Im getting through a battery EVERY month with my porch motion sensor. Ive tried Panasonic & Duracell, buying from Amazon direct, not 3rd party sellers so I know they are pukka.
Maybe part of the problem is range between the 2, maybe because the porch is a little cooler etc, but after a few years Im getting fed up with it & just want one that works.
Doesnt even need to be tiny - so could potentially use better batteries like AA or AAA
Anyone else able to recommend a motion sensor that integrates with Smartthings OR can connect to the wifi directly without the need to go through the Smartthings hub or without need for an additional hub? Its literally just to turn on the porch light when it senses movement. thanks
You wrote “presence Sensor“ but it sounds like you meant “motion sensor“.
In smartthings context, a “presence Sensor“ is a device that you carry with you and that can notify smartthings when you cross a geographic border.
A “motion sensor“ would detect movement within about 15 feet of the sensor. Is that what you meant?
OK, it could just be a defective unit, it could be that those devices are not intended for outdoors and it’s getting too many false alerts, or it could be that you were just right on the edge of communication range so that it’s having to try each message three or four times. That will then use up the battery three or four times more frequently, at least.
So before moving forward, what’s the physically closest Mains powered Zigbee device to your sensor?
The Ring doorbell once linked to SmartThings works excellent as a motion sensor for the front door.
If it is a wired Ring doorbell then there are no worries about batteries. Mine triggers the inside foyer light to come on as the front door is approached.
If you are asking for outside, but outside with an overhang or something to protect from the elements and are okay with some false alerts the ecolink motion will last forever on its batteries.
Closest mains powered would be the bulb that it switches on and off. That never has an issue seeing the hub, or me being able to connect to it. The hub is probably no more than 8 metres away from the sensor. I think thats the main problem - that its right on the very range & that prbably also impacts battery life, which is shocking
I’ve tried both a v1 & v2 presence sensors and both have issues seeing the hub - I guess that I could try
& move the hub to upstairs at the front of the house as I have an ethernet point upstairs hardwired to the broadband router downstairs.
We are knocking down the porch next year & building a new one, at which point I may just use one of these instead of a light switch - thats what we have in the garage & it works fine!
At the moment the porch is a very weird configuration & the light switch is just a tiny on/off switch, so I cant currently site a proper light switch anywhere until we knock it down & build a better one.
@Jeff_H - we need the porch light on when we go into the porch from the house, so not just when we come home. We both have our mobiles set as proximity sensors so that generally switches on the porch light for us when we approach the house.
@professordave - the presence sensor is for INSIDE the porch
My Ring Doorbell is mounted on the door trim , right next to the screen door handle . When exiting the house I only have to open the screen door about 6" and it activates the motion sensor.
It is not just pointed straight ahead, it sees a wide angle. It sees the door opening to the side of it.
