Farm style security light

[LGinIA]

Anyone have an idea of the cost to have someone install a farm style (pole and light) security light? Is this done by the utility company or by a electrical contractor? Any installation problems to watch out for or other helpful hints?

 

[MikePA]

I had one installed on our barn when the barn was built. The electrician installed it.

My electric co-op will also install them on their electric poles, assuming the pole is in an appropriate location.

 

[MarkV]

Larry,
In our area the electric co-op installs them and maintains them. Of course they charge you $18/per month on your bill. I never put one up because I wanted to be able to turn it off.

MarkV

 

[Anonymous Poster]

I am in the country and have two yard lights on all night only because the wife insists that the dogs need them. I also have a motion detector covering the drive. That only lights if someone enters the drive.

I am not a fan of "security" lights. What good do they do? If you think that they deter the criminals, think again. All they do is light up the area so they can see to work. No, they do not help you see what is going on. You are in bed and asleep.

A case in point: My neighbor lost a new 4x4 loaded with gas and a bed full of tools. Where was the PU? Under the security light right outside his bedroom. He knew nothing of it until the morning. Even more to the point, his farmstead sets several hundred yards off the highway up a narrow lane. If the light hadn't been on, the thieves would probably never have known the place was there.

Harry K

 

[MikePA]

That's probably why our co-op refers to them as 'dusk-to-dawn' lights and not 'security' lights.

 

[beenthere]

Seems these lights should long ago have been equipped with a shade that restricts the light from being seen at longer distances than just the immediate area they are lighting up. Now the countryside is laced with lights at night. Seems people put them up "to be seen" rather than to light up an area.

Best security light to me is one that detects motion, and then dings a bell or alarm when it lights up. This might alert one to anything going on (problem with animals or wind tripping them) and wake them up.
I agree with the mention that the all night lights only permit the intruders to see what they are doing.

 

[PLanger]

If it is security that your looking for, a good German Shepard dog is all you'll need. Bad guys will almost always avoid a larger protective dog. And GSD's make great companions/family pets. Just a thought.

 

[JeffRey30747]

I am not a fan of security lights either. I have one motion light on the corner of my house next to the entrance and three large 500W halogen flood lights on individual switches. I figure that in the dark the advantage belongs to me and my 70 lb. chow mix sooner dog and if I need a lot of light on the situation, it is only a switch or two away. I already get light pollution from two of my neighbors. I don't want any more and luckily my wife agrees with me.

 

[rdln]

I agree, there is a term called "light pollution" or something like that.

 

[Anonymous Poster]

Light polution for sure. Back in 93 I think it was we had one of the greatest displays of norther lights I have ever seen (and I have been in Alaska). It started about 10:00 pm and went till about 3 in the morning. As soon as I saw it going on, I called both my neighbors and suggested they go out and look, oh by the way, turn off your yard light.

Yep, it worked. Light out, 5 minutes looky loo, lights back on. Fortunately the display was so great their addition to it didn't matter.

Harry K

 

[brewerbob]

Lights offer no security at all. Do you ever go out at night and look at the Milky Way? The Pleadies? Those lights pretty much block out the beauty of the sky. Have you ever seen a picture of the United States taken from space at night? There's hardly any dark on the continent! I'm a VERY amateur astronomer, and I despise those lights. I keep thinking that someone will figure out how much power they waste, and discourage them.
Bob

 

[LGinIA]

Thanks to all for your input. I was thinking of the security light as I have a second garage (surrounded by trees) about 200' from the house which is difficult to see at night. As suggested, probably the best solution is a motion sensor light with a remote camera and transmitter to send the picture signal/alarm to a video monitor in the house. I'll visit the X10 camera site for ideas. Probably alot cheaper in the long run and more effective.

 

[Molerj]

I have a dusk to dawn light that lights up my drive along with my other garage. I really
like it & when the light is out it is really dark. Motion detector light would probably be ok,
but I like the area to be lit up at all times as my house does not have any others around it.

 

[Robert_in_NY]

Farmers use the lights because they work outside when there is no light. It is easier than having a switch to turn on and off and motion detector lights are a pain if you are working on something and they keep going off. The lights were intended for farm and industrial use not residential but more people keep putting them up that don't need them. We have a couple here one sodium and one mercury vapor so that we can watch our fences around the fawn pens in case we have any problems with dogs or coyotes. Electricians would be who to talk to if you want one put up and you can hook them up to switches also it just takes the lights a few minutes to warm up so it is not an ideal light for a switch. Sodium lights are suppose to be more energy efficient and they let off a orangeish light whereas the mercury vapors let off a bright white. The sodium is suppose to represent daylight and is easier on your eyes and your neighbors also as it isn't as noticable. A 500W security light hooked to a motion detector or on a switch is usually good enough for around a small barn or house. Depending on your size of your land a 300W would be just as good also. Later.

 

[ByuBill]

<font color=purple>motion detector lights are a pain if you are working on something and they keep going off.</font color=purple> If you put the motion detector light on a switch, you can disable the detection function. Turn the switch off for ten seconds and then back on. The light will stay on. To return to the detection function, turn the switch off for ninty seconds and then back on. Same thing when you have a power surge and the light comes on. I also installed a small indicator light inside the house so you can see when it comes on.(if you are awake) also installed one on water well pump. If you get a water leak it is easy to catch because the light comes on often.

 

[Robert_in_NY]

<blockquote><font size=1>In reply to:</font><hr>

If you put the motion detector light on a switch, you can disable the detection function. Turn the switch off for ten seconds and then back on. The light will stay on. To return to the detection function, turn the switch off for ninty seconds and then back on.

<hr></blockquote>



Yeah, that is less of a pain./w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif

 

[rdln]

EXCERPT from NRA's American Hunter's The Armed Citizen
November, 2001 pg. 8

"A Davie, Florida man shot an intruder when the man jumped him as he went into his yard to investigate suspicious activity in his barn. The homeowner
told detectives that when the motion-detecting lights near his barn were activated about 2:20a.m., he called 9-1-1 and then....." (South Florida Sentinel, Fort Lauderdale, Fl, 9/1/01)

Regardless of the fact that the owner did the wrong thing by going out on his own instead of waiting for the police, A dusk to dawn light seems like it would have aided the burgular instead of alarming the homeowner.

 

[forestcreature]

if you wait for the police around here, you will be dead.

 

[markinMn]

Hey LG, I'm a lineman for a power coop. and we don't have a security light. We do have two "switched lights on the barn facing the driveway. One is a 500w halogen and the other a 300w incandecent. But, most importantly we have "Rov-alert"! Three gsd's will never fail us if there is an intruder or someone just driving in. After many years of having these wonderful creatures, we have found them always to be reliable and trustworthy.They fearless and courageous yet gentle with seniors and children. They use different types of barks for different situations. If some-one or something is in the woods, it is a vicious snarl/bark withhair standing on end; as oppossed to the "Someone's Here" bark when there is a car coming on to the place. They are an audible system ONLY! Not for protection! We will not have a dog that bites. A smart burglar working in a rural area would carry a lb of hamburger, and/or a small cal. handgun or a pipe for dogs. As for lights, we enjoy walking outside to look up see the heavens. (we also have a 6" reflecting telescope) These are some of the reasons my wife and i don,t want/need a security light. ..........................mark