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[ggrote]

Greetings Experts,

I can't find info on the following, so I was hoping somebody here might know:

Typical battery life for alkaline AAA in ActiveEye?  (I understand that temperature plays a huge role, but I'm looking for orders of magnitude)

Can I use NiMH rechargables?

Will ActiveHome give me some indication that the batteries are low in a device?  If not, will it at least let me know when it loses contact with a device?  If not, how will I know if the sensor stops working?

I'm thinking of buying as many as 7, so I thought I should get an idea of what I would be getting myself into ... 

Thanks,
Greg

[Brian H]

There is no low battery indication. So there is no advanced warning for batteries.
The security console and their sensors flag a problem if they don't check in I believe every four hours..

Both Active Home [old CM11A serial Interface] and Active Home Pro [CM15A USB Interface] have no way of knowing if the motion sensors batteries are dead.

Remember when setting them up. By default they have a Dusk Dawn Sensor that is on the motion address plus one unit code.
I believe the Active Eye can be programmed to not do the dusk dawn feature.

[dave w]

Can I use NiMH rechargables?

The simplest answer is "Yes,  but why would you want to?"

Depending on how much activity the motion sensors sees, I have xxxEYE motion sensors that last a year on alkalines. Typically NiMH self discharge much faster than that. (as high as 1%-2% per day).

[steven r]

...Typical battery life for alkaline AAA in ActiveEye?...

I can't remember when I put mine in it's been so long.

...Can I use NiMH rechargables?...

I don't recommend NiMH batteries (or NiCd ones for that matter) for this application. Most rechargeables will lose stored power faster than the small drain of the ActiveEye. "Precharged" NiMH batteries such as the Endloop brand are the exception.

The real problem comes with the battery voltage. Alkaline batteries have a typical per cell voltage of 1.5V while MiMH and NiCd ones are 1.2V.
Someone posted a while back that the specifications for the components in the ActiveEye say their minimum voltage should be 2.5V.* This means that while a pair of alkaline batteries providing 3V will be acceptable, a pair of NiMH ones will only providing 2.4V won't. Also if you have cold winters, you need to factor in that can lower you output also.

Bottom line: While I go green and use rechargeables whenever I can, this is not a good application for them.

*http://forums.x10.com/index.php?topic=36.msg82408#msg82408
Wow it took a while to find that post. - Read above and following posts.

[ggrote]

Excellent posts ... thanks all ...

if they last that long, then I agree that alkaline batteries are the way to go ... and if ActiveHome Pro will tell me when it can't check in with the ActiveEye, that would suffice to warn me of a malfunctioning unit (due to batteries or whatever), which will suit my needs ...

I'm sneaking up on a final design for my projects, thanks to everyone.

Greg

[dave w]

Excellent posts ... thanks all ...

if they last that long, then I agree that alkaline batteries are the way to go ... and if ActiveHome Pro will tell me when it can't check in with the ActiveEye, that would suffice to warn me of a malfunctioning unit (due to batteries or whatever), which will suit my needs ...

I'm sneaking up on a final design for my projects, thanks to everyone.

Greg

xxxxEYES (Active Eye, Eagle Eye, etc) are one way devices only. AHP does not "check - in" with them. Nor do they indicate battery status. However the second concurrent address of any xxxEYE transmits "Light"/"Dark" conditions. So set up a macro to test for the  Light/Dark condition change every day. When it stops happening, your batteries are dead, or the sun has stopped.

[ggrote]

[snip] ...  or the sun has stopped.

... in which case it doesn't really matter what has happened to the ActiveEye ... 

[Boiler]

[snip] ...  or the sun has stopped.

... in which case it doesn't really matter what has happened to the ActiveEye ... 

Actually, those of us in northern Indiana note "sun stoppage" on a periodic basis.  We refer to it as Winter.

Directions from Dave W's house to mine - Drive north on US 31 until you are under dense cloud cover. 

[dave w]

 

[steven r]

....So set up a macro to test for the  Light/Dark condition change every day. When it stops happening, your batteries are dead, or the sun has stopped.

Since the sun still hangs around for our southern winters, that idea could work for me.