Thread: Motion Sensor Hack?

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I was wondering if anyone knew of a good tutorial for adjusting the reset time on floodlight motion sensors (like the kind you can buy at home improvement stores). I have tried searching for a tutorial on this subject, but then realized someone here might know where to find one. I have seen people mention that they hacked motion sensors to adjust the on time and the reset time so that they didn't have to use the "test" setting, which just turns the prop on continuously or stays on for 5 seconds. I did mine this way last year and it was on so much it burnt out one of my props.

I have seen what I am talking about for sale, but they always look like someone bought a motion sensor at a home improvement store and then rewired it themselves. I would rather just rewire the ones I have, so any advice on where to find a tutorial on this topic would be greatly appreciated.

I think some of the motion sensors you buy have adjustable ON time...if that's what you're looking for. On one that I have its just a small dial on the housing.

Hey YHJunkie - 2 questions: Are you just wanting to control lights (or something else)? and How long are you wanting it to stay on after it is triggered?

Originally Posted by azdude

Hey YHJunkie - 2 questions: Are you just wanting to control lights (or something else)? and How long are you wanting it to stay on after it is triggered?

I want it to stay on 5-10 secs. The main thing I am looking for is that it has 10-15 seconds before it can be triggered again. I have lots of people going through or standing in front of props and they keep triggering it in the "test" function. It would be cool if I could set it up for a longer off time before it retriggers. Anything that I will plug into it will be 110.

Like one of these..... by then time you buy & build it these are pretty good for the price for $45
Flex ECT
They have a few cool timers & flip flop timers for pretty fair prices.

Originally Posted by Dark lord

Like one of these..... by then time you buy & build it these are pretty good for the price for $45
Flex ECT
They have a few cool timers & flip flop timers for pretty fair prices.

That is pretty much what I am talking about. But, like someone else mentioned, you can but motion sensors that already have this function. I am assuming they are cheaper then $45 bucks. I already have 2 or 3 sensors so it would be cool if I could find a do it your self tutorial. I saw one before that was relatively cheap, but I didn't bookmark it. Plus I think other people would be interested in this as well.

I am not sure what type of prop you are trying to control but this is a new controller that has been getting some good reviews. EFX-TEK :: EZ-8 Touch Controller
And you could use this simple PIR.
PIR Sensor

Originally Posted by Meyers Madness

I am not sure what type of prop you are trying to control but this is a new controller that has been getting some good reviews. EFX-TEK :: EZ-8 Touch Controller
And you could use this simple PIR.
PIR Sensor

I would love to buy the EFX-TEK controller. I think it IS an awesome product. I wish I had 10 of them. However I don't want to spend hundreds of dollars. I do however want to have an adjustable time setting for both the on time and reset time for a motion sensor. I know I have seen the tutorial I just can't find it again. So I turned here thinking someone might have seen something similar.

I ran my prop with a sensor on the "test" function last year and it worked. I just want to have it be more controllable as far as the on time and the reset time. All I am looking for is a tutorial on how to accomplish this using an existing PIR . The tutorial or how to that I saw showed how to rewire the circuit board and add what I think was a potentiometer. I do NOT want to buy a controller or a premade sensor. I understand how great all these products are, but I simply was trying to find a tutorial that I had come across but can't find now.

I remember that tut,but can't find it either.I got tired of the "test" ones, I use one of the newer type, the ones that are light switches pir sensor with manual on / off / & auto.
The auto has a setting instead of test 5 sec, this allows you to min trigger on 5 to 15 sec on or 5 min to 15min on. Has light sensitivity switch. Reset time is the only prob.

Originally Posted by Dark lord

I remember that tut,but can't find it either.I got tired of the "test" ones, I use one of the newer type, the ones that are light switches pir sensor with manual on / off / & auto.
The auto has a setting instead of test 5 sec, this allows you to min trigger on 5 to 15 sec on or 5 min to 15min on. Has light sensitivity switch. Reset time is the only prob.

Yeah I have searched tons of combinations of keywords in Google and in the forums, but for the life of me i can't find the how to video. I remember it being fairly simple. So maybe i thought I could remember how to do it. I am hoping that if i keep this thread alive someone will stumble across it and know what I am talking about. I am not concerned as much about the on time as much as I am about the reset time. Thanks for the tip on the newer models.