I’m trying to setup an automation where after sunset, if my blink camera detects motion and the backyard lights are off, then the backyard lights will turn on for a minute. The action seems to be working corrected but the motion detection trigger isn’t.
Ok, thank you. So when you trigger motion with the camera do you get a notification in your Blink app? If so, after you get a notification can you call the blink.blink_update service to force a refresh and then check the notion detection binary sensor in home-assistant to see if it flips properly?
Just in case you were not aware, since this platform is a polling service, if there is motion detected by Blink you may not see the event change for as long as the scan interval (5 minutes). Just want to make sure that is clear I’m case that is part of your issue.
I have to question related to this topic @fronzbot.
1- How do I set the scan_interval since the integration is configured via GUI?
2- What do you suggest for a good scan interval? 5mins appears to be too much.
Thanks for the info @fronzbot.
I get a notification on my phone as normal through the Blink app. I’m not sure how to call blink.blink_update service.
If the sensor works as a polling service rather than a push service then I suppose it’s not feasible to use the binary_sensor.blink_x_motion_detected sensor as a motion sensor in HA.
If you go to the configuration->integrations section, look for the Blink integration. Click on options and then you can set the scan interval there.
As for safe values, 5 minutes was chosen for that reason (it’s safe). Quick calls have the chance of getting accounts locked for polling too fast. With that said, 2 minutes is where I start to get a bit uncomfortable and faster than 1 minute is dangerous. If you just want to use it for motion detection, I don’t think you’d have a problem in that 1-2min range, just be aware that there is a non-zero risk.
@nilo - services can be called in the developer tools->services section. And yes I agree with your conclusion that polling sensors negate the usefulness of motion detection (also mentioned briefly in the docs too ).
Yeah that appears to be the right trigger. Also yes to your next two questions (automation triggering too infrequently and it can take up to two minutes to trigger).
With that said, we can’t completely rule out the possibility that the motion detection isn’t working at all so it would be worth trying to trigger motion, waiting, and then see if your automation triggers properly.
I went outside and triggered the motion detector, and clicked the “Call Service” button once I got the motion detection notification on my app.
It triggered the automation and turned on my light, and the motion detection is logged, and logged as cleared 4 minutes later.
Good to know it works. But if the binary sensor is activated and then cleared within the gap between Blink scans the automation doesn’t trigger and the sensor changes aren’t logged.
As I don’t want to drop the scan interval too much the camera’s sensors isn’t a good solution for my requirements.
Interesting… I’ve been struggling with the same issue and just read your summary. My use case is a parcel box, so its not time critical in the sense that 5 (or even 10) minutes delay in being notified of a parcel arriving isn’t an issue BUT if I understand you correctly the key problem for me is “if the binary sensor is activated and then cleared within the gap between Blink scans the automation doesn’t trigger and the sensor changes aren’t logged.”. Occasionally my automation works and I get the alerts, when a parcel is delivered, but quite often (mostly actually) I don’t. So to conclude unless the movement occurs at the correct time (surely it not simultaneously?) for the polling to pick them up then movement detection doesn’t really work?
Yes, so it seems @brianacox
The Blink binary sensor sets to on with movement, and back to off after a certain time. So if the Blink integration polls the Blink servers in the meantime, the detection is logged, otherwise not.
I’m not sure what the interval is between on and off on the sensor. It may be worth dropping the scan interval and testing that, but as fronzbot says, it could lead to your account getting locked for polling too fast.
Looking at the history it appears to be clear immediately after the motion, i.e. i’m guessing a second (maybe less), which seems strange that occasionally it works… but I think its after a reboot / re-verifying etc rather than coinciding with the polling interval… but I may be wrong. I will keep trying and see if I can bottom this out.
P.S. I’ve just gone into IFTTT and set up a simple - motion -> email trigger for Blink Europe, and it worked first time… I appreciate the two things are different, and IFTTT Blink Integration may be written by Blink, but it still needed a verification PIN etc etc etc.
So given, I believe that the same integration works in HA, but only sometimes, I need to investigate under what conditions it works and doesn’t…
Unfortunately, no. I just ended up using alexa routines for this automation, which doesn’t accomplish everything i want but at least it reliably triggers. I just can’t set sunrise/sunset conditions
Are you able to share your Alexa routines. I’m having the same issues. I have 2x Blink Mini cameras. I receive alerts via the Blink app whenever there’s a motion event. However, the Homeassistant Blink integration and accompanying motion sensors don’t trigger at all. They remain stuck in an off state no matter how many motion events. Therefore, they don’t trigger any automation in Homeassistant when there’s a motion event. Disappointing on Blink’s side.
I had the same issue and this is how I workaround it:
I installed Macrodroid on an old android phone and created a routine to monitor the notifications from the blink app, if there is a match it will do a rest api call using the webhook ID configured in homeasisstant triggering the automation I need.
In this way I got my notifications almost instantaneously.