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Review on YoLink Smart Outdoor Motion Detector: 1/4 Mile Range LoRa-Powered Wireless Sensor for Driveway Alert, Trespassing Alarm, Remote Monitoring & Alerts - Alexa, IFTTT Compatible. Hub Required! by Anthony Heinrichs

Revainrating 5 out of 5

Great outdoor motion sensor that works with Alexa.

Overall I like this motion sensor very much. I've been waiting a while for the company to make an external motion sensor that works with Alexa. In early 2021, I suggested this to Yolinks in their testimonials section. Yolink seems very open to feedback. What I like about this motion sensor / ADVANTAGES. 1) How small it is compared to other outdoor motion sensors on the market. Much easier to place in a spot where it won't be as noticeable. 2) Like all Yolink devices, this device is extremely easy to set up. Tap the scan icon in the app, scan the QR, tap the anchor, done. 3) The Yolink app is extremely user-friendly. Designers and programmers should really use the Yolink app and devices. It's very easy to rename the Yolink device in the application to something convenient and/or useful to you. Changing device settings is easy, tap the device icon and then select a setting. No searching and digging through four or five deep menus trying to find something hidden under an obscure label/name. 4) Another very neat thing the Yolink app and Alexa skill do is that each newly scanned Yolink device is added automatically. to the list of Alexa devices. Alexa doesn't have to search for new devices before you can start setting up operations in Alexa. 5) Another great feature is that when the sensor sends a notification to your phone, it also turns on the battery status. No more guessing when the batteries are low. You can also see this in the app by selecting the device and then Settings where you can see the battery level. 6) This is more about the Yolink hub that the sensors are connected to. When the sensors control other Yolink devices such as wall switches, electrical plugs/sockets or even turn on the Yolink alarm siren, NO internet connection is required. Yolink devices communicate with each other through a Yolink hub. This interaction is almost instantaneous. Internet access is required to communicate with Alexa and other Yolink devices and to send notifications to your phone. I can't currently rate the battery life. I've only been using outdoor motion sensors for four days (as of 05/31/21). If they are similar to other Yolink devices, the battery life should be very good. I currently have one of these sensors for my driveway. When it detects motion I get a notification on my phone and I have a procedure in my Alexa settings to make an announcement on all Echo speakers. I love this feature. I also installed one for my side door and have done similar things. If you have children playing in the garden, you can set the time when different sensors are active and when not. At night, I test how good these sensors are and the Alexa Yolink's ability to turn on various external lights when motion is detected. The only thing that worries me is that it's not really a minus at the moment. 1) Small mount, will it stand up to Florida weather? The time will show. I can't refuse at this time as I don't know how strong the mount is. This may be a disadvantage for some, but not for me. 1) The mounting bracket only has vertical movement/adjustment, no horizontal adjustment at all. It's not a problem for me, maybe for some it is. These motion sensors replace the existing sensors in my house. Road sensor, rain/weather cover already installed and pointing in the right direction. The other, like the other outdoor sensors I have, mounts under the house/roof eaves for some protection on the brackets I've already designed and pointed in the right direction. So far, these new Yolink outdoor motion sensors are working much better. than i expected. I have ordered two more (5/30/21) for the front and rear doors. Only time will tell if they can handle regular Florida weather. I will let you know if my choice changes.

Pros
  • Practical thing
Cons
  • So far so good