I’m experience a weird issue… happens with only one door (the most used) when it opens the alarm chirps 2,3 or even more times. It’s been happening for a couple of days. I reseted the base, everything is up to date, but it still do it. When I see the history of the door on the app it records several times open/close events at the same time.
Hi @lbelfort. Thank you for sharing this information. Would this be for a Generation 1 or 2 Contact Sensor? I would first make sure that Contact Sensor is installed the correct distance from the Magnet. 1/2" for Gen 1, 1" for Gen 2. I would also try to take the Contact Sensor and Magnet off of its mounting location and bring it within a few feet of the Base Station and see if this still happens. If it does, please give our support team a call at one of the numbers available here. We’re taking additional steps to protect our team and help reduce the spread of COVID-19, so this has resulted in longer than normal wait times. If you are outside of the US, please read our response to COVID-19 here to see how to contact support.
@lbelfort wrote:
I’m experience a weird issue… happens with only one door (the most used) when it opens the alarm chirps 2,3 or even more times. It’s been happening for a couple of days. I reseted the base, everything is up to date, but it still do it. When I see the history of the door on the app it records several times open/close events at the same time
There are two basic situations, that I can think of, that would cause multiple chirping. Both situations are a “Gap” issue.
Background Information: A Contact-Sensor is a device that utilizes a magnet (contained in the smaller half of the contact-sensor) to pull on a reed-switch in the other larger electronic sensor-half. The magnetic-field pulls the reed-switch shut and lets the sensor ‘know’ it is in the closed position. The magnetic-field strength has marginal “pulling” strength on the reed-switch, when the gap-space between the halves exceeds a 1/2-inch. That’s why you should mount the two halves so the gap is no greater than 1/2-inch. An even smaller gap is better. When you open the door, that gap then greatly exceeds the range of the magnetic-field, the reed-switch is no longer magnetically held closed, and the sensor indicates “Open.”
Situation 1 : On your “most used” door, the gap maybe just barely at the 1/2-inch magnetic-strength threshold. If you only used the adhesive tape to mount your contact-sensor, the frequent use has jarred the sensor mounting to slip and either widen apart slightly or become misaligned. And the magnet is now " just barely’’ keeping the reed-switch closed. Then as the door starts opening, the magnet “holds the reed-switch, then can’t hold the reed-switch, and then holds the reed-switch, then can’t hold the reed-switch, etc.” causing multiple signals to be sent to the Base Station, causing multiple chirps. If this is your case, remount the sensor-halves to tighten the gap at or under 1/2-inch maximum. Recommend opening the sensor-halves, use small screws to attach the base, so that the frequent use cannot allow the gap alignment to slip wider apart again.
Situation 2: Each half portion of the Contact-Sensor slide & click onto their mounting base. The frequent use might have dislodged it** a little off its base**, resulting in a wider gap. If the gap widens by a sensor-half sliding or dislodging apart, it again results in the “Situation 1” above. Simply push/slide to check that both sensor-halves are firmly seated/clicked onto its base portion. This is why it is a better technique to mount the electronic half on the door frame and and the magnetic half on the door itself. Then the heavier electronic half will have less chance of dislodging and/or incurring electronic damage, from the “jarring” effect when the door is slammed shut.
Bottom-line: You need to have good alignment and the gap distance closer between the two sensor halves, or you can get the multiple chirping as the door starts opening.
I hope this explains and helps you with your issue 
Thanks Tom and Boone for your prompt response. It’s a 1st Generation, I don’t think it’s a gap issue… because when the door is closed it doesn’t fail, only when we open the door. This sensor has been installed and working well for more than a year. It’s also about 15ft from the base. Is there any chance that this sensor parts can be magnetized? I opened, removed the battery, air cleaned, etc. I saw the part of the sensor that is responsible for the contact, but it looks good… I will replace the sensor with other to see if the problem continues. So I can see if the problem is the sensor or other thing
@lbelfort wrote:
"Thanks Tom and Boone for your prompt response."
- You’re welcome. My pleasure.
@lbelfort , As you continue to troubleshoot your Chirping issue, here are some answers to the questions you asked . . . and other factors to consider, that may help you solve this chirping mystery:
" I don’t think it’s a gap issue… because when the door is closed it doesn’t fail, only when we open the door."
- If it is a gap issue, or more accurately a weak magnetic-field issue, the multiple chirping will ONLY occur as you are opening ( moving ) the door. Once the door is fully closed ( stationary ), the magnetic-field can close the reed-switch as long as it has sufficient magnetic ‘pulling’ force.
- The Contact-sensor main purpose is to trigger a signal when opened, and it is designed to do that very fast. It cannot “stutter” chirp during closing because all Ring Contact-sensors currently can only chirp when “open” (there is not a chirp sound for “closing”). But you can get those text-type ‘push’ Notifications Alerts (you receive on your App) for both “Open Alerts” and/or “Closed Alerts” when toggled to enabled.
- Magnetic force radiates out in magnetic lines, which widen apart and weaken as you get further away from the magnet itself. The weak field lines, since they are further apart, cause the stuttering-effect that results in the “holds the reed-switch, then can’t hold the reed-switch, and then holds the reed-switch, then can’t hold the reed-switch, etc. " causing multiple signals to be sent to the Base Station as the door is opening & moving. With a stationary"closed” door, there is not stuttering-effect, and the reed-switch will remain closed as long as there is a sufficiently strong enough magnetic force to hold the reed-switch closed.
"This sensor has been installed and working well for more than a year. It’s also about 15ft from the base. Is there any chance that this sensor parts can be magnetized? "
- Sensor parts do not get magnetized with normal use, especially within only a year.
- But another factor is the sensor’s magnetic strength is weaken when mounted on a steel door , so it will not be as strong compared to mounting on a wooden door. Typical house exit-doors are “metal-clad.”
- Magnets do weaken over time. It’s possible that the magnet was strong enough for the initially set gap-distance. But if mounted on a steel door coupled with the passage of time, the distance between the magnet and sensor might start to becomes an issue.
- The most common-cause of ‘stuttering’ chirping is the gap or the placement alignment has somehow widened, resulting in a weaken magnetic-field. This can easily happen if the adhesive tape allowed sensor slippage, or part of the sensor slid a little off its mounting base (not firmly clicked in place).
You can easily rule out if it is indeed a weak magnetic-field issue. With a simple experiment. Open the door and place another magnet, directly on the sensor (on the side the magnet would normally be aligned). That will close the reed-switch. Then remove this magnet, and repeat several times. If NO multiple “stuttering” chirps occur each time you remove the magnet, then indeed **** you DO have a weak magnetic-field and/or mounting-placement issue . If the 'stuttering" continues during this experiment, then your problem is not the gap-distance/alignment, and you should look for other causes.
I am not saying it is a gap issue (weak field), but it is the most common cause of multiple chirping sounds during opening.
I hope you might find this additional information useful
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