So I recently replace a big 8 ft CCFL shop light with 3 smaller 4 ft shop lights. 1 has a motion sensor built in. My thought when I bought them was to install the motion sensor might above the garage door, wire the hot and neutral coming from the switch to the motion sensor and then use the 2 prong outlet built into each light to connect the other two in series to each other. Then I leave the switch on and all the lights come on when the motion sensor trips and turns off after the time out time. In practice with the switch on the 2 normal shop lights stay on all the time and the motion sensor turns on and off as expected. Here is the model shop light I'm using https://www.costco.com/Feit-4-ft.-Linkable-LED-Utility-Motion-Sensor-Shop-Lights,-2-pack.product.100415188.html
Electrical – how to control all shop lights from one motion sensor shop light
electricallighting
Related Solutions
Assuming you're talking about motion sensors like this:
Switches like that need power. They can work by trickling current through incandescents if hooked up like a normal single-throw switch (in series with feed going to lights). If the switch has 4 wires (hot, return, switched, and ground) then you can hook them all up and it will power itself using it's own hot + return. In that case, it shouldn't have to trickle power through the light's circuit, and fluorescents should be able to turn off.
The basic problem is that the occupancy switch that you chose to purchase is one designed to be able to work in series with the load attached to it. If the attached load is too small (too low of wattage) the switch assembly does not get enough power to operate correctly. For the particular model you have this is on the order of 40 to 50 watts of minimum load. From a technical standpoint it kind of sucks that they work this way BUT they are designed to work in place of a simple light switch that is in in series with its load.
Your Radio Shack relay does not come close to representing a 40-50W load on the switch so the only other way is to add some additional load in series with the switch (i.e. equivalently in parallel with the relay coil). As you have come to see this is not a very satisfactory solution and some other scheme needs to be found.
The best situation in this case is to acquire the alternate type of occupancy switch as mentioned in that thread that you linked. That type of switch has a live AC lead and neutral AC lead connected to it to power the switch unit irrespective of the size of the load. A separate output connection goes off to the load you are trying to switch. This type of switch may take a little re-wiring in your garage but that should be easier than trying to wire in the kludged extra load that the current switch requires. If you choose to deploy this improved version of the switch you will be able to remove the Radio Shack relay from the installation.
To make yourself feel better about the fact that you now have an extra occupancy switch you could pick a room in your house that has a tendency to get its light left on accidentally and install the extra unit in place of its light switch. Maybe this is a bathroom the kids use or a far closet that does not get used often.
BTW
It looks like Leviton now has a whole slew of different model occupancy switches that are also designed for single pole switch replacement but have removed the minimum load requirements. These do not require a neutral wire connection but do require a GND wire connection.
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Best Answer
Code requires that you use every device according to its labeling and instructions (because the testing behind the UL listing didn't test it any further than that). So your first stop is back to the labeling and instructions on the lamp, and see what it says about using the receptacle to control other lights via the motion sensor.
Knowing Feit Electric, I suspect it does not permit that use, and the motion sensor does not switch the receptacle, and it is there to serve general loads like drills or trouble lights. Or, their vision for this product is that you simply enable all the motion sensors and allow each light to decide independently.
I am no great fan of Feit's reliability and would not miss an opportunity to return a Feit to the store and get something quality. Generally everything electrical at CostCo is the pinnacle of Cheese junk.
If you really want to do motion sensor for the whole garage, they (not CostCo) sell individual "stalk" motion sensors, that screw into a junction box cover. If you use the type which has a neutral wire, you can have 2 or more motion sensors for better coverage. From those you power your lights.