Newbee, Having issue turning light on using motion sensor

SmartApps & Automations
1

hi, i am new to the Smartthings but doing ok so far. one thing i am struggling with is turning a light on with a motion sensor.
so i have both item linked and both work individually. one is my workshop motion sensor and one is a smart plug which is turned on and has a flood light plugged into it. i can turn the flood light on and off manually and motion sensor works find and sends me push notification when alarm is armed etc.
i want the motion sensor to trigger the flood light when alarm is armed. i managed to get it to work using an automation, however the light doesn’t turn off again! and has to be done manually on the app. so i decided to using the smartapp ‘smart lighting’.
however i have set it all up and it doesn’t seem to work. my motion sensor is setting my alarm off, but light does not turn on. not sure if i am doing something wrong or not.

made a new lighting automation
which lights - garage flood light (smart plug)
what do u want to do - turn on
select trigger - motion sensor
turn on when - motion starts
turn off after motion stops - switched this on
after this number of mins - 1min

in the more options I

only when mode is - away and night

and that was it
 but it doesn’t work!

any help?

regards
Dave

2

When you click into the Smart Plug device and then navigate to SmartApps tabs - do you see the Lighting rule assigned to the plug? This at least proves that the rule is assigned to the right device. Are there any restrictions (such as mode or times) maintained?

3

I’m not sure what this means? Are you talking about Smart Home Monitor?

Also when you tested you smart lighting were you in night or away mode? You have those restrictions on the automation.

4

thanks for the quick reply.when i click on the smart plug for the flood light and go on smart apps i can see the garage light rule is there. only rule i have put on it is that is only works in away or armed home mode. so to test it i have put the alarm in armed away mode. i get an alert that the motion sensor is triggered, but the light doesn’t turn on.

5

yea talking about my smart home monitor being in away or armed at home mode (so at night when it arms when i go to bed)

i have been trying it out in ‘away’ mode

6

so my smart plug as 1 smartapp attached, that is for the proceedure i have described above
my motion sensor has 1 smartapp attached for sending me notifications for when the system is armed or away.

there shouldn’t be a reason 1 would stop the other working is there? or should i have combine both into one smartapp just for the smart plug?

7

Smart home monitor arm states are different than the modes. This is an area where many people get confused. So “armed away” is not the same thing as “away” when it comes to setting up a rule.

To set up something based on smart home monitor armed state, you can only use the smart home monitor feature.

When you are using smart lighting, you are setting it up based on the mode, not the armed state.

The following thread should help:

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8

Ahhhh now that makes alot more sense!

so infact my smartapp i have programmed probably does work. it’s just i am unable to test it unless i allow my smart hub to enter night mode (try it after 11pm) or away mode (remove all my sensors from the proximity)

think i may go to bed a bit later tonight then!

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9

Or remove away and night restrictions. Go test it , adjust it and get it like you want.

Then turn those restrictions back on.

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