Question

Are there any motion sensors that work with Alexa without hub, or are they hub based only?  

Answer 1

You don’t find these because WiFi takes a lot of power - sensors would have poor battery life. Hubs allow sensors to use wireless protocols that are made for home automation and use significantly less power allowing for long battery life.  

Comments

@unclothe1851 but what about PoE or actually plugged in sensors? I'd love a Poe sensor.  

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@sikorski20 The aeotec multisensor 6 allows it to be powered via microUSB. You can find PoE to USB adapters. (It is a zwave sensor, not wifi, however).  

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@sikorski20 ZOOZ Z-WAVE PLUS MOTION SENSOR ZSE18 WITH MAGNETIC BASE (BATTERY OR USB POWER)

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I've been avoiding Z-Wave, but I still see too many cool things so I guess I'll go there.  

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@sikorski20 from what I've learned so far in motion sensors zwave motion sensors are tipically a bit slower in responce but, depending on your setup zwave can have its PROS.  

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@sikorski20 It is a better way to go - when you get wifi equipment, you are almost always going to be dependent on a third party cloud (very few have local APIs). zwave is by definition a local protocol and a known command set (so basically every zwave device ONLY has a local API - zwave devices do not have the ability to access the internet). You only depend on a third party cloud if you use a hub that requires it.  

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@sikorski20 All mine are wired and powered. Much more responsive, no batteries, more reliable and cheaper.  

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@variola0 what do you have? I'm good with wiring.  

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@sikorski20 I’m using a range of standard 12V sensors connected to an Arduino to act as IP interface. Can use PoE if you want. Means I have a huge choice of sensors all very cheap. An Arduino can support 30+ sensors too.  

Answer 2

The wyze motion sensor if you get the pack

Comments

Kits brings a cam a door sensor and motion sensor

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@bindweed in this case, the camera is acting as a hub

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@unclothe1851 correct but its the only one thencurremtly supports alexa without the need of having an actual hub such as smart things or hubitat ect

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Alexa recognizes the motion sensor and you can make automations withing the alexa app

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@bindweed Sure. but the wyze bridge IS performing the same functions as an “actual hub”, so I don’t get your distinction. It is actually significantly more limiting - wyze uses a proprietary protocol so you are “locked in. ” If my SmartThings stopped working tomorrow, I could re-pair everything to Hubitat and be up and working - because they both use standard zigbee or zwave protocols. There are no extenders for Wyze’s custom protocol whereas there are for zigbee and zwave. You are also dependent on Wyze’s servers and security, which has been suspect lately. Don’t get me wrong, I love wyze cams and have half a dozen, but their sensors do not fit my home automation requirements.  

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@unclothe1851 lol i understand your point, I use hubitat and dont have any wifi devices sir. only wifi devices i use are ring, ecobee and wyze (no sensor just cams). however. he asked a question and i was trying to be helpfull. I assume if he is trying to avoid a hub is because all his stuff is wifi, perhaps he is trying to avoid buying an "actual hub" i say this because wyze uses RF signal to its sensors rather then what we are normally used to (zigbee or zwave) and as an entry point to automation i dont see anything wrong with it for begginers, a friend visited me a while back and loved my setup he wanted to so simple automations and ive pointed him towards wyze. his stuff has been working flawless ever since. all for the price of just one of my smart switches at home.  

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@bindweed zwave and zigbee are RF signals, haha. (I do know how it all works, I do this for a living)

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@unclothe1851 then i suppose yud understand we're im coming from. not everyone does it for a livingsome are just wanting to do simple automations of a room or door ect. not a whole home

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@tulley are you looking too go all out in the smart home or just simple automations?  

Answer 3

Doesnt alexas screen devices have zigbee built in? there are a ton of zigbee motion sensors