Motion Detection Frustrations

[Geordie405]

I am hoping someone can provide some inspiration as I am out of ideas...

I have seven cameras connected to my hub.  Six are Arlo Pro 2 cameras and work just fine.  The seventh is a new addition and is an Essential Spotlight camera.  It is positioned at the far end of my side yard, covering the kitchen and bedroom windows.   It is set up to send a Smart Notification if it detects a person on the side yard.

The issue I have with the Essential camera is that it is SO inconsistent in detecting motion.  It has no problem picking up cars doing 30 mph past the end of my side yard or someone walking along the sidewalk 50' away.  However, it won't pick up anyone walking up the side yard until they are almost right on top of the camera.

I have changed the sensitivity from the default 80% to 100% and down to 50% etc. with no effect.  I have done a factory reset which made no difference.  I have cleaned the lens.  I have changed the angle of the camera (both vertically and horizontally).  I have turned night vision off and back on again.  I have used the motion detection utility and the yellow LED only flashes when I am within 5' of the camera.  In spite of having no issues with any other cameras I've restarted the base station and also my internet router (in the forlorn hope that the issue was simply that images weren't being uploaded to the library). 

I cannot think of anything else to try other than to open a support ticket and get the device swapped out on the basis it may be faulty.  However, I don't want to go through the whole rigmarole of dealing with support and being asked to do  everything that I have already done.

Anyone here got any thoughts?  The only thing I can think of would be to install a separate motion sensor at the far end of my side yard and then have SmartThings trigger recording based on that.

Thanks!

[StephenB]

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@Geordie405 wrote:

However, it won't pick up anyone walking up the side yard until they are almost right on top of the camera.

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Are those people walking up the center of the field of view?  Or are they crossing the field of view?

The PIR sensors are arranged so that they are most sensitve when people are crossing the field of view - they are also more sensitive at the bottom of the field of view than the top.

You could try repositioning the camera with that in mind.  Another thing you could do is invert the camera (which would increase sensitivity at the top of the field of view).  There is a setting that would turn the video right side up again.

[Geordie405]

Hello!  Thanks for the suggestion, especially about inverting the camera.

In terms of field of view etc. it's a bit of both.  The street runs perpendicular with the side yard so anyone walking or driving along the street is definitely crossing the field of view.

For people walking down the side yard it's still crossing the field of view but not as much as the other traffic.  I did more testing last night having tweaked the camera angle.

Out of three tests one started recording as I came round the corner of the house and continued recording until I was at the camera; the second started recording as I was half way up the yard; the third only started recording when I was at the top of the yard looking into the camera.

I'll invert the camera and see if that makes a difference.  Thanks again!

[jguerdat]

Post a screenshot for suggestions.