Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

Animal Motion Sensing

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

    Animal Motion Sensing

    I am looking for a solution using a 24 VAC input/output motion sensing device to keep deer from eating our vegetation.

    I have tried the battery powered alternative. The problems are: 1.They have to be turned on/off manually. Batteries die. I want to control their operation from a computer desktop. 2.I don't like their construction. I want a more permanent solution.

    My ultimate solution would be to have software on my server running a hard wired networked controller that I could turn on/off from a computer desktop. The controller would turn on/off (3) 24 VAC motion sensors. I would prefer to have all the motion sensors run from the same control port. It would be rare for all 3 sensors to go off at the same time unless several herds descended on my property at the same time. The sensors would need to be water proof or placed in a water proof container. They would only need to see about 3 feet off the ground and would be mounted 2 feet off the ground. The sensors would require a momentary timer for no more than 3 seconds and would need to power/open a 24 VAC sprinkler valve.

    Does anyone have a solution for this or am I trying to re-invent the wheel?

    Any ideas, suggestions, suppliers, etc would be appreciated.

    #2
    Have you seen this device. The batteries last an entire season and it will require a WHOLE lot less hardware than the solution you mentioned.
    💁‍♂️ Support & Customer Service 🙋‍♂️ Sales Questions 🛒 Shop HomeSeer Products

    Comment


      #3
      I have one of these currently. The worst part about this product is that if there is a storm and the ground softens up then the torque from the water exiting for the sprinkler head will push the plastic stake over. There have been situations where I have walked out onto my patio and I have been the one who got hammered by water. Also, you have to check it regularly to make sure that the the hose fittings don't loosen from the same dynamics or by using another hose connected to the same bib. Although I could use pipe to make a more permanent solution with one of these I want the system to offer me a lot more function. I intend to use brass heads rather than cheap plastic ones. The brass will last much longer if not forever.

      Comment


        #4
        Here is a link to some very good motion sensors. I have several of the LX-402s outside and they work flawlessly.

        http://www.securityideas.com/motdet.html

        They are not 24VAC, they are 12VDC. I don't know if the NO/NC output contacts would handle a 24VAC sprinkler valve or not. If not, you could easily insert a relay of sufficient capacity to handle the load.

        I'm not sure what you mean by a networked controller, but you could easily turn the motion sensors on/off by switching the 12VDC power supply to the sensors. This could be done by any number of methods including an X10 appliance module. Or you could switch the 24VAC to the sprinker valves so that the motion sensors still work but the water will not spray. You might want to do this if you also have the sensors monitored by HomeSeer so that they can also perform some other function when they aren't controlling the sprinkler valves.

        The manual says there is a 2 second +/- 1 second delay so I guess that means 1 second to 3 seconds. If that's not adequate, you could have a HS event that triggers on motion detection to turn the valves ON and then have a delayed OFF for whatever time you want.

        Comment


          #5
          Solution is VERY simple.
          Deer eat your stuff, you eat the deer.
          Man I wish some deer would come over my yard!!!

          Comment


            #6
            Another simple solution -- get a dog. We have two Beagles that live inside but they go outside to "do their business". Deer smell the dog urine, and even just the scent the dogs leave when they wander around outside, and they stay away. We had problems with deer eating our plants too but we haven't had any problems since we got our first dog about 2 1/2 years ago.

            You can also buy deer repellent that you mix with water and spray on bushes and it keeps the deer away for several weeks. We used that before we got the dogs and it works well too. I don't recall the name of it but you can probably find different brands with a quick Google search.

            Comment


              #7
              My brother in law has a big deer problem. He has had success with disciplined weekly use of Deer-Off - a spray. Says it's better than the commercial motion sensors with a pulsing sprinkler head -0 this and most other audible/visual irritants are soon ignored.

              Comment

              Working...
              X