Dual Brite motion sensors

[87jeepwrangler]

bought a new dual brite motion sensor for the front of my house. in case you don't know about them, they behave exactly like a traditional motion sensor, with an additional function of being able to automatically turn the lights on at dusk for a specified period of time, dimmed about half way (all the while maintaining the original motion sensor function).

the problem i am having is that i have LED soffit lights, which the dual brite sensor apparently doesn't dim at all, it just leaves them at what appears to be full intensity. my LED soffit lights were on a dimmer prior to this sensor being installed and dimmed just fine with that LED compatible dimmer. as per the manual, it says the sensor should be fed full voltage, so i removed the dimmer switch and replaced it with a non-dimmer switch before installing the sensor.

is it just me, or is it rediculous that the dualbrite sensors aren't yet complatible with LED lighting (and probably CFLs also).

what would happen if i put a traditional wall dimmer AFTER the motion sensor wiring in an attempt to lower the overall brightness on my patio?

 

[Labradorian]

bought a new dual brite motion sensor for the front of my house. in case you don't know about them, they behave exactly like a traditional motion sensor, with an additional function of being able to automatically turn the lights on at dusk for a specified period of time, dimmed about half way (all the while maintaining the original motion sensor function).

the problem i am having is that i have LED soffit lights, which the dual brite sensor apparently doesn't dim at all, it just leaves them at what appears to be full intensity. my LED soffit lights were on a dimmer prior to this sensor being installed and dimmed just fine with that LED compatible dimmer. as per the manual, it says the sensor should be fed full voltage, so i removed the dimmer switch and replaced it with a non-dimmer switch before installing the sensor.

is it just me, or is it rediculous that the dualbrite sensors aren't yet complatible with LED lighting (and probably CFLs also).

what would happen if i put a traditional wall dimmer AFTER the motion sensor wiring in an attempt to lower the overall brightness on my patio?

It's more of the other way around, Why are LED lights not compatible with DUAL BRITE systems.

Like a regular wall light dimmer switch, the DUAL brite system is not set up for LED's or CFL's.

A regular dimmer switch varies the voltage to the load(light) and is simply a resistor in the circuit.

Im no electronics major but the LED compatible dimmer switch works differently than a regular dimmer switch in order to control the LED lights. By controlling the current and maintaining the same voltage im guessing. correct me if im wrong.

With the DUalbrite system, it also controls the voltage to the lights, 2 different settings, high and low. LED"s don't like this.

back to your question, it might work, but I bet if you put in a non dualbrite sensor and then installed the dimmer it might work.

then you are back to square 1.

 

[87jeepwrangler]

Im no electronics major but the LED compatible dimmer switch works differently than a regular dimmer switch in order to control the LED lights. By controlling the current and maintaining the same voltage im guessing. correct me if im wrong.

i think you are wrong, i believe the LED compatible dimmers change the waveform of the AC current, not limit the current.

back to your question, it might work, but I bet if you put in a non dualbrite sensor and then installed the dimmer it might work.

then you are back to square 1.

exactly. i like the functionality of the dual brite. the idea of lights coming on at dusk and turning themselves off after a few hours, all while maintaining a working motion sensor is awesome. i'd never have to touch my outside light switch. ever. but why have all the wall dimmer companies had LED compatible dimmers on the market for years, but the dualbrites aren't.

 

[Labradorian]

Thats why im no electronics major........and said I was guessing. Thanks for the clarification.

im actually an electrical designer, and don't usually deal with stuff like this. I should of thought of the waveform control. much like a VFD.

Hope you solve your problem, I put three of these dual brite motion lights on the front of my garage. when one would come on, it would trigger the other and then other third. and never would go off. So I had to use the trigger wire(red) on the first one to turn on the other 2. So now just one light is doing the sensing and will turn on all 3 simultaneously.

Cheers