Schedule to Deactivate Sirens?

[masterbeat]

We experienced a porch theft last night.  Separate from using modes which don’t do exactly what I want (and I could also forget to change modes I found that I can use schedules to start / activate the sirens at a specific time.   For example, every single night I want the sirens to activate when camera sensss motion on a couple of cameras, and I want to do this from 10 pm to 6 am.

I’m able to create a schedule that at 10 pm everyday “activates sirens” and choose the cameras for this.  (I’m hoping and assuming that simply means activate them immediately when motion is detected(?).

This is set up.  But I don’t see a way to make a schedule to deactivate the sirens in the morning.

what am I missing?  Or am I interpreting this wrong and there is a better way to do what I want?  It seems schedules are meant as a way to do things outside of modes which is what I want.

[DannyBearAgain]

What Arlo app experiment are you using? Do you have a library or feed?

[masterbeat]

I'm just using regular schedules in the Arlo Secure app.  There is an option to 'activate siren'.  I'm starting to think this literally just means 'turn a siren on', when i was hoping it meant to activate siren on motion detection.   But why would you have an option to turn a siren on but not turn it off?

Go to Arlo Secure - Schedules, you can choose cameras, and then do things with them individually and one of the options is activate siren.

[StephenB]

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@masterbeat wrote:

I'm just using regular schedules in the Arlo Secure app.  

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That doesn't answer @DannyBearAgain's question.

At the moment there are two different user interfaces support by the app.  One shows "Library" as an option at the bottom of the app, the other shows "Feed" and "Dashboard" instead.  Which are you running? 

[DannyBearAgain]

The original Arlo app allows you to create custom modes which enables you to choose siren to activate on triggered events. You normally setup triggered events using camera rules.

The schedule allows you to set when these modes apply.

Remember to end the schedule event at 1159pm and repeat the same event from 0000am if you want to crossover midnight.

[masterbeat]

Sorry I missed that, my version shows Feed and Dashboard.

[masterbeat]

Can I use the 'original' Arlo app if they've already moved me to Arlo Secure, with FEED and DASHBOARD, that doesn't seem to have the custom modes you're describing?

[DannyBearAgain]

There is no return path documented by arlo to revert to the original app unfortunately.

The siren trigger operation is only for the period specified in the siren settings of the rule so no need to specify a end time once activated.

[masterbeat]

Sorry, yes, there is a need to specify an end time because I only want the sirens activated at night.

I think we've both figured out the answer to my original question though.  I was hoping the ability to start a schedule by time (rather than mode) would allow me to 'activate motion sensing' which would, in turn, 'activate a siren' when motion is sensed, between the hours of 10 pm and 5 am.  I want to turn this schedule on outside of modes, so that every night between 10 pm and 5 am certain cameras are active for motion sensing and (and triggering an alarm).

What we both seem to have figured out during this exchange is that 'trigger siren'' inside of "schedules' does just that - it actually triggers the siren (irregardless of motion) which is going to trigger and then turn off after the set duration.  Interesting feature that I can't imagine anyone ever needing.  When do you need to trigger a siren for no reason at a certain time on a recurring schedule?

Much more helpful would be 'activate motion sensors' during certain times (outside of modes).  What is the purpose of schedules really then if you can't have on and off settings?  That's not a schedule, it's just an "ON".

Thanks for helping and let me know if you disagree with any of above or have another idea for me to achieve what i'm trying.  Thanks!

[DannyBearAgain]

I can’t see why the siren would be activated  when the schedule changes unless it’s a bug although many users have mentioned that the new experimental app has been painful to understand.

Refer article link below.

https://kb.arlo.com/000062777/About-Arlo-Routines-Modes-Rules-and-Automations 

[masterbeat]

I fear I’m not explaining it in English.  There is an ability to add a manual schedule to activate at a time you choose.  Do you also have the Arlo Secure app version with feed and dashboard?  If so you’ll see what I am explaining and asking.  If not, it seems I’m never going to explain it in a way you understand what I’m saying.

They crazily have an ability to set a schedule that has nothing to do with modes.  You can give it a start time.   Then you can choose cameras you want to put in the schedule.  One of the options you can select is to “activate siren.”  I was hoping that meant to “activate motion sensing -> which would then activate a siren on motion.”  

you’ll see if that was the case, then my original question is, how do we turn this schedule back off? Because after a certain time I want to turn the motion sensing off. This is why your answer that you don’t need to turn it off doesn’t make sense. if you start a schedule, you need to end a schedule. However, your answer that it activates the siren, which then turns off after the siren duration, seems to be the right answer. This means that all the schedule does is allow you to turn on the sirens on cameras at a certain time  and then they turn off after the siren duration that has been set for the camera. Why would you ever want to do that? 

can’t explain this any more ways.  You’d have to see it in the app yourself if this still isn’t clear.

thanks.

[DannyBearAgain]

Yes you are correct, I still have the original app and so likely led you astray.

 I am certain others here have a better handle on how to understand the operational significance, not looking forward to the day that arlo thinks it would be better to force everyone to use it.

[StephenB]

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@masterbeat wrote:

I want to turn this schedule on outside of modes, so that every night between 10 pm and 5 am certain cameras are active for motion sensing and (and triggering an alarm).

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With Arlo, you schedule modes, and not cameras.  So there is a conceptual disconnect on Arlo's approach.  Unfortunately, with "Feed" there are only three modes - no ability to create custom ones.  You could potentially re-purpose one of the modes - adding in the appropriate camera rules to trigger the Siren.  Then schedule that mode.

Note that if you set this up a camera rule, then the Siren should only be activated when motion (or sound) is detected.

There is more information here:

• https://kb.arlo.com/000062942/How-do-I-add-a-Schedule-Automation-to-my-Arlo-system

You might find the youtube link helpful.

I'm also tagging @jguerdat, as he has worked more with automations than I have.

[masterbeat · Accepted solution]

Thanks everyone for trying to help @StephenB , @DannyBearAgain .  Sounds like the old app had a bit more flexibility.  Agreed major disconnect with Arlo on what people want to be able to do.  3 modes is way to limiting when you want to be able to have certain cameras do things at certain times outside of the modes.  

I am taking the suggestion to heavily modify a mode to do what i want during these hours then activate and deactivate the mode for those hours.   It's just very counter intuitive.  Especially when they seem to have the idea to have 'schedules' in the new app but they aren't fleshed out yet.

[jguerdat]

The old UI (not app - the current app supports both the new and old UIs) definitely had more flexibility due to the ability to create custom modes - I was one of them. However, in many (most?) cases you can use the 3 default modes in the new UI to do what you need. I use all 3 including Standby to do what I want - just because they're named something doesn't mean you're forced to use them that way.

I'm not sure what trouble you're having with schedules in the new UI. The main difference between the old method and the new one is that you need to create at least 2 schedules - one to use a particular mode and then another to change to a different one. The old schedule did exactly that but in a different format. An issue with the old format was the inability to span days - you had to stop at 11:59PM and then start the same mode at 12:00AM which confused a lot of folks. The new method gets around that by only starting - you have to create another schedule to start using a different mode instead of stopping. Is that hard? No, but it is different. I suspect that if you had never seen the old way you wouldn't have issues with the new one.

[masterbeat]

I'm going to close this because no matter how many times I explain what I'm trying to do, and how the new app does it, it's not coming across so i'm getting suggestions (thanks everyone for trying) that indicate i'm not explaining my use case.

Yes, you can do workarounds with the modes to do things... but it's very counter intutive.  I want modes to truly be modes - Home, Standby, Away.

I want SCHEDULES to be able to do things that happen regardless of a mode.  Meaning every single frigging night from 10 pm to 5 am, whether i am home, away, on Mars, whatever... i want (without having to worry about it), certain cameras to go into "MOTION SENSING" mode, and when they sense motion, an alarm to trigger.

TRUST that the current app, crazily, does not have this ability.  They have ability to ACTIVATE SIRENS at a certain time on a schedule (again, that makes no sense, why would you want to turn on your siren at a certain time every day?  WTF?) - but no option to ACTIVATE MOTION.  And no, the ability to 'change' again is not what i'm looking for.  They need schedules with ON and OFF like any modern app has these days.

End rant, let's close this beyond frustrating topic.

[BrookeN]

I appreciate your feedback in regard to the app. I am going to pass this along to the team.