Programmable area PIR sensor suggestions?

[Ari]

I have a PIR on the corner of my house that activates the outside lighting. The problem that I have is that the distance to the road is short but the front of the house is wide, so I need a sensor whereby I can program it to have a 'short throw' (area that gets triggered) to 12 o'clock but a 'wide throw' to 3 o'clock, if that makes sense?

I've found this, just wondered whether anyone had experience of it, or had any other ideas or suggestions?

https://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Products/STSENSIQSB.h...

https://youtu.be/3HrTSMUkQAY?si=GUge18raO5NBlx6B

The one I have came with blanking sections so a part of the 'beam' could be sectioned off, which the idiot electrician threw away! (I didn't find out till later). I've tried blanking a section with electrical tape but it's not really worked.

[Snow and Rocks]

I have the opposite problem with the Ledvance floods with included PIR sensors. The coverage is nice and wide but doesn't project out very far at all despite being angled up and apparently set to maximum sensitivity. Sounds like they might work for you but potentially an expensive experiment.

It's especially annoying because they're 50w so easily light up a large area - interested to hear what others suggest though.

[LooneyTunes]

Snow and Rocks said:

I have the opposite problem with the Ledvance floods with included PIR sensors. The coverage is nice and wide but doesn't project out very far at all despite being angled up and apparently set to maximum sensitivity. Sounds like they might work for you but potentially an expensive experiment.

It's especially annoying because they're 50w so easily light up a large area - interested to hear what others suggest though.

Integrated PIRs are always a compromise. Stand-alone ones give you the ability to chose based on usage conditions. You can get some very long range ones and some that’ll fit on external corners.

The only way to tune detection area is going to be blanking off parts of the detector or using multiple detectors so that triggering either/any of them results in the light activating.

[fridaypassion]

Put a bit of tape over part of the sensor

[Simes205]

fridaypassion said:

Put a bit of tape over part of the sensor

That’s what I do!

[B'stard Child]

Snow and Rocks said:

I have the opposite problem with the Ledvance floods with included PIR sensors. The coverage is nice and wide but doesn't project out very far at all despite being angled up and apparently set to maximum sensitivity. Sounds like they might work for you but potentially an expensive experiment.

It's especially annoying because they're 50w so easily light up a large area - interested to hear what others suggest though.

Is the sensor pointing directly down the approach area??

Think of a PIR sensor as a single point projecting beams of light out with 10 deg between each beam - you need to break more than one beam of light to get the sensor to recognise the approach and trigger the light

I can walk to almost 5 feet from the sensor because it's only when I get that close that I break more than one beam

[B'stard Child]

So having added a sketch the answer to distance issues is to orientate the PIR so that multiple beams are crossed in the approach

Much harder when the PIR sensor is attached to the light unit but I solved the issue by fitting floodlights without PIR and wiring a separate PIR placed away from the lights (and orientating it so that the main approach resulted in multiple beams being broken as someone approached)

[Snow and Rocks]

Ah that's interesting - hadn't really thought too much about how they actually worked.

Will have a play around with it this evening - I was probably being over optimistic with the area I was expecting it to cover but it sounds like there might be some room for improvement.

[B'stard Child]

Snow and Rocks said:

Ah that's interesting - hadn't really thought too much about how they actually worked.

It helps when you know what they need to work well - the remote PIR I fitted had a angle coverage of 200 deg and a detection range of 12M at a height of 2.5 M

Where I originally placed it I could get within 5 feet of it before the lights attached to it worked because I was walking straight towards it so only triggering one beam until I was close enough to break two beams

So I complained to the supplier and said it wasn't fit for purpose.

Once it was explained how it works and why the PIR location wouldn't work I was able to relocate to an area that covered all 4 car spaces and it works well up to 10M with a 2M height above the ground (Further than 10 M would mean it would be triggered by pedestrians or cars going past on the path or road so it's perfect for me now)

Snow and Rocks said:

Will have a play around with it this evening - I was probably being over optimistic with the area I was expecting it to cover but it sounds like there might be some room for improvement.

Have fun - I'd be surprised if you didn't gain some improvement

[Ari]

Simes205 said:

fridaypassion said:

Put a bit of tape over part of the sensor

That’s what I do!

Umm...

Ari said:

The one I have came with blanking sections so a part of the 'beam' could be sectioned off, which the idiot electrician threw away! (I didn't find out till later). I've tried blanking a section with electrical tape but it's not really worked.

[Ari]

B'stard Child said:

Is the sensor pointing directly down the approach area??

Think of a PIR sensor as a single point projecting beams of light out with 10 deg between each beam - you need to break more than one beam of light to get the sensor to recognise the approach and trigger the light

I can walk to almost 5 feet from the sensor because it's only when I get that close that I break more than one beam

That is really interesting, thank you!

[Ari]

B'stard Child said:

So having added a sketch the answer to distance issues is to orientate the PIR so that multiple beams are crossed in the approach

Much harder when the PIR sensor is attached to the light unit but I solved the issue by fitting floodlights without PIR and wiring a separate PIR placed away from the lights (and orientating it so that the main approach resulted in multiple beams being broken as someone approached)

That's what I have (the seperate PIR) but I need it to be more directional.

[whatxd]

Hello Ari

I've been looking for you recently in the crypto thread but you've disappeared, which I find rather odd as you were a formerly prolific poster. I'm not the only who's noticed your absence, pop back and say hello. With prices far surpassing what we saw in 2021, there's a lot of excitement there at the moment

[B'stard Child]

Ari said:

B'stard Child said:

Is the sensor pointing directly down the approach area??

Think of a PIR sensor as a single point projecting beams of light out with 10 deg between each beam - you need to break more than one beam of light to get the sensor to recognise the approach and trigger the light

I can walk to almost 5 feet from the sensor because it's only when I get that close that I break more than one beam

That is really interesting, thank you!

Not a problem - always feels nice to share a bit of knowledge

Ari said:

B'stard Child said:

So having added a sketch the answer to distance issues is to orientate the PIR so that multiple beams are crossed in the approach

Much harder when the PIR sensor is attached to the light unit but I solved the issue by fitting floodlights without PIR and wiring a separate PIR placed away from the lights (and orientating it so that the main approach resulted in multiple beams being broken as someone approached)

That's what I have (the seperate PIR) but I need it to be more directional.

Some times to be more directional you need to do the opposite

Think about the beams and how you can place the PIR sensor to ensure that whatever approach is made towards the cars or house multiple beams are broken in short succession

A long driveway alongside a house wall would be best served by a sensor on the wall facing the width of the driveway for example

Sketch out what you are trying to do if it helps

[Ari]

whatxd said:

Hello Ari

I've been looking for you recently in the crypto thread but you've disappeared, which I find rather odd as you were a formerly prolific poster. I'm not the only who's noticed your absence, pop back and say hello. With prices far surpassing what we saw in 2021, there's a lot of excitement there at the moment

I was chased away with a stream of pathetic insults. When someone's sole argument is 'Haha, you drive a hairdresser's car' it's time to bow out and leave the children to play. Glad your gamble is paying off, currently, if you happen to have chosen the right crypto...

[Ari]

B'stard Child said:

Some times to be more directional you need to do the opposite

Think about the beams and how you can place the PIR sensor to ensure that whatever approach is made towards the cars or house multiple beams are broken in short succession

A long driveway alongside a house wall would be best served by a sensor on the wall facing the width of the driveway for example

Sketch out what you are trying to do if it helps

You've certainly made it easier to understand the problem, thank you.

[OldGermanHeaps]

I control my lights from my hikvision ip cameras, they have small relay outputs on them i feed into 240v contact relays, then you set the motion areas you want to cover in the camera UI, and you can set false trigger filters so it only fires the output if the AI in the camera detects a person or a vehicle in the set area.