Testing the Motion Sensor Gen 2
Updated
Test Mode is a great way to test the connection between your Base Station and other sensors. We recommend periodically placing your system into Test Mode to ensure that your sensors are still communicating with the Base Station without any errors.
Placing Your System Into Test Mode
Disarm your system by pressing OFF on the Keypad
Press the Menu button on your Keypad
Enter your Primary PIN
Scroll until Test Mode is highlighted
Use the arrow and tap to the right to enter Test Mode
You’ll know you are in Test Mode when you see a circle on the Keypad appear with the text, “Test each device by pressing its button”.
Note: If you subscribe to monitoring, you will receive a robo call from the monitoring centre asking you to confirm you placed your system into Test Mode. If you do not answer – no worries! A voicemail will be left to alert you to the system test, and it will not result in a request for dispatch.
Testing the Motion Sensor Gen 2
To test the Motion Sensor Gen 2, first, press the button on the top of the Motion Sensor Gen 2. You’ll hear the Base Station announce, “Motion Sensor” confirming that the test was successful.
To test the motion aspect of the Motion Sensor Gen 2, press the button on the top of the Motion Sensor Gen 2 and then leave the room for at least 15 seconds. This will allow the Motion Sensor to scan the room during that time. After the time has lapsed, re-enter the room. You’ll hear the Base Station announce, “Motion Sensor” from your motion within the room.
Troubleshooting the Motion Sensor Gen 2
The first thing you’ll want to identify is if the placement of your Motion Sensor Gen 2 is correct for the room and mounting position. We recommend mounting it 6 feet off the ground in a corner of the room so that you get the full field of view for motion detection. However, you may also place the Motion Sensor Gen 2 on the edge of a flat surface.
You’ll also want to check the Motion Sensitivity settings within the SimpliSafe® Mobile App. Here, you can toggle on or off Pet Mode, which will lessen the sensitivity of the sensor to allow your pets to roam freely within your home.
You can adjust this setting at anytime by using these steps:
Open the SimpliSafe® App on your phone or tablet
Choose My System from the bottom navigation bar
Select Device Settings
Tap on your Motion Sensor Gen 2
Under Motion Sensitivity, select Pet Mode
Toggle this On or Off
Be sure to save your selection by choosing Save or Send to Base from the bottom of the app
If you are testing your Motion Sensor and do not hear the Base Station announce, “Motion Sensor”, the next thing you’ll want to do is confirm you can hear the Base Station from the location you’re testing in. You can adjust the Base Station’s volume under the Base Station Settings menu, by selecting Voice Prompts.
As a next step, you’ll want to confirm that the Motion Sensor Gen 2 battery is functioning. The Motion Sensor Gen 2 takes a single CR-123A Lithium 3V battery and has a life expectancy of up to 4 years depending on placement and usage.
If you are still unable to hear the Base Station announce, “Motion Sensor” it’s possible that there could be an issue with the location of the Base Station, or there is Radio Frequency (RF) interference at play.
Other electronic devices within your home may communicate on similar frequencies, resulting in wireless interference between your SimpliSafe® devices. Because of this, we recommend keeping your Base Station and Motion Sensor at least 3-5 feet away from the following devices:
Wi-Fi Routers
Large TVs
Weather Stations
Large Appliances (especially in the kitchen and laundry rooms)
Baby monitors
Remote Controlled Garage Door Openers
LED Lights or Christmas Lights
This above list is to give you an idea of what devices may cause interference within your home, and is in no means an exhaustive list of all devices. There may be other devices that output RF or Wi-Fi signals that could impede the connection between your Base Station and SimpliSafe® devices.