhouston on November 04, 2011, 06:37:37 PM
Quote from: dave w on November 04, 2011, 05:28:21 PM
I don't think the "Robo Dog" PIR detector has been available for more than a decade.
It's probably been about that long since I even considered an X-10 motion detector.

If you look at what's available from places like the...
you'll see that they cost a great deal more and have much better features and most include adjustments to deal with things like this. 
Title: Re: Eagle Eye triggerred by sunlight, is there way to prevent it?
Post by: pomonabill221 on November 06, 2011, 03:16:15 PM
I also had a problem with an eagle eye triggering falsely and thought it was from sunlight.
  Turns out the eagle eye was facing the east side of my house (California) and in the morning when the sun was hitting the house, a wind chime hanging from the edge of the roof, between the eagle eye and the house, would move, and the change in the heat signature coming off the side of the house would "look like" motion to the eagle eye!  B:( B:(
  I was able to see this by soldering a test point on the output of the second op amp from the PIR sensor and watching the output, and seeing the wind chime move when the output would bounce around.
  I solved this problem by masking off the top row of the lens with black tape.  -:)
  I could have moved the wind chime as well, but didn't.  :'
  You might have something that is moving around (tree,bush,plant,etc.) that is between the eagle eye and another surface that is being heated by the sun.
  The vertical pattern of the lens is very broad.  I found that the top row looks up from (about) 10 degrees up to about 30 degrees up, the center row looks (almost) horizontal, and the bottom row looks (about) 10 to 30 degrees down.
  Take a look at what is in the "view" of the eagle eye, and watch what moves when the eagle eye senses motion.