Lighting – Identifying Dusk to Dawn Floodlight with ‘Modern Light sensors’

lighting

The context is a set of outdoor Florida stairs.

This post indicates:

The light sensor is obsolete

Modern light sensors "learn". It takes them a day or two to learn "This is as bright as it gets" and "this is as dark as it gets", but once it does so, it will correctly switch the dusk-to-dawn lighting. However it loses the memory if you switch power off to it.

Question

When shopping, how do I identify such a modern light sensor (preferably integrated in a fixture)? Are products labeled in such a way to identify such sensors?

Best Answer

I am looking at both of your posts. To start I don't think you will find what you looking for integrated in a fixture. I think the best method to control your lighting the way you are asking would be to use a sunset to sunrise timer. Such as this one https://www.intermatic.com/-/media/inRiver/10202-9209.ashx/HB880R%20Instructions%20EN.

Note that this particular one is an Intermatic or you could use a Tork or any other reliable manufacturer. It comes with the ability to set times and it will adjust through the year to come on and of at a predetermined time just after sunset and just before sunrise, and it has battery back up. Also note it says it is for a tungsten load so you might connect it up to a pilot relay like a RIB (Relay in a Box). If you do it this way you can series in a motion detector or photocell or any other control device and it should work fairly well. It is not likely that you will find these items in a retail outlet. You can purchase it from an industrial supplier like Grainger or McMaster Carr. You might also be able to order it through an electrical wholesaler if they sell to the public or you have an account with them.

Other than that the only other method I know of is to use a building automation system like Lithonia's Big Blue Box and they do have photocells that detect footcandle levels but you have to have a microprocessor and software to control it. That may be more money than you want to spend since I know a base package is somewhere around $2,500.00 and you still need to have the technical expertise to program it and maintain it.

Any way look around the Inertmatic site and see what you can find. Good Luck.