Exterior light with separate photocell & motion detection control

[blueman]

We have an old exterior spot wired to a 3-way switch with the following resulting functions: Off Photocell only Photocell & motion

The old spot has bit the dust but all the new ones I have seen are either photocell only or photocell & motion combined. I haven't seen any version with both photocell & motion circuitry that split out the wiring so that I can recreate the original functionality to allow either photocell only or photocell & motion combined.

Does anybody know of any brands still made that will allow for such breakout?

Thanks

[Eric in North TX]

It all just pig tails together inside, so you could put in a switch it if you wanted, but why would you want to turn the photocell off

[Kevin]

I don't think he does. He just wants the option of having the photocell only ON..... so that the light stays on from dusk till dawn, regardless of motion.

[blueman]

Exactly - some of the models in the store allow such behavior (bypassing the motion sensor) if you do something funky like turning the switch rapidly on-off-on. I assume they do this since most light switches are simple SPST (single pole) and they use this to signal the behavior. However, since I have a 3-way position and 3 wires running out to the light already, I would like to be able to bypass the motion sensor using the 3-way switch itself.

[Eric in North TX]

Well, if you have even a basic knowledge of circuits, open it up and you will see the motion sensor pigtails in like a switch. All you would have to do is wire it so your switch closes that circuit when on, and when your switch was off, it would behave normally

[blueman]

I have no problem with electrical & electronic circuits - I just wasn't sure whether the new all-in-one piece sensors actually had separate components and wiring underneath the plastic or whether it was all one inaccessible sealed module. Maybe I'll just buy one and take it apart to see...

[blueman]

I just took apart one of the new types that I had up in another location. It is not as easy as accessing a "sensor pigtails".

Both the motion and light sensors (along with the timing) are all parts of a low voltage circuit that together are logically combined via a single chip to signal a single transistor switch of the high voltage supply to the bulbs.

So, unfortunately the new lights are not just separate motion and light sensitive (high voltage) switches wired in series meaning that there is really no way to "pigtail" into this to get separate photo only and photo + motion switch legs.

Perhaps I could "make" my own by buying separate exterior-rated motion and light sensors that have a mounting stem that I could fit into separate punch-out inserts on the electrical light box.