I did a search, but couldn’t come up with a direct answer. (Maybe I didn’t search far enough). Anyway, I considering getting a Lamp Socket power adapter for a V4 camera I plan on using outdoors.
The question I have is about motion detection. Does the motion detection happen with the camera, and the camera tells the light socket to turn on the light bulb; OR, does the light socket use it’s own motion detection to turn the light on?
Also, if it’s the light socket has it’s own motion detection, (Which I am interested in for another area without a camera), with the motion detection work through the glass globe around the light bulb/socket. The cameras use pixel movement to determine motion. I would have to assume if the socket can do motion it would be similar, in which case, the lamp globe would have to be CLEAR. Meaning, a frosted globe would be a problem noticing motion.
This would also mean, if the camera’s MOTION DETECTION doesn’t talk to the lamp socket to tell it to turn on the light during motion, and the light light relies totally on the lamp socket’s motion detection, then I must replace the lamp globe with a clear one instead of the frosted one currently in use.
Am I correct in my assumptions. Any experience that can be shared would be appreciated.
Thanks
Mike
We use the advanced motion detection from Wyze Cam v3 or v4 to detect motion and turn on your light.
I think you’ll need to consider a different solution for motion detection for your other area without a camera, or maybe this is an incentive to add a camera there for whatever reason, if the setting allows (I know power and Wi-Fi signals can be issues).
Crease… 3 more questions on this if you don’t mind. (I just looked at the FAQ and didn’t find my answer).
I know you can link up to 5 of the sockets together into a group. I know it takes the camera to do the motion detection.
But, does it have to be the camera that is plugged into the socket that turns on the light for motion? Meaning… hypothetically, if I had 5 sockets in a group, can 1 camera, plugged into a socket or maybe not, turn all 5 of those socket’s lights on with motion. E.g. the camera is on the porch and when motion is detected, it turns on the lights plugged into 5 different sockets in the house.
Is there a timer that can be adjusted for those lights that are on by motion, or do they automatically go off the same time the camera stops seeing motion.
Finally; being the socket can do dusk to dawn operation, I would assume that those sockets can be used WITHOUT being in conjunction with a camera. The camera is just for motion. I should be able to set up a socket with a bulb, NO CAMERA, and program the light to come on dawn to dusk.
Thanks
Mike
Disclaimer: I don’t own any of these, so please don’t take my answers as definitive. Hopefully someone with hands-on experience can provide better answers.
Having said that, regarding your questions:
The article in the Help Center about using Automations with Lamp Sockets indicates that they can be “triggered by another device.” My understanding of the way the sockets work, though, is that at least one camera has to be plugged into at least one socket, because I think Lamp Socket has to be added as a Cam v3 or Cam v4 accessory and not as a separate device. In other words, you can’t just tap the big plus sign on the app’s Home screen and then Device ➜ Power & Lighting and expect to find Lamp Socket there. Instead, you’d have to navigate into, for instance, a Cam v4’s Settings ➜ Accessories and add it there.
Based on my read of the Automations article I linked above, I think you should be able to time them and not rely on a camera’s motion detection to turn the lights off. They apparently have a “Turn on lamp socket for” Action, so you can specify a time.
I don’t know if what you’re suggesting is entirely true because of the way Lamp Sockets are added as devices in the app (at least as I understand it). The Wyze Cam is a necessary part of controlling them, apparently, but it also looks like you could schedule the lights independently with Automations, so you should be able to do dusk-to-dawn lighting, but I believe that a camera must be involved in order to get them online and connected to the app in the first place (but then doesn’t actually have to use motion detection to trigger the lights, say).
If you haven’t already done so, you might want to poke around in the Lamp Socket section of the Help Center. Hopefully that and/or other users can help answer your questions!
Thanks for the feedback. The lamp socket is pretty decent. I’ve been playing with it for a few days, but there is definitely one thing about it that totally sucks. The socket is basically a dead piece of plastic if the camera isn’t on. See, I don’t leave my cameras on 24/7 unless I’m away from the house. I would be getting alerts all the time obviously from motion. Front porch, back porch, living room, family room, back yard. So, I turn the cameras on when needed. Most cameras on at night when sleeping, away from home, or 24/7 if away for days.
Unfortunately, at least from what I’ve read, if the camera isn’t turned on, the lamp socket is useless. It won’t do sunset to sunrise, or any type of schedule without the camera to tell it when that time is and to allow power to connect. (At least this is my understanding). This isn’t a big problem as spring/summer comes around, but in Fall and Winter, when the sun goes down at around 4:30-5:00pm, I have to turn the camera on (the one with the lamp socket outdoors) in order to use the light. e.g. bar-b-que, sitting out back, etc. This means I have to manually turn of all motion detection so it isn’t texting/alerting me every 30 seconds.
I could understand if there’s no camera at all attached; but I shouldn’t have to have to camera on and monitoring in order to use the lamp socket for a light bulb. All this is, is a glorified light that the cameras have. Plus it gets you power for the camera if there’s not an outlet outside. But being able to still use the light is a major downfall of this item. (UNLESS I am missing something; in which case I would LOVE to be educated). I can’t even get to the lamp socket unless the camera is on. It just says “Camera is Off” in the lamp settings in the app.
Anyway… other than that 1 MAJOR PITA isuue, the lamp socket definitely has some decent abilities. But I definitely won’t buy any more.
I think that’s correct. My understanding is that the Lamp Socket has Bluetooth but not Wi-Fi connectivity, so the USB-connected camera is what gives the Lamp Socket its connection to the LAN and Internet (thus the camera would actually have to be “on” and not in its suspended “off” state in order for something like a Schedule Automation to operate the internal switch for whatever lamp is connected to the socket).
Have you tried a Shortcut Automation to see if you could turn on the connected camera, turn off detections and/or notifications for that camera, and turn on the lights with a single tap? I don’t know how well that would work, because I recall reading something about how Wyze Automations execute Actions all at once instead of using the order in which they’re listed (for an Automation with multiple Actions) and executing them sequentially. I think that was when they were still called “Rules” before the v3x app was released, though, and I haven’t tried testing them to see if anything has changed. That might be worth trying, though.
Yeah, again I think that’s because the Lamp Socket relies on the Cam in order to have its connection. That really makes me wonder about the Turn Off button for something like a Cam v4, though (I don’t have any Cam v3s). I guess I was thinking before that this is similar to Cam Pan v3’s Privacy Mode, where the camera supposedly just physically turns the lens away and stops all recording, but maybe it’s more like a suspended state on a PC that requires a magic packet to activate something akin to a Wake-on-LAN feature. (Now that I’m thinking about it, I would guess that this is actually what Cam Pan v3 is doing, too.) That’s probably why you can’t do anything with the Lamp Socket when the Cam is “off”.
I understand the frustration. Like I said, I don’t have any hands-on time with these, so I appreciate the time you’ve taken to share your experiences. I agree that this seems to have some useful features as well as apparently significant limitations.
Not sure if I should start another topic; but maybe some of you can help. So, I am really starting to think that this lamp socket power adapter really sux. It does a great job at providing power for the v4 camera. No complaint there. But just about everything doesn’t work.
If I turn the lamp on or off manually from the app, it works fine. If I set the app to turn on the lamp on with motion detection and I do the “Test motion detection” the lamp comes on perfectly and stays on for the allotted time I have it set for.
However… under NORMAL MOTION detection settings, the lamp doesn’t do crap. I can have 5 events sent to me, motion triggered, and the lamp never came on during any of them. (yes, it’s dark out). I even set the lamp to automatic to come on Sunset to Sunrise. It’s pitch black out and the lamp never comes on.
Again; I can manually turn the lamp on/off with the app, but that’s about it. And when I do the motion detection test, the lamp comes on. But it never comes on for normal motion events; or for sunset to sunrise. It’s bad enough it doesn’t do some of the things I’d like it to do. But that’s ok; they didn’t design it just for me. But for $16.98 I would think that it should at least do the things it’s supposed to do.
I’m responding only because your reply was directed at me, so I don’t want to ignore that.
Again, since I don’t own any of these, the feedback I’m able to provide is pretty limited. I’m also not sure who else is a regular Forum contributor who uses them, so I’m unsure of whom to tag for additional input. If no one else chimes in within…whenever you might expect a response ()…then starting a new topic with specific questions might help you get better visibility.
Having said that, I guess I’d be curious about how you’re trying to get motion-triggered lighting, whether it’s via Automations or something else (again, though, since I don’t own any of these, I’m unable to see any UI options/screens for direct control of the socket itself) and whether or not you’ve worked through the “My Wyze Lamp Socket is not turning on when motion is detected.” troubleshooting article. (I imagine you have.)
Regarding sunrise/sunset, I also don’t know if you’re doing that in settings for the socket or via Automations, but I’d be inclined to test each separately (if that’s an option). Even then, I wouldn’t be surprised if the on/off continues to fail, but I’m biased because of my longstanding disappointment with the way other Wyze devices (bulbs and plugs) fail time-and-location-based activation with features like Vacation Mode. That has never worked for me—even when I’ve entered my physical address into the app, so I’m literally telling Wyze where I am so they can know the time zone and time at my location—and my last ticket trying to get some answers about that closed without resolution.
Crease, thanks for the reply. I wasn’t actually replying directly to you, but in general. But I do appreciate your reply and contributions.
I don’t do anything in “Automations”. Not a fan of it. In the socket section of the camera is where I do the settings. In “Accessories - Lamp Socket”. For the lamp, it has 3 options. “AUTO, ON, OFF”. Off and on are 100% manual settings. From the app, you can turn the lamp on or off. That works fine.
When you set it to “AUTO” you then have 3 sub-choices. “Sunset to Sunrise”, “Motion detected in the dark” and “Sound detected in the dark”. Now… after a lot of tinkering around, the “Sunset to Sunrise” seems to be fine. The only problem with that is, the light obviously stays on all evening. Not the worst option, but not desired. The option I really want to utilize is the “Motion detected in the dark”. That doesn’t seem to work. When setting this all up, there is an option in the Lamp Socket settings to “Test Motion Detection”. I click, it says walk in front of camera, it asks “Did light to on”, I say yes because it did, and the app says congrats or whatever and you’re done. All is good. Problem is, when a motion does occur, and it is dark, the lamp doesn’t light. I get the event / motion notification, I am inside looking at the light on the back porch, it is dark out, but the light doesn’t come on.
Well, I will do some more playing and see what I can come up with. Do appreciate your time and contributions. Always helpful. Thanks
Mike
There is one more thing I am experimenting with. IR detection is a lot more susceptible to motion with IR lights on than with regular ambient light. That camera, in it’s current location, gets some lighting from the neighbor’s porch. Possibly to the point from what I can tell that the IR lights don’t always come on when set to AUTO mode. The view on the camera is still very good. You can see everything with the ambient lighting; but I think it make not be as sensitive to motion as with IR lighting. I’m going to experiment with both the IR lights on manually as well as with the sensitivity. Might take a few days to experiment (being I can’t do it unless it’s dark outside for the light to come on).
I am getting motion detection alerts, so that shouldn’t be an issue, but some experimenting so far did get the light to come on when the IR lights were on. Maybe the app thinks if the IR lights aren’t on, then maybe it’s NOT DARK OUT and therefor the lamp isn’t supposed to come on. If worse comes to worse, instead of auto, I can have the IR lights on all the time. Need to play with it.
Thanks
Mike
It took me a while to understand this, but there are separate “Reply” options for replying to a post (seen at the bottom of each individual post) and for replying to a topic (seen at the bottom of the topic). Since replies to an individual post are directed to a specific user, I tend to feel obligated to respond when someone is replying to something I wrote using that method. Your previous reply was directed at me, so you get to deal with my reply.
If you start a reply with one button (say the “Reply” to an individual post/user) but want to change the reply to the other type (say to the topic as a whole), you don’t have to start over with composing your message. Just click the other “Reply” button! Knowing that made my life a little easier when I figured it out. (I hope this makes sense.)
It’s not necessary to included your name at the bottom of each post. That’s actually discouraged in the Community Guidelines. You can save yourself the trouble and don’t need to be so formal. (That’s a difficult habit for me to break in some kinds of e-mail communications, though.)
That’s what I figured, but I didn’t want to make any assumptions. I appreciate the clarification, and I especially like the detail in which you described the experience. That helps me to get a better handle on what’s happening, I think.
First of all, it’s cool that you got the sunrise/sunset thing worked out. If the light in the socket is staying on all night anyway, then I’m not sure why you’d need motion to trigger it on when it’s dark, but that’s maybe a separate thing or perhaps I don’t have a good enough mental image of your setup. (Or maybe you were just trying that because motion detection wasn’t activating the light as you expected.)
Second, I wonder if maybe your camera isn’t activating the light when you have “Motion detected in the dark” set because the camera doesn’t “think” it’s dark enough? I don’t know why you don’t like Automations, but I think I’d be inclined to try one as a test. For this case, I think maybe you’d want to set the lamp to “OFF” and then create a Device & Service Trigger Automation:
The IF would be for your camera detecting motion.
The DO would be to turn on your socket(s) for whatever amount of time you set.
The WHEN you would enable and select your sunrise/sunset (and/or offset) times so that the Automation triggers only when you expect it to be dark outside.
By doing that, you’re not relying on the system to detect a “dark” condition. You can tell it what hours of the day you want motion detection to turn on the light (or maybe do, like, 15 minutes after sunset to 30 minutes before sunrise or whatever), which might give you more control of how it operates. That’s something I think I’d at least test, anyway.
That’s kind of what I’m thinking, which seems to reinforce the idea of trying it as a Trigger Automation that operates within whatever schedule you set.
Crease, thanks for reminding of the 2 “Replies”. I knew it, just didn’t pay attention. (Probably just lazy).
Yea, the sunset/sunrise seems to work, but that’s not my preference. I don’t really like having the light on all night. It assists the not so honest is scoping without having to get closer. Turning on with motion adds a level (as small as it may be) of surprise and second thoughts.
As for your suggestions on “Automations”, that definitely gives me something to think about. It might be a good option. I appreciate it.
Thanks
Mike
)…then starting a new topic with specific questions might help you get better visibility.