Farm style security light

[brewerbob]

Lights offer no security at all. Do you ever go out at night and look at the Milky Way? The Pleadies? Those lights pretty much block out the beauty of the sky. Have you ever seen a picture of the United States taken from space at night? There's hardly any dark on the continent! I'm a VERY amateur astronomer, and I despise those lights. I keep thinking that someone will figure out how much power they waste, and discourage them.
Bob

 

[LGinIA]

Thanks to all for your input. I was thinking of the security light as I have a second garage (surrounded by trees) about 200' from the house which is difficult to see at night. As suggested, probably the best solution is a motion sensor light with a remote camera and transmitter to send the picture signal/alarm to a video monitor in the house. I'll visit the X10 camera site for ideas. Probably alot cheaper in the long run and more effective.

 

[Molerj]

I have a dusk to dawn light that lights up my drive along with my other garage. I really
like it & when the light is out it is really dark. Motion detector light would probably be ok,
but I like the area to be lit up at all times as my house does not have any others around it.

 

[Robert_in_NY]

Farmers use the lights because they work outside when there is no light. It is easier than having a switch to turn on and off and motion detector lights are a pain if you are working on something and they keep going off. The lights were intended for farm and industrial use not residential but more people keep putting them up that don't need them. We have a couple here one sodium and one mercury vapor so that we can watch our fences around the fawn pens in case we have any problems with dogs or coyotes. Electricians would be who to talk to if you want one put up and you can hook them up to switches also it just takes the lights a few minutes to warm up so it is not an ideal light for a switch. Sodium lights are suppose to be more energy efficient and they let off a orangeish light whereas the mercury vapors let off a bright white. The sodium is suppose to represent daylight and is easier on your eyes and your neighbors also as it isn't as noticable. A 500W security light hooked to a motion detector or on a switch is usually good enough for around a small barn or house. Depending on your size of your land a 300W would be just as good also. Later.

 

[ByuBill]

<font color=purple>motion detector lights are a pain if you are working on something and they keep going off.</font color=purple> If you put the motion detector light on a switch, you can disable the detection function. Turn the switch off for ten seconds and then back on. The light will stay on. To return to the detection function, turn the switch off for ninty seconds and then back on. Same thing when you have a power surge and the light comes on. I also installed a small indicator light inside the house so you can see when it comes on.(if you are awake) also installed one on water well pump. If you get a water leak it is easy to catch because the light comes on often.

 

[Robert_in_NY]

<blockquote><font size=1>In reply to:</font><hr>

If you put the motion detector light on a switch, you can disable the detection function. Turn the switch off for ten seconds and then back on. The light will stay on. To return to the detection function, turn the switch off for ninty seconds and then back on.

<hr></blockquote>



Yeah, that is less of a pain./w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif

 

[rdln]

EXCERPT from NRA's American Hunter's The Armed Citizen
November, 2001 pg. 8

"A Davie, Florida man shot an intruder when the man jumped him as he went into his yard to investigate suspicious activity in his barn. The homeowner
told detectives that when the motion-detecting lights near his barn were activated about 2:20a.m., he called 9-1-1 and then....." (South Florida Sentinel, Fort Lauderdale, Fl, 9/1/01)

Regardless of the fact that the owner did the wrong thing by going out on his own instead of waiting for the police, A dusk to dawn light seems like it would have aided the burgular instead of alarming the homeowner.

 

[forestcreature]

if you wait for the police around here, you will be dead.

 

[rdln]

I meant, the thief wasnt in the house and not able to do immediate harm to life or limb of the owner or his family. Yes, by all means call 911, get your gun, gather your family to a safe area and keep an eye on the bad guy, but to go after him for stealing your tools will not sit well with a liberal jury and judge.

 

[markinMn]

Hey LG, I'm a lineman for a power coop. and we don't have a security light. We do have two "switched lights on the barn facing the driveway. One is a 500w halogen and the other a 300w incandecent. But, most importantly we have "Rov-alert"! Three gsd's will never fail us if there is an intruder or someone just driving in. After many years of having these wonderful creatures, we have found them always to be reliable and trustworthy.They fearless and courageous yet gentle with seniors and children. They use different types of barks for different situations. If some-one or something is in the woods, it is a vicious snarl/bark withhair standing on end; as oppossed to the "Someone's Here" bark when there is a car coming on to the place. They are an audible system ONLY! Not for protection! We will not have a dog that bites. A smart burglar working in a rural area would carry a lb of hamburger, and/or a small cal. handgun or a pipe for dogs. As for lights, we enjoy walking outside to look up see the heavens. (we also have a 6" reflecting telescope) These are some of the reasons my wife and i don,t want/need a security light. ..........................mark