Fiber Optic Spyhole?

[George]

Consider an X-10 type of solution. One switch at the top of the stairs can remotely control another using this type of system. For instance, I had several areas in my lower level. For want of a better description, let's call them A, B and C. Each had its own switch. One switch of the same designation. At the top of the stairs, I had a master switch had 4 button, let's call them A, B, C and all. They could remotely control each zone or the final switch could simultaneously control all three zones.

The cost of this isn't that much, installation is a no-brainer and the better quality switches can even have a light for active or dark. With the remote at the head of the stairs, knowing whether the lights somewhere else are on or off doesn't matter that much, though, since hitting On or Off for a zone or all accomplishes it.

The best source I've found for this type of switch is Smarthome.com

Nonny

[RicodJour]

You wouldn't be looking through the peephole, you'd be looking at it. A peephole transmits light, right? If the stairwell is flooded in light, you might not see it, but if you don't have the stairwell lights on - you are retiring for the night, right? - then you'll be able to see the light coming through the peephole. If you want to tweak it and make it more unmistakable, then glue a piece of a bike reflector lens over the peephole and it will glow a faint red.

R

[jeff_wisnia]

I'm reading into what you just said that the flourescent fixtures are either all on or all off, but controlled from three different switch locations.

If that's not the case, ignore what's below.

How about picking up a small solar panel, placing it quite near the closest flourescent fixture to the stairwell door and running a low voltage line to a small (flashlight) bulb you can see from the other side of that door?

Here's a panel that might do it for only $12.95:

One advantage is you wouldn't have to mess with line voltage wiring and electrical code stuff to install it.

Jeff

[The Daring Dufas]

Edmund Scientific sells some fiber optic fiber 3' long and I think it's plastic for $12.95 which may do the trick. It can be cut and bundled together for more light transmission.

TDD

[Grumpy]

You not the only one ha ha he he

[tom]

I use one of these in my garage. Works great.

[aemeijers]

The can in my office resembles that remark. Unless there is other traffic that keeps resetting the timer, I'll get about halfway through an article in the trade rag, and darkness falls. And the sensor is facing the wrong way, and down the corridor by the entry door, to throw the magazine in front of the sensor to fool it. I don't know how blind people do such things by feel. Wipe until it hurts, and hope for the best, I guess. I keep one of those HF free lights in my briefcase, but the pants I can get away with wearing to work simply don't have pocket space to keep it on me at all times. And I refuse to start hanging crap off my belt, like all the techno-geeks on staff do. I have a couple of those trade-show button-cell squeeze lights someplace, but I also hate crap on my keyring, and I don't wear my badge on a lanyard.

[RicodJour]

No, no, no. The button-cell light will keep crap _off_ of your keyring...though I'm not sure what you're doing with your keyring in a toilet stall. Scratching some office graffiti into the partitions? ;)

R

[Jay Hanig]

I think we have a winner. This does seem to be a lot less trouble than most of the suggestions made, although all are appreciated. I just needed to have some different ideas thrown at me for consideration.

What's the point of having access to the world's greatest repository of knowledge if I won't use it? My Google search was going nowhere.

I am going to visit smarthome before I buy anything though. Who knows? I might see something better there.

But thanks to everybody who took the trouble to answer. You guys are great.

Jay

[Sjouke Burry]

Any clear plastic tubing will act as a light guide. But a second (small) light on the same circuit will do as well. I have done that for an attic light, which is invisible down below.

[aemeijers]

When the evac klaxon goes off, we aren't allowed to return to our desks to get personal possessions like keys. I had to give a few people rides home, last time. Official Published SOP since then has been for all employees to keep badges and keys with them at all times. I carry as minimal a ring as possible, but both car keys have the fat heads on them, and the work keys say 'do not copy' on them, so I can't make a seperate key ring for the days I drive the other car. I wish cargo pants were considered acceptable office attire. I can only get away with wearing them on days where I am scheduled to spend the whole day in the raised-floor area.

[The Daring Dufas]

The solution is a combination of motion and sound activation or even voice recognition. The technology is mature enough, unless the unit emits a little giggle whenever someone exclaims "CRAP!" whenever the lights go out.

TDD

[Stormin Mormon]

My Dad did something similar, using the lamp in the garage door opener. Wired to a blue pilot light.

[Stormin Mormon]

Just wave an arm, and the light comes back on.

[Evan]

Do you know which of the three switches in your four-way loop is next to the doorway going upstairs ?

You are going to have a feed side where the power comes in, a four way switch in the middle and a load side to your loop... You can switch the lights from additional locations by adding additional four way switches to the middle of the loop...

The "pilot light" needs to be fed from the load side of the loop and requires a neutral connection... You might have to run an additional wire to install such a light if you aren't lucky to have the right end of the loop in the box already in the wall you want to install the pilot light in...

~~ Evan

[CWLee]

My solution to a similar, but not identical, problem was to take an old radio and power it through the light socket. Light on, radio plays my favorite station loud enough to hear it upstairs; light off, radio off.

[mm]

Does the garage door have windows? If so, since I'm sure you need the electric light during the day sometimes, it will be hard to tell the daylight from electric light.

But you could connect a bell, like a fire alarm bell, to the light, so that whenever the light was on, the bell would ring.

[Stormin Mormon]

One fellow I knew, used a motion detector light in the yard, to power a radio in his bedroom. No bulb, just an adaptor, and cord to the radio. So he'd know if someone was in the yard. Clever.

[Jay Hanig]

I don't think you understand the layout:

This first shot is what I see from upstairs looking down. There obviously is a light at the base of the stairs but it usually is off.

The second shot is from the other side of that door into the garage from the living area. The door in the background is into the driveway.

The third shot is of the back wall of the garage from the other side of the central shaft (where the stairwell is). This back wall parallels the entire back side of the house and separates the garage from my workshop. The workshop has its own lighting which is not controllable from any other place.

The last shot is of the garage from the front. Picture #1 would be on the inside on the right side of the image; picture #3 would be on the left and the stairwell is directly behind the center door but is accessed from the right hand bay.

So the problem was that when I was looking down the stairwell in picture #1, I couldn't tell if the lights were on in the garage with that door closed to the stairwell. Don't worry about any of the exterior entrances to the house; I know upstairs if any of them is open.

Anyway, there is a light switch on the inside of the stairwell at the bottom; another just inside that front door to the outside; and a third just inside the workshop next to the doorway into the garage. All of those switches can control the overhead fluorescent lights in the garage. Those overhead lights are the ones I'm concerned with; the ones I sometimes forget to turn off.

Was this clearer?

In any case, I'm going to try a peephole as earlier suggested since they're only about $4 at Lowes.

Jay

[bud--]

Any 3-way or 4-way switch can be replaced with a "pilot light" or "illuminated" version. "Illuminated" switches light up when the load is off. "Pilot light" switches light up when the load is on, and a neutral is probably required (not always available at a switch box). In both versions the handle lights up and is not real bright. There needs to be a load (a switched receptacle with no load won't work). May not work with some electronic loads (CFLs?). Incandescent lamps and magnetic ballasts would certainly work. May be the easiest solution.