More Motion Sensor Mysteries

[Marion]

Hello - I am new to the X10 world and I sincerely hope I am not  here but I have been setting up my new XCam2 with the Ninja Pan 'n' Tilt base and the Eagle Eye Motion Sensor and the VCR Commander.

The camera works fine, the VCR records if I press the Record button, but I have had no luck getting the Eagle Eye to communicate with the VCR Commander.

I have been going cross-eyed reading this forum for a week now, as well as mining the convoluted deeps of the X10 website and try as I might I cannot get the thing to work.

I have only one camera so I have left the camera and VCR Commander on the A1 default setting.

Could it be that I am disrupting the Eagle Eye programming when I have to remove one of the batteries to screw it in place on the outside of my house?

My goal for this is to monitor and record vehicular activity in my driveway when I am away from home - and maybe catch a few deer and wild turkeys as well.

Thanks in advance for any help you may be able to give me!

[Brian H]

The motion sensors default to A1 when the batteries are replaced. So that should not be a problem.
Can the motion sensor communicate to the VCR Commander if it is in a different place? What is the sensor mounted to and are there walls etc. in between them when in their normal locations?
Also since cameras work in groups of four unit codes and the motion sensor has a dusk dawn sensor in it. At dark an A2 will be sent and a camera on A1 will turn off. A motion of A1 on will again turn it back on

[Marion]

The motion sensor is in approximately the same location as the camera - on the outside of the garage wall - all wood and I moved it up high enough so the header is not in between.  Camera is communicating well enough going through one outside wall and one inside wall.

If the motion sensor defaults to A1 when the batteries are replaced then wouldn't it follow that the only setting possible would be A1 - unless the entire unit were to be mounted on something else first which would then be mounted into position?

Maybe I'll try that again...

[Brian H]

I guess they want you to mount it. Install batteries then use the buttons to set it before screwing back the top cover?

[JMac]

Some where in here there was a suggestion to mount with heavy duty velcro.  That always made sense to me.

[HA Dave]

Some where in here there was a suggestion to mount with heavy duty Velcro.  That always made sense to me.

Yeah I am not a big fan of the "eye" sensors... But when I do use the I use Velcro for mounting Not only does it make programing and battery changing easier.... it keeps them "spaced" from aluminum siding (which can drown-out signal). I got that tip from the garage door people [that sold me an outside siding mounted garage door remote]. They told me to be sure to use the packaging that came with the remote as a spacer to keep the siding from grounding the RF.