Intermatic

[jmellc]

Anyone else having trouble with Intermatic photocells and time clocks? I tried 3 different photocells on some sign lights. None worked. I got to thinking a time clock would be better for the location. I just put in a 2nd one & am waiting for it to work. Nothing yet. IM makes most of that stuff sold around here. I am thinking quality control issues??

 

[mgookin]

Anyone else having trouble with Intermatic photocells and time clocks? I tried 3 different photocells on some sign lights. None worked. I got to thinking a time clock would be better for the location. I just put in a 2nd one & am waiting for it to work. Nothing yet. IM makes most of that stuff sold around here. I am thinking quality control issues??

They're all garbage!

On a serious note, have you bypassed the control and seen the lights come on?
With a properly functioning control, your lights in central NC should have come on about an hour before your post.

 

[jmellc]

Yes I bypassed and lights were good. None of the photocells worked even shining lights into them. 2st clock would revolve but stop at switch. 2nd clock seems ok so far.

Sometimes the little stuff is the killer.

 

[mgookin]

Yes I bypassed and lights were good. None of the photocells worked even shining lights into them. 2st clock would revolve but stop at switch. 2nd clock seems ok so far.

Sometimes the little stuff is the killer.

So you're saying that with the photocells the lights would not go off?

 

[peter d]

I had an Intermatic photocell fail within a month. I refuse to use them. On the other hand, I've found that Area Lighting Research/Tyco photocell to be extremely reliable.

 

[cpinetree]

We have had good results with a product made locally.
http://www.physics.us.com/
You can't beat their warranty or customer service.

It uses GPS instead of the sun for on/off control.

The principle to the company posts on here too

 

[dfmischler]

It uses GPS instead of the sun for on/off control.

You can certainly calculate sunrise, sunset, etc with that information. I bet it works great for that. But how about a dark enough rain/snow/thunder storm where you would like the lights to be on?

 

[mgookin]

You can certainly calculate sunrise, sunset, etc with that information. I bet it works great for that. But how about a dark enough rain/snow/thunder storm where you would like the lights to be on?

Same thing you would do if you had any other timer. You can install a bypass if you want.

If you look at the prescriptive light levels in ANSI C136.10 or IESNA standards, a storm can't block enough light to fall below those levels when the sun is over the horizon.

Photocells causing lights to come on at 2pm when clouds go over wastes energy and burns up your bulbs & ballasts. Sparky's love them because it's more work.

 

[cadpoint]

With a properly functioning control, your lights in central NC should have come on about an hour before your post.

So tonight sunset was 8:32 PM, twilight was at 9:02PM, he posted at 8:37PM, were loosing about 2 minutes of
light a day.

So you saying that with a photocell they would come on at 7:30 PM? Seems kind of a stretch.

 

[mgookin]

So tonight sunset was 8:32 PM, twilight was at 9:02PM, he posted at 8:37PM, were loosing about 2 minutes of
light a day.

So you saying that with a photocell they would come on at 7:30 PM? Seems kind of a stretch.

Nice catch: Didn't have dst in my calculator. It's been that long since it was used.
To get the center of NC (that's where he says he is) I went approximately half way from east to west boundaries of the state and half way from south to north.
Looks like around 8:45pm would be when a photocell would come on.