ZWave and Motion sensors for security lights

[Whiskeymike]

Looking for Zwave controlled security lights or a path to get there. I have standard flood lights and thinking of putting them on zwave switches. However, I’d like motion sensors as well. Should I be looking at all in one light fixture or are there separate motion sensors that will talk back to a hub and then I can trigger scenes?

 

[Chucktin]

Zwave? (Something I've never heard of). Is your posting an ad?

 

[ddurrett896]

I skipped the zwave because of the hub requirement and I only use for exterior lights. Bluetooth switch with iPhone app allows auto scheduling by time or dusk/dawn.

 

[Whiskeymike]

Zwave? (Something I've never heard of). Is your posting an ad?

Yes, because you've never heard of it, it must be an advertisement.

Zwave is one of the more popular protocols for home automation and controlling electronics like lights via other electronics like your phone or a tablet. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Z-Wave

 

[Whiskeymike]

I skipped the zwave because of the hub requirement and I only use for exterior lights. Bluetooth switch with iPhone app allows auto scheduling by time or dusk/dawn.

Thanks DD. I already have a smartthings hub, as well as alexa's throughout the house. So I'd like to stick to zwave, zigbee or compatible protocols.

 

[Stea1thNinja]

Would they be somewhat protected from the elements? If so I would go with these: Monoprice Z-Wave Plus PIR Multi Sensor, Temperature - Humidity - Light

 

[Bad Habit]

What I'm finding with any outdoor sensors is the battery life is horrible, especially as you get into winter time temps. Just changed the battery about 2 months ago on a SmartThings motion sensor and it's already down to ~30%. Temps have only gotten down into the 30s. Using Panasonic batteries.

 

[Falcon67]

I'm using Kasa wifi switches for exterior light controls. But not with motion. That's an interesting issue. Agree - wifi or even BLE on batteries is a losing proposition. I'm familiar with wifi door locks for building security and the ones that use batteries only wake up once or twice a day to download new data, otherwise batteries burn up in no time flat. Wifi and BLE are both energy hogs.

 

[Jazzman442]

There are several choices for motion sensors and light switches that use Zwave. They will all do what you want them to do. Good Choice on Zwave.

 

[tyme2par4]

I skipped the zwave because of the hub requirement and I only use for exterior lights. Bluetooth switch with iPhone app allows auto scheduling by time or dusk/dawn.

The benefit of the hub is that you can control everything from 1 app. Wifi switches and outlets tend to be cheaper, but each manufacturer uses their own app.
Plus when you add 20 different wifi devices onto your router, you better bet you're going to have issues, or need a much more expensive router.

 

[JRC3]

What I'm finding with any outdoor sensors is the battery life is horrible, especially as you get into winter time temps. Just changed the battery about 2 months ago on a SmartThings motion sensor and it's already down to ~30%. Temps have only gotten down into the 30s. Using Panasonic batteries.

I'm using the Iris motion and contact sensors in the garage and shed for this reason. They have a different battery that doesn't act up in the cold. The smaller cheap Iris ones in the blister pack will not work with the Smartthings (ST) hub. And I'm not sure about the new purple boxed ones currently hitting the Lowes shelves. But the 3326-L2 motion and 3320-L contact in the purple box work flawlessly with ST, no handler require, just plug and play. Best part is I'm finding them sometimes on clearance for $10.

I'm toying with using the a motion outside in a ziplock bag. So far it works as it should through the plastic. I need to get some little bags of silica gel to put in with the sensors to us as a driveway alert.

 

[Falcon67]

The benefit of the hub is that you can control everything from 1 app. Wifi switches and outlets tend to be cheaper, but each manufacturer uses their own app.
Plus when you add 20 different wifi devices onto your router, you better bet you're going to have issues, or need a much more expensive router.

We have about 36 items, no issues. Especially if any support 5 ghz as there are more channels available. But even at 2.4 these things are very low bandwidth devices. It's not like you're running 36 Netflix streams.

And if you standardize on a single mfg of controlled switching, you still have the one app thing. We actually have two as we also like using Hue. An Echo can act as a single control point, depending on device support.

 

[checkthisout]

Looking for Zwave controlled security lights or a path to get there. I have standard flood lights and thinking of putting them on zwave switches. However, I’d like motion sensors as well. Should I be looking at all in one light fixture or are there separate motion sensors that will talk back to a hub and then I can trigger scenes?

There are separate motion sensors that will talk to the hub and then trigger whatever lights you wish at whatever time you wish etc as I am sure you familiar with in smart things.

The part that I like even better is linking the lights to door contact switches.

Light is triggered by motion but is also triggered when you open the front door, say when leaving your house at night, when you open the door the front light turns on so you don't have to turn it manually or wait to walk by a sensor before it turns on.

 

[Stea1thNinja]

Z wave plus significantly increases battery life over the older z wave standard. Not sure about smart things but with Home Assistant you can also setup battery alerts.

 

[PhysicsDude]

Its possible to hook up both a relay-type light switch AND a motion sensor to a fixture. You'd just have to do some creative wiring.

You can wire up the motion lights like you normally would: an always hot (or switched where the switch is normally on) to the motion sensor light. There will be a (usually RED) wire that's the "output" from the motion sensor to energize the light. This wire is often in the junction box part of the light fixture to hook up multiple motion sensor lights together, or it may be internal to the light that you'd have to open it up.

You hook up your Zwave light switch (or relay contactor, etc.) to the RED wire.

With this wiring, the light will illuminate wither either the Zwave switch or on motion.

I can draw you up a wiring diagram if you want.

I'm not aware of any existing exterior motion Zwave products like what you're describing.

 

[75gmck25]

Getting started with the Samsung Smart Home setup is fairly cheap if you buy a package like this one. Since the hub itself is about $70, and sensors are $20-40 each, getting the hub and multiple sensors for $100 is a good deal. https://www.crutchfield.com/p_305MONKIT1/Samsung-SmartThings-Home-Monitoring-Kit.html .

The hub connects to your router, and then you can use a free phone app to access the hub and get the status of the sensors.

The smaller package I bought a few months ago had the hub, a water sensor, and a door/window sensor. Both sensors also read temperature, so I put the water sensor next to my water heater/boiler to detect water and show the temp near the boiler, and put the window sensor on the main floor to read the temperature near the thermostat.

You can set an acceptable range for the temperature, and then when you check the app it just displays a big "OK" to tell you the temperature is within range. If you click on a specific sensor icon it shows you the exact temp, and for the water sensor it shows "Dry."

Samsung Hub can also work with z-wave and zigbee devices, but I have not tried to use any.

Bruce

 

[checkthisout]

I have had non-outdoor rated zwave motion sensors sitting out in the rain for over 2 years without issue. Original batteries too!

Your results may vary!

 

[tyme2par4]

Getting started with the Samsung Smart Home setup is fairly cheap if you buy a package like this one. Since the hub itself is about $70, and sensors are $20-40 each, getting the hub and multiple sensors for $100 is a good deal. https://www.crutchfield.com/p_305MONKIT1/Samsung-SmartThings-Home-Monitoring-Kit.html .

The hub connects to your router, and then you can use a free phone app to access the hub and get the status of the sensors.

The smaller package I bought a few months ago had the hub, a water sensor, and a door/window sensor. Both sensors also read temperature, so I put the water sensor next to my water heater/boiler to detect water and show the temp near the boiler, and put the window sensor on the main floor to read the temperature near the thermostat.

You can set an acceptable range for the temperature, and then when you check the app it just displays a big "OK" to tell you the temperature is within range. If you click on a specific sensor icon it shows you the exact temp, and for the water sensor it shows "Dry."

Samsung Hub can also work with z-wave and zigbee devices, but I have not tried to use any.

Bruce

You can get the SmartThings hub for $50 on sale every few months if you keep an eye out. I have 2 leak sensors by Fibaro that also have a temp sensor, as well as 2 zigbee plugs, a Z-wave outlet and the Dome water shutoff valve. All work great.
I also just put in a z-wave Schlage smart lock on my front door.

 

[Radix2]

I have had non-outdoor rated zwave motion sensors sitting out in the rain for over 2 years without issue. Original batteries too!

Your results may vary!

Can you say exactly what brand/model these are?

 

[checkthisout]

Can you say exactly what brand/model these are?

Of course.

I was purchasing these kits when they were at "close out" pricing.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00XUXYSWU/?tag=atomicindus08-20

One is mounted on a post right out in the open rain, the other is under an even.

The third one I have, it has been nailed to a tree, right out in the open (sheltered by the tree branches I guess) is this one:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01MQXXG0I/?tag=atomicindus08-20

The first ones have a built-in temp sensor and the sensor is angled down about 30 degrees, the second one has no temp sensor and points straight out.

They have both been outside in the rain and on the original batteries since about Febuary of 2016 so almost 3 years old now in conditions they were never designed to be in.

Edit: I lied. I do remember changing the battery in the Ecolink last year which means it lasted just under 2 years.