Home Page link

Two Motion Sensors To Control Three Lights

Home| Search | About
Login Password
Register Now! Lost Password?

Home Repair - - If it ain't broken, don't fix it. Otherwise look here. 

Page 1 of 2       1 2 > last >> Bookmark this page:  YahooMyWeb Yahoo!  Google Google  Windows Live Favorites Windows Live  del.icio.us del.icio.us  digg digg  Add to Netscape Netscape
Subject Author Date
Two Motion Sensors To Control Three Lights william.and.dori 01-31-2008
If you were  Registered and logged in, you could reply and use other advanced thread options
Posted by on January 31, 2008, 11:21 pm
Would like to use two motion sensors (the ones sold individually and
not connected to any lights) to turn on three flood lights. The idea
would be if either motion sensor was tripped the three lights would go
on.

My thought was to connect the switched side of the one motion sensor
to the three lights and to the switched side of the other motion
sensor. So it would be:

(Hot Wire) <Motion Sensor[A]>(Switched Wire)<Light>(Switched
Wire)<Light>(Switched Wire)<Light>(Switched Wire)<Motion
Sensor[B]>(Hot Wire)

My concern is that the current applied to the motion sensor that is
NOT activated when the other is activated may damage the motion
sensor. In other words if Motion Sensor [A] is tripped it would allow
current to flow to all three lights and the switched side of Motion
Sensor [B]... would that damage Sensor [B]?

Thanks,
William

PexSupply QuikTrak 468x60
Posted by Scott on February 1, 2008, 2:55 am
There are a couple of ways this can be done...

If you want to go totally geek, using a relay and two triacs would be the
easiest.

Have the sensors wired up so that each one is connected to its hot, and the
other side connects to the G on the triac. The other terminals of the triac
go to a relay and thier hot side. The relay is energized when either Triac
is turned on. You could omit the relay, but my guess is that the current
for three of them may be too much for just the triacs.

If you havne't done electronics, just google TRIAC and you should find more
than enough. You could also check out a local electronics trade school and
have one of the students take on a project.

You could use relays by themselves, depending on what kind you find, each
sensors could be hooked up to a relay, and the outputs of both relays could
be connected in parallel which supplies the flood lamps. Just make sure the
Voltage and Current are enough.

Finially, I beleive that there may still be X-10 type gadgets that also do
this though it has been awhile that I have looked into it.

I wouldn't wire it up the way you are proposing without have specifics as to
the sensors etc...

Finially, if you aren't familiar with electricity, don't do it yourself.

Hope this helps...

-Scott



> Would like to use two motion sensors (the ones sold individually and
> not connected to any lights) to turn on three flood lights. The idea
> would be if either motion sensor was tripped the three lights would go
> on.
>
> My thought was to connect the switched side of the one motion sensor
> to the three lights and to the switched side of the other motion
> sensor. So it would be:
>
> (Hot Wire) <Motion Sensor[A]>(Switched Wire)<Light>(Switched
> Wire)<Light>(Switched Wire)<Light>(Switched Wire)<Motion
> Sensor[B]>(Hot Wire)
>
> My concern is that the current applied to the motion sensor that is
> NOT activated when the other is activated may damage the motion
> sensor. In other words if Motion Sensor [A] is tripped it would allow
> current to flow to all three lights and the switched side of Motion
> Sensor [B]... would that damage Sensor [B]?
>
> Thanks,
> William



Posted by RBM on February 1, 2008, 7:31 am
Simply wire the two sensors in parallel. Hot to black wire of both sensors,
white to white of both sensors and white to lights, and red from both
sensors to black of lights. Whichever sensor picks up motion activates, and
yes it backfeeds the red load wire of the other sensor, which does nothing
because it's relay is open. If they're both activated, they'll both time out
normally. The one thing you can't do is feed the sensors from separate power
supplies



> Would like to use two motion sensors (the ones sold individually and
> not connected to any lights) to turn on three flood lights. The idea
> would be if either motion sensor was tripped the three lights would go
> on.
>
> My thought was to connect the switched side of the one motion sensor
> to the three lights and to the switched side of the other motion
> sensor. So it would be:
>
> (Hot Wire) <Motion Sensor[A]>(Switched Wire)<Light>(Switched
> Wire)<Light>(Switched Wire)<Light>(Switched Wire)<Motion
> Sensor[B]>(Hot Wire)
>
> My concern is that the current applied to the motion sensor that is
> NOT activated when the other is activated may damage the motion
> sensor. In other words if Motion Sensor [A] is tripped it would allow
> current to flow to all three lights and the switched side of Motion
> Sensor [B]... would that damage Sensor [B]?
>
> Thanks,
> William



Posted by ransley on February 1, 2008, 10:09 am
> Simply wire the two sensors in parallel. Hot to black wire of both sensors=
,
> white to white of both sensors and white to lights, and red from both
> sensors to black of lights. Whichever sensor picks up motion activates, an=
d
> yes it backfeeds the red load wire of the other sensor, which does nothing=

> because it's relay is open. If they're both activated, they'll both time o=
ut
> normally. The one thing you can't do is feed the sensors from separate pow=
er
> supplies
>
>
>
>
>
> > Would like to use two motion sensors (the ones sold individually and
> > not connected to any lights) to turn on three flood lights. =A0The idea
> > would be if either motion sensor was tripped the three lights would go
> > on.
>
> > My thought was to connect the switched side of the one motion sensor
> > to the three lights and to the switched side of the other motion
> > sensor. =A0So it would be:
>
> > (Hot Wire) <Motion Sensor[A]>(Switched Wire)<Light>(Switched
> > Wire)<Light>(Switched Wire)<Light>(Switched Wire)<Motion
> > Sensor[B]>(Hot Wire)
>
> > My concern is that the current applied to the motion sensor that is
> > NOT activated when the other is activated may damage the motion
> > sensor. =A0In other words if Motion Sensor [A] is tripped it would allow=

> > current to flow to all three lights and the switched side of Motion
> > Sensor [B]... would that damage Sensor [B]?
>
> > Thanks,
> > William- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

Wouldnt you blow the circuit if both trip, you will be feeding 120 to
itself. X10 has remote units that can trigger many lights, when I
pull in the garage 4 sensors go off, with 15 lights, the garage sensor
triggers 3 more through a code that goes through the AC lines. one in
garage, two outside, one inside, and 3 button garage remote are
compatable. X10 also has battery powered RF sensors and interior
keypads and a computer program it sells. Cheap home automation.

Posted by RBM on February 1, 2008, 10:36 am
All these devices have wattage limitations. Garden variety motion detectors
are 300 to 500 watt. There are others available with higher switching
capacities as well. If you wanted to control lighting from multiple circuits
or higher wattages than the motion detector is capable of, you'd need to use
relays or line carriers to do it, but I would always opt for simplicity if
possible



> Simply wire the two sensors in parallel. Hot to black wire of both
> sensors,
> white to white of both sensors and white to lights, and red from both
> sensors to black of lights. Whichever sensor picks up motion activates,
> and
> yes it backfeeds the red load wire of the other sensor, which does nothing
> because it's relay is open. If they're both activated, they'll both time
> out
> normally. The one thing you can't do is feed the sensors from separate
> power
> supplies
>
>
>
>
>
> > Would like to use two motion sensors (the ones sold individually and
> > not connected to any lights) to turn on three flood lights. The idea
> > would be if either motion sensor was tripped the three lights would go
> > on.
>
> > My thought was to connect the switched side of the one motion sensor
> > to the three lights and to the switched side of the other motion
> > sensor. So it would be:
>
> > (Hot Wire) <Motion Sensor[A]>(Switched Wire)<Light>(Switched
> > Wire)<Light>(Switched Wire)<Light>(Switched Wire)<Motion
> > Sensor[B]>(Hot Wire)
>
> > My concern is that the current applied to the motion sensor that is
> > NOT activated when the other is activated may damage the motion
> > sensor. In other words if Motion Sensor [A] is tripped it would allow
> > current to flow to all three lights and the switched side of Motion
> > Sensor [B]... would that damage Sensor [B]?
>
> > Thanks,
> > William- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

Wouldnt you blow the circuit if both trip, you will be feeding 120 to
itself. X10 has remote units that can trigger many lights, when I
pull in the garage 4 sensors go off, with 15 lights, the garage sensor
triggers 3 more through a code that goes through the AC lines. one in
garage, two outside, one inside, and 3 button garage remote are
compatable. X10 also has battery powered RF sensors and interior
keypads and a computer program it sells. Cheap home automation.



Page 1 of 2       1 2 > last >>
Similar ThreadsPosted
cats vs. motion sensors October 24, 2008, 3:34 pm
Problem with Motion Sensor Light Control August 2, 2006, 2:15 am
Motion sensing lights June 27, 2006, 10:45 pm
Hampton Bay Motion Lights August 19, 2008, 1:06 pm
Best Outdoor Motion Lights (Brass) August 3, 2005, 7:33 pm
Motion detector lights aren't staying on August 9, 2005, 12:27 am
Outdoor motion lights fail January 9, 2006, 11:03 pm
Motion sensing lights in a room? March 23, 2006, 10:22 am
Motion Detecting Lights in Bathrooms - Code?? September 3, 2007, 6:51 pm
Heath zenith motion lights won't work at night..help March 4, 2007, 7:31 pm

Contact Us | Privacy Policy

XML SitemapXML Sitemap