Which motion sensor(s) are you using / like best? (2015, now out of date)

I’ve read through tons of threads but perhaps we can get a a summarized version of motion sensor experience here. Which are working well? Which haven’t worked so well? Etc.

Probably depends in part on what you want them for. I have the zigbee SmartThings and the zigbee PEQ (made by centralite). Both have been very good for my purpose, which is small touchless switches. No false reports, good battery life, and relatively inexpensive.

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I use the ST motion in the house & the Aeon Multi-Sensor in my Garage, Sunroom & Front Porch. Those places I really wanted the LUX reading & sensitivity adjustment.

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I’ve tried three different variants. I have an ecolink, a ST gen2, and two fibaros. The Ecolink is a good sensor at a good price. It seems to not be sensitive enough to detect someone sitting watching tv. Therefore it’s better suited for the laundry room, kitchen, garage, places where someone will be moving around.
The ST sensor is more expensive but includes a temperature sensor. It is extremely sensitive. I’ve never had it turn off the lights on us while we’re watching TV. Also it’s design makes it suitable for mouning on the ceiling making it useable for small rooms and areas. However because it’s so sensitive and not adjustable it would be difficult to use for outdoor applications. It also has a very short reset time. This is also not adjustable, and will populate your activity logs with motion was detected/stopped every 30 seconds while someone is in the room.
The Fibaro motion detectors cost 10 dollars more than the ST sensor, but has a temperature sensor, light sensor, and vibration sensor. It works well in most applications. They are not for the faint of heart though. Prepare to modify the ST device type to get the most out of the sensor. You will need to tweak different parameters to get light reporting to work. Also to get the sensor sensitive enough to detect someone watching TV you will also need to tweak some parameters, mainly the PIR blind time.

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I have really liked the Fibaro Motion sensor…I have 6 of them and they are just excellent. They are on the higher end of the spectrum in terms of price, but they suit me the best because they are not eye soars in living room and kitchen, plus their sensitivity works well for light control and occupancy. I also use the temperature and light sensor on them to trigger other events etc.

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Yeah I forgot to mention the amazing form factor on the Fibaro. They look big in the pictures, but in reality are the size of a golf ball.

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Thanks for the recs. Based on the above comments I decided to start with 1 Fibaro and 1 Aeon (humidity monitoring in the basement was the selling point here), and they arrived this morning. Gotta love free Sunday delivery from Amazon!!

I’ve only opened the Fibaro but wow this thing is slick. And tiny!

Question for you Fibaro users @Enitech @ashutosh1982 - how do I get into the advanced configuration settings of the device? I’ve got it running and included in the network, and included in ST, but there are many more settings such as sensitivity, blind time, tamper sensitivity, etc.

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Sherry,

You didn’t buy the device you mention, you’re on the development team and the product isn’t out of prototype stage yet. You just started your indiegogo campaign. Plus, it’s not a motion sensor of the type being discussed in this topic, and it doesn’t have FCC approval yet, so it can’t be sold in the US. You need to be truthful about these things. You’re not doing your brand any favors with fake testimonials.

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“Sherry” :stuck_out_tongue: :joy: :joy: :joy:

Glad you found ones you like! The following topic is long, but has a lot of good information on the fibaro parameter settings. Why don’t you move those questions over there, so this one can stay on topic. :wink:

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I have to admit I didn’t search for such a thread before asking that question. :grin: Good idea - I will move the parameter inquiries over there. Thanks.

You need to login to the ide. Then create a device type from template. When you look at the code in the configure section you will see that some settings are already being modified. Use one of those lines for a starting point for the settings you want to modify. Once you’ve made your modifications save the device type and change the device type your Fibaro motion is using to the one you’ve created. Wake up your Fibaro by pressing the B button 3 times. When it glows blue, press the configure button for the Fibaro motion sensor in the ST app. It will download the configuration.

For the most information I would search for a thread titled pre-release of Fibaro motion sensor. This thread has the most information on modifying things. I would link to it but haven’t figured out how to do that on the iPad.

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I forgot to mention that the template that you start from is the Fibaro motion sensor.