Looking for a low voltage transformer with photocell

[Mike Henderson]

I'm looking for a low voltage (12 volts AC) transformer for outdoor lighting with the following characteristics:

1. About 300 watts

2. Has a timer that will shut the light off at about 11 pm

3. Has a photocell so the lights don't come on until it gets dark.

The reason I want such a device is that I have to constantly change the time on my existing outdoor lights. In the summer, I don't want them to come on until maybe 8pm. But in the winter, they need to come on at maybe 5pm. In all cases I want them to go off about 11pm.

I've looked around and there are transformers that have photocells but they stay on all night. The turn on and off by light detection. I don't want the lights to stay on all night, just until about 11pm.

Do you know of such a device? Seems that many people would want such a thing - they'd all get tired of changing the timer on the old fashion transformers.

Mike

[Todd Willhoit]

Look up Volt Lighting transformers. Add a photocell to turn on at dusk and a timer to turn off at 11 pm.

[Mike Henderson]

Look up Volt Lighting transformers. Add a photocell to turn on at dusk and a timer to turn off at 11 pm.

Thanks but I'm looking for a product that does this. It needs to be in a (mostly) waterproof case for outdoor mounting. While I could probably cobble something up, what I'm looking for is a commercial product that does what I want.

Any ideas on a commercial product?

Mike

[But you did give me an idea. Perhaps I can add a photocell in series with the output of the timer. That way, I can turn the power on with the timer at 5pm, but the photocell will block the voltage until the light fades. I'll have to look into my existing timer operated transformers to see if I can do that.]

[Jerome Stanek]

On CVS and Revco drug stores they use a timer and photo cell for their out door lighting. The timer is set to come on when the store opens and off just after the store closes and the photo cell keeps the light off any time it is light out side. That way if a storm comes up the lights go on

[John McClanahan]

Mike, look at the home center in the outdoor lighting section. You might find just what your looking for.


John

[Matt Meiser]

Look up Astronomical Timers. I installed one for my mom on her outside garage lights because the requested photocell got missed during construction and retrofiting would have been a huge pain. We set it to come on at dusk, off at dawn but I believe you could use clock time for on or of as well. The one I installed just replaced an existing light switch. You plug in latitude and longitude and it figures out the sun's schedule.

[Stan Calow]

I have a Malibu transformer from Home Depot that does that. It comes on with darkness, and you set how many hours you want it to stay on when it does come on. Or one setting is dusk to dawn. Mine is probably >10 years old, so maybe new technology provides more options.

[Mike Henderson]

I have a Malibu transformer from Home Depot that does that. It comes on with darkness, and you set how many hours you want it to stay on when it does come on. Or one setting is dusk to dawn. Mine is probably >10 years old, so maybe new technology provides more options.

I saw one like that. But the problem is that if I set it for the number of hours in winter - for it to go off about 11pm - in the summer the lights are on until 2am or so. I really want one that will absolutely turn off about 11pm all the time, but only come on when the sun goes down.

I may have to try to modify my existing transformers. If I can get to the primary wiring for the transformer - the 120V section - maybe I can put a photocell in series with the primary. That way, I can set the clock to come on about 5pm and go off at 11pm but the photocell won't allow the primary to be energized until it gets dark.

The output voltage from the clock switch has to go to the transformer so I should be able to get to it. Hopefully.

Mike

[Jerome Stanek]

I saw one like that. But the problem is that if I set it for the number of hours in winter - for it to go off about 11pm - in the summer the lights are on until 2am or so. I really want one that will absolutely turn off about 11pm all the time, but only come on when the sun goes down.

I may have to try to modify my existing transformers. If I can get to the primary wiring for the transformer - the 120V section - maybe I can put a photocell in series with the primary. That way, I can set the clock to come on about 5pm and go off at 11pm but the photocell won't allow the primary to be energized until it gets dark.

The output voltage from the clock switch has to go to the transformer so I should be able to get to it. Hopefully.

Mike

That is how the stores worked. But they had it set so during a heavy rain storm the lights would come on

[Robert LaPlaca]

Mike, I use Insteon home automation to control our low voltage lights, the home automation control unit has the smarts to know when when dusk will occur (it uses NTP sources) and GPS position, a program runs that basically says at dusk turn on the low voltage lights, when 11pm arrives turn them off. Our Vista low voltage transformer has a on/off Insteon automation box that the home automation control unit (universal devices isy994i) switches on or off, the Insteon on/of switch takes the place of either the timer or the photo eye in the transformer.

[Paul F Franklin]

Another option: For the lights outside my garage, I installed one of these: http://www.homedepot.com/p/Defiant-20-Amp-7-Day-7-Event-In-Wall-Digital-Timer-49814/203678179

You can set it to go on at dusk and off at a specific time. (or at dawn). It uses a clock to figure out when dusk is based on your time zone (plus you can tweak it one way or the other) and even daylight savings time, so no photocell needed. Very versatile, you can set multiple on off settings per day and different settings for different days. So if you also wanted to turn the lights on for a while on those dark winter mornings, you can. Bit of a pain to program, but you only do it once. Has built in backup so doesn't lose settings when power is off.

[Todd Willhoit]

Thanks but I'm looking for a product that does this.

Any ideas on a commercial product?

It does. The description clearly states how it can be configured to do exactly wwhat you desire. Closest you will get to a commercial product without spending big money.

[Mike Henderson]

It does. The description clearly states how it can be configured to do exactly wwhat you desire. Closest you will get to a commercial product without spending big money.
Okay, sorry, Todd. I did Google "Volt Lighting transformer" and found their site. I'm not sure which product you're referring to. Could you give me a link to the specific product or the manual, or whatever you refer to as the description, that gives me that information. I may not have looked hard enough but I didn't find it.

Mike

[Todd Willhoit]

They have several models rated at 300W with different taps, etc., but this is the least expensive.
http://www.landscapelightingworld.com/Low-Voltage-Transformer-Outdoor-Lighting-Multi-tap-p/7300w-1215.htm

As you scroll down the page you will see a timer and photocell sold separately. The photocell is supplied with a special connector to make it plug-and-play. The timers are nothing special.
http://www.landscapelightingworld.com/Photocell-Low-Voltage-Transformers-p/7pw-ph.htm

I suspect that you could dispense with the photocell if you purchased this Intermatic timer. It has state and time zone settings that adjust the dusk and dawn times which would allow you to turn on at dusk and off at 11pm.
http://www.intermatic.com/en/products/timers/plugintimers/indoor_timers/dt620

[Mike Henderson]

They have several models rated at 300W with different taps, etc., but this is the least expensive.
http://www.landscapelightingworld.com/Low-Voltage-Transformer-Outdoor-Lighting-Multi-tap-p/7300w-1215.htm

As you scroll down the page you will see a timer and photocell sold separately. The photocell is supplied with a special connector to make it plug-and-play. The timers are nothing special.
http://www.landscapelightingworld.com/Photocell-Low-Voltage-Transformers-p/7pw-ph.htm

I suspect that you could dispense with the photocell if you purchased this Intermatic timer. It has state and time zone settings that adjust the dusk and dawn times which would allow you to turn on at dusk and off at 11pm.
http://www.intermatic.com/en/products/timers/plugintimers/indoor_timers/dt620

Thanks for the pointers. I notice they say photocell "or" timer. I'll call them and see if I can use a photocell to turn the lights on and a timer to turn them off at 11pm. I don't want them to stay on all night.

But the cheapest solution is probably for me to add a photocell to the transformer/timer systems I have now. I checked on Amazon and 120V photocells are pretty inexpensive. The strange thing is that many people complain in the reviews that the transparent cover over the photocell darkens with age and the photocell has to be replaced every few years. This comment was made for many of the photocells - different brands, and different configurations.

But I have outdoor lights that are triggered by movement. Those lights have a built in photocell so that the lights don't come on unless it's dark and I've never heard of a photocell failure in those. I've certainly never experienced that type of failure.

Anyway, for cost reasons I'll probably go the route of adding a photocell to what I have now. About $10 for the photocell and some time to wire it in.

Mike