Motion sensor's low-battery state is off, but it seems to be not working

[ISY Newbie]

I have a couple of Insteon 2842-222 motion sensors that don't seem to be working. 

Its current state is blank, query returns no value, and a program involving the sensor doesn't work.

Yet, the low batter status of the sensor is indicated to be off on the admin console!

I could simple go out and replace the battery except that I need a ladder to do that and it's cold outside.

Could this be a battery issue even though the low battery status is off?

[dbuss]

37 minutes ago, ISY Newbie said:

I have a couple of Insteon 2842-222 motion sensors that don't seem to be working. 

Its current state is blank, query returns no value, and a program involving the sensor doesn't work.

Yet, the low batter status of the sensor is indicated to be off on the admin console!

I could simple go out and replace the battery except that I need a ladder to do that and it's cold outside.

Could this be a battery issue even though the low battery status is off?

Press the set button once and see if it will update the status of the motion sensor. A program with a motion sensor will only work when the motion sensor sends a status signal. A query will not return any information on a battery operated device. 

[larryllix]

1 hour ago, ISY Newbie said:

I have a couple of Insteon 2842-222 motion sensors that don't seem to be working. 

Its current state is blank, query returns no value, and a program involving the sensor doesn't work.

Yet, the low batter status of the sensor is indicated to be off on the admin console!

I could simple go out and replace the battery except that I need a ladder to do that and it's cold outside.

Could this be a battery issue even though the low battery status is off?

I have ten MSes. You can't rely on the lowBatt signal. Once you have missed it, it doesn't happen again. ISY doesn't how what it doesn't know.

[ISY Newbie]

46 minutes ago, larryllix said:

I have ten MSes. You can't rely on the lowBatt signal. Once you have missed it, it doesn't happen again. ISY doesn't how what it doesn't know.

That’s what I just realized. It turns out that the batter in the motion sensor was completely drained. 

So the lowbatt signal is triggered only while there is some battery left, and it will convert to “off” once the battery is completely drained? That’s counter-intuitive. 

[larryllix]

8 minutes ago, ISY Newbie said:

That’s what I just realized. It turns out that the batter in the motion sensor was completely drained. 

So the lowbatt signal is triggered only while there is some battery left, and it will convert to “off” once the battery is completely drained? That’s counter-intuitive. 

When ISY reboots, it doesn't know anything about your devices. The field will be blank. If the LowBatt signal is missed due to noise etc., the filed will not be updated. Some MSes never send the LowBatt signal, some send it while the battery has months of usage left. Battery voltages in extreme cold are much lower and the circuitry may not have ever thought the battery was high enough to see it go low.

Many MS will flash multiple times for every motion detected when the battery level is out of bounds. I got some extra long-life Lithium batteries for mine and they started at 11.5 volts. Every MS flashes multiple times due to high voltage.

Many here, have just resorted to changing the batteries every X months or when the function fails and given up on the published signals. With an outside unit you may want to time it late in every fall and maybe in the spring.

I change my CAO Tags batteries outside by unhooking them from the hook they hang on, change the batteries in the house, and rehang them. Put ladder away. **SIGH**