# Active IR beams for perimeter protection - experiences?

**URL:** <https://discourse.nodered.org/t/active-ir-beams-for-perimeter-protection-experiences/16516>\
**Category:** Hardware\
**Created:** [9 October 2019 20:01 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/active-ir-beams-for-perimeter-protection-experiences/16516 "2019-10-09T20:01:13Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 7\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![SteveCoates](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9c0ed/32.png) [@SteveCoates](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/SteveCoates)\
**Post date:** [11 October 2019 08:57 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/active-ir-beams-for-perimeter-protection-experiences/16516/21 "2019-10-11T08:57:12Z")

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How do you find them for false alarms? I played with them hung off an ESP8266 and got lots of false triggers, general comment seemed to be spikes in power supply but I spent ages messing around with seperate power supplys, ferrites, pi filters etc but still got a couple of false triggers a day.

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**Author:** ![ghayne](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/ghayne/32/39_2.png) [@ghayne](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/ghayne)\
**Post date:** [11 October 2019 09:11 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/active-ir-beams-for-perimeter-protection-experiences/16516/22 "2019-10-11T09:11:18Z")

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Some of the cheap ESP8266 boards have underrated regulator chips that can cause problems when the Wifi kicks in. I am using a Feather Huzzah and have very few false triggers. I tried a cheap Wemos D1 mini clone and it was catastrophic.

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**Author:** ![Paul-Reed](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/paul-reed/32/66906_2.png) [@Paul-Reed](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Paul-Reed)\
**Post date:** [11 October 2019 09:39 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/active-ir-beams-for-perimeter-protection-experiences/16516/23 "2019-10-11T09:39:14Z")

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I think we are moving off topic guys 😉

> [@BartButenaers](#):
>
> I would like to keep the focus of this discussion on IR beams and _ **how I can avoid false alarms** _

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**Author:** ![SteveCoates](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9c0ed/32.png) [@SteveCoates](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/SteveCoates)\
**Post date:** [11 October 2019 09:45 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/active-ir-beams-for-perimeter-protection-experiences/16516/24 "2019-10-11T09:45:38Z")

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While playing with them I ended up powering the sensor direct from the external 5v supply via smoothing and filter caps and still had issues, of course as the sensors are all unbranded I may just have been unlucky with the supplier.Part of the issue was diagnosis before I realised that the test sensor in the bedroom triggered when there was movement in the living room as it was only a couple of metres away through a timber floor. I think I will revisit the idea but perhaps with different sensors than the original batch.

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**Author:** ![cymplecy](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/cymplecy/32/2773_2.png) [@cymplecy](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/cymplecy)\
**Post date:** [11 October 2019 10:33 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/active-ir-beams-for-perimeter-protection-experiences/16516/25 "2019-10-11T10:33:20Z")

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I tried one out instead of a PIR but found that it detected movement in the surrounding rooms as well - it was too good 🙂

I tried sticking it inside a tin can but it was still too sensitive!

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**Author:** ![SteveCoates](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9c0ed/32.png) [@SteveCoates](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/SteveCoates)\
**Post date:** [11 October 2019 15:04 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/active-ir-beams-for-perimeter-protection-experiences/16516/26 "2019-10-11T15:04:47Z")

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While I was playing I did have the thought of putting one in the ceiling void in the living room, whole house coverage with a 50p sensor!

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**Author:** ![BartButenaers](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/bartbutenaers/32/10476_2.png) [@BartButenaers](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/BartButenaers)\
**Post date:** [11 October 2019 18:47 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/active-ir-beams-for-perimeter-protection-experiences/16516/27 "2019-10-11T18:47:37Z")

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> [@Paul-Reed](#):
>
> I think we are moving off topic guys 😉

Thanks @Paul-Reed

Does anybody have an idea whether the Aliexpress IR beams are usable?  
I cannot determine their quality, based only on their specifications:

![image](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/uploads/nodered/original/2X/e/ef5e9e9d96332be8ad50b87cac2d40b117e776de.png)

And their _ **beam spread diameter** _ looks so large too me:

![image](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/uploads/nodered/original/2X/5/5c8ef5c1eb247cd9af15ee020347eff2ee9fe671.png)

Are that normal diameter sizes, e.g. compared to other well known brands?  
P.S. not sure what the 135 mm means?

Although when I should buy the 250 meter model, the beam spread diameter will become smaller when I install those devices at 30 meter:

![image](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/uploads/nodered/original/2X/1/1582aabc989a4004054938728ea48952c3512903.png)

Does this make sense?

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