Disable event for period of time

[pprice]

I've got wireless driveway sensor connected to an M1G and an Event in Homeseer that emits a tone when someone comes up the driveway. The issue I'm having is that I'd like to quickly disable this event for a short period of time (1 hour when the lawn is being mowed, etc.). I cannot find a way to setup an event that disables another event for a period of time. Is something like this possible?

[nojstevens]

Hi Pprice,

I'm not sure how you would do this, but I am interested what wireless driveway sensor you are using with your Elk?

Jon

[jasv]

I've got wireless driveway sensor connected to an M1G and an Event in Homeseer that emits a tone when someone comes up the driveway. The issue I'm having is that I'd like to quickly disable this event for a short period of time (1 hour when the lawn is being mowed, etc.). I cannot find a way to setup an event that disables another event for a period of time. Is something like this possible?

If you wanted to get into scripting you could use the hs.DisableEvent script.

An easier way might be to create a virtual device that acts as a flag and then have your driveway event include a condition that this virtual device is off before it runs.

HS does allow you to create a "delayed" action so you can reset the flag back to "off" 1 hour after it has been set on. You would need to do this in a separate event.

Let me know if this is confusing and maybe I (or someone else) can detail it out for you.

[nojstevens]

Building on James's suggestion - if you automate your garage doors, you could have the event disabled if the garage door is open - i.e. when you cut your lawn you take the mower from the garage - therefore if the door is open you are probably cutting the lawn?

Or - have a pressure pad in the garage (one was posted here last week - $7.95) attached to a DS10a - if the grass cutter ain't on the pressure pad then it changes a device status and have the drive way alert contingent upon the grass cutter being in the garage?

Jon

[Uncle Michael]

How about using a virtual device? Make its status a condition on the event that sounds the tone. If the device is On, then the tone sounds, and if it's off the tone is silent. You could create an event that turns the device Off with a delayed action to turn it On again an hour later.

[Stuart]

maybe two events.

event1 - "disable driveway alert" action:
run manually or with voice run script &hs.disableevent("M1G alert")
run event, delay 1 hour "enable driveway alert"

event2 - "enable driveway alert" action:
run delayed by above or manually run script &hs.enableevent("M1G alert")
run script &hs.removedelayedevent "","enable driveway alert"

So running event1 would stop your alert and in 1 hour enable it.
And at any time running event2 would enable your event and removed the delayed event in case you wanted to run it again.
Even if you forget about it you would not have to worry about this resetting itself.

Stuart

[pprice]

all - Thanks - great suggestions. I want to be able to tie this into a 'button' my wife could use on our insteon controller - sounds like the virtual device and/or 2 event solution may work....I'll have to look into it. I'm just getting started with this stuff, but so far I've been able to do everything I've attempted - this combo (elkM1 / Homeseer) is great!

Jon - I'm using the reporter driveway sensor (http://www.amazon.com/Chamberlain-Wi.../dp/B000165F26 ). It works very well, just requires a battery change (4AA) every 1 1/2 months or so. I have it's relay output (no) wired directly to the ELK M1 zone (no) - so when the sensor trips, it trips the ELK M1 Zone temporarily. You can find it for about $50-$60 and it supports multiple sensors. I've used this for about 3 years and set anotherone up for my in-laws - it's works flawlessly and other than the battery change, it's perfect. The only thing better would be to have a solar panel on top of the sensor so that you wouldn't need to change batteries all the time!!