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Occupancy Timers


Time2Jet

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I have a single 5 minute timer tied to several motion sensors that start a timer anytime the sensor stops sensing motion.

 

I think I’ve blundered in that I have programmed When “Occupancy Timer Expires” >Turn off XY&Z. Thing is that I have all of each room or light’s turn off programming under the “When occupancy timer expires”. Seems like all of these various rooms are turning off when any stop sensing motion timer expires. Should I have created individual timers? Problem is is I walk out of the bathroom (for good) and into the kitchen... if I don’t stay in the kitchen the entire time I think it turns off even though there timer hasn’t run 5 minutes because the bathroom has.

 

 

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Also I like to use the Security Light Driver by Control4. It is great for secondary motion areas (closets, some hallways, garage, sheds, possibly bathrooms). It allows you to connect a motion sensor to a light in the house and set how long you want the light to stay on for, the ramp rates, and more all while avoiding programming. I have been using it for the past few months in my home and in many customers homes to avoid touchy programming and get the best results. Give it a try and let me know what you think. It has replaced tons of programming time and troubleshooting at least for me!

Good luck!

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Yes you need timers for each room with a motion sensor.


I think you’re saying to create separate timers in Agents for each room/motion sensor? What I said above was confusing. Right now, I’m using a single timer I created and putting all lighting/rooms under that “When OT Expires” programming. (Rather than creating identical (named differently) timers in Agents and programming each totally independent).


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Also I like to use the Security Light Driver by Control4. It is great for secondary motion areas (closets, some hallways, garage, sheds, possibly bathrooms). It allows you to connect a motion sensor to a light in the house and set how long you want the light to stay on for, the ramp rates, and more all while avoiding programming. I have been using it for the past few months in my home and in many customers homes to avoid touchy programming and get the best results. Give it a try and let me know what you think. It has replaced tons of programming time and troubleshooting at least for me!
Good luck!


Can you program off of motion with that driver?


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Correct. It’s all good I understood what you were saying. You should create a timer in agents for each room with a sensor, so “bathroom occupancy timer”, “kitchen occupancy timer” etc. Then put the programming to turn off the lights under “When X occupancy timer expires” x being the room you want the lights to turn off in. Or as said above you could use the security light driver but you might need a dealer to add that to your system. 

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2 minutes ago, time2jet said:

 


Can you program off of motion with that driver?


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Yup. In the driver properties you have a lot of options but the main ones you would look at are:

Movement Detectors: you can pick one or more sensors. Usually you would use one. EX: Closet Motion Sensor

Lights: You would pick your light or lights you would like to turn on. EX: Closet Light

Illuminate Time: How long that light stays on for once it picks up motion. EX: 90 Seconds

So what this replaces is basically a programming sequence of "when Closet Motion Sensor detects motion, turn the Closet Light on for 90 Seconds." 

Another fun note with this driver, you can tie it to doorbells and door stations all through the driver properties as well! So you could do doorbell for the movement detector in this case, and say your porch light as your light. Lots of exciting stuff with this one.

Its one of the newer drivers C4 has came out with, but it truly is a hidden gem in those secondary motion areas. 

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If you wanted to have more events happen off that motion (shades, AV, ect..), you would just do that in programming off of the motion sensor. But this driver works very smoothly and saves a lot of time when it comes to basic motion for lights. Now I wouldn't use this driver in a whole house situation or anywhere where you want the lights to come on and you want to turn them off manually via a switch or touch panel ect. Only use this in the situation where after a certain amount of time, that light is turning off on its own. You don't want to have to go back into the coat closet and turn it off after your friend opens it up.

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So you’d recommend this driver for this scenario?:

(All switches are Caseta)

When > Master Bathroom Motion Sensor senses motion
Then > Turn on Master Bathroom Light A

When > Master Bathroom Motion Sensor stops sensing motion
Then > Start a timer (Master Bathroom Light Timer)

When > Master Bathroom Light Timer expires
Then > Turn off Master Bathroom Light A

This is something I’d like to do with 5 bathrooms and up to 2 lights in each.

I am also doing this with a different length timer for each bath’s exhaust fan.

Is this driver capable and appropriate for this scenario. I haven’t looked at it yet.

Also - I have a scenario where I want to have a motion event turn on 3 lights. I want these to come on at 50%. I have them setup now with the timer agent, but they tend to flicker each time motion is sensed after they’re on.

Lastly - I never thought about this, but I don’t have my Nest Hello doorbell on my system. Is it capable of allowing any sort of programming off of motion events? I never even looked for a driver. Really just forgot about it.

Sorry so many questions. These are probably very easy programming questions, but I know there are best practice drivers and methods. I didn’t even know about this security driver.



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  • 2 months later...
On 10/30/2019 at 9:44 AM, Cart said:

Also I like to use the Security Light Driver by Control4. It is great for secondary motion areas (closets, some hallways, garage, sheds, possibly bathrooms). It allows you to connect a motion sensor to a light in the house and set how long you want the light to stay on for, the ramp rates, and more all while avoiding programming. I have been using it for the past few months in my home and in many customers homes to avoid touchy programming and get the best results. Give it a try and let me know what you think. It has replaced tons of programming time and troubleshooting at least for me!

Good luck!

What motion sensors work with the Security Light Driver?

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On 30/10/2019 at 14:44, Cart said:

J'aime aussi utiliser le Security Light Driver de Control4. Il est idéal pour les zones de mouvement secondaires (placards, certains couloirs, garage, remises, éventuellement salles de bains). Il vous permet de connecter un capteur de mouvement à une lumière dans la maison et de définir la durée pendant laquelle vous souhaitez que la lumière reste allumée, les taux de rampe, etc., tout en évitant de programmer. Je l'utilise depuis quelques mois chez moi et chez de nombreux clients pour éviter une programmation délicate et obtenir les meilleurs résultats. Essayez-le et faites-moi savoir ce que vous en pensez. Il a remplacé des tonnes de temps de programmation et de dépannage au moins pour moi!

Bonne chance!

This driver look amazing, but doesn't work with the Philips hue Motion detector... too bad :)

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  • 2 weeks later...

For transparency, this is a driver I sell on DriverCentral....

To do occupancy within a room (or the whole house) with no programming you can use the below driver. Turn off lights, HVAC, AV all from the properties page, no programming.

If you would like to add more the events are available in programming as well. I also try support all sensors available within Control4:

https://drivercentral.io/platforms/control4-drivers/lighting/homemation-occupancy-driver/ 

Im always enhancing the driver so check in for new releases now and again.

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