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Outdoor motion detector lights, I got a good one!

3K views 21 replies 7 participants last post by  MARTINSR 
#1 ·
I may have mentioned this before but every time I walk out in the back yard I am blown away at how nice this thing is and how happy I am with it. I had others over the years that were crap, this thing is AWESOME!

This light is mounted on the side of my detached garage at the very rear. Sorry for the crappy photo. But to the right of the photo is the front of the garage. When I walk around to the side of the garage out to the shed for instance that is just to the left of this photo the light lights the second I get inches past the edge of the wall! And it works if I am all the way against my house which is in front of the garage about 30 ft so it's about 50-60 feet from the light. If I walk around the corner of my house into my gazebo that light goes on.

I am so damn thrilled with this thing. I got it at Home Depot and they are only $104 which was less than half as much as the compitition I have seen.

Notice the 270 degree sensor, this is a BIG difference from a 180 degree.

Brian

Defiant 270 Degree Outdoor Motion Activated White LED Security Floodlight-MSH27920LWDF - The Home Depot
 

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#3 ·
270 *

With the wide range I would only have to install one, an electrician wants $ 50 for each light or switch rough in. I need one on the back corner of the shop. When the crew poured the concrete floor they broke the plastic conduit feed to the back, and I haven't taken the time to set up scaffolding to get up to the ceiling to make a new run with hard pipe.
 
#4 ·
I don't even have a switch on mine. I just wired it into the garage. I want it on always, it has a photocel relay so it's not on during the day, what the heck, no switch needed.

Brian
 
#5 ·
for the last 25 years my shop has been 150 plus ft from the house
i use an x10 system to remotely control the outside lights to light the path from the house to shop
i can turn on the house light and shop lights from either place without a hard wired switch

last month i installed a motion detector that turns on the outside lights at the house and shop
cool feature... drive up to a dark house and presto keeno the lights come on for 15 minutes
living in suburbia we have a lot of deer and raccoons, sometimes my lights come on and don't turn off
i had 7 deer in between the house and shop 2 nights ago
while my intentions were good i am thinking about removing the motion detector
 
#16 ·
I don't change the whole light unit either, I change the motion sensor. I've used the same light fixtures for 20 years, and only change bulbs and sensors.
 
#10 ·
deer solution

A guy has a tree farm up on the hill and was having problems with deer chewing on his new trees. He strung electric cow fence arount the plot and hung strips of aluminum foil with peanut butter pasted on them. He said in the evening he could see the deer get a taste of the peanut butter, get zapped , then shake their head . after a few nights they quit coming back.
 
#11 ·
There are so many people who would say that's cruel. But it's damn humane if you ask me! A little jolt to teach the animal is a lot better than shooting them or something else that some people would resort to.

Brian
 
#12 ·
As luck would have it, the one on my garage just quit working last night, so this is good timing for me ;) .
I just read the online reviews of the unit Brian has, and several say it comes on too easily or just stays on all night long. any problem with that happening on yours Brian??
We've had our current (cheepy) motion detector controlled light for 6-8 years and loved it, so it WILL be replaced today with one a bit more durable. just not sure which one yet.

Russ
 
#13 ·
Russ, you won't believe it, the F-ing thing stayed on all night long LAST NIGHT! WTH? I don't know what I will do but this may be the difference between the higher cost ones and the one I got. Maybe I should just focus on the 270 degree sensor. DAMN I was planning on going and buying three more.

Brian
 
#21 ·
I was replying to Northstar T, I wasn't criticizing anything you are doing, only trying to give everybody another solution that has worked well for me. It's up to the individual to do what they need to do in their situation. I just want my lights to come on when I leave the house in the dark, or leave the garage in the dark.
 
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