Security lighting

Submitted: Friday, May 05, 2006 at 10:13
ThreadID: 33562 Views:2271 Replies:4 FollowUps:8
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Hi gang,

I noticed that Jaycar are having a special on 300 watt inverters. Can anyone tell me if one of these will run one of those motion detecting security lights with 2 150 watt flood lights? The basic maths suggests it does but I was wondering if there was something like power loss in the circuit (even in the motion unit) that actually means that it is using more than 300 watts.

Was thinking of using one camping.

Thanks in advance and kind regards
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Reply By: Sparkiepete - Friday, May 05, 2006 at 11:05

Friday, May 05, 2006 at 11:05
I personally think you are cutting it to close to the maximum the unit can put out. You could do it but buy the 120W globes. Should be fairly easy to find. Also I wonder how long the battery would last running the inverter.
I don't know how practical it is but you can buy electronic kits which converts a 18W fluro into a 12 volt light. with Triphos tube in it it is as bright as a normal fluro and only runs about 1.5A on a 12 volt supply. You should be able to get the electronic units from Dick Smith perhaps. I'll see what I can find out and I will get back to you.

Regards
Sparkie
AnswerID: 170889

Follow Up By: Member - Beatit (QLD) - Friday, May 05, 2006 at 11:12

Friday, May 05, 2006 at 11:12
Thanks Sparkie, I was thinking that with the sensor it should only get very low use. The plan is that we're camping on a croc beach and I like to give the missus some comfort that a light will go if things move around. A 12 volt system using a sensor would be best and I was happy to use halogens for the same reason. Do you know if those those independent motion detector will operate on 12 v so that it merely acts as a relay for some 12 volt lighting?

Kind regards
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FollowupID: 426307

Follow Up By: Sparkiepete - Friday, May 05, 2006 at 11:16

Friday, May 05, 2006 at 11:16
www.solazone.com.au/lighting.htm

Look for Fluorescent lighting inverters on this site.

Sorry I couldn't find anything on Dick Smith or Jaycar electronics.

It seems solar places sell these quite a bit so if you know of a store, if you ring them they may know something.

I have installed them and they are easy enough to understand. Also if you wrongly wire the + and the- there is a 3a fuse in the electronic unit which is easily replaced.
Regards
Sparkiepete
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Follow Up By: Member - Beatit (QLD) - Friday, May 05, 2006 at 11:27

Friday, May 05, 2006 at 11:27
Thanks Sparkie, that's just the sort of stuff I'm looking for. Can do the lot on low voltage.

Kind regards
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Follow Up By: Sparkiepete - Friday, May 05, 2006 at 11:28

Friday, May 05, 2006 at 11:28
the only independent sensors I am familiar with are 240 volt.You could run those independent sensors of a inverter but than you would need to install a 240 volt relay to turn on any 12 volt lighting you may use. Very annoying to set up and not really practical.

Just had a thought and I don't know for sure if it would work but maybe you could go with your original setup and use compact fluro lamps instead of those big globes. worth a look. That way you wouldn't use a lot of power and the battery will last.
I can't think of anything else at the moment but I am sure someone will have an answer for you.

Regards
Sparkiepete
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FollowupID: 426314

Follow Up By: Member - Beatit (QLD) - Friday, May 05, 2006 at 11:32

Friday, May 05, 2006 at 11:32
Thanks again Sparkie this will get it done for me.

Kind regards
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FollowupID: 426315

Reply By: AdrianLR (VIC) - Friday, May 05, 2006 at 12:54

Friday, May 05, 2006 at 12:54
More mucking about but this could also work:

PIR sensor for an alarm system (eg Jaycar CAT. NO. LA5036, 9-16V operation)
Relay
12V lights

You may need to include a timer circuit to hold the relay on for some predetermined time rather than just being on whilst there is movement.

Could be done for less than $50 all up using some 12v downlight globes.

Adrian

AnswerID: 170911

Follow Up By: Member - Beatit (QLD) - Friday, May 05, 2006 at 13:26

Friday, May 05, 2006 at 13:26
Thanks Adrian

Kind regards
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FollowupID: 426336

Reply By: Sea-Dog - Friday, May 05, 2006 at 15:51

Friday, May 05, 2006 at 15:51
If you are using a PIR sensor to spot crocs you could be wasting time and money.. PIR stands for Passive Infa Red and work on heat movement... Crocs are cold blooded and move pretty slowly and as such I would put money on it that they would slide straight past your security have a bite to eat and then slide back to the water without the lights coming on..

An option you could play with would be microwave sensors but stay away from dual tech sensors as both technologies have to trigger and again will probably let the buggers slip right through..

A string with a tin can with marbles in it might be just as useful as running a lighting set up..

You will also find that a 300w invertor will probably have a 500w max rating anyway so it would work but you would be better of with flouros at any rate in my opinion.

Cheers
AnswerID: 170962

Follow Up By: Member - Beatit (QLD) - Friday, May 05, 2006 at 15:58

Friday, May 05, 2006 at 15:58
Thanks Sea Dog. Being an old reptile person (used to have them as pets when young) I was wondering if they would emit enough heat to set these things off. I felt a little more confident on the movement detectors because most seem to have a sensitivity dial and when set at their finest seem to get triggered by anything includes the little house geckos currently in plague preportions in Brisbane. Are these the microwave sensors you are talking about?

Kind regards
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FollowupID: 426363

Reply By: Member - Beatit (QLD) - Friday, May 05, 2006 at 16:09

Friday, May 05, 2006 at 16:09
To just clarify, last year we were camped at Kalumburu and had our tinnies parked on the beach. We were well back etc but one of the other campers heard something at night and thought their tinnie was banging in the surf. When they got there it was a croc that was probably attracted to the bait we had in the tinnies. My thought was that our next camp will be a little closer to the tinnies (yeah I know don't leave the bait in there this time) so I thought some early warning system may be useful.

I'm not that worried but it's the others that seem to have issues like what happens when nature calls in the middle of the night and all those type of irrational questions. Told them not to worry no respecting croc would hang around if they dropped their dacks but they think I'm making light of their concerns.

Kind regards
AnswerID: 170965

Follow Up By: AdrianLR (VIC) - Friday, May 05, 2006 at 19:29

Friday, May 05, 2006 at 19:29
Good point about heat and PIRs. Hadn't thought of that!

Now if the croc had someone in their jaws and was thrashing them about then that would probably set the sensor off so the second person would be ok................

Would reversing sensors for a car work? They're ultrasonic based and a set of 4 strategically positioned would start the indicator beeping when the croc got close to them. Around $40 on eBay last time I looked.

Adrian
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FollowupID: 426425

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