Difficult way to easy way for making light auto on-off switch
Do you always turn on your car porch or balcony light when approaching night time and switch it off when the sun is about to come up?
And do you sometimes wake up late and feel wasting electricity after the day is bright enough while the outside light is still turning on?
Or you even come back late in the dark and found your house outside area is not brightly lit?
Turning on my car porch light at the front house, balcony light at the first floor and light for alley at the back of my house is a daily compulsory action to be done even though there is no one at home.
There is no need to save these little utilities spending for the good of my humble and sweet home.
During those days when I was on few days vacation, I will turn on all the lights outside my house just before I embark myself and let it activated until I come back.
This will waste electricity and not only this as this is only a small matter but what the big matter is other people will have thought that my home is vacant.
I will open the chances for thief to break in as they will normally and purposely find home with no occupant.
Even if I turn off the light and at night time it will also have tendency to let someone to come in and slowly cut off my door lock because of the dark situation.
I have think to build myself a simple auto switch circuit using small electronics components for all my light outside my house.
So I have started do some research on the internet and bought the materials and tools to build the necessary circuit.
The main item that act as a trigger for this auto on off circuit is by using a Light Dependant Resistor or simply called as LDR.
Then I proceeded to solder all the components and wires on a simple DIY circuit board according to the diagram below.
This kind circuit is utilising 2 NPN transistors to effectively differentiate the current threshold and at last act as switch by comparing the resistance produced by the LDR.
The main power supply is from a 240V AC because I plan to draw the current from my home plug than to use small batteries and periodically change it.
For this to work is to use a 12V AC step down transformer and convert it to DC by constructing a 4 diodes rectifier.
So after all have been done spending the whole night soldering and cutting, the circuit looks like below.
Next it is time for me to first test this self build circuit but according to a diagram from sources.
I have tried to troubleshoot it to find out the root cause by change the VR pin direction and LDR polarity but failed.
Giving up everything so easily is not my style and next I go on to continue find another type of circuit.
The next circuit I choose is different from the first as this one utilise a small IC with only 1 NPN transistor.
This IC in the other hand is a LM358 IC and act as an voltage comparator to the current flow from the BC547 NPN transistor.
I am not an expert in this field and to understand more kindly find uncle google. Thanks
Again after all have done spending the whole night and again soldering and cutting, the circuit looks like below.
Again I am going to test this self build circuit but according to a diagram from sources as well.
For the second time I tried to troubleshoot it to find out the root cause same as the first one but still failed.
This is the whole project I am working on and both circuit also having the same symptom, the relay is keep on triggering even I had done playing with the LDR by using my hand to cover it.
Frustrated to all the time, money and effort spent I go on to tell all my problems to 1 of the colleague we are working together.
Out of my imagination my funny colleague is laughing at me asking me why so hard doing all these unworthy jobs?
At last he recommended me a triggering device which have the function as the auto switch circuit as I build uselessly.
I never thought of the existence of this kind of thing in my life and can be bought at any electrical shop easily.
Without thinking too much I take my step to inquiry the nearest electrical shop to my house and bought the item.
This device is not cheap though as each 1 cost RM25 and I bought a quantity of 4 by stage which cost a total of RM100.
The attendant told me that this device is designed in Japan, made in Japan and imported from Japan as well and because of this the price is also premium.
It is just a simple device covered with plastic body and a steel base to install near to a place that exposed to sunlight.
The method to connect the wire is very easy by just joining a neutral wire to the white colored cable, a life wire to the black and load wire to the red which is to the lamp.
Testing for this device is the point to elaborate more.
Turning on the main switch immediately turn on the light.
After 20-30 seconds the light will automatically turn off at a bright day.
The device comes with a black light blocking plastic cover for testing purpose.
When the device is covered with the black plastic after 10-20 seconds the light will automatically turn back on.
I installed this device at a place that exposed to sunlight but not to rain as water will conduct electric and will short my home circuit.
Few weeks passed and it work flawlessly.
Stage 2 another 2 devices were installed on my balcony and why I need 2 is because I have a very beautiful designer lamp hanging there with 5 E27 warm color LED buld and dozens of tiny LED lights.
Few months passed as well and all of them work perfectly.
The last had just finished installed last week at the back of my house for the back alley so to let everyone aware of the bright place there.
From now on I never need to worry when to turn on all the lights in the morning or at the night and even if I wake up late or not at home.
This device have replaced me and made my life easier and also thanks to my friend who taught me this.
Do you always turn on your car porch or balcony light when approaching night time and switch it off when the sun is about to come up?
And do you sometimes wake up late and feel wasting electricity after the day is bright enough while the outside light is still turning on?
Or you even come back late in the dark and found your house outside area is not brightly lit?
Turning on my car porch light at the front house, balcony light at the first floor and light for alley at the back of my house is a daily compulsory action to be done even though there is no one at home.
There is no need to save these little utilities spending for the good of my humble and sweet home.
During those days when I was on few days vacation, I will turn on all the lights outside my house just before I embark myself and let it activated until I come back.
This will waste electricity and not only this as this is only a small matter but what the big matter is other people will have thought that my home is vacant.
I will open the chances for thief to break in as they will normally and purposely find home with no occupant.
Even if I turn off the light and at night time it will also have tendency to let someone to come in and slowly cut off my door lock because of the dark situation.
"Ya la. All I talk myself liao..."
I have think to build myself a simple auto switch circuit using small electronics components for all my light outside my house.
So I have started do some research on the internet and bought the materials and tools to build the necessary circuit.
The main item that act as a trigger for this auto on off circuit is by using a Light Dependant Resistor or simply called as LDR.
Then I proceeded to solder all the components and wires on a simple DIY circuit board according to the diagram below.
(Image courtesy of circuitdiagramcentre.blogspot.com)
This kind circuit is utilising 2 NPN transistors to effectively differentiate the current threshold and at last act as switch by comparing the resistance produced by the LDR.
The main power supply is from a 240V AC because I plan to draw the current from my home plug than to use small batteries and periodically change it.
For this to work is to use a 12V AC step down transformer and convert it to DC by constructing a 4 diodes rectifier.
So after all have been done spending the whole night soldering and cutting, the circuit looks like below.
Next it is time for me to first test this self build circuit but according to a diagram from sources.
"And YESSS! It did not work..."
I have tried to troubleshoot it to find out the root cause by change the VR pin direction and LDR polarity but failed.
Giving up everything so easily is not my style and next I go on to continue find another type of circuit.
The next circuit I choose is different from the first as this one utilise a small IC with only 1 NPN transistor.
This IC in the other hand is a LM358 IC and act as an voltage comparator to the current flow from the BC547 NPN transistor.
I am not an expert in this field and to understand more kindly find uncle google. Thanks
Again after all have done spending the whole night and again soldering and cutting, the circuit looks like below.
Again I am going to test this self build circuit but according to a diagram from sources as well.
"Finally YESSS! It still did not work..."
For the second time I tried to troubleshoot it to find out the root cause same as the first one but still failed.
This is the whole project I am working on and both circuit also having the same symptom, the relay is keep on triggering even I had done playing with the LDR by using my hand to cover it.
Frustrated to all the time, money and effort spent I go on to tell all my problems to 1 of the colleague we are working together.
Out of my imagination my funny colleague is laughing at me asking me why so hard doing all these unworthy jobs?
"Aiya! At least I have gain little experience ma..."
At last he recommended me a triggering device which have the function as the auto switch circuit as I build uselessly.
I never thought of the existence of this kind of thing in my life and can be bought at any electrical shop easily.
Without thinking too much I take my step to inquiry the nearest electrical shop to my house and bought the item.
This device is not cheap though as each 1 cost RM25 and I bought a quantity of 4 by stage which cost a total of RM100.
The attendant told me that this device is designed in Japan, made in Japan and imported from Japan as well and because of this the price is also premium.
It is just a simple device covered with plastic body and a steel base to install near to a place that exposed to sunlight.
The method to connect the wire is very easy by just joining a neutral wire to the white colored cable, a life wire to the black and load wire to the red which is to the lamp.
Testing for this device is the point to elaborate more.
Turning on the main switch immediately turn on the light.
After 20-30 seconds the light will automatically turn off at a bright day.
The device comes with a black light blocking plastic cover for testing purpose.
When the device is covered with the black plastic after 10-20 seconds the light will automatically turn back on.
I installed this device at a place that exposed to sunlight but not to rain as water will conduct electric and will short my home circuit.
Few weeks passed and it work flawlessly.
Stage 2 another 2 devices were installed on my balcony and why I need 2 is because I have a very beautiful designer lamp hanging there with 5 E27 warm color LED buld and dozens of tiny LED lights.
Few months passed as well and all of them work perfectly.
The last had just finished installed last week at the back of my house for the back alley so to let everyone aware of the bright place there.
From now on I never need to worry when to turn on all the lights in the morning or at the night and even if I wake up late or not at home.
This device have replaced me and made my life easier and also thanks to my friend who taught me this.
Thanks for reading and I hope this can help for those in need and if you have anything to say please feel free to leave it down in the comment section below.
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