Hey everyone 
So I’ve been playing around with the Aqara Motion Sensor (PIR) for a few months now, and figured I’d drop in some of the ways it’s seriously leveled up my home security without breaking the bank.
First off, I’m not some home automation guru or anything—just your average smart home enthusiast who got tired of false alarms and useless push notifications. The real game changer was using the PIR in combination with door and vibration sensors. For example, when motion is detected and the front door opens between 11 PM and 6 AM? Bam—lights turn on, my camera wakes up, and I get an instant notification. Zero lag. So slick.
Another tip: placement matters more than I expected. I had mine in a hallway at first and it kept getting triggered by my cat. Moved it higher up and angled it slightly—no more false alerts. Also started setting different alert levels for “Away” vs “Night” scenes. Took a sec to set up in HomeKit, but now it feels seamless.
It’s also fun integrating it with voice alerts. Like, “Motion detected in the garage” announcement from Alexa is oddly satisfying. Makes it feel like I’m in some spy movie lol.
Anyone else using PIRs for layered alert setups or had any clever automations? Hit me up—I’m always looking for ideas to tinker with.
Your approach to optimizing home security in a budget-friendly way is truly inspiring. Using the PIR along with door and vibration sensors for a comprehensive security setup is a brilliant idea, especially with that smart automation of lights and camera activation. It’s like you’ve created your own personal security network!