I have a 2420M motion sensor that I use outdoors to monitor motion on my back patio. It works great, but I'd like to extend it use by having it sense low light situations, such as dark clouds that may make it look like dust hours before it's dusk. My goal is to have motion enable the back patio lights to turn on if it's after dusk or somewhat dark during the day.

My question is, I have created a trigger that should activate on sensing a "Group 2" from the motion detector. However, the 2420M never seems to send an Insteon command "Group 2" saying it's detected "dark". I know there is a jumper to set it to only activate at night, but that's not what I want it to do. I am trying to make the 2420M into a day/night sensor as well as a motion detector.

Am I asking too much of this device? If so, that's OK. I just want to know how much I can expect.

There is a dial that adjusts the day/night sensitivity - you may have to tweak that some to get it to work reliably.

Jay,

I have fiddled with that dial, but it comes pre-set to the 50/50 setting (the middle), and putting it to either side doesn't seem to make a difference. Do you know of anyone that's gotten "Group 2" to trigger without using jumper 3 to set "only activate at night"?

I'm pretty sure I've seen Group 2 broadcasts from my motion sensors, and I have all of the default jumper settings.

Both of my MS's are in rooms with no windows so I've never seen it.

Hmmmm.... I have a few motion sensors, and I think it's time that I try one with no jumpers (all have at least some set). I'll keep you posted on my results on this feed.

As always, thanks for your help.

I am having the same issues as the above, i have motion sensors in the bathroom, and when the door is closed and the light is off, i get no Group2 commands from the device, if i turn the light on, nothing happens.

I have fiddled with the dial in both directions with no changes at all.

The motion sensor however works fine, just simply no day/night group 2 commands are being sent. (all jumpers @ default)

any ideas?

Thanks for bumping this thread - I had forgotten to post my findings.

I did find on my units that setting the jumpers to normal (default) fixed the problem. But then, because I like to tinker, I set the jumpers back the way I like the which is not to blink the LED red, and not to send the OFF command to save battery power. And yup, it still worked when I set the jumpers back.

I have little explanation for this now, other than some firmware glitch, but my sense is with the physical jumpers that there's not much to mess with in their firmware.

So, there you have it. I wish I had a more concrete explanation of why mine now work.

As an update, I am playing with more motion detectors, and I can't get these to respond to light/dark at all. I am going from shining a flash light at them in a lit room to total darkness and nothing it seen in the logs (I have a trigger for Button 2).

They do detect motion, but nothing else. They are Rev2 sensors, and I have tried with about every jumper combination I can think of, as well as doing a factory reset. Still detecting motion, but not light/dark.

My whole reason for this is to adjust my "sunset" detection that turns on the lights in the house to detect a rainy/cloudy day and turn them on before it's official sunset as the house it rather dim just form the weather. Soooo, it's not imperative I get this working. It's just a nice to have.

Ugh! And now it's working.

It worked this morning at sunrise just as the triggers were set up. But, it wouldn't work last night, testing with a flashlight. Perhaps it's something it senses over time to eliminate false readings? That would mean the flashlight test wouldn't work, but a dawn/dusk test would.

Hmmm......

Yeah, it wouldn't surprise me if the light change (either light or dark) has to persist for several seconds (minute+?) before the change is broadcasted.

If that's the case, and it would make sense, I tested it with a flashlight for at least 30 seconds, so my guess is it's a minute or more.

Clearly patients pays off

I have some experience with this. Two things to consider with regard to the dawn/dusk signals from 2420M INSTEON Wireless Motion Sensors:

1. It takes about 2 minutes for the 2420M to register any change in light level that's over/under the threshold.
2. There can be NO motion for that 2 minutes. This is to prevent false readings due to motion activated lights I assume.

nsheldon wrote:

1. It takes about 2 minutes for the 2420M to register any change in light level that's over/under the threshold.
2. There can be NO motion for that 2 minutes. This is to prevent false readings due to motion activated lights I assume.

Excellent info - thanks! That confirms when I have seen, especially the #2, as when holding a flashlight in front of the 2420M I was creating motion.

It's too bad about this motion thing, as I was hoping to raise the lights in the living room if it's a cloudy day, and thus dark in the house, but that's not going to work as you want them to raise up especially when there is motion. Maybe I need a separate unit that is just there to do detect light/dark. Seems a shame to have a 2nd unit.

Most X10 motion sensors send the light/dark commands as well.
I use one for that same purpose and can be found on eBay for 5 or 10 bucks.

Carl