Why would you need a contactor?
First off, thank you for the quick response and input. We do larger warehouses and some jobs that call for lighting contactors, most the time it's usually a 6 or 12 pole lighting contactor just being told when to engage from the timeclock or photocell.
In most cases because photocells have a much lower rating than the circuit ampacity. They are also source specific. People go out and retrofit lights with LED for example, and don't realize that an photocell for an LED is specific.
Do you think that how I described in the thread above on how I connected them is what you would do or recommend? I was under the assumption that the way I described is Parallel. I am not entirely sure on how the process would be if I wanted to wire these in Series, and what the difference in operation would be. Once again, thank you for any input on this.
Yes but usually would go to photocell 1st and then to switch (not motor) of time clock, because of photocels that turn light on when energized
No, Dennis has it right. The whole purpose of a contactor is that you don't feed the lights directly from the photocell. Perhaps you didn't interpret that Dennis meant the coil of the contractor.
Just to mess it up. A hand-off-auto to determine the contactor function.
Actually @readydave8 is correct, the way @Dennis Alwon is commonly done, because the time clock power is coming from the common switch terminal, and has to be removed and wired to the 24 hour hot. The problem with putting the photocell after the time clock, is the lights will flash on, then off as the photocell is charged if it is not already dark.
Usually they are wired photocell on, time clock off. Mainly for loads such as parking lot lights, signs that turn off at closing. Photocell automatically adjusts for cloudy days, and shorter days. The time clock will be set to turn on earlier in the day, either first thing in the morning when employees or customers arrive in the morning, then the photocell turns them off at daylight, then back on at dark. Unless you are using a two pole time clock, the clock power wire will need to be removed from the terminal, the photocell stays hot, with the load wire going where timer power was terminated, then the load side of the time clock will go to contactor.
What do you want the photocell to do to modify what the timer would be doing?
A three way switch works great for that, makes it a lot easier than having to climb onto the roof, or get on a ladder to cover the photocell!
Tell us which or something different.