‎How do I test my motion sensors | SimpliSafe Support Home
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b2pken's profile
b2pken

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Monday, August 14th, 2023 11:03 AM

How do I test my motion sensors

I would like to ensure the motion sensors are working with out setting off the alarm. How do I do that?

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4 months ago

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captain11

Captain

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6.2K Messages

1 year ago

@b2pken First a comment to SS: I did a search on "Testing motion sensorss" and got pages and pages of everything but that. Suggest that since the community and support pages are pretty "mature" now, you have a basic navigation issue. Please don't post a link and call it day and say "fixed". Get customers, or if you have to, product managers, be responsible for web content review every day as part of their jobs. End of commerical.

@b2pken my apologies for the delay.  Put your system in test mode (Keypad, press menu, enter pin, test mode)

After that, go to each sensor you want to test, press the test button on the top of the sensor, then go to the perimiter of the area you want to test and clap your hands. Make sure voice prompts on base is on high and you should hear "motion sesnor". If so, good to go. If not, if you have a Gen1 motion sensor (recommneded) you can take off the cover and increase the sensitivity.

Option 2: Put all your motions for "off" mode to secret alert".  Walk or crawl in each area slowly and see if you get the alerts.

Option 3 that I prefer: Arm the system to away or home if your motions are set to arm - mine do in most of the rooms- move into the area of the motion you want to test and see if the alarm goes off. Enter your PIN immediately and hit off. Repeat.

If you still have questions, call support to troubleshoot or assistance with testing.  Note that my nine motions were all first installed and tested. Over a week period I had to move 5 of them and adjust the sensitivity on several. All have been not touched for over 6 years now and work perfectly, no false alarms but checked bimonthly.  Also all are on instant trigger to alarm, all on in away mode, those on the 2nd floor where are bedrooms are off in home mode. Keep them pointed away from windows, especially those facing due east or west, away from heatingAC ducts etc.

Good luck.

(edited)

4

illfamily4649

1 Message

Thanks for taking the time to post this information. I will try your 3rd option.

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4 months ago

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Press14English

1 Message

It's a shame the only way to test this effectively is to set off the alarm.  How about a feature in the app that says if the sensor is detecting motion?  the entry sensors can tell you when they are open or closed...

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4 months ago

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dlpsr

1.4K Messages

@Press14English​ It's not available in many, "SIMPLE" systems, at least not this one. Not much is frankly. It is a closed, no integration worth mentioning system.

Test mode is about it or arm it and step in front of the motion sensor, then cancel the alarm quickly or arm it and open a door etc.

Further, with the entry sensor you can go to the Account, device settings and their status is reflected there, but requires a refresh of the app page probably for every entry sensor test.

Not the motion though, they operate in armed state only as far as I know.

My DIY system detects motion and occupancy and reflects that status in my system as I wish. But thats another story and probably not applicable to the question/statement asked.

As stated above, just pressing the buttons in test mode might tell you the RF is communicating between base and sensors, but it does not reflect status of the internal reed switch operation in entry sensors that I'm aware of.

In the SS device settings app page it would reflect entire operation including reed switches, if refreshed.

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4 months ago

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emily_s

Community Admin

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3.4K Messages

@Press14English​ Like dlpsr and captain11 mentioned in this thread, you can put your system into Test Mode to test the Motion Sensor's connection to the Base Station and if it's detecting motion. 

To enter Test Mode, take the following steps:

  1. Disarm your system by pressing OFF on the Keypad

  2. Press the Menu button on your Keypad

  3. Enter your Master PIN

  4. Scroll until Test Mode is highlighted

  5. Use the arrow and tap to the right to enter Test Mode

To test the Motion Sensor's connection to the Base Station, press the button on the top of the device and wait for the Base Station to say "Motion Sensor."

To test its motion detection, press the button on the top of the device and then leave the room for at least 15 seconds. After the 15 seconds are up, enter the room again and walk around. When the Base Station announces "Motion Sensor", you'll know that the device detected you. 

For more information about testing the Motion Sensor, check out this article in our Help Center!

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4 months ago

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