I’m looking to update my outdoor flood lights and want to add some lights with home assistant integration.
Requirements:
Local connection to HA. I would prefer Z-Wave, but it seems like there’s only WiFi devices.
Have integrated (A/C powered) motion sensor. I want the lights to come on/off even if HA is down
Get motion notifications on HA to run automations (e.g. turn porch light on when someone walks up the driveway )
HA control to turn the light on/off. (e.g. I want to be able to write an automation turn the garage flood light on when the front door is opened to go out)
Hoping to avoid adding a camera system. I’m using Unifi protect and don’t want to juggle multiple systems.
Note: I am located in the US
There are a bunch of WiFi lights like this on Amazon but I don’t know what their WiFi integration is like and I don’t want to be dependent on the “cloud”. I do need a few wall lights like this one as well.
I already have a number of Hue bulbs and I don’t mind going that route, but I can’t find any outdoor lights with built in motion detection. I don’t want to deal with battery powered outdoor motion detectors and I suspect a wired one could have more range.
I feel you but I think your options are going to be limited.
I have a Ring Floodlight Camera, which runs on WiFI. I am probably going to guess it might not work local, which I know is probably an issue for you but, I will tell you some things I was able to do with this that makes me really happy with it and this is coming from someone who came from SmartThings.
1.) You can use this motion sensor not only natively (which I am not) but use it as triggers for other automations. For instance, if I am not in one of my entertaining mode (one of which is watching movies outside on a projector screen where floodlights would not be a welcome lighting), it does not turn on the lights. The lights only come on with motion normally after sunset when I am not entertaining or overnight after bed. That works great.
2.) I can use that motion sensor to also turn on other lights, such as my detached garage entry light.
3.) I can turn the lights on or off like any other light in or around my house.
4.) In the event of an intrusion (windows or doors open while I am in bed and those plus the interior motion detectors when I am away), the automation turns on the siren. That siren was not available to me in SmartThings but HA has it.
Again, I wish you luck if this is not something that can work for you, just wanting to let you know it is pretty useful at least for me and with the LED lights, it does not pull much power.
My only gripe, which is kind of minor, it is not dimmable. It is on or off.
Thanks @kahilzinger for the idea. I was hoping to avoid adding another complex ecosystem/camera system.
I’m using Unifi protect and don’t want a separate system.
First. Need your geo to give reccommendations. Power and device availability varies GREATLY by region.
Next. If you only want on/off control of a flood. Why not replace the switch with a ZWave switch then use any old dumb flood that’s appropriate for the fixture(s)?
@NathanCu: I am located in the US (sorry, forgot to mention!)
I don’t think that would work because most of the times I would want the motion sensor to be switched on with the light off. I don’t think I could get that level of control with a smart switch.
WiFi per se does not imply cloud accessi. In fact by definition WiFi is local. Most manufacturers do obscure that aspect to insist on cloud access.
I too am looking and am currently trialling some wireless/WiFi controlled LED floods but I want warm white dimmable and mine are colour variants which I don’t want. The colour aspect then introduces a wireless controller that typically is not IP based.
I currently have C-Bus wired (dimmable) floods with an all local MQTT bridging which is where I might stay but they are filament not LED. So not energy efficient.
My local control and intelligent linkage with exterior PIR and break beam sensors is very configurable currently and it works within HA… but it’s not a currently viable path for new users.