SmartThings vs Iris Motion sensors for use outdoors?

[Scott_Barton (Scott)]

Looking for ZigBee motion/multi sensors. I’d like to tuck them under the eves outside to turn on outside lights. Would like the one with better distance, and preferably not false for small animals (raccoon size).

1. Which one has better reliable range?
2. Which one is better for ignoring small animals (I suspect 1 and 2 will be opposite )?
3. Which one has better battery life?
4. What other sensors does each have?
5. Which one would be better suited for outdoors but not directly exposed to rain?
6. Any other ZigBee motion sensors to look at?

[JDRoberts]

I think you’re likely to be very disappointed in any zigbee or Z wave motion sensor used outdoors in this way. You’re going to get a lot of false alerts unless you set them up as a zone using Mike Maxwell zone manager. You can try it, but most members have not had good luck with this use case.

The best outdoor motion sensors for this kind of use are probably the ones that are built into one of the outdoor cameras.

FAQ: Do you know of an outdoor motion sensor?

I am looking for outdoor motion sensors to monitor my yard. I bought a pair of the Aeon Labs Aeotec Z-Wave Multi-Sensor and am quite unhappy with them. Even on the lowest sensitivity setting it randomly sends alerts, some perhaps due to clouds changing the lighting (even though PIR is not supposed to be susceptible to this) and others I can’t explain at all. With several false alerts a day this thing is just useless. The Smartthings Motion sensor works great, I have some in my house, but it is indoor rated only. The Schlage / Nexia motion sensor is also indoor use only. I am hoping someone has come across an outdoor rated motion sensor they have been able to pair with the Smartthings hub.

Smart Zone motion detector (Zone Motion Manager) [Deprecated -- no longer supported]

I built this to solve a number of motion related issues. –Reduction of false motion events in exterior applications (False Motion Reduction) –Represent a group of detectors with a single virtual detector (Motion Aggregation) –Enable a Motion Aggregation zone from various devices, switches, contacts ect (Triggered Activation) This is a parent/child application (like Smart Lighting) where the motion zones are created and edited from the parent application. When a new virtual zone is created, a virtual motion sensor is created for that zone. This virtual motion detector represents the states of the physical motion detectors that you configured for that zone. You can then use that virtual zone device in any applications that accept motion devices. [image] [image] [image] Three co…

[KevinH (Kevin)]

I have a ST motion sensor on the ceiling of my front step pointing straight down. The ceiling is about 9ft high. I have it in front of the light. From there I get visibility out to about 15-20 foot from the door. Enough that walking up the light comes on well before you knock. Yes get a few false positives. But its not horrible. There is a neighbor kittie that would set it off a lot, or a rabbit. The weaker the batteries the worse it is it seems. But battery lasted about a year, just replaced it a week a go and I think it was my first sensor I bought.

Is it perfect, nope. Does it turn the light on when people come up, yup.

You can see the sensor in that pic. And from about that distance it would turn the light on. Also my crappy power solution for the osram gardenspots…with the zwave and power converter in that black sprinkler box there.

[KevinH (Kevin)]

I think ‘tons’ of false alarms is a bit over blown. There at the very end of its battery life it was giving one every 30mins… But thats battery related. During the summer I’d get one a day… 11:30am, when neighbor kittie walked by. I’m fine with that.

But I have actually lived with this for a year. This is not conjecture. I could probably improve it a bit with some masking of the sensor. But cats/rabbits hug the wall when they walk by so nothing I do will make a difference I believe. Its mostly for light automation and basic monitoring of ‘oh crap a package was dropped off’. It is 100% acceptable for me.

[a4refillpad (Wayne)]

I’ve had a fibaro motion sensor outside for almost a year with no issues. I’ve reduced the sensitivity down to only detect larger objects and I’m pretty happy with it to be honest. Mine is under a porch canopy so doesn’t get very wet but is totally exposed to the cold and wind. I even adjusted the sensitivity back up at one point so that I catch that cat who decided to poop on my doormat on a regular basis last summer.