Driveway Motion, Heat of the Day, Camera

[bmachia]

This may or may not be a Newbie question, but I am fairly new to Hubitat and thought I would start here. Please feel free to redirect this post to the appropriate area.

I have been trying to get a Zooz 4in1 Motion sensor to trigger a Z-Wave lamp when motion is detected in the driveway. My experimentation has been going on for at least 3 weeks (on and off as time allowed). My primary problem is the Heat of the day. A sensitivity level that would work in the morning would be too sensitive in the hot summer afternoon and then change again when the sunset. I’ve tried mounting the sensor in difference locations, even inside looking out the window. I’ve tried adding different lengths of PVS pipe over the sensor to narrow the motion detection area. All my experiments were not consistent.

I just read a Hubitat Community post where someone suggested using a camera and BlueIris as the motion detection device and then somehow incorporating it into Hubitat Rule 4.0.

Looking at BlueIris, I can get motion to trigger an outside a script. But, would this be an Hubitat Script? Would I need to involve IFTTT?

Can anyone point me to documentation or describe the steps?

I am thinking others have had to gone through this same learning curve and I would love to learn from their experience.

Thanks
Bill

[jeubanks]

What are you trying to detect?

If vehicles then use a typical driveway alert system that can be connected to a dry contact to send the alert to Hubitat via z-wave or zigbee.

If general cameras are 'ok' with lots of false positives from shadows and changing environmental factors. Some but not all of this can be worked out with the software you choose. Blue Iris is a good package. You can use the HTTP alerts from BI directly with Maker API and not involve IFTTT or any external system at all.

[Ryan780]

There's documentation on the maker API located here.

[bmachia]

Thanks jeubanks for your reply

What are you trying to detect?

I guess I was not very clear, I am trying to detect motion from the Zooz 4in1 motion sensor.

If vehicles then use a typical driveway alert system that can be connected to a dry contact to send the alert to Hubitat via z-wave or zigbee.

With today's technology, I would rather not put a dry sensor in the driveway, there has to be a way to sense a car motion another way.

But, thanks for your reply.
Bill

[bmachia]

Hi (again) Ryan780,
I think it might be one of your post that reference BlueIris motion.

Appreciate the link to Marker API.!! I'll go right over there and read it now.

THANKS!
Bill

[jeubanks]

With today's technology, I would rather not put a dry sensor in the driveway, there has to be a way to sense a car motion another way.

You don't put the dry contact in the driveway.

Driveway sensors use magnetic detection or IR beams to detect the motion of vehicles. They relay through RF to a base which would be inside... a lot of the bases have dry contact connections to integrate with alarms and other systems. You can then use those connections to interface with Hubitat.

[Ryan780]

There's a brand called Mighty Mule that makes a sensor you bury next to your driveway that detects vehicles. It only works if you have enough clearance from the road and your house but in the right situation they're said to be fool-proof.

[scottgu3]

Those are certainly cool, and based on the manual pretty easy to setup. Do you know of a way to hook up some form of dry contact to it? The sensor/receiver seems to be a closed loop sort of system from what I read....

S

[storageanarchy]

Take a look at Dakota Alert 2500 series driveway sensors (https://www.dakotaalert.com/store/2500-series-products/)

You can connect Ecolink contact sensors to the base station dry contacts, and then use these to communicate the events to your hub. If you install TWO driveway sensors about 30 feet apart, you can even detect arrivals vs. departures based on which contact "closes" first.

Search in the ST community for explanations on how to connect these all up. While somewhat expensive, it is extremely effective. I also use a DA2500 remote contact sensor for my mailbox (which is 300+ feet away from my house)...

[CurtisZM]

Bryan has written a nice app for Blue Iris if you are interested in going that route.

[RELEASE] BI Control - Local Blue Iris control

Introducing 'BI Control' This app is designed to work locally with Blue Iris security software. 100% Local Control - No Internet needed Ability to change BI Profile based on HE Mode Ability to change the BI Profile using a Switch Ability to move a camera to a Preset using a Switch Ability to get a Camera Snapshot using a Switch. Ability to start or stop manual recording on camera using a Switch Ability to control PTZ using a Switch Parent/Child App structure Create as many child apps as neede…

[scottgu3]

I like those roo. Looks like the 2500 series is out of production though. I'll have to dig into the new models to see what's what.

S.

[jeubanks]

Have a look at Guardline.

https://www.guardlinesecurity.com/

[scottgu3]

Took me awhile to find the documentation on the relay connections, but it's all there. Looks like a good option too. I definitely want to pursue one of these systems, I'll have to add it to the queue.

I really like the fact that it runs it's own wireless link, and I can place the receiver(s) anyplace convenient, and add my zigbee or zwave device with dry contact.

Thanks!
S.