Security light with PIR, but also with remote control?

[Ed Chilada]

Hi, I've tried to find such a thing online but I've come up blank so far. I'd like a pretty standard security light with PIR, but with one extra feature - a remote control which can trigger the PIR and thus cause the light to illuminate for a minute or so. So as I'm coming home, I can give the remote a blip and have various areas of the house light up (yes, it would be nice if multiple units could use the same remote, but that's perhaps asking for a lot), and allow me to see that the coast is clear.

Anyone seen anything like that?

[The Medway Handyman]

Byron make remote control sockets - I have 3 connected to table lamps in the lounge, a small remote control allows me to turn them on/off - works by radio I believe.

you plugged a PIR light into one of these it should work?

[Ed Chilada]

Hmm.. cheers for your efforts, but I don't see how that will get the right effect. It would simply either completely disable the security light (by removing power to it), or re-enable it (by returning the power to it) - but not actually activate it, which is what I want. Unless of course there are security lights that come on when they are first given power, but even that seems less than ideal.

Thanks though, if nothing else at least I'm not going mad being unable to find out - I was thinking I might get a deluge of people pointing out the obvious and where I should have looked first!!

[The Medway Handyman]

Nothing to stop you from having a PIR light AND a light connected to a remote? Maybe that would work for you?

[PJ]

I thought that all PIR lights came on when power was initially introduced. If I switch off my consumer unit during the day the lights come on when power is restored, in fact overiding the PIR and the daylight sensor.

PJ

[Roger Mills]

There's no reason why it couldn't be the *same* light.

I have a PIR light which also has a manual switch wired (by me) in parallel with the PIR so that I can switch it on even when the conditions for the PIR to operate aren't met. If you have a wire from a remote control socket which goes straight to the light - connecting on the lamp side of the PIR switch - would that not achieve the desired effect?

Only thing is, with the remote sockets being inside the house, I don't don't how far away you could be for the remote controls still to operate. They certainly work through floors and ceilings (I have an outside light connected to an upstairs socket, which I can switch from the lounge below) but I've not tried them through brick walls.

[Adam Aglionby]

Should be able to get X-10 modules to do something:

[Owain]

You can (or used to be able to) get remote-control keyfobs and relay units from Maplin. One could probably wire a mains switching one in parallel with the PIR mains switch, to turn the light on for a duration controlled by the r/c relay unit.

If you could separate the PIR from the lamp's internal switching unit, and use the r/c relay to mimic the PIR sensor, you could turn the light on for a duration controlled by the lamp's internal switching unit.

Another option might be to look at X10 controls on the lights, and X10 remote control keyfob and PIRs (if they exist).

Owain

[John Rumm]

Yup...

Say you had a light like:

can switch based on the PIR, but they can also be manually switched on via a conventional switch (the same connection can also be used to switch additional slave lights)

If you now replace the manual switch with a remote one such as the one channel receiver:

could use the key fob to turn the light on manually when you want, and when remotely turned off it will revert to PIR operation.

Failing that you can get standalone PIRs in the same range that incorporate the remote functionality: