outdoor lighting remote control

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I am having a driveway in my garden, which will possibly be used at any time of day. So I need some lighting.

I have considered plain sensor lighting, but this isn't viable because I want the lights to be on before I exit the house until I have finished locking the gate, and similarly, I want light when I return home from before opening the gate to when I'm in the house.

Therefore I thought of using a remote control switch system to turn on two 150 halogen floods on the drive. Has anyone used a remote system?

I've seen this system. Though at £72 for what I need, it seems a bit expensive.

I'm also looking on ebay.
 
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Automate the gate, then the lights come on just before the gate opens to a short time after they close.

Easy, allow 3.5k :D
 
Yeah I've used them, and they are not bad, but as you say, they are expensive and also you'll have to remember to turn the lights back off each time, unless you include a timer in the circuit, but that'll start getting expensive and over complicated.

Could you not just use two PIRs. One pointing at your door, and one at the gates.

Link them together so either turns on the lights, then as you open the door the lights are on, and as you get to the gate the lights come on too.

As long as you use a tungsten lamp, you'll have instant light. Something like a 100W flood gives out loads of light. Even a 2D fitting isn't too bad.
 
Timer relays are not that expensive, and to be honnest you would need one with the PIR solution too.
 
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Surely PIRs have an in-built on delay? All the ones I've ever fitted have.
 
The problem with PIRs is I'd have to actually step into their field to activate the lighting - I'd have to step outside in the darkness. I'd rather have the lights already on.

Hmmm, what about a pneumatic switch indoors, set for about a minute, which would allow for the above. . . The issue then is that I'm getting into the realm of running multiple cables down the garden - the driveway is the back end of the back garden.

I might use a couple of HF 2D fittings - I'd feel terrible installing tungsten lighting, I havent got any in the house!
 
I assume you've no where that you could mount a passive so it's pointing at your door?

A time lag switch inside the house would work fine. If you get an electronic one with remote slave terminals, you could fit a retractive switch or even a bell push at your gates linked to the wireless kit you mentioned earlier :D

HF 2Ds would be ok too. I've got a switch start 16W one round the back of our house on a passive and it's fine.
 
What about a retractive switch indoors, one at the gate (hidden or a keyswitch), and a PIR (set to its lowest time), all linked to a timer relay. This way, either input could trigger the lights to stay on for the time value set on the relay.

I'd use a weatherproof box outdoors with the relay in and a 4 core cable out of the house (one core carrying the momentary switch signal).
 

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