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What sort of outside lights would you call this? (feddit.uk)

submitted 2 months ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

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I'm replacing the light at my front door, and I dont seem to be able to find what I want.

My current light is solar powered, light and motion sensitive so it only comes on at night and dims when there is no movement. However during winter there isn't enough light during the day to charge it so that it lasts longer than a couple of hours.

I would like to replace it with a mains powered one, but keeping the only on at night, and dims when there is no movement so that it illuminates the house number. Everything I see appears to only have one or the other (unless they actually have both but the listing details are terrible), does anyone know the terminology I need to use?

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[–] [email protected] 5 points 2 months ago (1 children)

I know what you mean and have an old light which does that, which was on the house when I moved in.

After frustratingly searching, I believe the terms you're looking for are dual light level PIR, hi-lo PIR, high low PIR.

Here's a product that has the feature although it may not be cosmetically to your taste https://www.universal-lighting.co.uk/products/dual-light-level-led-outdoor-pir-wall-half-lantern-white/ Here's another https://www.universal-lighting.co.uk/products/dual-light-level-led-dusk-dawn-white-outdoor-pir-wall-light-wide/

No affiliation to them just they came up when searching and had two products that matched. Good luck with your hunt, they are out there!

[–] [email protected] 3 points 2 months ago

Awesome, cheers I'll check these ones out.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 months ago (1 children)

I should probably give an example.

Something like this but I dont think it turns on dimmed mode at night, it just enables whether the motion sensor works.

https://www.screwfix.com/p/saxby-oslo-outdoor-wall-light-with-pir-sensor-grey/644re

[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 months ago

If you trust your wiring skills you could theoretically just alter it to have a low-amp constant power source then higher-amp power source by adding the signals when the sensor trips... I think the issue is a lot to do with the fact LEDs are way less dimmable than older lights though, as dimmer switches cut off parts to the waveform so have lower rms voltage and flicker, whereas you'd want to supply the same voltage, just fewer amps... if you're keeping it constant I think it's very possible?

https://electronics.stackexchange.com/questions/218976/ac-constant-current-source-design - this in parallel with the motion activated circuit?

[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Sconce.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 months ago (1 children)

While technically correct, sconces seem to generally refer to indoor lighting.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 months ago

Its not even technically correct, its an answer to a different question.

A sconce is a type of wall mounted light, nothing to do with PIR for motion detention or any of the other phrases required for a successful search. Now that I have the correct terminology, there are examples that aren't a sconce.

So in that sense its actually wrong.