Outdoor security PIR too sensitive

ferry

Any ideas on how I can get my outdoor PIR sensor to become less sensitive but still be effective?
Even though we have a 20ft drive and a pavement between us and the road ,each time a car drives past it sets the light off and even sometimes when people walk past!

Obviously I dont want to jeopardise its security purpose and would like it to activate as people come onto the drive but its driving us mad as it sits just beside our living room window and its no/off/on/off etc all the time!

It has no settings I can tamper with as its all 'preset' etc..

Cheers
F

Avoriaz

Are there certain there are no little knobs or recesssed adjusters with screwdriver slots on it?

Can you physically adjust it so that it points more downwards?

You might succeed by covering the detector with something translucent, or blocking part of it with something opaque. That would require some tedious trial and error.

Edwardia

If it rains they often don't work so you could put a hose on it I guess

southcoastrgi

as AV said there are normally 2 dials or screws, one to adjust the amount of time the light stays on for & the other for sensitivity

fluffpot

OP said it has no settings. If you can adjust the sensor, then tilt it down so that it has less reach so to speak.
If not your only option is to mask out part of the sensor with opaque tape to reduce the area of sensing.

Or replace it with one which does have settings!

macman

I've neve seen one without adjusters for time and sensitivity. Have another look.

Ruski

Black tape across the 'top quarter' of the pir lens usually cuts out 'distance' sensitivity. Try it - you have nothing to loose!

HTH

Russ

alleycat`

macman wrote: »

I've neve seen one without adjusters for time and sensitivity. Have another look.

Up until we replaced our last one neither had i.
The current one we have doesn't have any adjustments on it (from tool station).

I had to resort to the opaque tape methodology.

paulmapp8306

Mine gets set off by cats - and there are hundereds of those in our area.

Not really sure adjusting the sensitivity would help there - but TBH I havent even looked/tried yet. Might give it a go.

macman

Cats measure only about a foot off the ground (until they jump up). So all you need to do is adjust the angle so it doesn't get triggered by movement at ground level.
A task that will take about one minute.
You may also need to reduce the sensitivity as well.