Trying to provide more light outside

[chriselevate]

Have recently moved into a house and on the front driveway it's pretty dark (due to it only having two small lights) and the sensor that activates it is not very sensitive.

Could you please recommend a good quality light (for outside use) that will light up more of the drive and a sensor that will activate as I pull onto the drive (or be adjustable to I can set the range).

Thanks for your help.

 

[pjcomp]

Hard to offer good advice without more detail about distances, direction and things that might be in the way of the motion sensing, but sounds like you want a floodlight with directional sensor to point towards the end of the drive. You'll need to be careful about where you direct it so it doesn't blind you when it comes on or blast into the neighbours' windows! Also bear in mind that motion sensors detect motion - not just people and cars, but passing cats and foxes and bushes blowing in the wind, so you could become a victim of nuisance lighting.

pj

 

[Steve]

HIGHLY recommend LED floodlights. Just don't buy them from ebay - I did and they had "dubious" wiring internally. I have a 20 watt LED flood in the garden and it does a fine job of lighting the driveway and lawn. Equiv to about 300 watts of halogen.

 

[sparkymarka]

Clipsal infrascan not cheap but good range and pick up.

 

[chriselevate]

Thanks guys. Is there a Clipsal infrascan that you would recommend? As you can see, there's a 360 one fitted at the moment but it's very ineffective as you have to walk right up to it to get it to work!

Also... is there an LED flood light that look better than than the traditional halogen style one? I need some to replace the light on the front (in the picture) and I could do with something nice looking round the back as I have some lights that are head height and current all the do it light the floor and above the fitting and not the garden.

Thanks for your help.

 

[Steve]

The problem with all infra red detectors is that they are very poor at detecting people walking towards them because they detect moving heat sources. It cannot see when something is moving towards or away from it.

Google LED outdoor lighting. You'll find something.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

HIGHLY recommend LED floodlights. Just don't buy them from ebay - I did and they had "dubious" wiring internally.

There's nothing wrong with buying from eBay per se - plenty of reputable businesses operate through them (although they often have better prices if you track down their own websites).

But if you are daft enough to buy some unknown make from some unknown seller based in China who is offering products at prices way below anything you can find from an established UK based business then you've only got yourself to blame when it turns out that you've bought a pile of poo.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

You'll need to be careful about where you direct it so it doesn't blind you when it comes on or blast into the neighbours' windows!

Lights on posts would be better.

Also bear in mind that motion sensors detect motion - not just people and cars, but passing cats and foxes and bushes blowing in the wind, so you could become a victim of nuisance lighting.

Have the following in parallel:

A timed switch at the house and at the gate(s) for use by pedestrians.

Two sets of active IR detectors spaced so that only a car (or an escaped tiger) entering the driveway will set it off.

 

[ericmark]

Although mine did not advertise as such I found I had a handy remote. Key up my 2 meter radio and it comes on. Was handy when walking the dog but rather a pain when it came on while having a QSO at home.

When walking the dog and having a chat at the same time my path was lit by many lights in the street and although I was using 2.5W I noted some could even be triggered by locking the car.

This only seems to happen with the cheap makes but I went to using LED lighting on 24/7 I worked out cost of day light running and a time switch and it would take 10 years with the size I use to pay for it's self. In my case it's only there to find my key.

One has to consider where it is. The street lamp does not bother me. The neighbours tree waving in front of the street lamp does. The same applies to any outside lamp as it gets brighter then switching off and on can disturb people.

The neighbours light at the back was so sensitive every cat set it off. Lucky they could alter it so not triggered by cats.

As yet no one seems to have realised 150W tungsten is far dimmer than 150W LED or Metal Halide and we are getting some very bright lights which are still within the 150W limit. I am sure it will get changed and will become a lumen figure soon.

What you need is better eyes. Fixed

Untitled

• ericmark
• 20 Oct 2014
• 1