One of my low-end Home Depot Heath-Zenith Motion Security Lights just went bad after about 5 years. The light sensor stopped working though the motion sensor and lights themselves work fine (see below for my troubleshooting). In any case, the light sensor circuit failure seems to be a common problem on the low end Heath-Zenith models based on customer reviews.
Some have recommended the higher priced Heath Journeyman (about $70 vs. $30) which has a lifetime warranty and presumably better quality construction though others have also had light sensor problems with them.
So, any recommendations for a durable/long-lasting/good quality combined photoelectric and motion sensing light?
I plan to use 2 120W-equivalent CFLs so I need a regular light socket rather than a halogen version. Also, one that uses a relay rather than a Triac would probably be better.
NOTE: I diagnosed the problem with the light sensor circuit as follows. First, I confirmed that the motion circuitry worked since the red motion light flashed properly in the presence of motion though the light failed to come on even when the photocell was covered with black tape. Also, in test mode (which bypasses the photocell and the timer), the motion sensor worked just fine and the lights turned on -- ruling out a problem with the motion sensor or the lights themselves. Outside of test mode, the light would never come on. The net implication is that something was wrong with the light sensing circuitry.
I then took the unit apart and didn't notice anything grossly wrong with the circuit board (no burnt components or cracked board), though a couple of solder joints looked suspicious but they ended up being ok.
The resistance across the photocell, however, was low (about 400 ohms), independent of the light level. However, the photocell itself was ok since it worked fine when I desoldered it from the circuit (about 50K in darkness, 1000 ohms in light). So, it seems like there is some shunt in the circuit. I couldn't find any gross shorts in the board. I also removed a capacitor in parallel with the photocell, but it proved ok too. It seems like the problem must be with the IC that is soldered to the board since that is the only remaining source of short.
At this point, I gave up and decided to look for a new and better unit...