@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