How long w/o batteries before MS16, MS14 resets?

[pconroy]

Just wondering if anyone knows how long you have, after you pull the batteries out of a motion sensor, before it resets itself back to A-1 and other defaults?

Curious...

[nybuck]

You know, I was wondering the same thing... 

I came across a post:
http://forums.x10.com/index.php?topic=19670.0

Where they say:
"The MS1XA has no low battery indicator, and once you pull out a battery the address has to be reset."

That doesn't give me a warm feeling for using code J9, if you know what I mean!   

[STI2NR]

I think that I have moved mine around so much that reprogramming them is no big deal. 

[HA Dave]

I buy the 2 inch self-adhesive Velcro and attach it to the back of the "eye" sensors.... as well as where I decide to place them. This allows me to replace the batteries and reprogram the units on the ground instead of on a ladder. Also the Velcro is a decent insulator from the grounding effects of things like metal siding.

I use hook over pile. That means the hook part of the Velcro is always "on top" or the part that "pulls off". Which means all the sensors are the same and are easy to replace with one from my "Extra Part Bin". I also open and use electrical tape to cover the dusk/dawn sensor on my "eye sensors" as well.

[pconroy]

You know, I was wondering the same thing... 

I came across a post:
http://forums.x10.com/index.php?topic=19670.0

Where they say:
"The MS1XA has no low battery indicator, and once you pull out a battery the address has to be reset."

That doesn't give me a warm feeling for using code J9, if you know what I mean!   

Well that sure as heck would 'splain why they "stopped sending" when I finally mounted them outside!
Had to pull the batteries to mount them! 

[nybuck]

Well that sure as heck would 'splain why they "stopped sending" when I finally mounted them outside!
Had to pull the batteries to mount them!  

I was looking at that as a poor choice in design.  If they put the screw holes Around the batteries, instead of Under them, you would have a working motion detector.

Of course, if the glue holds, Dave's velcro solution fixes that.   

[HA Dave]

Of course, if the glue holds, Dave's velcro solution fixes that.   

I am not a huge fan of the "eye" motion detectors.... but I do use them and the Velcro holds fine. I also use the "A1" address in my office... it makes testing new X10 devices easy as X10 uses A1 as the default on many items. That should also provide me with an alert [of sorts] as when a motion sensors battery gets low... it might default to the A1 briefly.

[dave w]

Just wondering if anyone knows how long you have, after you pull the batteries out of a motion sensor, before it resets itself back to A-1 and other defaults?

Curious...

There is no "battery swap grace period" The xxxxEyes forget HCUC almost instantly upon battery removal.

[grahamk]

Is there an X10 motion detector that can survive a battery replacement without needing to be reset?

[Tuicemen]

The security motion sensors can survive a battery replacement.
I've replaced all my xxxxeye sensors with them.
However you need AHP and the onAlert plug-in to use them in a HA setup!
Well... not entirely true there are other ways to make them work with standard X10 signals!

[grahamk]

Thanks - all my motion sensors trigger AHP smart macros for the action they take. Will the security sensors work in this environment or would i need the additional plugin?

[dave w]

Thanks - all my motion sensors trigger AHP smart macros for the action they take. Will the security sensors work in this environment or would i need the additional plugin?

You need OnAlert for the security model sensors.

[Tuicemen]

You can still use Smartmacros, the onAlert plug-in adds options to the Smartmacros to enable security modules.
Without this Plug-in your security modules can't be seen by AHP.

[grahamk]

OK - Thanks a lot.