Motion Detector

Motion Sensor Switches – Leviton ODS10-ID

Motion sensor light switches, or occupancy sensors, wire in just like a regular light switch, and are most often seen in public restrooms, but work just as well in your home, wherever your kids forget to turn the lights off when they leave, or for switching an outlet with other devices plugged in. This model turns the power on when it detects motion or the switch is pushed, and off after a predetermined duration  (30 seconds, 10 minutes, 20 minutes, and 30 minutes), or pushing the switch again.

This ODS10-ID Leviton occupancy sensor in particular is made to work with a wide variety of loads, including  florescent ballasts. You could also use it to run something like a bathroom ventilation fan. I would avoid the cheaper models, because this is one of those sensors that can be really irritating if it isn’t functioning right. You can wire several of these occupancy switches up to the same load (if you have an L shaped room or hall to light for instance) and the switch won’t go off if any of them have recently detected motion.

This is a single pole indoor motion sensor, and is not weatherproofed. It has a 180° sensing zone, up to 40′. It has adjustments for sensitivity, duration, and can be adjusted to only turn on if the ambient light is below a certain brightness, which is another great energy saving feature. There is a red LED in the sensor that blinks when it detects motion, so you can fine tune the controls quickly.

This fixture comes in different colors and fits standard Decora wall plates, so make sure you have one on hand.

This sensor switch can be found on amazon:
Leviton ODS10-ID Decora Wall Switch Occupancy Sensor (120/277V rating), White

Motion Detector

Outdoor Security Camera System

A couple well placed security cameras can be a great supplement to security lights. I try to keep the solutions on this site within the realm of what the average person can purchase and install, and this Logitech Alert 750e Outdoor Master Security System with Night Vision is no exception.

I’ve been anticipating the release of the 750e for a while, and now that it’s finally out, I’m not disappointed. This is a modern take on security. Instead of a ton of wiring and some kind of clunky VCR-like receiver, this will hook directly into your computer network via an ordinary electrical outlet (you still need one ethernet port for the receiver), or when there is no network access, it can store weeks’ worth of data on a MicroSD card (included). You can also view the live feed from the cameras from a remote computer or smartphone (this is free!).

The system comes with one camera, the HomePlug Network Adapter, and all you need to get the master system installed. You can add additional cameras (up to six), which come in indoor or weatherproofed outdoor variants. Be sure to get the Logitech Alert though, as they have a previous camera called the WiLife, which has much lesser specs and is not compatible with the Alert 750.

The Alert 750 has a high definition (960 x 720 at 15 fps) camera with night vision and wide angle 130° field of view. Each camera has 16 motion detection zones which you can select from in the software, so you can set each camera to ignore motion in selected areas of the picture (like roads and sidewalks). The audio is defaulted to off in the software for each camera, so don’t forget to turn it on if you want it. You’ll get some blur on fast moving subjects, but the picture is much nicer than most of the competition.

The remote features are remarkably robust as well. You can have the cameras send you alerts when they detect motion, and you can view the feed remotely, and zoom in on areas of interest if you have a small screen. The night vision is sufficient to capture video in complete darkness, but for a nice image at night, use the cameras in concert with motion lights. If you want an easy setup and value quality over quantity, this is your camera. It’s nice to see a modern alternative. Most of the other systems seem outdated right out of the box.

Amazon carries these, which is convenient.

Motion Detector

Cooper Lighting msl180w Motion Activated Solar Floodlight

Solar motion lighting is all the rage lately. With the convenience of being able to put a light anywhere without having to run wires or pay for electricity, and the low cost of these lights, the allure is obvious. Not all of these lights are created equal. This light by Cooper Lighting doesn’t stand up to the competition. Being priced near seventy dollars, you would expect it to be built to last, but the weatherproofing leaves much to be desired, as does the battery lifespan.

I’m a big fan of halogen for outdoor motion lighting. Halogens put out a lot of bright, dimmable  light, but that is when they are connected to the grid. Where power is scarce, LED is king. If I were buying a flashlight, I wouldn’t get a halogen, because I’d want the batteries to last a while and not take up a lot of space; solar motion lighting is the same issue.

Lets compare this Cooper msl180w light to a LED toting competitor. This solar Bunker Hill motion light uses 36 LED bulbs, runs on a small fraction of the power, requires a much smaller battery, has better weatherproofing, and is quite a bit cheaper. You also don’t have to worry about replacing a burnt out bulb. If you need a lot of light, run the wires. If you are willing to sacrifice some brightness for portability and efficiency, then stick with LED.

Motion Detector

Home Driveway Alarm

This DrivewayPatrol Driveway Alarm is one of those ‘As seen on TV!’ products, which means the quality is questionable, but the price is outstanding due to mass production, and they are thoroughly tested. The idea is simple: just hide the motion sensor along your driveway, put the speaker unit in your home (within 400 feet), and when someone walks or drives into your driveway, you hear a chime. It can be handy for security, alerting you to guests, or for quite a lot of other purposes.

This is a passive infrared sensor, so you don’t want to put it in a windy bush or at a level where the cat will set it off, unless you want your cat to set it off. Some people use this type of motion detector at ankle level by their door to let them know when their pet wants to come in. They can also be useful if you are making a racket in a workshop or are in the back yard and you want to be alerted to visitors. There is no wiring necessary, as the wireless driveway alarm takes three C batteries for the sensor, and a 9 volt for the chime (not included).

There aren’t many products out there that still use C batteries, and if you are like me, you don’t want to be buying odd battery sizes all the time. My solution was to get these Sanyo rechargeable batteries with charger. They come with 8xAA, 2xAAA, and four each of these plastic shells you can put a AA battery inside of in order to make them work as C or D batteries. They work great, and rechargeable batteries have gotten so much better in recent years. I use them for everything now. Everything from AAA to D batteries actually put out the same voltage, they just made all the bigger sizes to hold a charge longer, but the new AA batteries hold more than the old D batteries.

There is a similar driveway alarm system, the Bunker Hill Driveway Alert System, that you can find at Harbor Freight. They are similar enough that I’m guessing they are using pretty much the same guts. Harbor Freight is known for having really cheap stuff, but amazon has this Driveway Patrol unit for around half the price ($11 as of this writing).

If you are looking for a DIY driveway alarm solution, It would be easy to whip up something fun with this DIY Motion Detector Kit. By putting the sensor in your driveway and hooking it up to your indoor lights, you could have the interior lights come on whenever someone approaches, which would both leave a convincing impression that you are home even when you aren’t, and if you are home, alert you more directly than traditional outdoor motion lighting when someone is outside.