Optex VX-402R Question

Thanks, Frank. What do you consider low? My temps drop into the 60s or 50s most of the year at night. Dropping into the 40s and occasionally the 30s in the winter. Also I have a 5816 and a 5890 in an uninsulated garage that have not needed battery replacement for a year so far....

The other question would be its immunity to swaying trees, bushes, etc... I suppose since it works off of a heat signature the wind movement shouldn't matter?

My 5816 installation sheet doesn't specify a minimum temp. That's the only documentation I have left.

I wish I could follow your suggestion. It's a good one. But I don't have AC available anywhere near the mounting site of this motion detector.

The board is designed to mount inside the weather-proof housing (which tends to make it weather-proof as well, I guess)... :-))

One thing you should know. Battery life will be substantially reduced if the ambient temperatures are consistently low. You'll also have to limit the number of times the unit will transmit (leaving the thing to transmit each and every time the IR trips will mean you're replacing batteries every week). I'd suggest powering the thing from a 9 volt power supply and using a 9 volt ni-cad battery in the actual transmitter. Altronix makes one that you can "dial in" from 3v to 24 volts. Watch your polarity though and solder any connections in the unit.

Mounting units in an unheated garage isn't the same as mounting them outside where they're directly exposed to wind and weather. It takes much longer for items in the garage to "soak" to the outside ambient temperature (unless of course you keep the over-head door open). Parking your car in the garage will also tend to raise the temperature there above outside ambient. I believe the normal operating temperture range for the 5816 doesn't include "30's and 40's", but I'll have to check the specs. If you already have units installed and retained the installation sheets I'd suggest you have a look yourself. It might be a worthwhile to follow my suggestion with respect to the power supply for the other units in your garage but you may think differently considering your "success" so far ("if it ain't broke, don't fix it"). :-))

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The operating temp from Honeywell's web site states 32F to 120F

Kewl!! Thanks Mark!! I'd meant to look that up but got a tad busy.

but, what warm things will the wind blow through the detection area?

in other words; if everything blowing through, and the background, were all exactly the same heat signature...the wind wouldn't matter.