Hello all.

I have an off grid camp.

Running a 300watt panel, 4 x 6 volt batteries and set up for 12v.

I want to install some LED strip lighting outside around my deck and camper that will have it's own 40watt panel, 12v deep cycle battery and dusk/dawn sensor so when it gets dark the lights turn on automatically.

Problem with this is that I dont want them on all night long for a couple reasons. 1, it may drain the battery very low (not sure...) and 2 when we go in the for the night, we may only go back out once a couple hours after we go to bed to use the outhouse so having lights on is definitely a plus but after that, no reason to keep them on.

So.. my question is, is there something out there I can install between the light sensor and the lights that will automatically shut power off to the LED lights after say 3, 4 or 5 hours?

I know I can simply install an on off switch but if anybody out here has teenagers, you know that the switch is literally useless.

Also, I do have a couple sensor motion lights that run on a small 12v and solar so at least when we go outside and its pitch black that light comes on.

I am really hoping someone has a solution for me.

Looking forward to it.

Thanks in advance.

 

Why not trigger the lights on for several minutes when the door is opened or use a PIR to trigger them on.

Les.

 

Why not trigger the lights on for several minutes when the door is opened or use a PIR to trigger them on.

Les.

I just really want the lights to automatically turn on at dark since this place is pitch black at night and I have kids who go out to the porta potty or the adults have a bit too much to drink while out by the fire and need a way to see their way back into camp lol.

I could simply set it up with the sensor and leave it on all night and it would shut off when the sun comes up but I am not sure if 1 a battery will keep some LED string lights on all night without dying and 2 will a 20watt panel be enough to bring that battery back to a full charge within say 6 hours it gets sunlight? We only get about 6 to 8 hours of direct sunlight due to a big mountain behind us.

 

If you go here a number of PIR sensors/modules might do the job.
Sensors used with Arduino and a switch, like a MOSFET, modules
with integrated switch....

https://www.banggood.com/search/pir.html?from=nav


Regards, Dana.

 

You're better off using a timer pir sensor, then when someone moves past it the lights come on for a set period,...

 

Check out this timer: (Click HERE)

As for those late night trips to the potty - a solar motion detector LED can give you the needed light on demand. If you go with two of them, one should point at the door where someone will come out. The other should be set to point toward the potty so that a returning guest will trigger the light. Set the time for short periods of time and set the sensitivity to a low enough setting so that passing coons and skunks don't set the light off. Deer and moose - - - they don't do a whole lot of foraging in the dark. Bear ? ? ? That I don't know.

 

So I might have left out some details here.

We mostly spend all our time outdoors at camp. If were sitting around a fire when it gets dark, we need flashlights to navigate to the restroom, shower, dock, camper.

This is why I want something that will by itself turn on at a certain darkness and stay on for say 3, 4 hours. Normally at that point (1, 2am) everyone has been to the washroom and off to bed.

 

I bought a Christmas Light controller - quite a few years ago. It can be set to come on at a certain hour or to come on at a certain light level. It can be set to run the lights for 1 hour up to (I think) 9 hours, then shut off. It's not a motion detector. I usually set it to come on at a certain hour and run for 7 hours (till just after midnight). It's somewhere buried in the Christmas things, and I only know it runs on 120 VAC. That's not going to work with your 12 volt system.

Browse Christmas Light Controllers and see what you can find. Never know.

 

Hello all.

I have an off grid camp.

Running a 300watt panel, 4 x 6 volt batteries and set up for 12v.

I want to install some LED strip lighting outside around my deck and camper that will have it's own 40watt panel, 12v deep cycle battery and dusk/dawn sensor so when it gets dark the lights turn on automatically.

Problem with this is that I dont want them on all night long for a couple reasons. 1, it may drain the battery very low (not sure...) and 2 when we go in the for the night, we may only go back out once a couple hours after we go to bed to use the outhouse so having lights on is definitely a plus but after that, no reason to keep them on.

So.. my question is, is there something out there I can install between the light sensor and the lights that will automatically shut power off to the LED lights after say 3, 4 or 5 hours?

I know I can simply install an on off switch but if anybody out here has teenagers, you know that the switch is literally useless.

Also, I do have a couple sensor motion lights that run on a small 12v and solar so at least when we go outside and its pitch black that light comes on.

I am really hoping someone has a solution for me.

Looking forward to it.

Thanks in advance.

You should be able to get a timer ( to suit ie 1-5hrs) from ebay for example
<https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Adjusta...m3d2aa9509b:g:eOYAAOSw44BYG-5Y&frcectupt=true>
which you energise from the detector and wire in series with the load so that it times out the lights.