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Tuesday, February 11th, 2020 2:49 PM

Motion Sensor Alarm?

Last December while away on vacation, we had three instances of a Motion Sensor going off.

Our dog sitter was using the system, and this is the first instance of anything like this happening.

We have the motion sensor on a book shelf, upside down, so that the dog typically does not activate the sensor. The only way we think she can activate it is to maybe get up on the couch?

I have the original basic system, and I can review the log and nothing looks out of the ordinary. Every time the alarm went off, it was about 10 minutes after it was set.

I do have a camera for that room, but I don't have a chip to capture events. I'm going to work on getting one in the future.

Anyway, I was just curious if anyone has had any problem like this before.

Thanks!

2.8K Messages

5 years ago

The motion sensors are not immune to problems or sensitivity.  They are heat-sensing, so even if your dog got close to the shelf/sensor, or jumped onto the couch, it might have picked up.  Other things that can set them off:  heating/ac vents, ceiling fans, sunlight moving across windows, drapes moving, even a bug on the lens.  If your dog typically gets on the couch to look out the window or something when someone leaves, could be she is setting off the sensor if too close to it- but also rule out interior temperature changes.   You can also set the sensitivity setting to lower (a little switch inside the sensor, take off bracket, it's visible).

4 Messages

Thank you. I'll look into that sensitivity adjustment.

Captain

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6.1K Messages

5 years ago

@pitzerboy, one other suggestion.  I have 10 motions and, now, no issues.  Did in the past and found drawing a floor layout with the motion sensors, air ducts, fans and windows shown on it did a great job of showing potential issues, short and long term. This methid even let SS support and I, after several attempts, solve an issue with one of them we both didn't know about.  (Long story short, a kitchen motion was picking us up entering through a door and sometimes set off the alarm. Moving the sensitivity as coltmaster suggested look care of that issue.

I did have to reduce the sensitivity on three of them and move two. Now they work great.
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