Motion (or Infrared?) detectors for lights or electronics?

[[email protected]]

Hi, I can't imagine this hasn't been asked before but I couldn't find
any other similar postings. I am trying to find some sort of gadgets
that that one can plug electronics (or screw in between bulbs and
sockets) into that will turn on when someone enters a room and stay on
until they leave the room (might not work so great for a bedroom but
seems useful for other rooms).

Does anyone out there know of such gadgets and where I can find them?
Any help would really be appreciated!

Cheers

-Gaiko

 

[Baron]

Hi, I can't imagine this hasn't been asked before but I couldn't
find any other similar postings. I am trying to find some sort of
gadgets that that one can plug electronics (or screw in between
bulbs and sockets) into that will turn on when someone enters a room
and stay on until they leave the room (might not work so great for a
bedroom but seems useful for other rooms).

Does anyone out there know of such gadgets and where I can find
them? Any help would really be appreciated!

Cheers

-Gaiko

Have a look for "PIR Detectors" Used in lighting and burglar alarm
systems !

 

[John]

Hi, I can't imagine this hasn't been asked before but I couldn't find
any other similar postings. I am trying to find some sort of gadgets
that that one can plug electronics (or screw in between bulbs and
sockets) into that will turn on when someone enters a room and stay on
until they leave the room (might not work so great for a bedroom but
seems useful for other rooms).

Does anyone out there know of such gadgets and where I can find them?
Any help would really be appreciated!

Cheers

-Gaiko

www.x10.com

Use their wireless motion detectors and plug-in or wired switches.

The no-motion off time can from about 1 minute to about 30 minutes.

Doesn't work quite as well if your spouse falls asleep in front of the
TV ;-)

 

[AZ Woody]

Actually, the "off time" can be set between 1 and 256 minutes -
1,24,8,16,32,64,128,256 to be specific

Use one motion sensor per area, one x10 module per device you want
turned on, and one rf receiver per 8 motion sensors, if you stick with
std x10 stuff..

The reason you only get 8 with 16 devices on a single house code, is
that the motion sensor uses device+1 for dark/light indication.

So, if you set the motion sensor1 to device 1, device 2 is used for
light dark for sensor 1, and the next "usable" device is #3.

 

[sylvan butler]

that that one can plug electronics (or screw in between bulbs and
sockets) into that will turn on when someone enters a room and stay on
until they leave the room (might not work so great for a bedroom but

Hopefully the people will move about, because otherwise the motion
detector won't see them.

Also, "screw into sockets" means the socket must have a view of the
people.

I've used switches that replace the normal light switch and give
"off/on/auto" positions. They work well, but again replacing the switch
means the switch needs to have a view of the people in the room.

The X10 products mentioned help a little bit because they seperate the
motion detector from the light and from the manual control of that
light. But they are a bit more complex and some people have issues
making them work like they are supposed to function.

I've not seen any "plug into" style, but they wouldn't be hard to make.
(Possibly starting with a cheap motion detecting floodlight from the
discount store and an electrical box plus an extension cord. Cut the
cord, wire it and the floodlight motion sensor into the box. Use the
"plug" end of the cord for power, and use the socket aka receptacle end
of the cord instead of the light sockets from the floodlight kit.)

This whole idea is "occupancy detection" and it ranges from simple and
cheap to very complex and expensive. You get to pick based upon what
you can afford and how accurate you need it to be.

A starting point is http://www.smarthome.com/

sdb