Is there a better way? Timers just don't do it.

Posted on
Tue Nov 24, 2020 7:59 am
Sharek326 offline
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Is there a better way? Timers just don't do it.

I am hoping someone has a better solution to a problem I am having.

Like many others I use the timers as a way to control lights and other devices.

Enter a room and the motion detects it turning on the light or air purifier or whatever.

Motion goes off and triggers a second event to start the time on a 5 min countdown. If motion is detected again pause the time Off resume the timer. When the timer expires turn off the device.

The problem even though I am in the room and never leave the timer or motion misses a few or maybe the timer just eventually winds down to zero. And the light or device goes off anyway even if someone is in the room and moving.

I am in my office where I am about 3 feet from the motion and this still happens.

Anyone have a better solution ?

Posted on
Tue Nov 24, 2020 11:12 am
jay (support) offline
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Re: Is there a better way? Timers just don't do it.

So, timers aren't actually the problem. Rather, using motion sensors as your presence detection is what's not working., correct? Just want to make sure that Timer devices aren't the actual problem as the topic title might suggest.

Presence detection is something that's often discussed here in the forums, and I believe there's someone actively working on it. It's not easy and, IMO, is the next biggest part of the "smart home" waiting for disruption, as Alexa, Google Home, and Siri were for whole-home voice recognition. But as of right now, there's no straight-forward solution but rather likely a collection of various techniques combined together.

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Posted on
Tue Nov 24, 2020 11:56 am
Sharek326 offline
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Re: Is there a better way? Timers just don't do it.

Well I think it's a combination of both Jay.

In regards to the Motion Sensors regardless of brand I use Fibaro Aeon Lab Zooz they all have that overlap time from when the Motion sensor breaches to when is goes safe and able to see a breach again. I would imagine in that gap is where motion can be missed.

In regards to the Timer the constant tick downward is a gap that eventually it will reach zero. I thought about setting the timer longer thus increasing the time it takes to count down and the hope is the motion would catch it. But I think that just prolongs the actual problem. It will eventually reach zero and turn off

I also thought that maybe the answer would be on the resume part of the function to reset the timer instead of resume but I only have a cancel option which I think just cancels the timer and could through the whole sequence out of sync.

Posted on
Tue Nov 24, 2020 12:11 pm
siclark offline
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Re: Is there a better way? Timers just don't do it.

I use activity timers.

They get restarted whenever motion is seen, so as long as there is motion within the countdown window, I use 10-15 minutes for day time when we are in motion more and longer if we are sitting motionless on the sofa., then the lights stay on.

As soon as there is no movement for 10 minutes say, the timer reaches zero, and I have a trigger to turn the lights off. Only a problem if your motion sensor doesnt reset for 3 mins and you want the lights to go off sooner than that.

Posted on
Tue Nov 24, 2020 12:44 pm
Sharek326 offline
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Re: Is there a better way? Timers just don't do it.

Is activity timers something different than the timers and pesters built in?

The Timers is what I am currently using but thats where the 3 min gap is. The problem isn't that the light doesn't come one or that the timer doesn't start or even pause. The problem seems to be in the resume. For example

I enter the room Motion breeches light come on .....working
Motion goes to a safe state (off) which now triggers the timer to begin counting down lets say from 5 min. ....working

At 2:30 seconds for example Motion sees me pauses the timer.....working

Motion goes safe again resumers the timer from 2:30 seconds and now my window for motion to see me become less and less until it finally shuts off

If I could reset the process instead of resume not I would have a full 5 min again fr the motion to see me

Posted on
Tue Nov 24, 2020 12:53 pm
siclark offline
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Re: Is there a better way? Timers just don't do it.

Yes they are different. It’s a plugin. Hopefully this links to it.

Timed Devices plugin
https://r.tapatalk.com/shareLink/topic? ... source=app

Posted on
Tue Nov 24, 2020 1:10 pm
autolog offline
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Re: Is there a better way? Timers just don't do it.

I use the Timers & Pesters built-in plugin.

That has a series of different actions e.g.: Start, Pause, Restart, Resume, stop etc.

I used to do this with scripting where I start a timer when motion is detected, it counts down for a period of time. If further motion is detected it restarts the timer.

Joe (aka @FlyingDiver) has written a plugin Occupatum which does presence detection and may be useful to you. :)

Posted on
Tue Nov 24, 2020 1:15 pm
siclark offline
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Re: Is there a better way? Timers just don't do it.

Good point Jon. I also use that as well.

Sharek shouldn’t you restart the timer not resume it?

Simon

Posted on
Tue Nov 24, 2020 1:23 pm
Sharek326 offline
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Re: Is there a better way? Timers just don't do it.

Restarting would be ideal but in the trigger action restart isn't an option only cancel

Nevermind I think I found it I was looking in the wrong place.
Last edited by Sharek326 on Tue Nov 24, 2020 1:36 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Posted on
Tue Nov 24, 2020 1:36 pm
siclark offline
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Re: Is there a better way? Timers just don't do it.

I’ll have to have a look buy in meantime look at the plugin. It gives lots of options of different timer types.

Posted on
Tue Nov 24, 2020 1:44 pm
jay (support) offline
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Re: Is there a better way? Timers just don't do it.


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Posted on
Tue Nov 24, 2020 1:50 pm
Sharek326 offline
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Re: Is there a better way? Timers just don't do it.

Thanks Jay ya I was looking in the wrong section. I knew at one time I saw it and I was puzzled that all I could find was cancel. I thought it was just something that I was either dreaming about or it was removed.

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