I know there are motion sensors which detect movement and can turn on
a light fixture. What I was wondering is there a way to do this inside
a house? I would need one that would detect a person walking _into_
the room so the light would cut on several feet before a person enters
the room.

Is there a relatively cheap and easy way to do this?
Perhaps I might want to do only one room to see how it would work out?

thanks,

Andy writes:

Sure. They cost about 10 bucks at Walmart and are normally
used for driveway and outside monitoring. Just buy one and
hook it to an electrical cord and place it somewhere to experiment
on the coverage.....
The biggest drawback I can see is that they probably won't fit
in with your decor, but you can hide it behind something that is
transparent to infrared, or in the foliage of a fake plant, or
something.... The sensors are the same as the expensive ones
that is used in stores, except the Walmart versions are mass
produced which gets the price really low......
Get one and try it out. Use it to turn on a floor lamp or
something and let your imagination run with it.....
However, if you fall asleep on the couch at 11pm, expect to
wake up with the lights out. Just wave your arms and they will
come on. If you toss and turn in your sleep, the damn thing
will go on and off and you probably will unplug it.... (grin)....

Andy

Sure, there are ones that can be used to replace a wall switch.
To see one example, go to homedepot.com and search for 100396703

My brother has these in his house, though of course when they turn on
depends on the location of the switch it replaces.

--

Mike S.

"BOB" wrote in message
...
I know there are motion sensors which detect movement and can turn on
a light fixture. What I was wondering is there a way to do this inside
a house? I would need one that would detect a person walking _into_
the room so the light would cut on several feet before a person enters
the room.

Is there a relatively cheap and easy way to do this?
Perhaps I might want to do only one room to see how it would work out?

thanks,

Check out Smarthome.com

There some you can replace your switch with. Only thing though' most
of them do not work well with flourecent lamps.

http://www.residential-landscape-lig.../more_info.asp

X-10 (www.x10.com) has motion detectors for around $25 (they used to
have an indoor-only one for less but I don't see it in their current
list), and you can buy things that either replace your light switches
or screw in between your light bulb and the socket. And you'll need a
receiver.

If you're not in a rush, they're always running some sort of sale, so
you can wait until the parts you want are on sale. Not a lot of reason
to pay their retail prices.

You'll have to do a bit of reading to understand how their stuff works,
but I've found it a lot of fun and very helpful around the house. I
can turn on and off lights from anywhere in the house by remote
control, or turn them all on at once. When I go out the back door at
night the under-deck lights also come on automatically. My air filter
is on a timer to go on at the times I'm normally not home. And instead
of an alarm clock my stereo gently wakes me up in the morning.

Shaun Eli
www.BrainChampagne.com
Brain Champagne: Clever Comedy for Smart Minds (sm)
Now with a comedy video on the website!

On Thu, 23 Mar 2006 14:38:41 -0500, wrote:

On Thu, 23 Mar 2006 18:55:06 GMT,
" wrote:

I installed one of these in my garage. It's great when I walk out
there to empty the garbage, or with my hands full of tools, etc. It
also comes on as soon as the garage door starts to raise.


Yup, the only danger is these things become addictive once you get
used to them. I have at least 20. There is no place you walk that

I thought you were going to say you didn't know how to turn the lights
on when you were some place else.

Off-topic, but I have my refridgerator and freezer doors set to shut
by themselves, so whenever I go somewhere, I never remember to shut
the door.

doesn't trigger a light. I use low intensity lighting so it is not
obtrusive but you are not in the dark in many places. Basically the
only rooms without them are the bedrooms. Outside I have them all
over, again triggering low intensity walkway lights. I have a couple
that trip floods but only in areas where nobody is supposed to be.

"BOB" wrote in message
...
I know there are motion sensors which detect movement and can turn on
a light fixture. What I was wondering is there a way to do this inside
a house? I would need one that would detect a person walking _into_
the room so the light would cut on several feet before a person enters
the room.

Can be done, but if you want it to happen -before- someone gets into the
room, it's a little more tricky. Problem is, motion sensors don't "see" the
target well when the target's motion is directly toward or away from the
detector. Since they detect motion by way of a change in heat, and you want
to do this indoors which is close to body temp (as opposed to outside), you
may well be within arm's length of the sensor before it sees you.

It can see you in an instant from 20 feet or more if you move _across_ it's
field of view however. You can adjust the sensitivity, but sometimes the
thing will be triggering the lights so often that a plain ol' switch would
be better.

Most flourescent lights won't work with these switches either.

I have a couple of motion sensing night lights I have in my basement
near the cat box. The 5-7W bulbs in them are more then enough light
for the cats.

"Bob M." wrote in message
...

"BOB" wrote in message
...
I know there are motion sensors which detect movement and can turn on
a light fixture. What I was wondering is there a way to do this inside
a house? I would need one that would detect a person walking _into_
the room so the light would cut on several feet before a person enters
the room.

Can be done, but if you want it to happen -before- someone gets into the
room, it's a little more tricky. Problem is, motion sensors don't "see"
the target well when the target's motion is directly toward or away from
the detector. Since they detect motion by way of a change in heat, and you
want to do this indoors which is close to body temp (as opposed to
outside), you may well be within arm's length of the sensor before it sees
you.

It can see you in an instant from 20 feet or more if you move _across_
it's field of view however. You can adjust the sensitivity, but sometimes
the thing will be triggering the lights so often that a plain ol' switch
would be better.

Most flourescent lights won't work with these switches either.


Depends on what type you use. My office building had fluorescent lights
working with motion sensors, with no problems at all. This is why the OP
should consult an electrical supply place, or he'll be back here asking why
he keeps killing switches.

Thanks for all the tips guys. This has given me some ideas to
consider.

"Doug Kanter" wrote in message
...

"Bob M." wrote in message
...

"BOB" wrote in message
...
I know there are motion sensors which detect movement and can turn on
a light fixture. What I was wondering is there a way to do this inside
a house? I would need one that would detect a person walking _into_
the room so the light would cut on several feet before a person enters
the room.

Can be done, but if you want it to happen -before- someone gets into the
room, it's a little more tricky. Problem is, motion sensors don't "see"
the target well when the target's motion is directly toward or away from
the detector. Since they detect motion by way of a change in heat, and
you
want to do this indoors which is close to body temp (as opposed to
outside), you may well be within arm's length of the sensor before it
sees
you.

It can see you in an instant from 20 feet or more if you move _across_
it's field of view however. You can adjust the sensitivity, but
sometimes
the thing will be triggering the lights so often that a plain ol' switch
would be better.

Most flourescent lights won't work with these switches either.


Depends on what type you use. My office building had fluorescent lights
working with motion sensors, with no problems at all. This is why the OP
should consult an electrical supply place, or he'll be back here asking
why
he keeps killing switches.


You can buy a driveway/yard type of light with two sockets and the sensor
for about $10 here. Look through the instructions, some have a wire to turn
on remote lights. This type has a relay output and you can easily remove the
sensor and use it to turn on any light. Put one in my girlfriends garage to
turn two old kitchen ceiling fixtures on. Works like a champ.

Al

Al