Ambient Light Photocell to DI?

TheWaterboy

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TheWaterboy
Join Date
May 2006
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Anyone using a photocell to a DI? I mean the kind that looks at the light outdoors and turns on the lights at dusk.

There are a ton out there, I'm using a cheap Intermatic now, but they all seem to need a load of 500mA to work consistently and a DI is obviously not that.
Adding a load resistor is just a heat source I don't want.

I started looking at the kind used for integrated lighting systems but there are no datasheets on these, just that they connect to "our Model $$$ ambient lighting control system".

I can find 0-10V analog ambient sensors... but that's just silly for this application. All I need is a contact closure that doesn't depend on a load.

Thoughts?
 
I'd prefer a manufactured product. My home is full of it, but I don't like to build my own stuff at the locations, the maint folks have a heck of a time figuring that stuff out.
 
That ones analog, although it is a more industrial device than I have run across before, I'll file that one away for later. Could use that as motion det if it responds fast enough...
 
If I was the Bubba supporting it, I would like the simplicity of an off the shelf from any big box photo eye and a resistor.

Bubba.
 
Mickey said:
See link. Just let them control a relay.
Click to expand...
I don't get good life out of these residential grade sensors or even the commercial ones. Few years at best. And the majority of them require more load (10s of watts) to switch than a DI will provide. That is probably why they don't last long in my app while they may last much longer when doing real work.
I'm gonna try the Banner one next.
 

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