FAQ: Do you know of an outdoor motion sensor?

Has anyone had any success with connecting a z-wave relay to an outdoor motion sensor like @Byron_Poland referenced in post #76? I have a similar setup using a dual relay (Fibaro FGS-223), but can only make it work if I connect the lights directly to the sensor output (red wire). The sensor I’m using is a Heath/Zenith - I believe the issue is that the sensor output needs to see a load like the connected bulbs produce. When it’s just connected to the Fibaro switch input (S2), it doesn’t see a load and therefore doesn’t switch on it’s output.

I have a cheaper sensor that has a mechanical relay output and this one works. My guess is that the Heath/Zenith sensor is a solid state output that needs some kind of load to fire.

Right now I have my wall switch connected to S1 and the motion sensor connected to S2 and the lights. This is working ok for now and when the motion sensor turns on I can read it in ST. At least I can activate other actions, but it also shows motion if I turn on the lights manually since they are also connected to the Fibaro’s S2 trigger).

Is there anyway to simulate the bulb load on the sensor’s output so it can only be connected to the Fibaro’s input and the lights can be controlled independent of the sensor?

How do you know which Window sensors allow you to add external wires like is done in this video with the Dakota 2500 sensor and kit

These are the cheapest
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Ecolink-Z-Wave-Door-Window-Sensor-White-Brown-Case-OPEN-BOX-/282413359702?hash=item41c125e256:g:sIwAAOSwax5Y2rfS

I am not sure if there are any others out there but for the price

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Yes, the Ecolink are generally the least expensive. The Fibaro door sensors also have dry contacts, Aeotec has a dry contact device, and the Mimolite from Fortrezz has more options for wet contacts. But the Ecolink is the bargain brand right now if all you need are dry contacts.

If you are just looking for an action on two contacts coming together (e.g. Bell push) have a look at water sensors - I’ve used a few of these and they are generally cheaper than contact sensors if you are just using it for this
(Around £10 difference in the UK)

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The original post in this thread discussed using motion sensors to monitor the yard for security reasons, and so all the various issues raised will apply to that type of use case.

Just recently, a conversation started in a different thread about a different type of use case, one more in the home automation area, such as having a light come on when you got to the first porch step. A much narrower detection zone than the security use case.

People in that thread have approached the problem by putting a plastic tube on the end of the sensor lens to narrow the detection field. That also addresses two of the common problems discussed in this thread, insects crawling across the lens and direct sunlight falling on the lens as clouds move. There should be much less of both of those when the tube is used. :sunglasses:

Anyway, I thought it was an interesting thread for those who were looking more for a specific “if someone crosses this exact point, I want to trigger a home automation event” rather then the more general “if there’s motion in the yard” security case.

And here is @eric182 's Photo from that thread showing the narrow detection sensor in place.

The old ST motion sensors fit nicely in a 4" PVC pipe. I use one in the backyard to trigger an Arlo camera when the gate opens. The pipe (4"x2’), w drain cap) is attached under a bay window ledge via magnets for easy removal to replace batteries. Its still a work in progress (want to find something screw on to mount the sensor), but easy to find water-tight parts for the pipe at the hardware store… We’ll see how this holds up in the winter.

Will this work using LED spotlight as you’ve described above with the FGS-212 (240v) version. It is just that I’ve heard somewhere that the dry contacts on the above FGS-212 can fuse together if your using LED’s. Saw this on an Amazon review page somewhere so it’s knocked me off my quest a little lol.

I have a basic LED light with a sensor attached covering my driveway and simply want to have this activate the lights on in the house when the motion picks something up at night.

Hope this makes sense any help would be great thanks

@Navat604 or anyone else that might know the answer to this :slight_smile:

Question 1: So the drawing above is a dual relay switch correct?
Question 2: Can you add another circuit for a second set of lights on here using the S1 and L2 spare terminals?

Thanks

Yes they are dual relay and we are using both relay.
The motion sensor is using s2(switch trigger for L2 load). So whenever S2 is triggered. L2 will have voltage. The reason we don’t use L2 here is because we just want to know the trigger from the motion s2 and not care about the state of L2.

S1 is trigger for L1 and same as above. We are only using L1 to control the light and not using the trigger S1.
Does that make sense?

@Navat604
What’s the purpose of neutral switching?
One relay should be enough to control one light, freeing second relay for another

So you have full control of the light instead of the motion sensor. One example would be you want to know the motion but don’t want the light on.

@Navat604 that sounds perfect thanks for claering up my question :smile:

@Navat604
So if you do not activate neutral and go to change bulb and have motion you also get a shock as voltage now is live?
Also, what if neutral is spliced somewhere and now you break it?

Sorry I misunderstood you question earlier. This is a dual relay module so the internal 2 relays share the same incoming neutral and line hot.

I’m having this exact same issue and wondering the same thing! Did you ever find a load? I’d hate to have to put on a small resistor to achieve this.

I never found a solution. I emailed the manufacturer, but never got a response from them. I did a quick check on adding a resistor, but it seemed like I would have to duplicate a 60 watt bulb and didn’t know how to safely dissipate the heat.

Just a quick check to confirm it requires a load and not the z-wave switch wiring. Remove the light bulb and check for voltage when motion.
60watt minimum seems odd. That means it will not work with LED bulb at all?

You might be right. Right now I have the S2 wire connected to the detector output along with the LED bulbs just so I can at least tell that the motion detector has tripped. I used the S1 input for my manual wall switch to manually turn the lights on. I can turn the lights on programmatically, but if the motion detector is tripped, it turns on the bulbs and I lose control and only get reporting. My goal would be to only have the bulbs connected to the output of the z-wave switch and not also connected to the motion detector output.

Correct, it does require a load. Wiring is fine and works just fine as long as a load is also attached to the output of the motion sensor. Using a single 9 watt LED is barely enough (meaning not reliably). I think mine needs about 25 watts. I’m assuming all motion sensors are not built this way so now to find one that does not require the load.