PR511 Floodlight - Preventing Motion Detector False Alarms

[csnet]

My new PR511's motion detector on the garage that illuminates my driveway was cycling on and off every couple of minutes. 

I traced the trouble to a light fixture mounted 10 feet away that was throwing some light on my driveway, a nearby tree, and on the PR511 motion detector.

I installed a shield in the light fixture that now keeps my driveway, the tree, and the PR511 motion detector in the dark.

With the sensor now in relative darkness, the PR511 is only triggered by motion, and I am not seeing any false on-off cycles in the ActiveHome Pro Activity Monitor.

I do not know if it was keeping light off the tree, whose branches were moving in the breeze, or the motion detector, or both that helped, but now there have been zero false alarms all night.

Thinking it was only heat changes that would trigger the motion detector, I did not realize until now how ambient light can cause the PR511 motion detector to not operate correctly.

[HA Dave]

My new PR511's motion detector on the garage that illuminates my driveway was cycling on and off every couple of minutes..............

Thinking it was only heat changes that would trigger the motion detector, I did not realize until now how ambient light can cause the PR511 motion detector to not operate correctly.

Interesting. I am a big fan of the floodlights myself. I use them (and other motion sensors) in zones. I haven't have any light issues like that... myself. From time-to-time I have had a wind gust trigger a floodlight... but not often.

The zone setup I use... can [under normal motion] trigger [say] zone 1, and zone 3... before entering into zone 2. Yet as long as the [zone 2] sensor is not bathed in light [from the surrounding zones]... I have had no problems.

I started a thread here titled "keep them outside - better than a yard sign" . I (with others) have explored new ways to extend the home security system beyond the doors and windows of the home. I myself am using the (PR511) floodlights along with a Voice Announcement System, and cameras. Detected motion is announced (both inside and OUTSIDE). You can catch a glimpse of this on my YouTube Video.