Hi everyone, I wanted to share my experience setting up an automation using Hubitat that I thought might be helpful for others. I’ve been trying to get my outdoor lights to turn on when motion is detected after sunset and before sunrise, and it was a bit of a puzzle at first, but I finally got it figured out!
I started by setting up a rule in the Rule Machine 4.0. Initially, I tried using the sunset and sunrise times directly, but as others have mentioned, that didn’t work as expected because the condition stayed true all day. I played around with different time ranges and finally settled on a specific window from sunset to 5 AM. It took a bit of trial and error, but adjusting the time frame made all the difference.
Here’s what I did:
- Trigger: Motion detected by my Z-Wave motion sensor.
- Condition: Time between sunset and 5 AM.
- Action: Turn on the Hue light.
I also made sure my location settings were accurate, which I think was key. After setting it up, I monitored it for a few days to ensure it was working correctly. Now, it reliably turns on the lights when motion is detected during those hours, and I don’t have any unwanted activations during the day.
This setup has been a lifesaver for me, especially during the winter months when it gets dark earlier. It’s great to have peace of mind knowing the lights will come on when needed without me having to manually adjust them.
If anyone else is working on something similar, feel free to reach out! I’d be happy to help troubleshoot or share more details about my setup.