Timer delay on downlights

[R66bby]

Hi guys
I'm putting some downlights into my bungalow, just down the main hall. I'm going to have around 10 downlights I thought it might be a nice touch to have a delay in the lights as they turn on. So as u walk into the house, turn the lights on and the downlights turn on in a sequence moving away from you with a delay of say around 0.5 seconds.
Just woundering if this is possible with some kind of timer, if anyone has done this or seen it done, and if Antibes could point me in the right direction.
Thanks for your time.

 

[Steve]

My uncle had ELV downlights in his kitchen, with two different brands of transformer. Thus some would come up straight away, but the others would take half a second longer. But not really the effect you were after.

I'm sure there will be some controller out there that will facilitate what you want. But it may be pricey. And also, consider that from the other end of the hallway, it'll be 5 seconds before the light closest to you will illuminate.

As this is a hallway, have you considered PIR detection? Have two 360 degrees PIRs (either end of the hallway), wired in parallel, controlling the lights. Set them with a time off delay of 30 seconds, and you have energy savings as well as a bit of novelty.

 

[bernardgreen]

Using a motorised camshaft and switches.

http://www.tempatron.co.uk/cam_timers.htm

Use one micro in a two way configuration with the wall switch to control the motor and switching wall switch on the motor rotates for a set distance turning the lights on in a sequence, then turn the wall switch off and the motor moves to complete a full revolution.

 

[R66bby]

Ok cheers I'll look into them.
Have you seen this done using them? Is it easy etc?

 

[mfarrow]

http://www.tempatron.co.uk/cam_timers.htm

Reading the data on the website, aren't I correct in saying though that the minimum time delay is 3 seconds? That's a long time before all the lights come on

The way to do it otherwise is to use these, and daisy-chain 9 of them together in a DIN rail enclosure. Expensive, but the only way I can think of doing it practicably.

http://uk.rs-online.com/web/search/searchBrowseAction.html?method=getProduct&R=3005828

 

[bernardgreen]

The mimimum of 3 seconds cycle time is for one 360 degree revolution of the cam shaft. When the lamps come on the shaft rotates say 180 degrees and the lamps come on during that time so the "on" sequence is 1.5 seconds. Then the other 180 degrees are used to sequence the lamps off. Or the on sequence can be fewer degrees ( I think 10 is the minimum and then 350 for the off sequence and although the shaft rotates 350 the switch sequence doesn't have to fill all the 350 degrees of rotation.

I have done it some years ago for a christmas decoration effect when a button was pressed. Only problem is a bit of clacking noise as the switches operate.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Reading the data on the website, aren't I correct in saying though that the minimum time delay is 3 seconds? That's a long time before all the lights come on

So walk slower.

 

[RF Lighting]

I could programme it into my lighting desk, and have each light on a seperate dimmer channel, and a remote 'go' button, but that's not really a viable soloution

 

[333rocky333]

Isnt there a thing called a pulse relay, wired to 10 relays, latching one at a time with each pulse, via the contacts,

wire a 11 th one to restart the sequence and you get similar to the back lights on an american car

 

[Taylortwocities]

Very clever, but what if you come in the other end of the hall. Would you want the lights to sequence in the other direction?

See I don't have any practical suggestions but just want my two penceworrth

 

[bernardgreen]

Bespoke PCB with a PIC microprocesser. 16 Opto22 240v AC 5 amp output modules. some inputs for switches and a few hundred lines of code and you can do almost anything with the lights. Other than dimming them sensibly.

Cost about £1000 and a few weeks design and build time.

 

[R66bby]

Whoa! If it's that expensive I'm starting to like the idea of all the lights coming on at once.

Another question i had with the downlights is if I get the fire rates ones is that the same as getting non fire rates ones and putting fire hoods on them? Because they will be in the loft where there is insulation etc. Or will I still need to cover them with something even just to keep the insulation off them?

 

[johnnykc]

if you use megaman CFL GU10s .....you'll be waiting an age for them to light up and then in a few months some will take longer than others to get burning and you'll have this magical, sporadic lighting effect for a fraction of the price!

 

[Steve]

Another question i had with the downlights is if I get the fire rates ones is that the same as getting non fire rates ones and putting fire hoods on them?

Yes it is, but you dont need to, because, as you say . . .

they will be in the loft where there is insulation etc.

Therefore the ceiling is not a fire barrier.

Or will I still need to cover them with something even just to keep the insulation off them?

Yes, but you dont need fire hoods.

 

[R66bby]

So plant pots will do the job if there vented