Need a Spotlight to Turn Off Streetlight Photocell

ProLawn

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I do a very large computer controlled Christmas display and my nextdoor neighbor has a streetlight w/photocell in the front yard. Its one of the decorative kind that the whole neighborhood has. I need to shine it on the photocell to turn the streetlight off. It puts out a lot of light and takes away from the wow factor of my display. Can someone recomend a powerful spotlight that can be plugged in as well as be used cordless. I will also have to have it on every night from 6:00 to 9:30 Dec1-Dec31. So I will need one that can be on for long periods of time and be rain proof. The light is about 100 ft from my house. I also dont want a $300+ light. Any recomendations under $100. Replacement bulbs should also be readily available. If anyone can help me out with this I would greatly appreciate it
 

Patriot

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Sorry, I'm not aware of any AC powered spotlights that are inexpensive. Almost everything we post about here is DC powered. Green lasers of 30+W will turn them off but they come back on after 10 or 15 minutes. I can't imagine running a laser continuously as most wouldn't hold up to that and if they did would be far over your price range.

Any chance you could contact the city and work something out?
 

bobby_7

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get a ladder and put tape or something over the window of the photocell
 

Larbo

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Maybe a laser on some kind of timer will do it. :popcorn:
 
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Alaric Darconville

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my nextdoor neighbor has a streetlight w/photocell in the front yard. Its one of the decorative kind that the whole neighborhood has.

If it's your neighbor's personal property (which is what I'm getting from it since you say it's in the yard and decorative), then can't you ask him to remove the bulb or otherwise disable it?

If it belongs to the city, then maybe they could disable it (but may be loath to for fear of some sort of liability should a crime occur that the streetlight could have been a deterrent).

I hope the replies of "pellet gun" and "football oops" are in jest, as suggesting that the streetlight be damaged purposefully is contrary to the forum rules.
 

bobby_7

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Don't they usually require the opposite stimulus....light to turn off, dark to switch on?


haha, maybe i should have thought before i spoke. yes you are correct.

what i meant to sayyy......is tape a flashlight to the light fixture (assuming the photocell is on top of it) and point it at the window of the photocell :wave:
 

ProLawn

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Ok, I understand where everyone is coming from. I will check with the city. Just curious now...What would be the best spotlight, all the way around, under $100.
 

Patriot

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...lol. no prob. :)

Now he just needs to find a way up there. The one's around my "hood" appear to be about 30' tall.
 

Patriot

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i too wanted to disable my st light. i got on my house roof with my lights but none disabled it.


Some now have white plastic shields around the perimeter of the plexiglass dome, preventing them from being shut off with spill light. In other words, it requires that light comes in from nearly straight above.

Considering the output of some of your light cannons Flash, this may be what's happening in your case. Mine are about 11 years old and can still be shut off with a laser and most of my HIDs.
 

Lynx_Arc

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take 2 D cells, solder a 5mm LED to it and stick the LED on the photocell... should give you a few days perhaps if the light output is enough.
 

get-lit

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take 2 D cells, solder a 5mm LED to it and stick the LED on the photocell... should give you a few days perhaps if the light output is enough.

Hmm, you could also add your own photocell circuit so that your LED only powers on at night, and even make it recharge.

Ok, here's what you do... Just get one of those solar rechargeable LED lawn lights at Walmart or Home Depot and tape it up there. $10 fix, no work, and problem solved for years!!
 
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SFG2Lman

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well if its a city light you could complain about light pollution...but then again thats kind of what you are going for eh? If you did happen to see an animal that is considered a nuissance on the light you could inadvertently miss with your pellet gun/sling shot and disable it, short of scaling the light pole and affixing a solar powered lawn ornament you may be out of luck
 

StarHalo

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I also have attempted to turn off my local streetlight using an HID, which failed even after holding it on the sensor for several minutes. However most streetlights have a small in-ground utility box located near them; inside this box there should be a master switch that will turn the light off. The bolt that holds the box closed will probably be a pentagon-head, and the neighbors who are not aware of your plan will probably start calling the utility about a broken streetlight at sundown. Place an action figure or other small toy inside the utility box, so if utility workers find the switch turned off, they blame area rugrats.

The HID I used for the experiment is the one I would recommend in your price range; the Stanley HID3000, $70. But buying it just for turning off streetlights would be seriously selling it short..
 

bobby_7

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or.....you could just make your christmas light display so bright that it turns it off....
 
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