Motion Activated Outdoor Lights

Ken

Platinum
Jan 1, 2002
13,884
495
83
Is anybody using motion activated outdoor lights? If so, and if you have had a good experience, I would be interested in knowing about them.
 
May 29, 2006
10,265
200
0
Yeah, they're cheap and reliable. No harder to wire in than regular lights. It's good if you can adjust the time they stay on.
 

AlterEgo

Administrator
Staff member
Jan 9, 2009
23,097
6,247
113
South Coast
We have them around our house, they work great. With most you can set how long the light stays on. We tried the energy saving flood lights, the big problem with them is that they start off very faint, then get brighter as they're on, but by the time they reach *bright* the sensor shuts them off. So we use one regular and one energy saver.

I also bought several solar LED lights that either clip onto gutters or can be screwed onto the house at roofline, tried them out in New Jersey and they worked so well that I went back and bought bunches more for DR. I think I have 10 packed.
 

malko

Campesino !! :)
Jan 12, 2013
5,545
1,327
113
I use one of the rectangular hallogene type, lots of light but consumes quite a bit.
U can actually adjust the " beam width " to which it sets off. ( ie higher than dogs and cats, loads of them around. Lower than banana tree leaves at conuco side so wind does not set them off all the time ).
 

william webster

Platinum
Jan 16, 2009
30,247
4,329
113
I have 'coach light' types at each entrance doorway.

They dim when there is no activity and go to full power as something approaches.
Not searchlights, just carriage lamps.

Home Depot was the source.... economical, and have "On/Off" setting to deactivate the motion sensor and to dictate how long they stay bright for.
 
May 29, 2006
10,265
200
0
I bought a $25 LED flood light about a year ago and also installed a light sensor on it. I did the math compared to the 75w bulb I had in before and it saves $3/month. It's suppose to last 20 years.
 

jrhartley

Gold
Sep 10, 2008
8,190
580
0
64
i had some that lasted about three weeks- apparently not designed to keep water out ....hmmm
 
May 29, 2006
10,265
200
0
There are interior and exterior LEDs... I've also replaced all my interior LEDs and they use about a quarter of incandescent or about a half of fluorescent bulbs. Much better light than fluorescent now. I got the LEDs on sale for $10 each and they should come down to about the same price as fluorescents soon enough.

The real breakthrough will come when they can replace 4ft fluorescent bulbs for under $10 each. They run about $75 for a 4ft LED now and they have to remove the ballasts. At 80w for two bulbs, the savings could really add up in commercial settings where lights run 24/7 and a pair of LEDs would use 30w. It's a good payback for new construction, but not enough yet to retrofit existing fixtures.
 

pelaut

Bronze
Aug 5, 2007
1,089
33
48
www.ThornlessPath.com
Ken, I assume you mean security detector lights. If so, power consumption is immaterial, since they don't stay on very long. You may remember Frank Zachar on Vagabond Tiger. Frank founded the Caribbean Safety and Security net, and he worked up years of incidents in a big data base. His analysis was that the sovereign response to invaders was not guns, but a solid Son et Lumi?re show, loud and bright.

I had exterior motion detector lights for many years. After only one night in a harbor everyone learned to give my boat a broad berth — who knew what canons lay arrayed behind the glare? I use them today high up under the eaves on the corners of the house.

After 20 years of experimentation with different brands, I found that the only ones that worked reliably were (surprise!) the Chinese Heath/Zenith brand. Maybe it's less sophisticated chip technology, who knows? But every other brand either burned out their cards when there was a spike, or they went on and off or into flood mode when the inverter kicked in or out. PriceSmart has them for $1795 apiece.

If you mean lights for stumbling around the house in the dark, see "Light Angel" LEDs at Amazon.com: Light Angel: Home Improvement
 

Matilda

RIP Lindsay
Sep 13, 2006
5,485
338
63
I had some which were backwards. On all the time, but went off whenever there was any movement near.

Matilda
 

Criss Colon

Platinum
Jan 2, 2002
21,843
191
0
38
yahoomail.com
I bought several "Solar Powered" units on Amazon.
I also got some "Dummy "CCTV" cameras.
They were VERY cheap.
I changed my mind about security cameras, didn't used to recommend them,I do now.
I always recommend "LIGHTS", the more, the better!
CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC
 

rogerjac

Bronze
Feb 9, 2012
1,389
456
83
I bought several "Solar Powered" units on Amazon.
I also got some "Dummy "CCTV" cameras.
They were VERY cheap.
I changed my mind about security cameras, didn't used to recommend them,I do now.
I always recommend "LIGHTS", the more, the better!
CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC

Now that you mention the dummy cameras I remember that I had 2 in the barrels I shipped and don't remember seeing them arrive. I hope the dummy who stole them thinks they are the real deal.
 

Ken

Platinum
Jan 1, 2002
13,884
495
83
After 20 years of experimentation with different brands, I found that the only ones that worked reliably were (surprise!) the Chinese Heath/Zenith brand. Maybe it's less sophisticated chip technology, who knows? But every other brand either burned out their cards when there was a spike, or they went on and off or into flood mode when the inverter kicked in or out. PriceSmart has them for $1795 apiece.

I have been doing searches on the internet, also, and you are about the first person who had anything good to say about the Heath brand of lights. Most users consider them junk.

More expensive but very highly recommended are the RAB brand lights.
 
May 29, 2006
10,265
200
0
That is the problem with cheap solar units. The weak point seems to be in their batteries. Those stick trail lights you see sometimes only put out light for an hour or so and by the end of the summer the photo-resistor is shot so they are stuck on. Then they cant charge. I've taken a couple apart and you can rewire them to any 1.5w power source.

My dad got a solar porch light with a panel about 1ft square for about $35. It's worked for about three years now, but I don't know if it goes for the whole night. No motion sensor, just a photo-switch.
 

mart1n

New member
Jul 13, 2006
495
14
0
If anyone visits your house and see the security cameras tell them that the recording from the cameras goes to some other house or police. This will stop someone from thinking once they are in your house they can destroy the taped evidence
 

sayanora

Silver
Feb 22, 2012
1,621
36
48
If anyone visits your house and see the security cameras tell them that the recording from the cameras goes to some other house or police. This will stop someone from thinking once they are in your house they can destroy the taped evidence

for ****s sakes, try not inviting people to your house that you would have this concern with?, it has worked quite well for me and almost everyone i know.
 

william webster

Platinum
Jan 16, 2009
30,247
4,329
113
That is the problem with cheap solar units. The weak point seems to be in their batteries. Those stick trail lights you see sometimes only put out light for an hour or so and by the end of the summer the photo-resistor is shot so they are stuck on. Then they cant charge. I've taken a couple apart and you can rewire them to any 1.5w power source.

My dad got a solar porch light with a panel about 1ft square for about $35. It's worked for about three years now, but I don't know if it goes for the whole night. No motion sensor, just a photo-switch.

I use those 1 foot square panels for several things:

Exhaust fan in the closet
keeping a charge on the planta battery and the car.
My NoAmerican car has one on it for 6 months to keep it charged.

Handy things

Google 'solar trickle chargers'
Prices are all over the map but $35 is about what to expect to pay
 

pelaut

Bronze
Aug 5, 2007
1,089
33
48
www.ThornlessPath.com
I have been doing searches on the internet, also, and you are about the first person who had anything good to say about the Heath brand of lights. Most users consider them junk.

More expensive but very highly recommended are the RAB brand lights.

Don't know anything about other Heath/Zenith lights. Only the H/Z motion detectors with the two shrouded spots (or floods). I've got 3-7 years out of them with really lousy, spikey Edenorte juice and a cheap inverter. Chinese junk for sure, and nowadays very expensive vs. the $16 years ago. I'm just stuck in the mud of experience. :)

BTW, Heath and Zenith are brands like Sylvania that the Chinese bought out many years ago to foist junk on the N.A. market. They've come a long way in many things since then and are eating our lunch.
 
Last edited: