Anyone waterproof a motion sensor for outdoor use? I was considering just applying silicon caulking to the gaps of an HSM100 for use outdoors. Thoughts?
What you may need to do is use some type of silicone on the PC board and not foul the sensor. There may be some special stuff.
Yeah I have heard of guys coating the boards with epoxy, but on this unit I would be afraid to foul the sensors.
if you place some release tape over the sensor you should be ok
Has anyone had their HSM100 operating outdoors now for enough time to confirm it’s resiliency in the weather?
I found [url=http://board.homeseer.com/showthread.php?t=137647&highlight=outdoor]Outdoor Version ?? - HomeSeer Message Board on the HomeSeer board which shows a somewhat clever solution, though one that does not overwhelm me with confidence. Unfortunately, my intended installation point does not have the kind of shelter that this poster was afforded.
I’m considering just taping the seems, and adding some silicone to the screw points to keep the moisture out, but would be curious to know if anyone has done so before, and to what success.
Thanks much
You should seal the edges of the Fresnel lens, too.
Good suggestion, just a beam of silicone around the outside of the lens you think?
Truly amazing that no one in the Z-Wave vendors list is doing an outdoor motion sensor. Its not like its difficult, you can buy them everywhere for X-10 (at a third the price), and that’s harder to weatherproof because you have to have AC wiring to those.
That’s one of the main things preventing me so far from pulling the trigger on Vera - coupled with what I see here about the apparent problems with using X-10 with Vera, despite it being "officially supported. 
Get any outdoor motion detector and connect it to HRDS1
Not a bad idea you have there. You could then use any cheapo, or even highly specialized wired sensor. Personally, I also want the temp and light level readings provided by the HSM100 so I’m going to attempt to weatherize it (and still would like to hear other’s experience doing the same if there are any), but your solution sounds pretty elegant for many common motion sensor needs.
HSM100 seems to me overly fragile - I can’t imagine what can happen to poor device at some -27F at winter or even 90-100F at summer.
You have a very valid point there, which I suppose is why this tread exists in the first place.
In your use of the HRDS1, did you just drill a hole through your wall above (or beside) your door and hook up a motion sensor to it? Any concern with this method drastically reducing the battery life of the HRDS1? Any particular motion sensor that you have used with this method?
Also (I looked for this but couldn’t find the answer) does the HRDS1 differentiate it’s own internal sensor and whatever 2 wire sensor is connected to it at all? In other words, can it report back to the Vera (or whatever controller it is associated with) that it was the door that was opened vs the theoretical wired up motion sensor that was tripped?
I guess if I’m really being honest with myself, I don’t NEED the extra data provided by the HSM100 from the front porch (though it would be nice), and I was planning on adding the HRDS1 to the front door anyway.
Thanks again for your insights.
HRDS1 is just a contact sensor, On/Off, and it isn’t aware about what triggered his event.
You can connect few external wired sensors to it in parallel, but you’ll see the same z-wave event if any of them goes off, and you don’t know which one - this is why I wouldn’t use single HRDS1 for both motion and door - unless you’re OK to receive the same alert for either event.
Yes, I would drill a hole and put HRDS indoors. I don’t see why would it affect battery comparing to the regular way you use it. For the contact sensor it’s pretty much transparent which contacts are shorted - magnetic ones, or the others.
Good info, thank you.
I definitely want to differentiate between a door open and a front porch motion event as you would expect.
Nothing to do now but get one of each and try it out. 
So the HRDS1 isn’t weatherproof either? Did someone call this solution “elegant” earlier in this thread? RF wireless Z-Wave network, and we’re reduced to drilling holes through door/window frames to route wires inside for simple outdoor motion detection, that’s not too elegant.
I’m still a bit confused trying to research and read up and find definitive info around here regarding X-10 support. Is it possible at present, or not, to get Vera to accept and react to X-10 signals from a motion detector (as opposed to just turning a switch on or off)??
No doubt X-10 is much less reliable than Z-Wave, but as I debate what to put into my new home, its pretty frustrating basd on the lack of basic Z-Wave devices like this. Mix & match, turning to X-10 when necessary seems the most elegant, IF its possible. I’ll put in a signal amplifier/repeater at the central electrical panel along with a good whole-house surge suppressor for more reliability if necessary.
The current outdoor temperature for your location should be available via guessed’s ‘Google Weather Device’
(a Luup plugin for Vera):
http://www.aeon-labs.com/site/products/view/7/
This sensor will be waterproof (or at least rated for outdoor use) and will be released soon, the last estimate I heard was March… but that of course has come and gone… maybe any day now?
Since the next question is always… how weatherproof… the specs show it as IP44 rated…
Second digit is the important one here…
4 splashing water Water splashing against the enclosure from any direction shall have no harmful effect.
Ref: IP code - Wikipedia
I actually just an email with updated info on the Aeon Labs unit. The specs sent say it is IP43 (Spraying Water) rated. According to the rep it will be available in approximately a month.
funny… (not that it matters)… but that contradicts their specs on it…
http://www.aeon-labs.com/site/public/lib/download.php?type=s&f=29
IP44