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[DcN484]

Okay, so here is what I'm wanting to do.

Here's the scenario:  I have 3 exterior lights on the front of my house.  All 3 lights are controlled by ONE switch inside the house.

I want these 3 lights to come on automatically at night, at a dimmed down level.  Maybe about half or so.

In addition to that, I want to setup 2 motion sensors, placed remotely, but not far away.  At night only, when these motion sensors pickup motion, I want the 3 front lights to go up to full power.  I want them to stay like this for ~3 minutes or so, then return back to their default night state of half brightness.

I also want to be able to just simply turn the lights on to full power manually at the switch.

Note:  I do not want to change the actual lights I have on my house.  No motion sensing flood lights.  I already have these on the side and back, don't want them on the front.

In the future, I may want to do the same exact thing as listed above, but with the side light, and back light.  Both of these only have one switch controlling one light fixture.

Will AHP do this?  Will I need the SmartMacro add-on?

My house is fairly new.  Built in '07 and seems to have good wiring.

Any other advice?  Thanks guys.

Edit:  I was thinking of using one of these at the switch.

http://www.smarthome.com/2476D/SwitchLinc-Dimmer-INSTEON-Remote-Control-Dimmer-White/p.aspx

Along with a couple of the X10 Active/Eagle eye battery motion sensors, and AHP.

[bitman]

Absolutely!

But with macros, timers and dusk/dawn motion detectors.
That is the short of it. But AHP can do that.

[dave w]

Will AHP do this?  Will I need the SmartMacro add-on?

Along with a couple of the X10 Active/Eagle eye battery motion sensors, and AHP.

Yes, and Yes

If you do not have X10 now, you might want to read this thread

http://forums.x10.com/index.php?topic=7951.0

just to get a feel for POSSIBLE problems related to electrical noise and phase coupling which you may have to troubleshoot. These are problems which can be present, regardless of the homes age or wiring.  It is just the nature of the X10 signal.

Having said that, I think most forum will agree that X10 automation is addictive and it is doubtful you will stop at three lights.

[DcN484]

Thanks Bitman and Dave.

I've been reading like a mofo for the past several days.  I've looked at everything.... Zwave, UPB, HAI etc.  For what I'm doing, I think X10 will be fine.  I do like the Insteon switches better than the X10 ones though.

Dave, I have read some of that thread.  I've also read, and understand about the motion sensors requiring the next address after the one you set, for a total of two each.  Never use the last address, cause it will wrap back and use the first address.  Keep macros simple, use multiple macros instead of one confusing one etc.

I'm a computer guy by trade, and am handy around the house so I should be okay I would think.


So this is what I need:

ActiveHome Professional Computer Interface and USB Cable (CM15A)  $49.99  http://www.activehomepro.com/activehome-pro.html#

Smart Macro Software Module for ActiveHome Pro with two Eagle Eye Motion Sensors $49.99  http://www.x10.com/activehomepro/plugins/plugin-smartmacros.html#

INSTEON SwitchLinc Dimmer, White $45.99  http://www.smarthome.com/2476D/SwitchLinc-Dimmer-INSTEON-Remote-Control-Dimmer-White/p.aspx

[ultradianguy]

Hi - Pretty sure that one of the differences between the Eagle and Active Eye is that the Active Eye (MS16A) allows you to disable that second address if you don't want the dusk/dawn readout, so you don't lose that addresss.

http://kbase.x10.com/wiki/Comparison_of_All_Motion_Sensors

Also - you've probably figured out that some (all?) of the Insteon switches are X10 compatible so you can use them for X10 now, but not have to replace them if you switch to Insteon later.
I used one of them - I think the one you listed - for exactly the same application you're describing to the letter - and it worked extremely well.

[DcN484]

And if I tell it to go down to 50% brightness after the 3 minute, last motion dedected... then I'd be duplicating the timmer command.

Hi - Pretty sure that one of the differences between the Eagle and Active Eye is that the Active Eye (MS16A) allows you to disable that second address if you don't want the dusk/dawn readout, so you don't lose that addresss.

http://kbase.x10.com/wiki/Comparison_of_All_Motion_Sensors

Also - you've probably figured out that some (all?) of the Insteon switches are X10 compatible so you can use them for X10 now, but not have to replace them if you switch to Insteon later.
I used one of them - I think the one you listed - for exactly the same application you're describing to the letter - and it worked extremely well.

Thanks ultradianguy.

I'm not too worried about the second address, and want the dusk/dawn feature so I think I will be okay with the Eagle eye's.

Good to know about the switch.  I figured it should work for my application.

The only part I'm fuzzy on is exactly how to go about setting this up once I get everything.  Use just a timer for the lights on/off at dawn/dusk, then a macro for the motion full brightness?  Or a couple of macro's for both?  It starts to get a little confusing when trying to think how to setup the macro.  If you say 'off' at the '3 minutes have gone by since last motion' then I bet the command will override the timer, and the lights will go all the way off instead of back to default dim.  And if I tell it to go down to 50% brightness after the 3 minute, last motion dedected... then I'd be duplicating the timer command.

[jtykal]

You should be able to shop the X10 specials to get much better pricing that what you had listed. For instance, you should be able to find AHP with all of the add-ons -- plus a few extra goodies depending on what the X10 porn dogs feel like throwing in -- for the $49.99 price, so you should not need to buy the Smart Macro module separately.

Also, if you don't like the dusk/dawn feature using the +1 address on the EagleEye sensors, it's pretty easy to disable the photocell. There are a few different ways to do that, including this one:  http://www.laureanno.com/x10-mod1.html#defeat

[DcN484]

I do want the dusk/dawn feature, so I'm okay there.

The macro add-on comes with 2 motion sensors.  The motion sensors are about $25 each alone, so they're basically just throwing in the software for free with the purchase of two motion sensors.  I need the motion sensors anyway, so I'm good there.  I don't want any other add-on's aside from the macro one, so no big deal.

[dave w]

And if I tell it to go down to 50% brightness after the 3 minute, last motion dedected... then I'd be duplicating the timmer command.

Hi - Pretty sure that one of the differences between the Eagle and Active Eye is that the Active Eye (MS16A) allows you to disable that second address if you don't want the dusk/dawn readout, so you don't lose that addresss.

http://kbase.x10.com/wiki/Comparison_of_All_Motion_Sensors

Also - you've probably figured out that some (all?) of the Insteon switches are X10 compatible so you can use them for X10 now, but not have to replace them if you switch to Insteon later.
I used one of them - I think the one you listed - for exactly the same application you're describing to the letter - and it worked extremely well.

If you say 'off' at the '3 minutes have gone by since last motion' then I bet the command will override the timer, and the lights will go all the way off instead of back to default dim.  And if I tell it to go down to 50% brightness after the 3 minute, last motion dedected... then I'd be duplicating the timer command.

You are correct in that you do not want to send an OFF to the light after motion stops.

When the motion sensor sends the OFF (after x minutes of no motion), use that as your macro trigger and the conditional macro would be IF dark then DIM light (back down) to 50%. So, at sunset or a fixed time you want the lights to come on and dim to 50%. At motion detection, and night time the conditional macro would britghten them to 100%. After no motion and night time they dim back down to 50%. Then  you would have them turn them off with another contional like: IF sunrise, or with a fixed time.

I have not used AHP for several years and can't remember specifics, but AHP is pretty easy to use. You will need the Smart Macro add-in since you will be using contionals (IF motion AND dark: make light do something). Once you get the software installed and start playing, there is a wealth of help here. Just ask.

[DcN484]

Thanks Dave.  I do understand the concept of macros with conditions.   Like you said, once I get familiar with how it all works together, I'll be good to go.

Do I understand correctly in that the system can operate as normal without the PC being turned on?  Link the PC with the USB module, build your commands, send/store them on the module, then the PC can be turned off until an issue, or a change needs to be made?

[TomG]

DcN484, I have a similar setup. You need to be aware of one more problem you need to solve : if you setup 2 independent motion sensors I assume you want the light to stay at 100% regardless of the sensor that sees motion first, and for as long as either of the sensors keep seeing motion. Using the regular ON and OFF commands from the sensors won't work straight up since the movement might be in the range of one sensor but not in the range of the other since one sendor might just timed out and turn down the lights while the other just few seconds before turned it up.
You can solve this by using two separate macros like below and use just the ON command from the sensors.
Assume M3 is the adress for both motion sensors and M6 is fake device such you can "call" one macro from another:

M3_ON & Flag3_OFF
(
Set Flag3_ON
Turn_Light_Up_To_100%
Wait_6_Mins
Set Flag3_OFF
Wait_3_Mins
Transmit_M6_ON
)

M6_ON & Flag3_OFF
(
Turn_Light_Down_To_50%F
)

The light will stay initially at 100% for 9 minutes with the wait times above. Each time one of the sensors sees motion it sends an M3_ON and effectively "extend" the light at 100% for another 3 minutes and so on.
You do not need to use the OFF signal from the motion sensor and the time the timeout the sensor is set to turn the light OFF after it does not matter.

TomG

[DcN484]

Thanks Tom.  Kinda confusing now, but it will make more sense once I get to playing with it.

Might have to hit you up later on for more help