Wireless device for switching lights

Forums › Gadgets, robotics, home automation, electronics (including wearables) › Wireless device for switching lights - 250 meters?

stuffed

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Topic # 187942 10-Dec-2015 15:43

What wireless devices are there that can switch lights on and off over about 12 different sites spread over about 250 meters? There is wifi over the whole area.
Thanks

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frankv

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Reply # 1448393 10-Dec-2015 21:12

What types of lights?

Google "Wifi370"... about $30 each for 3 channels. There's also a US$10 5-channel ESP8266-based device on AliExpress which I haven't tried yet. Both are for switching 12VDC RGB strips, but would be fine for anything up to about 40W.

There's also Wifi devices available that switch 230VAC

stuffed

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Reply # 1448498 11-Dec-2015 07:40

Thanks - it is for 230w AC lighting.

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tchart

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Reply # 1448506 11-Dec-2015 08:15

Limitless LED's?

You would probably need several wifi bridges over 250m but the range is pretty good.

Or do you just want switches? If so Belkin Wemo switches may be worth while checking out.

stuffed

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Reply # 1448541 11-Dec-2015 09:04

Thanks and that is a start.
Briefly our local Business Association is coordinating heritage style lighting on each building and would like to have all the lighting switched at the same time as the street lights.
So we don't really need an App.

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trig42

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Reply # 1448547 11-Dec-2015 09:11

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stuffed: Thanks and that is a start.
Briefly our local Business Association is coordinating heritage style lighting on each building and would like to have all the lighting switched at the same time as the street lights.
So we don't really need an App.

I'd suggest you are trying to over-engineer it (nothing wrong with that, it's what geeks do!)

A cheap 24 hour timer from Bunnings for each store would be a far simpler solution. Sync them all up and away you go. A digital one would be more accurate, but those rotary ones with the tabs you push in/out will do it within about a minute or two of each other.

frankv

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Reply # 1448565 11-Dec-2015 09:22

Shouldn't be hard to do by combining an ESP8266 with a 3.3V power supply and a 230V SSR. In fact, it's been done here: MPSMv2 http://hackaday.com/2015/04/19/switch-mains-power-with-an-esp8266/

stuffed

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Reply # 1448665 11-Dec-2015 11:48

Individual time clocks are not a realistic option. Twilight and dawn here can vary over 4 hours through the year and we want the effect of everything being coordinated.

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tchart

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Reply # 1448692 11-Dec-2015 12:39

stuffed: Individual time clocks are not a realistic option. Twilight and dawn here can vary over 4 hours through the year and we want the effect of everything being coordinated.

If the lights are normal bulbs then I'd strongly suggest limitless bulbs with the wifi bridge. You can using an app (yes I know you said no apps) schedule the lights to come on and turn off at dusk/dawn.

I have a similar set up and just have a cheap android phone connected to the wifi that turns my lights on/off at dusk/dawn. The real cost will be in getting the bulbs but even they are pretty darn cost effective for LED bulbs.

Edit, just to clarify I have a phone that is permanently connected to a power source that controls my lights.

stuffed

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Reply # 1448712 11-Dec-2015 13:20

The lights are commercial grade and some examples:
http://www.lumascape.com.au/Products/Inground/Main-LS793-254.aspx
http://products.iguzzini.com/miniwoody
http://www.kkdc.co.uk/product-family/mimi.php?category_id=1
LS375LED Star III
So you can see we are not talking Xmas Fairy lights!

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datahawk

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Reply # 1448722 11-Dec-2015 13:32

For dusk to dawn lighting you could simply use something like these for automatic control any time of the year.

Easy for a sparky to fit. Photo Sensor Light Control Switch

frankv

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Reply # 1448725 11-Dec-2015 13:45

NB: Limitless LEDs & Wifi370 are also controllable from a PC; you don't need an Android phone as described by tchart. If you have an Internet connection and set up port-forwarding and so on, then they can be controlled from anywhere in the world, otherwise limited to inside your LAN.

I'd expect the ESP8266-based devices to also be PC-controllable, but I haven't actually tested those.

I guess you could also use the outputs from the 12V devices I mentioned to switch relays which turned on/off 230V.

frankv

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Reply # 1448749 11-Dec-2015 14:11

You might be surprised by the power and sophistication of Xmas Fairy lighting systems.

The Lumascape light you mention is 12V and 6W. A single WiFi370 could turn at least 6 of these on and off. If you want dimming, there's no need to buy Lumascape's (no doubt expensive) dimmer system either... that could be done via WiFi.

tchart

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Reply # 1448773 11-Dec-2015 15:01

stuffed: The lights are commercial grade and some examples:
http://www.lumascape.com.au/Products/Inground/Main-LS793-254.aspx
http://products.iguzzini.com/miniwoody
http://www.kkdc.co.uk/product-family/mimi.php?category_id=1
LS375LED Star III
So you can see we are not talking Xmas Fairy lights!

So if that's what you are going for then DIY is probably out. I'd suggest you talk to a sparky - I assume you are getting on to install the lights if they arent already installed?

stuffed

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Reply # 1452303 17-Dec-2015 14:22

Sometimes we try to look at a high tech solution to a situation that may have a very low tech answer!
Should have thought of this before.
About 10 years ago our Community Association installed ducts and Cat 5 around the small CBD whenever there was a chance - gas mains etc. This was for a CCTV Network. Now Council have taken over the Network and installed fibre so we can now use the redundant Cat 5 Network to individually control the lights!

Why work on Wednesday and stuff up 2 good long weekends