Hello,
I need to scare my dog away from the retaining wall, so set an alarm to go off when pet is detected. Can I turn it off in 5 seconds instead of 30? This will be overkill for every squirrel or bird that walks by. Thank you.
How are you doing that and what exactly happens? I imagine you might be using a Device & Service Trigger type Automation to activate Cam v4’s siren and then the siren is automatically shutting off after 30 seconds, but I’m not sure. (I haven’t actually tried this.)
I think this is possible if you’re already using Automations and have a spare Wyze Plug or Plug Outdoor socket that you can use as an intermediary.
- Create a Device & Service Trigger Automation (which you may have already done), but make it turn on the Cam v4’s siren and a Plug:
- IF
- Cam v4 Detects a pet
- DO
- Cam v4 Turn on the siren
- Plug Turn on
- IF
- Create a second Device & Service Trigger Automation to reset the trigger after 5 seconds:
- IF
- Plug Has been on for 00:00:05
- DO
- Cam v4 Turn off the siren
- Plug Turn off
- IF
There are other variations in the Automations that would work, but I imagine that might achieve your goal (if you have a Plug available).
As @crease said, this is the hardcoded default and to do anything other than that you need to do some trickery, which may or may not be worth it to you. The plug in his scenario is doing nothing other than giving you something to trigger a rule off (though you could connect a strobe light to it or something just for maximum effect ) Another option would be to disable the alarm and instead use a something that makes noise plugged into a smart plug, but that is effectively the same workaround/hack, just a little bit less roundabout.
Would the chime or “you are being recorded” feature work or is that not enough to scare the dog?
Maybe you should have @Antonius test that and see how the cats, opossums, and raccoons that visit his yardlow class diner react.
Yet another option would be to use a Plug Outdoor as an Action in the first Automation so that when it turns on to trigger the second Automation it’s also supplying power to an electric fence as an additional deterrent. Zappy-zappy!
In all seriousness, having extra Plugs around can be super useful for working around automations shortcomings and even linking them to things like Google Home to initiate other automations/routines there. I once picked up a couple of Plug Outdoors when I saw them on unadvertised clearance at a local Home Depot store, and those are great because they give you two separate sockets to use as switches for automations.
( was tempted a few times, they got down as low as 2 for $5 or a single outdoor for $10, but I already have several TP Link energy monitoring ones that I don’t use.
The last time I picked any up, they were already sold out of the regular Plugs but had Plug Outdoor for $5 (US) each, so I got a couple to have on hand. Right now one of 'em is controlling a fan (accessible via Google Home), and that still leaves a second socket that’s available for incorporating into automations. The other one I’ve mostly used for testing, but they come in handy seasonally for things like automating Christmas lights.
I also have an idea for creating a 3D-printed enclosure that would give the dog a big button to press in order to trigger a broadcast announcement on the Google Home speakers when she wants to go outside, but I haven’t yet taken the time to design that beyond the mental concept and a rough sketch (and then there’d be the training, but she’s a smart girl).
Can your network handle that kind of constant traffic
Heh. Fair question. She’s actually quite docile and not too needy. She doesn’t do the in-out-in-out thing like some of my sister’s dogs.
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