@JNS I was going to post similar for my fall back KISS solution
I see no reason it wouldn't. You just need any device that will "close the loop"
I could be wrong, but to my knowledge this is all simple low voltage open/close circuits. The distance the voltage can travel would depend on the amount of voltage supplied (how big the battery is), and the gauge of the wire. If you are talking 3-5 feet it should be fine. Much further may take some more ingenuity.
I was thinking the gocontrol zwave sensor since most of my garage is zwave. So it would be maybe 8 inches to allow for placement on the other side of the wall. Keeping the sensor in the garage instead of exposed. Thoughts?
This is what I do too. I have a long porch that isn't enclosed but does have a ceiling, so I trust most "indoor" sensors outside here. But the sun still causes the occasional false positive. I'm actually sort of using four sensors: two "real" motion sensors, plus a Ring Doorbell (which I'll probably get rid of and replace with a button plus probably an additional motion sensor soon) and Wyze Cam (whose motion detection I'm integrating via IFTTT). I have all of these in a Zone Motion Controller, and then if at least two fire, my zone sensor goes active and I use that in my automations.
If you have extra motion sensors, I highly recommend something along these lines. Now I actually pay attention to motion instead of thinking it must be the sun, a car close by, etc.
From what I read
here
here
https://simplisafe.com/blog/door-sensor-secrets
and here
https://www.sweetwater.com/insync/momentary-switch/
As long as you get a "normally closed" momentary button it should work just like the external magnetic sensors does. And I see reports of it work up to 15 feet away so 8 inches is nothing.
This should work well. I have something similar for my front door with a wired contact sensor to a wireless zwave dry contact.
It’s not the least expensive, but the Hue is very reliable attached directly to HE. You have that corner and it comes with a nice corner mount bracket.
The sensitivity adjustment works well. My neighbor does Air B&B. They enter from the back of his house, so they’re walking right next to my property to access and it doesn’t set it off, but cross over and you’ll trigger it.
I would second the WADWAZ. The external contact terminal makes it REALLY easy to use for alternate purposes, but with a little more DIY you can use any contact sensor.
Does not have to be a normally closed button or switch either, just make sure that any rule you write knows which way it should be.
In case it helps my WADWAZ driver can be set to use either contact or a combination of both for the contact event.
If you are looking for Z-Wave Plus, the ZD2102 (Zipato, or Monoprice #15270) appears to be the next generation version of the WADWAZ.
@april.brandt From your pictures, it looks rather spring-like. What are you waiting for? The grass to need cutting? 
Or be cheap like me and put an Iris motion sensor inside a pvc box with 2 D cell batteries. Battery life is around 2 years.
Edit : C cell batteries 
@april.brandt have you taken the Lutron Caseta plunge yet? I read somewhere on this community that someone turned a Pico into a doorbell.
I have also read good things about the Homeseer zwave motion you can add to flood lights and other outdoor lights:
I also use the Ecolink motion sensors. I set it on the lowest sensitivity level and done get get false positives. I’ve had some outside for about three years with no rain protection.
Looks like home to me. My parents are in the area visiting and they insist that even their car is unhappy with the weather. They have gotten weak...
I can't complain. Today was in the 40's I think. Snow starting Monday night then back up to double digits for next weekend. Gotta love mother nature. I think she's gone off her meds again. 
I was getting very jealous of your weather when I started reading this series of notes.
I said to myself, "no doubt, she lives in Texas, or Arizona".
Then, I saw photos which reminded me of my weather (In the frozen North), and I said to myself
"Now, I feel much better!"...
I wasn't about to venture outside to take a photo today. Looking at the grass to be green. ADA colorblind compliant.
Our house didn’t have a doorbell at all.
I bought a cheap ($1) UNLIT (that part is important) doorbell and wired the terminals to a contact sensor.
Works like a charm 
That's what I'm talkin bout! Honestly, it would be cheaper and easier to pull a wire, but I'm not crawling my sorry â– â– â– up into that attic to pull a wire, so I have to rely on my hubs to do that. 
Running wire would have been a real pain for us. When we renovate our attic I’ll probably do that, though.
Download the Hubitat app
