I am still in the research stage of deciding whether I want to set up ZM for home security. My plan is to set up a camera for motion detection that will either cause an alarm at night, or send an email during the day. So I'm planning to use a night vision camera. (Down the road I might use X10 to add in door alarms and turn on lights.)
My question is: Can ZM motion detection be configured to ignore my cat walking across the room daytime/nightime?
Thanks in advance.
Pets and Motion Detecting
IME, this is not a great idea unless you want many false alarms.
Many things can trigger false motion detections - a cloud on a sunny day, reflection from a car windscreen a mile away (yes, and was inside!), cobwebs and birds. Also any network dropouts, camera's being crap, wind-shake. We also have an archive from our many cameras of ghosts - weird artifacts that cannot be explained.
Sure, it's inside, and yes, you can tune the zones very tightly but this is not a five minute job. X10 PIR's might be better, backed up with camera.
One thing that does spring to mind for this is the new Axis PIR cameras (i'm beginning to sound like an advert for these guys...), or another camera you can use an external input to plug a pir into. Might be a more reliable route?
Many things can trigger false motion detections - a cloud on a sunny day, reflection from a car windscreen a mile away (yes, and was inside!), cobwebs and birds. Also any network dropouts, camera's being crap, wind-shake. We also have an archive from our many cameras of ghosts - weird artifacts that cannot be explained.
Sure, it's inside, and yes, you can tune the zones very tightly but this is not a five minute job. X10 PIR's might be better, backed up with camera.
One thing that does spring to mind for this is the new Axis PIR cameras (i'm beginning to sound like an advert for these guys...), or another camera you can use an external input to plug a pir into. Might be a more reliable route?
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hellbillyJoker
- Posts: 8
- Joined: Thu May 20, 2010 2:53 am
Thanks for the replies!
This setup would be at a central location in the interior of our home, at the one location where nobody can get upstairs without passing it, or from one room the next. I think the only false we'd have to worry about would be the petite (< 6lb) cat.
I will take a look at your suggestion, too. As I said, I'm still in research mode.
This setup would be at a central location in the interior of our home, at the one location where nobody can get upstairs without passing it, or from one room the next. I think the only false we'd have to worry about would be the petite (< 6lb) cat.
I will take a look at your suggestion, too. As I said, I'm still in research mode.