What is this switch/timer?

Sounds like a light switch countdown timer that will turn the light off after the set interval. Try setting it to 2, with the light on, and see if it turns the light off after 2 hours. It may be faulty.

in article snipped-for-privacy@giganews.com, Paul C at snipped-for-privacy@notcoldmail.com wrote on 15/8/06 11:26:

Sounds like the controls of our security light. It uses a PIR to detect daylight levels, as well as detecting movement. The first dial could indicate the time after movement detection that the light with remain on. The early/late dial could adjust the dawn/dusk light levels that trigger activation of the light (so during the day the light cannot be triggered).

It may have a run-in period when first switched on. To test it, set the time to the lowest setting, and the other dial to 'early'. This should mean that the light will turn off after a few seconds after detecting movement, and that the detector is active all the time. Then wait after switch the light on. After a few minutes warm-up, it should turn off. You can them test how easily triggered it is, etc.

Ben

The message from "Paul C" contains these words:

Probably a day/night sensor with a delay.

I've got one of those, made by Smiths. It's a security light switch which senses dusk and turns on a light for a set period. Wait until it's just getting to dusk and adjust "early/late" until the light just comes on. It WON'T work with low-energy bulbs, although you can fit an additional mod. Actually, it doesn't work too well anyway because any house-lights (particularly the one it switches on) shining on the sensor confuses it totally, so I replaced mine with a 24-hour timer and "got one of those" in the first sentence should prepend "in a box somewhere". For instructions see...