Video doorbell transformer off outside light cable

[olly330]

Got an outside light just above front door, would it be possible spur off this cable to fit a transformer which would then feed a ring type video doorbell?
Would make it convenient as no drilling or feeding wires into the house, I just need to know how to do it properly.
Could a transformer be mounted outside under this outdoor porch ?

 

[EFLImpudence]

It would only work when the light is switched on.

Transformer might not be too happy outside.

 

[ericmark]

You will likely need a box for the transformer, and swap the bulb for a smart bulb so you can turn off light without turning off the door bell, I found with a fitting like that I needed a candle bulb as standard one too long, found this one says 106 mm long standard one 120 mm long, check clearance.

 

[sparkwright]

Find a permanent feed
That light switch only will have a switched live

You have such a old light no offence!!
Had one of those back in the 90's

You mention the light switch, is this a mis-print?

Nothing old about those lights, fitted 8 last year on a house.

 

[olly330]

My bad. I meant the official bulb itself

Olly you could dismantle the light and figure out if you could shove a single core cable from the light fixture to the switch. Which would probs have a permanent live. Try putting a screwdriver and wiggling the hole which already the wire is placed in.

The light runs back to a switch in the entrance hallway.
So I'm thinking if the light switch turned off then it wouldn't give any power to the light or transformer for ring doorbell. I don't understand how running a single core cable from the light fixture to the switch in the hallway would help me?

Maybe I should just keep the light switch on and change the light to a sensor type one, that way both the light and ring doorbell are always getting power and the light just comes on and off when needed.

 

[ericmark]

When I moved into this house we had PIR controlled lights which often either failed to come on, or came on with slightest wind, or worse went off unexpected, so replaced with smart bulbs, but how you do it is up to you.

 

[olly330]

When I moved into this house we had PIR controlled lights which often either failed to come on, or came on with slightest wind, or worse went off unexpected, so replaced with smart bulbs, but how you do it is up to you.

Thanks will check out smart bulbs I have not tried them but could possibly be a good solution

 

[ericmark]

My problem with Smart bulbs is lack of information, it seems some bits are done by app, some by hub (if required) and some in the bulb, so many of the features you only find out about once you have bought the bulb.

I started around 8 years ago, I had a problem, we had an extruder alarm to warn us mother was escaping, it was upstairs as main problem was when we were in bed, but this mean if some one called, needed to go upstairs to turn off alarm before opening the door, tried simple remote controls on socket to alarm, and time switches, but the smart socket allowed us to combine both.

So once we had bought the hub, cost of light switch with remote for bedroom was not much extra, and also adding TRV heads for the central heating seemed a good idea, anyway that was the start, and around 4 years ago we moved house, and brought all the smart stuff with us, and think it was home base was having a sale of Energenie stuff so we got a lot more, it was then my problems started, and I had some light switches and a socket turn themselves into flasher units, had 4 units fail, as to if just bad luck, or some faulty design who knows, however I then leaned towards the plug in devices so easy changed if some thing goes wrong, and to date lost one GU10 bulb, so seem quite reliable, I do now have a lot of smart stuff.

Lidi was next with their smart light bar (which came with a remote control) but it required another hub, this time zigbee which it seems is reasonably universal and we got our second app, Smart Life. We also got Nest Mini's as where we live FM radio does not exist, so got to listen to radio on, but they also integrate with the rest, so once the items have been programmed in, Google Home will take over, so all items are together with google home and work with voice controls.

But when we wanted more bulbs and Lidi did not have them on offer we went to other outlets, wife got one odd one by Wiz which has a fade in and out feature, nice as not plunged into darkness, you get some warning, but in the main we got TCP, and I thought it was an antiseptic! anyway these don't need a hub, and have "Biorhythm" this is a screen shot this allows me to set it to light at dusk, then have an off time dead of night, then back on until dawn, the 4 days selected are when the milkman delivers milk, but now I am looking at yet another, TP Link, not got one yet, but seems it has a hub which doubles as a door bell, so it seems, not tested yet, that I can set it so pressing door bell turns on light and rings the bell.

There are so many options, including geofencing so it auto turns on light as you arrive home, not tested this yet, the TCP bulbs it seems have this option.

It just seems as soon as I set up one make, I find another with more options, the voice command "hey google turn on outside lights" works well from within the house, and when out I always have my phone.

Last house three outside lights, back, front and side, but non really required, street lights did well, this house eight outside lights, and they are needed although not all eight, new ones have made old ones a little redundant. I live in a village, but still rather rural.

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

When I moved into this house we had PIR controlled lights which often either failed to come on, or came on with slightest wind, or worse went off unexpected, so replaced with smart bulbs, but how you do it is up to you.

An IR beam is much more reliable, more certain, if one can be set up at a height above that of cats..

 

[bernardgreen]

An IR beam is much more reliable

I agree, my IR beam system ( TX and RX ) has been in use across the driveway for almost 40 years at two different addresses.

Only problems have been a couple of false alarms due to large birds fluttering above the wild flower garden.

It was bought from RS Components but I cannot recall the Stock No. I expect that model is not longer available.

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

I agree, my IR beam system ( TX and RX ) has been in use across the driveway for almost 40 years at two different addresses.

No need for separate Tx and Rx, you can buy both as one combined module, complete with a reflector / target.

I have one across my garage roller door - it lights an LED, to show me as I drive in, that the car rear end is just clear of the door, and to prevent the roller being closed with anything in the way.

 

[bernardgreen]

No need for separate Tx and Rx, you can buy both as one combined module, complete with a reflector / target

Reflective systems fall into main 4 types

1.. IR reflected by the object creates the alert, when no object is present the IR beam disappears into the distance

2.. non polarised IR reflected back the the sensor by a reflective surface, the object breaks the beam to create the alert.
...... a reflective object may reflect enough IR to confuse the RX into thinking the beam is not broken

3.. as in 2.. but with polarised IR from the TX being rotated by 90° in the reflector
...... the RX has a polarised filter and only detects IR that has been reflected by the reflector

4.... Pulses of IR are sent and time taken before the reflected pulse is seen by the receiver
...... this time determines the distance between the sensor and the reflecting object.

 

[ericmark]

An IR beam is much more reliable, more certain, if one can be set up at a height above that of cats..

Next door to right cats walk on the roof of next door left, so at a height above that of cats takes some doing.

Passive inferred uses body heat, or car radiator heat, so on parking which involves turning the car around the PIR was triggured, but to maintain that triggure depends on what one is wearing, and how fast one walks up the drive.

Theroy trees should not affect them, but in practice they shield the hot gases from chimney of house at back, so if sensitivity high then they are triggured by wind, if low switch off at most inappropriate moment.

I am sure you can get a PIR which triggurers a timer so one does have enough time to reach the door, but to be sensitive enough to pick me up where I park some 4 car lengths from rear of house, but not be triggured by cats, foxes, and squirrels is a problem.

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

Passive inferred uses body heat, or car radiator heat, so on parking which involves turning the car around the PIR was triggured, but to maintain that triggure depends on what one is wearing, and how fast one walks up the drive.

Some months ago, I installed a replacement PIR to the florescent light, in my utility room - a fitting mounted one, as a replacement for the wall switch on. It's rather over-sensitive, but none adjustable. The utility door, which is usually left ajar, is on the route to the back door, which is the most frequently used door.

Because the utility room is quite dark, even during the day, the PIR is set to come on night and day. The problem I found, was every-time anyone went through the back door, and the utility room door was ajar - the light would come on. I then tried adding a bluetack-ed bit of card, to shield the sensor, from anyone passing outside the door, but it still triggers. My guess is it sees reflections, off the far walls.

 

[ericmark]

Before removing the PIR controlled lights, if I reversed car into the drive, PIR would not trigger until I was half way to house, drive in forward and car would trigger it, but I needed to get half way up the drive before it timed out for it to stay on, this was the problem, if I get out of car in the dark, I will use torch built into phone, but if there is light, I will just walk, often carrying items in both hands, so when the light switches off, I am plunged into darkness.

The same of course with smart lights, I set them to switch off around midnight, there is one however the Wiz, where I can set it to fade out, so it gives some warning it is about to switch off, but it does not have other features, shown is the dusk until dawn with set off in dead of night which can be set for other bulbs.

And this is the problem, working out what will do what, same with PIR of course, some have options to mask inside them, some have light level settings, some have sensitivity settings, and some have time out settings.

Since clearly a video door bell has already been selected it is a bit late, but I have noted the TP Link series does a door bell which can switch on the light. I would seem odd ringing your own door bell, but it would help in getting key in the hole.