🚀 go-pugleaf

DaveC wrote:
> 
> A friend bought one of those motion-sensor lights for his carport. Turns out
> that the motion-sensor is about as sensitive as a door knob -- 5 feet in
> front of it and light still doesn't trigger (supposed to have 20 ft range).

In general, these lights have sensitivity controls on them. You can adjust
this to get what you want.

> 
> So, he's decided to use it as a dusk-to-dawn light. You can "program" the
> light to function in this mode by turning the power off for 5 seconds and
> turning it back on. Then it will go on at dusk, and off at dawn, ignoring the
> motion-sensor.

You can also set the motion sensitity at maximum...

> 
> Problem is that it resets itself back to motion-sense mode after one day. You
> have to cycle the power once a day in order to get the dusk-to-dawn mode
> again.
> 
> Aside from returning it for another model (we cut wires, glued it to the
> eave; basicslly made it non-returnable), any suggestions as to how to make
> this device function as a dawn-to-dusk device?
> 
> I'm not fond of designing and building a 555 timer to turn off the power once
> a day for 5 seconds. If that's the only solution, *I'll* pay for him to get
> another unit!
> 
> (Plan to add security video camera and motion-sensors, too.)
> 
> Suggestions?
> 
> Thanks,
> Dave

Have a look at www.cctvmart.co.uk we have detectors that will control both
security lights & cameras.
les
DaveC <anon@me.invalid> wrote in message
news:01HW.B88FD748000120351BA96FF8@news.dnai.com...
> A friend bought one of those motion-sensor lights for his carport. Turns
out
> that the motion-sensor is about as sensitive as a door knob -- 5 feet in
> front of it and light still doesn't trigger (supposed to have 20 ft
range).
>
> So, he's decided to use it as a dusk-to-dawn light. You can "program" the
> light to function in this mode by turning the power off for 5 seconds and
> turning it back on. Then it will go on at dusk, and off at dawn, ignoring
the
> motion-sensor.
>
> Problem is that it resets itself back to motion-sense mode after one day.
You
> have to cycle the power once a day in order to get the dusk-to-dawn mode
> again.
>
> Aside from returning it for another model (we cut wires, glued it to the
> eave; basicslly made it non-returnable), any suggestions as to how to make
> this device function as a dawn-to-dusk device?
>
> I'm not fond of designing and building a 555 timer to turn off the power
once
> a day for 5 seconds. If that's the only solution, *I'll* pay for him to
get
> another unit!
>
> (Plan to add security video camera and motion-sensors, too.)
>
> Suggestions?
>
> Thanks,
> Dave
>

Why not go down to B & Q and buy a new one for �7.99...much easier than
pissing around with old one.

For a better sensor unit, buy a stand alone sensor and place it so the
"intruder" has to pass accross it , not towards it...


"DaveC" <anon@me.invalid> wrote in message
news:01HW.B88FD748000120351BA96FF8@news.dnai.com...
> A friend bought one of those motion-sensor lights for his carport. Turns
out
> that the motion-sensor is about as sensitive as a door knob -- 5 feet in
> front of it and light still doesn't trigger (supposed to have 20 ft
range).
>
> So, he's decided to use it as a dusk-to-dawn light. You can "program" the
> light to function in this mode by turning the power off for 5 seconds and
> turning it back on. Then it will go on at dusk, and off at dawn, ignoring
the
> motion-sensor.
>
> Problem is that it resets itself back to motion-sense mode after one day.
You
> have to cycle the power once a day in order to get the dusk-to-dawn mode
> again.
>
> Aside from returning it for another model (we cut wires, glued it to the
> eave; basicslly made it non-returnable), any suggestions as to how to make
> this device function as a dawn-to-dusk device?
>
> I'm not fond of designing and building a 555 timer to turn off the power
once
> a day for 5 seconds. If that's the only solution, *I'll* pay for him to
get
> another unit!
>
> (Plan to add security video camera and motion-sensors, too.)
>
> Suggestions?
>
> Thanks,
> Dave
>

You can buy a gizmo that turns the lights on at dusk and turns them off at a
selectable time say 11.00PM, It can be manually overridden to turn the
lights on, and when its overriden the override is cancelled at sunrise the
next morning. made by  HPM cat no PE170R.
Its built in a really strong box and you mount it on a wall just under the
eaves. The Time setting is generally blackout proof but creeps a bit if
there are a lot of blackouts.

Ive had one for years I have a whold bunch of 7 watt longlife flouro globes
on it which are yet to fail and draw bugger all power.

Tony

"DaveC" <anon@me.invalid> wrote in message
news:01HW.B88FD748000120351BA96FF8@news.dnai.com...
> A friend bought one of those motion-sensor lights for his carport. Turns
out
> that the motion-sensor is about as sensitive as a door knob -- 5 feet in
> front of it and light still doesn't trigger (supposed to have 20 ft
range).
>

If the unit is faulty then the fact that you have installed it shouldn't
make any difference, should it? From what you describe and if you have
follwed the manufacturers instructions as laid out by them then the fault
must be with the unit, therefore the manufacturers responsibility. I'd have
a go at returning the unit anyway. The worst thing that can happen is that
they flatly refuse to replace / refund the security light. On the other hand
the store may be able to tell you what you've missed or what isn't included
in the manufactures instructions.

D.
--
__________
Darren Robertson
Technical Support
ORC Software
__________
Tel: +44 (0)20 7942 0999
Fax: +44 (0)20 7942 0940
www.orcsoftware.com
__________
Orc Software e-mail Disclaimer.
If you have received this e-mail in error or wish to read our e-mail
disclaimer statement and monitoring policy, please refer to
http://www.orcsoftware.com/disclaimer or contact the sender.

"DaveC" <anon@me.invalid> wrote in message
news:01HW.B88FD748000120351BA96FF8@news.dnai.com...
> A friend bought one of those motion-sensor lights for his carport. Turns
out
> that the motion-sensor is about as sensitive as a door knob -- 5 feet in
> front of it and light still doesn't trigger (supposed to have 20 ft
range).
>
> So, he's decided to use it as a dusk-to-dawn light. You can "program" the
> light to function in this mode by turning the power off for 5 seconds and
> turning it back on. Then it will go on at dusk, and off at dawn, ignoring
the
> motion-sensor.
>
> Problem is that it resets itself back to motion-sense mode after one day.
You
> have to cycle the power once a day in order to get the dusk-to-dawn mode
> again.
>
> Aside from returning it for another model (we cut wires, glued it to the
> eave; basicslly made it non-returnable), any suggestions as to how to make
> this device function as a dawn-to-dusk device?
>
> I'm not fond of designing and building a 555 timer to turn off the power
once
> a day for 5 seconds. If that's the only solution, *I'll* pay for him to
get
> another unit!
>
> (Plan to add security video camera and motion-sensors, too.)
>
> Suggestions?
>
> Thanks,
> Dave
>

On Wed, 13 Feb 2002 9:40:42 -0800, Mark E. Hansen wrote
(in message <3C6AA51A.E118BDDA@NOSPAM.unify.com>):

> DaveC wrote:
>> 
>> A friend bought one of those motion-sensor lights for his carport. Turns 
>> out
>> that the motion-sensor is about as sensitive as a door knob -- 5 feet in
>> front of it and light still doesn't trigger (supposed to have 20 ft range).

> In general, these lights have sensitivity controls on them. You can adjust
> this to get what you want.

Tried all sensitivity settings, just made it even more lobotomized that it 
already appears. 

DaveC wrote:
> 
> On Wed, 13 Feb 2002 9:40:42 -0800, Mark E. Hansen wrote
> (in message <3C6AA51A.E118BDDA@NOSPAM.unify.com>):
> 
> > DaveC wrote:
> >>
> >> A friend bought one of those motion-sensor lights for his carport. Turns
> >> out
> >> that the motion-sensor is about as sensitive as a door knob -- 5 feet in
> >> front of it and light still doesn't trigger (supposed to have 20 ft range).
> 
> > In general, these lights have sensitivity controls on them. You can adjust
> > this to get what you want.
> 
> Tried all sensitivity settings, just made it even more lobotomized that it
> already appears.

It's too bad that you've already modified the unit - if it were still
pristine, you could take it back to the store. I've installed those 
units in a couple of locations, and both times had to turn the
sensitivity
way down so they wouldn't trigger on people just walking by on the 
street.

Have you considered how it's aimed? It does have to "see" the visitor,
after all. :-)
-- 
Cheers!
Rich

"We have met the enemy, and he is us!"
- Pogo Possum, ca. 1950's

"Darren Robertson" <darren@orcsoftware.com> wrote in message
news:a4fr6e$64$1@baldwin.orcsoftware.com...
> If the unit is faulty then the fact that you have installed it shouldn't
> make any difference, should it? From what you describe and if you have
> follwed the manufacturers instructions as laid out by them then the fault
> must be with the unit, therefore the manufacturers responsibility. I'd
have
> a go at returning the unit anyway. The worst thing that can happen is that
> they flatly refuse to replace / refund the security light. On the other
hand
> the store may be able to tell you what you've missed or what isn't
included
> in the manufactures instructions.
>
> D.
> --
> __________
> Darren Robertson
> Technical Support
> ORC Software
> __________
> Tel: +44 (0)20 7942 0999
> Fax: +44 (0)20 7942 0940
> www.orcsoftware.com
> __________
> Orc Software e-mail Disclaimer.
> If you have received this e-mail in error or wish to read our e-mail
> disclaimer statement and monitoring policy, please refer to
> http://www.orcsoftware.com/disclaimer or contact the sender.
>
> "DaveC" <anon@me.invalid> wrote in message
> news:01HW.B88FD748000120351BA96FF8@news.dnai.com...
> > A friend bought one of those motion-sensor lights for his carport. Turns
> out
> > that the motion-sensor is about as sensitive as a door knob -- 5 feet in
> > front of it and light still doesn't trigger (supposed to have 20 ft
> range).

<snip>


Madeupname made a very valid comment which doesn't appear to have been
commented on. The sensor needs to see movement accross it to get a good
range - not walking towards it.

Is the sensor corrrectly placed?

I had some problem a while back with PIR triggers on some CCTV camaeras. The
problem was simply that the detectors were mounted to the cameras and
looking "end on" to the target. Adding a detector that looks at things "side
on" solved all the sensitivty problems in one go.

Mark

On Tue, 19 Feb 2002 01:18:26 -0000, "Mark" <mark@lineisp.com> wrote:

>Madeupname made a very valid comment which doesn't appear to have been
>commented on. The sensor needs to see movement accross it to get a good
>range - not walking towards it.

I never had that problem with the sensors I used.  (and they were
WalMart cheapies)  Anyone coming up the side path to the house in
darkness got a sudden shot of 2x100W spotlights right at eye level
when they were 20ft from the gate.  The only people who had any
business coming up that path knew to look at the ground just after
they passed the big rock.


Joe Bramblett, KD5NRH
kd5nrh@kd5nrh.net
http://www.kd5nrh.net