Photoelectric Light Controls

[Steve Kraus]

Is there a photoelectric light control such as you might use for outdoor
lighting that cleanly turns power on and off. I have one that seems to use
some sort of triac circuit like a light dimmer. It turns on and off
gradually. If you put your finger over the photocell in daylight you can
make the light come on to varying degrees of brightness by varying the
daylight on the cell. The sort of weird waveform this sort of phase
control puts out is unsuitable for most compact fluorescent bulbs. So I
need to get one that has a pure on/off output.

I was thinking of adding a relay between the control and the light socket.
That would make the switching clean but there's always the possibility that
it will chatter on and off at dusk or dawn. So another possibility is to
use a junk AC adaptor with a DC output switching a relay with a low voltage
coil. A capacitor on it would iron out any chatter.

But presumably there's already something available that is suitable.

 

[WB2MEP]

Is there a photoelectric light control such as you might use for outdoor
lighting that cleanly turns power on and off. I have one that seems to use
some sort of triac circuit like a light dimmer. It turns on and off
gradually. If you put your finger over the photocell in daylight you can
make the light come on to varying degrees of brightness by varying the
daylight on the cell. The sort of weird waveform this sort of phase
control puts out is unsuitable for most compact fluorescent bulbs. So I
need to get one that has a pure on/off output.

I was thinking of adding a relay between the control and the light socket.
That would make the switching clean but there's always the possibility that
it will chatter on and off at dusk or dawn. So another possibility is to
use a junk AC adaptor with a DC output switching a relay with a low voltage
coil. A capacitor on it would iron out any chatter.

But presumably there's already something available that is suitable.

Steve,

The type of photo control you need is available. I was in the same
situation installing CFL fixtures outside the last two houses I've
owned. What you need to do is look at the controls themselves,
which may require opening the package in the store, to read the
"fine print" specs on the controller itself. What you're looking
for is wattage/current ratings listed for both incandescent and
Ballast loads. If it has a Ballast rating, it's suitable for switching
fixtures with ballasts, such as flourescent, sodium, mercury vapor,
etc. These controllers have relays in them. You can hear it click
when it turns on or off.

The ones I've used were made by Area Lighting Research, but the
outside package/box could have various brand names, but the
controllers themselves have the ALR brand. I got mine at the
large home-improvement warehouse type stores, so it shouldn't
be hard to find. They are a bit larger and cost a couple bucks
more than the triac-type "incandescent only" ones but will work
with any kind of load within its current/wattage limits.

Mike
WB2ME

 

[WB2MEP]

Is there a photoelectric light control such as you might use for outdoor
lighting that cleanly turns power on and off. I have one that seems to use
some sort of triac circuit like a light dimmer. It turns on and off
gradually. If you put your finger over the photocell in daylight you can
make the light come on to varying degrees of brightness by varying the
daylight on the cell. The sort of weird waveform this sort of phase
control puts out is unsuitable for most compact fluorescent bulbs. So I
need to get one that has a pure on/off output.

I was thinking of adding a relay between the control and the light socket.
That would make the switching clean but there's always the possibility that
it will chatter on and off at dusk or dawn. So another possibility is to
use a junk AC adaptor with a DC output switching a relay with a low voltage
coil. A capacitor on it would iron out any chatter.

But presumably there's already something available that is suitable.

Steve,

The type of photo control you need is available. I was in the same
situation installing CFL fixtures outside the last two houses I've
owned. What you need to do is look at the controls themselves,
which may require opening the package in the store, to read the
"fine print" specs on the controller itself. What you're looking
for is wattage/current ratings listed for both incandescent and
Ballast loads. If it has a Ballast rating, it's suitable for switching
fixtures with ballasts, such as flourescent, sodium, mercury vapor,
etc. These controllers have relays in them. You can hear it click
when it turns on or off.

The ones I've used were made by Area Lighting Research, but the
outside package/box could have various brand names, but the
controllers themselves have the ALR brand. I got mine at the
large home-improvement warehouse type stores, so it shouldn't
be hard to find. They are a bit larger and cost a couple bucks
more than the triac-type "incandescent only" ones but will work
with any kind of load within its current/wattage limits.

Mike
WB2ME

 

[[email protected]]

If it has a Ballast rating, it's suitable for switching fixtures with
ballasts, such as flourescent, sodium, mercury vapor, etc.

I installed a couple of photo controls on the lights in my back yard
about 6 years ago, and have been using them with Philips Universal CFLs
with no problems. I just checked and the ones I have are dated 6/97 and
made by "Home Equipment Mfg. Co", model SW-103CT. They do have a
ballast rating noted on them. Another characteristic (noted on the
housing) is that they don't work immediately - even if you cover the
photocell with black electrical tape, it takes half a minute or so for
the light to come on, and when it does, it comes on full brightness.
The housing is a cylinder about 1" diameter and 4" long, with a swivel
and threaded fitting at one end.

I got mine from All Electronics, mostly because I was ordering some
other stuff and they had them for $4 where the hardware store wanted $8.
They are currently selling an "SW-103" photo control (their catalog
number PC-5) that doesn't look exactly like the ones I have, but it
does have a ballast rating, so it might do what you want.

Standard disclaimers apply; I don't get money from any of the companies
mentioned.

Matt Roberds

 

[James Sweet]

Is there a photoelectric light control such as you might use for outdoor
lighting that cleanly turns power on and off. I have one that seems to use
some sort of triac circuit like a light dimmer. It turns on and off
gradually. If you put your finger over the photocell in daylight you can
make the light come on to varying degrees of brightness by varying the
daylight on the cell. The sort of weird waveform this sort of phase
control puts out is unsuitable for most compact fluorescent bulbs. So I
need to get one that has a pure on/off output.

I was thinking of adding a relay between the control and the light socket.
That would make the switching clean but there's always the possibility that
it will chatter on and off at dusk or dawn. So another possibility is to
use a junk AC adaptor with a DC output switching a relay with a low voltage
coil. A capacitor on it would iron out any chatter.

But presumably there's already something available that is suitable.

There's all sorts of solutions available. The only screw in one I've found
to be worth anything is the microcontroller type, I picked one up at Home
Depot but you can probably get them other places. It allows you to program
the amount of time the light will be on for once triggered by darkness from
1 to 16 hours so it's immune to the light produced by the lamp once
triggered and works great.

Another option is to get a standard hardwired photocontrol and mount it
remotely on a junction box but that's a lot more work.

 

[Steve Kraus]

Another option is to get a standard hardwired photocontrol and mount

it remotely on a junction box but that's a lot more work.

What's there now is a hardwired type mounted on the same plate as two
floods. One flood is photo, the other switched. So I would expect a
solution to mount the same way; it need not screw in.