X10 Community Forum
💬General Category => General Discussion => Topic started by: whstoneman on December 19, 2019, 11:19:22 AM
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One of my outdoor flood lights keeps turning on all the time. Any suggestions on how to make it stop?
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Have you tried moving the sensor or cleaning it?
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Make sure that it's not pointed towards a reflective surface like a window. I get false activations off my front door glass when the sun hits it a certain angles in the afternoon.
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In the winter..... point it away from your (and/or your neighbors) heat pump, or furnace exhaust. A heat source can "trick" a sensor to trigger.
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FWIW
I have one sensor pointing east, which triggers frequently in the mornings. In bright sun, it seems like clouds moving can change the sun patterns fast enough to cause the trigger. I put a sun shade on top of the sensor, which helped, but does not eliminate entirely.
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FWIW
I have one sensor pointing east, which triggers frequently in the mornings. In bright sun, it seems like clouds moving can change the sun patterns fast enough to cause the trigger.
I ended up using one of those Mighty Mule buried (magnetic) sensor's (under the driveway) as a last resort to get reliable detection... without false alarms. But in the backyard I still get a lot of animal triggered false alarms.
I think.... "person detection" camera/Internet based software has real possibilities.... particularly if we can mix it with software and motion detection hardware..... for a 2-step verification.
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But detecting a large animal isn't a false positive. That is exactly what a motion sensor should do.
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One of my outdoor flood lights keeps turning on all the time. Any suggestions on how to make it stop?
With so little information, unscrew the bulb.
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What model X10 sensor and X10 model module being controlled?
Or maybe the PR511A Motion Controlled Floodlight?
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But detecting a large animal isn't a false positive. That is exactly what a motion sensor should do.
If your intent is to detect all large animals... detecting and alarming for a deer (or your own dog)... would be a good thing. But if the positive/desired result is to detect human shaped objects.... warm body detection isn't satisfactory.
There is human (AI) detection, that uses a camera and Internet cloud-server-based AI. It... by itself isn't great either. But maybe a two-stage "if this than that" approach might provide a solution.
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...might need a Sasquatch filter too. rofl
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One of my outdoor flood lights keeps turning on all the time. Any suggestions on how to make it stop?
With so little information, unscrew the bulb.
That might involve use of a vertical elevation device (ladder), it's probably safer just to turn it off at the switch or hit the bulb with a BB gun.
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...might need a Sasquatch filter too. rofl
I had a skunkape filter when we lived in Florida. Now I only use a racoon filter.
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With no reply, I'm assuming whstoneman fixed his problem.
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With no reply, I'm assuming whstoneman fixed his problem.
With most of the "helpful advice" given here.... he likely just went to his local hardware... and asked an earnest 17 year old kid (working an after-school part-time job).
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But detecting a large animal isn't a false positive. That is exactly what a motion sensor should do.
If your intent is to detect all large animals... detecting and alarming for a deer (or your own dog)... would be a good thing. But if the positive/desired result is to detect human shaped objects.... warm body detection isn't satisfactory.
There is human (AI) detection, that uses a camera and Internet cloud-server-based AI. It... by itself isn't great either. But maybe a two-stage "if this than that" approach might provide a solution.
That's just silly. The OP stated an outdoor flood light was problematic. If his original solution was using a basic motion sensor, then detecting basic motion is what the designer of the flood light had in mind and should be considered when determining the types of objects that are real or false positives. It has a sensitivity setting typically to determine how large/close/range of motion/etc will be detected, but it has no advanced AI. If the OP stated his Amazon/Google AI motion sensor was not working, your comment might have some merit, but the OP had no statement about human detection.
That said, IR based motion sensors will detect movement of heat and not real motion. If you have a heat plume off a heat pump that may be considered motion. I have branches that are clearly different temperature from the background (sky most likely) and in heavy winds will get motion detection. There are motion sensors that use both IR and/or RF (like a sonar approach) to detect motion. The best sensors use both, but RF is likely better in most cases. Depending on your setup (if it's an off the shelf, wired in, non HA style), you might be able to remove the motion sensor you have and install one that includes RF for better detection without false positives.
I can't find a replacement motion sensor ATM, but since we don't know what type of sensor you need, I won't look until you indicate that's something that would help.
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That said, IR based motion sensors will detect movement of heat and not real motion.
So true. My MS16 located on the front porch ceiling gives a false alarm most afternoons when the sun hits the west facing glass door at a certain angle creating a hotspot. Next time I have to climb up there to change the batteries I'm going to try and add a shield.