It Happens Every Year....

[Kris Livingston]

Jerry,

For several years, I have noticed a similar but different problem. In  
my case, it seems that my motion sensors (mostly the white Eagle Eye  
model) often ignore or fail to send the first trigger when I walk into  
a dark room. I stand there like an idiot, waving my hands for about 10  
seconds (the standard interval between transmissions), and then it  
sends the second signal, which usually makes it through. Even though I  
know the sensors are solid state, the behavior is as if there was a  
sticky relay that was too stuck to energize on the first attempt, but  
after that it works fine until the next long break. This problem  
affects most of my sensors, and it's definitely intermittent. If I  
pick a random sensor that hasn't been triggered for a day or so, then  
walk in front of it, it has about a 50/50 shot at going through, while  
the second attempt (about 10 seconds later) has at least 95% chance of  
success. This problem is persistent, and does not appear to be  
seasonal in any way. I have also ruled out a sleeping or spun-down  
hard drive on the server, as there's plenty of script action and other  
sensor activity on the way to the one that failed on any particular  
try. I doubt this is of much help to you, but it's another data point.

--Kris


On Jan 14, 2008, at 4:42 PM, Jerry — MacSolutions wrote:

> I've brought this up in the past but I'm still looking for an  
> answer...
>
> Each year, right around the end of the year... Starting from just  
> after the Christmas break to perhaps the second week in January, my  
> wireless signal are semi covered by what I guess is just RF "noise."
>
> What happens is that normally bulletproof sensor/light/script  
> combinations start missing each other.  It might take two triggers  
> of a motion sensor to get through to trigger a light. There's no  
> record in the log of the first trigger but usually, the second  
> wireless signal gets through and triggers the script.
>
> Does anyone else notice this, around this time of year?  I guess my  
> mind is drifting towards some type of atmospheric condition that  
> only appears during this time and fades in and out slowly.  I'd  
> start it right on the Winter Solstice which is why I credit it to  
> something natural.
>
> By next weekend, it's faded to the point that I don't notice it any  
> more until the following year.
>
> Or, am I losing my mind? hehe  It's been happening for at least 5 +  
> years now like clockwork....
>
> Jp
>