Guys, I need your heads again, hihi.
I cannot work this one out.

I want to buy an outdoor light with a movement sensor.
The one I love has a motion detection sensor of 120 degrees and a 5 meter range.
Now I rather not have it go on when a cat walks by, but even more so, I don't want it to go on when my neighbours walk up their path to go home.
That path is approx. 2 - 2,5ms from mine.
Guesstimating front yards paths being 3 -3,5m deep.

With the 120 degree and 5m range I assume it will then go on when they get home?

I'm not very particular with where exactly I put it, but it has to be near the frontdoor to have light there. But it can be above the door to the left, right, centre, not too fussy about that.
Can also be a tad lower down left or right which I think will reduce the chance of picking up neighbour movement (???) but increase picking up cat movement (I think???)

Would I do best to go for a light with a 90 degree angle? (also 5m)
Would that also react less soon to a cat?

I seriously can't get my head around this, my brain isn't wired for such technical / mathematical stuff, hihi.

Motion sensors do not have face recognition software, they just detect motion.
Some have sensitivity settings if you opt for the 'deluxe' models.

Aiming can also be effective but it can't tell if it is a cat, a dog or a piece of paper.

As with any motion activated device (trail cams...etc) you will get false positives.
The motion lights out back of my apt go on and off all thru the night as neighbors come and go. Its just the way it works. Most of the time, nobody even notices. More of a prowler/thief deterrent than a safety feature.

Thanks for the feedback, Tom!
Apparently some don't react to anything less than 25kg like a cat or smaller dog. But those are the more expensive ones.

I'm just going to order it. As you say, yours go on and off too when neighbours walk by, and I was thinking my neighbours have lights themselves both in front yard and at the back and don't care whether I like that or not. If for some reason I'd wanted my patio dark then it's ruined by their lights.
So in that sense there's not really a reason for me to be concerned, it's not like a hugely bright light either.
I was just thinking 120 degree angle is quite wide. But whatever. I'm going to buy it!
It's a really neat one, very thin, only 1 cm!

Thanks! Helpful to get some feedback :)

you could experiment with some tape on the sensor sides to limit their range of detection instead of such a wide angle.
it senses movement so the tape, being stable and constant, shouldn't activate it.
kinda like matting a photo or putting side blinders on a horse.

Yes, I'd been thinking about that as well. I might do that, a small strip of duct tape should suffice I think. I'll see once it's up.
Fingers crossed I can get into the outer wall with my new Makita otherwise I'll have to get help in for probably just 2 screws & plugs...
I did by the new Makita so I could do such things myself, but one never knows.

With a 120 degree angle and a five meter range, approximately.

Measure out straight from the sensor about five meters. On either side of that spot about 4.5 meters will give you the approximate width of the cone shape the sensor will work. Approximately.

Thanks, Motown! I'll have a look tomorrow when it's light with the measuring tape :)
I figure that 5 meters is a long way as I think the path to the front door is about 3.5m. So 5m will put it on the outer edge of the pavement, approx. But all lights had a 5m range or further, none shorter.

Oh well, most people in this village walk in the middle of the streets. Buggered if I know why, and makes no sense since most every street has pavements on either side.
But in this case it means pedestrians won't often trigger the light :)

4 - 4,5m from the centre point means most of the neighbour's frontyard is within that range, certainly their path to and fro the house.
If so I will try to block that with a small piece of tape.
Waste of solar power if it goes on when not necessary for me.

My light is hanging up and working! It's been charging in the sun for 2 days. It is always on, dimmed though, when dark, and burns brighter when it detects movement.

I tested it on the path to the front door. The beginning is 3,5m from it but I have to walk closer to the light in order for it to pop up.
That's great! I want it on when people -or I myself- approach the door, not when they walk past the house.

this is the light, only 1 cm thick, 36s LEDs



And this is it up and running full whack (it's warm white).