Reply to: Internet Access in Building

[woody1]

Having something like this hanging from the ceiling might do the job. With a bit of fettling, it could be wired into the 3-pin plug connected to the light.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/315131919134

[mrdo]

Just thinking outside the box. Could you find a way of dangling a dusk-to-dawn sensor from the ceiling so it is in some daylight? Or have a (magnifying) mirror reflecting some daylight back up to the sensor?

That is literally thinking outside of the box. I hadn't paid much attention to where the extension lead originated from so I might investigate that.

Having investigated the link that WTFH posted, tech support at Eve Home confirmed that the features/plug is iOS only so I have now discounted that which is a shame.
Now investigating smart plugs flashed with Tasmota such at this:

https://www.mylocalbytes.com/products/smart-plug-pm

Someone has even created a timezone command helper:

https://tasmotatimezone.com/

Thanks for all your help so far - much appreciated.

[woody1]

The lights themselves are powered by standard plugs via extension leads (both in different parts of the lobby so not connected) but one of the lights is mounted in the ceiling so the plug itself is in darkness 24/7 and is very difficult to access.

Presumably the other end of the extension lead isn't accessible, so you can't install the mechanical timer on that end?

Just thinking outside the box. Could you find a way of dangling a dusk-to-dawn sensor from the ceiling so it is in some daylight? Or have a (magnifying) mirror reflecting some daylight back up to the sensor?

[mrdo]

Thanks again.

Unless we're talking pitch black during the day, a dusk-to-dawn switch may still work.

Unfortunately, this is the case for one of the lights as there is no light whatsoever above the ceiling.

OK, so it the issue that you don't want to have to adjust a timer because that takes 30 seconds of effort?

As above, the light (and plug) are mounted in the ceiling which is very difficult to access. It's a 3-man job to get there otherwise I'd just suck it up and change the timer once a week or something like that.

@ WTFH - that could well be what I'm looking for! I will investigate further but thanks for posting - much appreciated.

[WTFH]

We currently have them running off mechanical timers but these are crudely set to turn on at 5pm throughout the year which seems a waste just now.

OK, so it the issue that you don't want to have to adjust a timer because that takes 30 seconds of effort?
I provided a couple of links above to other sensor/timers, but you can also get smart plugs that you configure using bluetooth:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0929GGT...eniuslink=true

[woody1]

...one of the lights is mounted in the ceiling so the plug itself is in darkness 24/7 and is very difficult to access.

Unless we're talking pitch black during the day, a dusk-to-dawn switch may still work.

We currently have them running off mechanical timers but these are crudely set to turn on at 5pm throughout the year which seems a waste just now.

Are they incandescent? If so, replacing them with LEDs would save energy, even if you left them on 24/7, and they should also have a much longer life.

Can't you just replace the mechanical timers with plug-in dusk-to-dawn switches?

[mrdo]

Thanks all - more detail required I think.

We have two light sources in the lobby of our building that I'd like to come on at 5pm in the winter (when people are starting to return from work) and then gradually later as the days get longer using sunset times or similar.

The lights themselves are powered by standard plugs via extension leads (both in different parts of the lobby so not connected) but one of the lights is mounted in the ceiling so the plug itself is in darkness 24/7 and is very difficult to access.

We currently have them running off mechanical timers but these are crudely set to turn on at 5pm throughout the year which seems a waste just now.

I had thought about the pi route due to low cost but the need to control two separate lights and the thought of possibly having to maintain one located in the ceiling are filling me with dread.

[woody1]

It feels like you're trying to engineer a solution without detailing the actual problem.

Start with the simplest, cheapest solution. Buy a bulb with a built-in sensor, for a few quid, and see if it does the job. Only if that doesn't work, is it worth exploring more complex solutions.

[eek]

Why does it have to be a single sensor?
It feels like you're trying to engineer a solution without detailing the actual problem.

1. this building - is it a home, an office, a block of flats, a prison, something else?
2. is it unoccupied for long periods of time?
3. is the reason for the lights coming on and off some sort of security?
4. are these all flush mounted ceiling lights?
5. are their plug sockets in the room(s) that you could plug free-standing lights into?

You can buy dawn/dusk sensors for light fittings that all have a "random" mode, so that it's not just every day at particular times. I feel like there's some parts of the actual problem that you're not wanting to admit to/tell us that might help in giving better answers.

+1 - because my go to approach for no internet would be to just buy items that are compatible with Zigbee and Matter and put Home Assistant on a Raspberry Pi.

[WTFH]

It would also have to be a single sensor connected to multiple light sources.

Why does it have to be a single sensor?
It feels like you're trying to engineer a solution without detailing the actual problem.

1. this building - is it a home, an office, a block of flats, a prison, something else?
2. is it unoccupied for long periods of time?
3. is the reason for the lights coming on and off some sort of security?
4. are these all flush mounted ceiling lights?
5. are their plug sockets in the room(s) that you could plug free-standing lights into?

You can buy dawn/dusk sensors for light fittings that all have a "random" mode, so that it's not just every day at particular times. I feel like there's some parts of the actual problem that you're not wanting to admit to/tell us that might help in giving better answers.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Status-SHT1...dp/B07N4FK4RP/
https://www.amazon.co.uk/SECURITY-sw.../dp/B01D5D0ZLC
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Mydome-Ligh.../dp/B00YA95TZI

[Snooky]

In addition to the main room lighting we have lamps on simple cheapo mechanical timers that turn on reliably at a certain time of day and off again around 11.30/midnight. Would that be a super simple option?

[mrdo]

Hi all, thanks for the replies.

I should have mentioned that the lights are a combination of various form factors in a location that gets very little daylight so not sure if a sensor would work. It would also have to be a single sensor connected to multiple light sources. I'll investigate that anyway. Thanks. Hopefully any sensor could be adjusted down to handle the relative lack of daylight.

ladymuck - thanks for the link - I'd been struggling to find something like that although £5 is probably more than I'd like to spend for using a few kb of data per month.

[WTFH]

Looks like he's been trying to do this for a while: https://forums.contractoruk.com/tech...ml#post2917905

[woody1]

I think he’s going for a sledgehammer to crack a nut.
Forget internet, if you want dusk to dawn lights, just put a light sensor on the ones you want to come on. Will cost you a few £ to buy, but no ongoing costs.

Exactly what I was thinking.

You can even get light bulbs with the sensor built in. 4 for 13 quid on eBay.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/313655688592

[WTFH]

I think he’s going for a sledgehammer to crack a nut.
Forget internet, if you want dusk to dawn lights, just put a light sensor on the ones you want to come on. Will cost you a few £ to buy, but no ongoing costs.