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HerHusband
 
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Default Remote Low Voltage Motion Sensor?

Does anyone make a "wired" motion sensor that can be mounted remotely
via a low voltage cable?


Everyone does.


Hmm... Any web links? I haven't been able to track these down. All of the
"wired" motion sensors I have seen are either built-in to a floodlight
assembly, or are designed to wire directly into a 120V line.

I finally realized that your question above is incomplete.


OK, I'll clarify.

I have a pair of outdoor porch lights that I want to control via a motion
sensor. Because of their appearance, I do not want to use the screw-in type
of motion detector.

I want to be able to manually turn the lights on from inside using the
standard toggle wall switch. This should override the motion sensor in case
I want to sit out at night and read a book or something.

When the toggle switch is off, I want the lights to respond to the motion
sensor.

With a standard sensor, this would be easy to implement by wiring the
switch and motion sensor in parallel.

A few months ago I picked up a "wireless" motion sensor at Lowes. It
consists of a wall switch receiver that wires in, and a remote wireless
sensor that runs off batteries. It is made by Carlon, and is NOT X-10
compatible.

After trying several locations for the sensor, the location that works best
is above a bank of windows, just under the porch roof, on the corner of the
building. This detects movement in the driveway, as well as along our front
walk. I know the sensor is detecting our movement, because it glows briefly
each time we move around in the driveway.

Unfortunately, the receiver wall switch is not responding to the motion
sensor signals. I tried moving the sensor closer, but anything more than a
few feet from the switch and it quits working. And, of course, the closer
location doesn't detect movement where we need it.

I don't have a problem fishing a cable in for a wired motion detector, but
because of the location over the bank of windows, it would be very
difficult to get a cable to the sensor. And, because of the window headers,
I would have to use a surface mount electrical box.

I could run a length of conduit down the outside corner of the building,
but this wouldn't be very attractive, especially since it's the first thing
you see when you approach the house.

I looked into the wireless X-10 motion sensors like the Eagle Eye. But, I
would need to buy the sensor ($27), an X10 RF receiver ($29), and an X-10
Wall switch ($54). With the results I experienced with my current wireless
motion detector, I'm a little hesitant to spend over $100 on a similar
system, and not have it work either.

So, I was trying to find a motion sensor that didn't rely on RF or
powerline signals, and didn't require a 120V power line run to the sensor.

What I had pictured was a sensor that could mount above the windows, with a
small low voltage cable that runs back to the switch, and/or a
transformer/relay that I could mount in the crawlspace or something.

Of course, the whole package should cost less than $100, or I might as well
save myself the hassle of fishing wires and go with X-10.

Anthony