Photocell / Timer / PIR

[Gary Qt]

Hi, newbie so go easy!


Have some outside hardscaped LED strip lights. Looking to add in a photocell dusk to dawn with timer function so I can have them come on at dusk and switch off at say midnight. Also however looking to add in a security aspect where I have a couple of PIR’s which will then switch the lighting back on again should it be past the set off time (midnight) for a couple of minutes.

I can find timed dusk to dawn sensors and plenty of PIR’s out there, however does anyone know of a single product that will do both? Guess I am looking for some kind of lighting controller that will take a photocell and PIR sensor input.

Failing this any reason why, since I am using LED’s I could not run the photocell timer in parallel with the PIR with some diode protection to stop backfeed from either sensor (see below / attached for what I mean)

Many thanks.

 

[HandySparks]

Are you an electrician?

Is this AC or DC?

You probably don't need the diodes (and they wouldn't do the job if AC anyway), just put the timer and PIR in parallel.

 

[Richard Burns]

I would just wire them in parallel, the voltage on the output should not affect most systems. I would have the controllers on the 230V side.

To have a full control system would be moving into lighting control systems which are readily available but would probably cost more to implement than having the basic components.

 

[Gary Qt]

Hi, many thanks, firstly no, not an Electrician, however fully understand the above schematic, secondly its a 12volt outdoor DC system, its only running approx. 20 meters of nano LED's so wattage will only be around 150w in total so PIR / photocell components will not be underrated running the 12v transformer.

 

[Richard Burns]

If you are running 150W of LED lighting on a solely 12V system then I would suggest that using low current PIR, timer, photocell components to operate a high current relay might be the best solution.
Then you have the flexibility to change settings and control parameters as you need.
Parts operating on switched outputs rather than relying on logic controls should be unaffected by having a voltage on the output so parallel operation is straightforward.

 

[Gary Qt]

Many thanks for your help on this. As you say the individual component route is most probably cheaper and a more configurable than a specific lighting control system so I will head down this route.