Timed light switching query

On Tue, 16 Oct 2007 16:16:38 +0100 someone who may be "Franko" wrote this:-

Connect the switched live for the courtesy light to a photocell, a variety are available from the usual suppliers. Connect the output of this to the lights.

You will need to work out what additional connections are needed for your particular photocell. Certainly neutral and earth, but you may also need a permanent live to the photocell.

Alternatively, bulkhead lights with built-in photocells are available. These are wired up in the obvious way, the output of the courtesy light is connected directly to the bulkhead lights.

take the courtesy light output of the gate controller and feed it to a dusk sensor, e.g.

Thanks for the replies but the line in the description of this sensor "Pre-calibrated to allow for a 10 minute warming up period for sodium or mercury lighting" leads me to believe that it wouldn't work quickly enough to switch on the bulkhead lamps immediately the feed becomes live ...or am I missing some point ? Cheers, Franko.

plenty more to choose from if not sure

the instruction sheets for them are downloadable, I'd go for the "dumbest" one avalable, I notice that some of them need to stay on for a a full night's cycle to "gauge" the darkness levels when they are first reset, you don't want one that thinks it's been reset everytime you power it up by opening the gate, I've only used a combined PIR/dusk sensor, but that's generally left powered on ...

I think simplest way is to take a permanent live to a photocell, and use the switched output from the photocell through a relay contact to the lights. The relay coil operated by the switched output from the gates.

Owain

I think I can see what you mean in theory Owain but do you mean a seperate relay switched by the photocell or a relay built into the photocell ? Please excuse my ignorance on this matter and could you explain in a little more detail, thanks, Franko

A separate relay. It sounds as though most photocells need a permanent live to prevent them re-setting every time. The relay coil needs to be energised by the gate so it isn't held on for long periods.

SL = switched live on photocell

Permanent L -------------- L (PHOTO) Relay (CELL ) / Permanent N ----------|--- N ( ) / | ( ) SL -----0 0---| | | |-------(LIGHTS)---------------|

relay coil SL from Gate ---------------------------------0000---| | N from Gate ----------------------------------------|

This has the additional advantage that the lights do not have to be powered by the same circuit as the electric gates.

Owain

I think that simply means it will switch on 10 mins sooner than it otherwise would based on detection of dusk alone. That way discharge lamps have time to get up to brightness before they are actually needed.

Ah! Thanks for that John.

Thanks for going to the trouble of explaining it in more detail Owain - still looks a little complicated for my small brain to accomplish, I was hoping for a sort of one-box solution but it looks like I'll have to make a bit more effort. Thanks again,

Franko.

A relay is simply an electrically operated switch. In this circuit it is preventing the lights coming on unless the gate is operated.

Owain

Listen to Owain, he's got the best solution. I agree that for best results, the dusk/dawn sensor needs to be permanently powered.

Or, you could hack the gate controller box. If the gate controller box has a relay for the courtesy light, then just feed this relay from the switched live on a dusk/dawn sensor and connect your courtesy light as normal.

Cheers Rumble, this is all going a bit over my head now with talk of hacking the relay in the controller box, it was hard enough just getting the gate motor set up with the limited space for wiring and the very poor instruction manual ..... I think it all worked by luck in the end - the wiring diagram is even worse but I think I may have a pdf of it on my pc at home so I'll try to post an image somewhere when I get home and hopefully some kind person can identify if this idea is workable. ps. I may sound like a numbskull and some of you may be wondering if I should be attempting something I have no knowledge about but I am very careful around electricity and will not attempt it unless I understand the logic behind it. Thanks for everyones patience, Franko.

By all means put the wiring diagram up and we'll see what we can come up with.

Thanks Rumble, I've had the document hosted at

Offline so can't check.

Yes.

Slightly more complicated, in that you would probably need to get a Permanent L as well as a Switched L from the gate, but you can get electronic relays with adjustable delay-on and delay-off settings. Using one of those instead of the ordinary relays would allow you considerable flexibility over controlling the lights.

You could also have additional switches to put the lights on in parallel with the relay contacts, such as PIR sensors further up the drive.

Owain

What Owain says. Also, as the Courtesy Light Output is only rated at

Can you post a clear photograph of the controller circuit board, so we can try and figure out whether the courtesy light "switch" is a triac or a relay?