Any suggestions for.....

Started by whstoneman, December 19, 2019, 11:19:22 AM

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whstoneman

One of my outdoor flood lights keeps turning on all the time.    Any suggestions on how to make it stop? 

Tuicemen

Have you tried moving the sensor or cleaning it?
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brobin

Make sure that it's not pointed towards a reflective surface like a window.  I get false activations off my front door glass when the sun hits it a certain angles in the afternoon.

HA Dave

In the winter..... point it away from your (and/or your neighbors) heat pump, or furnace exhaust. A heat source can "trick" a sensor to trigger. 
Home Automation is an always changing technology

dave w

FWIW
I have one sensor pointing east, which triggers frequently in the mornings. In bright sun, it seems like clouds moving can change the sun patterns fast enough to cause the trigger.  I put a sun shade on top of the sensor, which helped, but does not eliminate entirely.
"This aftershave makes me look fat"

HA Dave

Quote from: dave w on December 22, 2019, 10:40:29 AM
FWIW
I have one sensor pointing east, which triggers frequently in the mornings. In bright sun, it seems like clouds moving can change the sun patterns fast enough to cause the trigger. 

I ended up using one of those Mighty Mule buried (magnetic) sensor's (under the driveway) as a last resort to get reliable detection... without false alarms. But in the backyard I still get a lot of animal triggered false alarms.

I think.... "person detection" camera/Internet based software has real possibilities.... particularly if we can mix it with software and motion detection hardware..... for a 2-step verification.   
Home Automation is an always changing technology

bkenobi

But detecting a large animal isn't a false positive.  That is exactly what a motion sensor should do.

dave w

Quote from: whstoneman on December 19, 2019, 11:19:22 AM
One of my outdoor flood lights keeps turning on all the time.    Any suggestions on how to make it stop?
With so little information, unscrew the bulb.
"This aftershave makes me look fat"

Brian H

What model X10 sensor and X10 model module being controlled?
Or maybe the PR511A Motion Controlled Floodlight?

HA Dave

Quote from: bkenobi on December 30, 2019, 08:36:18 PM
But detecting a large animal isn't a false positive.  That is exactly what a motion sensor should do.

If your intent is to detect all large animals... detecting and alarming for a deer (or your own dog)... would be a good thing. But if the positive/desired result is to detect human shaped objects.... warm body detection isn't satisfactory.

There is human (AI) detection, that uses a camera and Internet cloud-server-based AI. It... by itself isn't great either. But maybe a two-stage "if this than that" approach might provide a solution. 
Home Automation is an always changing technology

brobin

...might need a Sasquatch filter too.  rofl

beelocks

Quote from: dave w on December 30, 2019, 09:07:24 PM
Quote from: whstoneman on December 19, 2019, 11:19:22 AM
One of my outdoor flood lights keeps turning on all the time.    Any suggestions on how to make it stop?
With so little information, unscrew the bulb.

That might involve use of a vertical elevation device (ladder), it's probably safer just to turn it off at the switch or hit the bulb with a BB gun.
Although my explanations may not be exactly clear, I do hope for slightly less cloudy.

dave w

Quote from: brobin on December 31, 2019, 07:23:44 PM
...might need a Sasquatch filter too.  rofl
I had a skunkape filter when we lived in Florida. Now I only use a racoon filter.
"This aftershave makes me look fat"

dave w

With no reply, I'm assuming whstoneman fixed his problem.
"This aftershave makes me look fat"

HA Dave

Quote from: dave w on January 01, 2020, 09:26:58 AM
With no reply, I'm assuming whstoneman fixed his problem.

With most of the "helpful advice" given here.... he likely just went to his local hardware... and asked an earnest 17 year old kid (working an after-school part-time job).
Home Automation is an always changing technology