Customer Reviews

X-10 ActiveEye Motion Sensor (Outdoor) Model MS16A

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Works very well, long battery life and a pain in the butt to program. KEEP all your X10 papers somewhere or you will be sorry, however you can use the Web and download instructions. I just keep a folder as I have a bunch of X10 products.

I use this unit outside in 5 locations to turn porch lights on, activate cameras when someone is in back yard, sound a gong inside, etc, etc... I get about a year on a set of 'quality' batteries but as soon as you pull one out to replace, it loses all the settings you made and that is an annoyance. I even thought about soldering and extending a couple of battery wires on the outside of the unit so I could clip a battery on the unit so its memory wouldn't be erased as I changed the batteries (but I haven't). Yes it is that much of an annoyance if you don't use the default settings BUT I like the units very much.

Use this model indoors or outdoors.

This is one of those things where you'll curse for an hour trying to figure out how to program it. Hold A...then B while light blinks once for something, twice for something else, than press A then B...then some other button...then it blinks the wrong number of times...then you curse... repeat. Once you program it... it works great...sometimes a little too good. I had to put an index card on side to limit the motion sensing range as anytime anyone came anywhere near it, it would turn the lights on. Works great for few months... batteries die..time to reprogram... and curse. Its a cool item, I love it when it works... but I also leave it with dead batteries for a few months before I finally get the nerve to reprogram.

This unit, as others have suggested, is a nightmare to program. You can't see the red indicator light except in the dark, so you have to try to program it with a flashlight which is not quite shining on the unit but has enough light to see the miniscule buttons. Trying to decide what the directions means is another challenge. Finally, once you get it programmed, it will work fine just enough times for you to think everything is fine, then it will take on a mind of its own and decide it wants to keep the lights on from dusk to dawn, even though you've had it working just the opposite for the past hour. Amazingly frustrating.

I have been using X10 products many years including this sensor. It works good, is low cost, but only last about 1.5 years outside. The exposure to the sun and other weather conditions takes it toll. However, with many systems there is a maintenance factor involved and here in means replacing the sensors every 1.5 years or so. Although it is sensitive, it works well, and I will keep on using it. A word of advice is to buy this sensor with other items in larger quantities directly through X10, as they often offer good rebates. I bought it through Amazon this time, as I needed it fast.

Do not buy this junk. Dos not work. As far as i can tell, none of the wireless motion sensors work well. I have tried other brands as well. Either they dont work at all or the oppisite happens. They are to sens this results in constant false allarms. No good etheir way.The only motion detecters is find that work well are the standard 120 volt motion detecters you see on flood lights,ect.