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Default Porch light controls: how do they work?

Anyone,

Okay, here's a dumb question...

We just moved into an old house which has two exterior lights mounted onto
the house on either side of the front door. I'm not sure who the
manufacturer is. Each light has two control switches, and I cannot figure
out exactly how they work together.

Switch 1 has these four settings: TEST, 1 Minute, 5 Minutes, 10 Minutes.
Switch 2 has these four settings: OFF, 3 Hours, 6 Hours, Dusk to Dawn.

Can anyone explain to me what these switches do, and how/if they work
together? What I would like to do is to set the lights so that they go on at
dusk, and go off a few hours later (or stay on all night, if necessary).

Thanks in advance,

David


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Default Porch light controls: how do they work?

In article ,
David E. wrote:

Okay, here's a dumb question...

We just moved into an old house which has two exterior lights mounted onto
the house on either side of the front door. I'm not sure who the
manufacturer is. Each light has two control switches, and I cannot figure
out exactly how they work together.


Do these lights have a motion detector as well as a photocell?
If so, here is what I think they mean:

Switch 1 has these four settings: TEST, 1 Minute, 5 Minutes, 10 Minutes.


Test is for testing. On when motion detected, immediate off when motion
stops. Others are for how long light stays on after motion stops.

Switch 2 has these four settings: OFF, 3 Hours, 6 Hours, Dusk to Dawn.


Taking a guess here, but OFF is either no motion detector or no
light/dark detector. 3 & 6 are hours to be active after dusk, and
dusk-dawn is all night.

Can anyone explain to me what these switches do, and how/if they work
together? What I would like to do is to set the lights so that they go on at
dusk, and go off a few hours later (or stay on all night, if necessary).


I think you want the 3 or 6 setting.

See if you can find a manufacturers name on them and then look on the
web. You may be able to d/l an instruction sheet or call customer
service to get one. Or see if you can locate a duplicate in the store
to get manufacturer's name.

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Eastern time. N6LRT I speak for myself & my dogs only. VM'er since CP-67
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Default Porch light controls: how do they work?

On Fri, 29 Dec 2006 15:03:21 -0500, "David E."
wrote:

Anyone,

Okay, here's a dumb question...

We just moved into an old house which has two exterior lights mounted onto
the house on either side of the front door. I'm not sure who the
manufacturer is. Each light has two control switches, and I cannot figure
out exactly how they work together.

Switch 1 has these four settings: TEST, 1 Minute, 5 Minutes, 10 Minutes.
Switch 2 has these four settings: OFF, 3 Hours, 6 Hours, Dusk to Dawn.

Can anyone explain to me what these switches do, and how/if they work
together? What I would like to do is to set the lights so that they go on at
dusk, and go off a few hours later (or stay on all night, if necessary).

Thanks in advance,

David


You have a motion sensor light. Switch 1 allows for a test and
determines how long the light stays on after activated - 1, 5 or 10
minutes. Your light also has a feature that allows it to burn at a
dimmer setting until it is activated - kind of like a night light.
Switch 2 turns this feature off or operates it at 3 hours, 6 hours or
all night (which is what you indicate you would like to do). I select
the 6 hour setting so right now it comes on between 5-6 PM and
provides continuous lighting until 11 - 12 PM unless someone activates
it at which point it becomes full bright. Hope this helps.


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Default Porch light controls: how do they work?

Tom,

Thank you so much; I was wondering why the lights seemed to get brighter and
dimmer, seemingly without rhyme or reason!

I do have a question regarding switch 2. Just to make sure I understand: if
I set them for 6 hours, that means that they will stay on automatically for
6 hours (on the dim setting) beginning at *dusk*, right? I.e., I don't need
to program any sort of start time; the start time is always dusk?

Also, do you think that there might be a way to increase the angle of the
motion detector? I actually wouldn't need the nightlight feature at all if
the light came on when I approach the porch from a wider angle than that at
which it currently activates.

David
"tomcarlson (REMOVE) (Tom)" wrote in message
. ..
On Fri, 29 Dec 2006 15:03:21 -0500, "David E."
wrote:

Anyone,

Okay, here's a dumb question...

We just moved into an old house which has two exterior lights mounted onto
the house on either side of the front door. I'm not sure who the
manufacturer is. Each light has two control switches, and I cannot figure
out exactly how they work together.

Switch 1 has these four settings: TEST, 1 Minute, 5 Minutes, 10 Minutes.
Switch 2 has these four settings: OFF, 3 Hours, 6 Hours, Dusk to Dawn.

Can anyone explain to me what these switches do, and how/if they work
together? What I would like to do is to set the lights so that they go on
at
dusk, and go off a few hours later (or stay on all night, if necessary).

Thanks in advance,

David


You have a motion sensor light. Switch 1 allows for a test and
determines how long the light stays on after activated - 1, 5 or 10
minutes. Your light also has a feature that allows it to burn at a
dimmer setting until it is activated - kind of like a night light.
Switch 2 turns this feature off or operates it at 3 hours, 6 hours or
all night (which is what you indicate you would like to do). I select
the 6 hour setting so right now it comes on between 5-6 PM and
provides continuous lighting until 11 - 12 PM unless someone activates
it at which point it becomes full bright. Hope this helps.




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Default Porch light controls: how do they work?

On Mon, 1 Jan 2007 07:09:32 -0500, "David E."
wrote:

Tom,

Thank you so much; I was wondering why the lights seemed to get brighter and
dimmer, seemingly without rhyme or reason!

I do have a question regarding switch 2. Just to make sure I understand: if
I set them for 6 hours, that means that they will stay on automatically for
6 hours (on the dim setting) beginning at *dusk*, right? I.e., I don't need
to program any sort of start time; the start time is always dusk?


That is correct. In Winter when it gets dark around 5:00 or so the six
hour setting would keep them on until around 11:00 - Midnight while in
Summer it may run until 2:00 - 3:00 AM.

Also, do you think that there might be a way to increase the angle of the
motion detector? I actually wouldn't need the nightlight feature at all if
the light came on when I approach the porch from a wider angle than that at
which it currently activates.


Hard to say without seeing the fixture but it's not likely. Most are
built into the fixture and are not adjustable. You might take a look
at the sensor to see if there is any way it can be aimed but if so,
you can probably just aim it a little to one side or the other. I
would imagine that the actual angle is fixed. If it's a real problem,
you could replace it with a unit that has a separate sensor that is
adjustable but they aren't real attractive.


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Default Porch light controls: how do they work?


REMOVE REMOVE Tom wrote:
On Mon, 1 Jan 2007 07:09:32 -0500, "David E."
wrote:

Tom,

Thank you so much; I was wondering why the lights seemed to get brighter and
dimmer, seemingly without rhyme or reason!

I do have a question regarding switch 2. Just to make sure I understand: if
I set them for 6 hours, that means that they will stay on automatically for
6 hours (on the dim setting) beginning at *dusk*, right? I.e., I don't need
to program any sort of start time; the start time is always dusk?


That is correct. In Winter when it gets dark around 5:00 or so the six
hour setting would keep them on until around 11:00 - Midnight while in
Summer it may run until 2:00 - 3:00 AM.

Also, do you think that there might be a way to increase the angle of the
motion detector? I actually wouldn't need the nightlight feature at all if
the light came on when I approach the porch from a wider angle than that at
which it currently activates.


Hard to say without seeing the fixture but it's not likely. Most are
built into the fixture and are not adjustable. You might take a look
at the sensor to see if there is any way it can be aimed but if so,
you can probably just aim it a little to one side or the other. I
would imagine that the actual angle is fixed. If it's a real problem,
you could replace it with a unit that has a separate sensor that is
adjustable but they aren't real attractive.



The angle no. But most have sensitivity controls and some also have a
range booster switch.

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Default Porch light controls: how do they work?

Thanks, everyone. The lights are working just the way we want them now!

wrote in message
ups.com...

REMOVE REMOVE Tom wrote:
On Mon, 1 Jan 2007 07:09:32 -0500, "David E."
wrote:

Tom,

Thank you so much; I was wondering why the lights seemed to get brighter
and
dimmer, seemingly without rhyme or reason!

I do have a question regarding switch 2. Just to make sure I understand:
if
I set them for 6 hours, that means that they will stay on automatically
for
6 hours (on the dim setting) beginning at *dusk*, right? I.e., I don't
need
to program any sort of start time; the start time is always dusk?


That is correct. In Winter when it gets dark around 5:00 or so the six
hour setting would keep them on until around 11:00 - Midnight while in
Summer it may run until 2:00 - 3:00 AM.

Also, do you think that there might be a way to increase the angle of
the
motion detector? I actually wouldn't need the nightlight feature at all
if
the light came on when I approach the porch from a wider angle than that
at
which it currently activates.


Hard to say without seeing the fixture but it's not likely. Most are
built into the fixture and are not adjustable. You might take a look
at the sensor to see if there is any way it can be aimed but if so,
you can probably just aim it a little to one side or the other. I
would imagine that the actual angle is fixed. If it's a real problem,
you could replace it with a unit that has a separate sensor that is
adjustable but they aren't real attractive.



The angle no. But most have sensitivity controls and some also have a
range booster switch.



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