good remote control lights?

powerstroke444e · Oct 22, 2009

What I have a need for is a good wireless 100'+ range wireless light that I can control from my trucks as with the new shed and driveway it would be nice to have the lights come on before I back in to the driveway. I tried a chamberland but it don't work more than 10' away. I don't know if there are amplifiers for them or am I looking for something that don't exist? I don't like motion lights as the my dogs seem to set them off all the time. Any ideas? I know that the one for my wireless remote starter worked up to 300'+ so it is possible. Price is not as important as long as it works. I have been all over ebay and the the net looking.
Thanks for the help.

aczlan · Oct 22, 2009

Are these lights along the driveway and the shed, or just on the shed?

Aaron Z

powerstroke444e · Oct 22, 2009

The lights mounted on the shed & house 600watts total 4 150w lights and they light up the parking lot between them and they are on one switch. The idea is to keep the help and me from backing over something when they bring the equipment back, as its a little tight but with the lights on or in the day light it is very easy to back in with out hitting something, I figure if I spend $500 on this its cheaper than fixing one truck again. I would say that once a week for 10 mins is all that the lights get used. I am to lazy to park in the road then walk to the shed and turn them on when needed. I would most likely need 3 controlers so that everyone would have one when needed.

rfmr · Oct 22, 2009

I'm sure there must be a remote, but I don't know where to get one. My thought would be to run a three way switch to the end of the driveway. This would also eliminate the need for 3 controllers.

DELInstallations · Oct 22, 2009

Preferred technologies Cartell or the one from Mier products. Will only sense a vehicle, nothing else, then turn on the lights or a beeper.

kennyd · Oct 22, 2009

Look at adding a x10 system to your lights, or anything else you want to control remotely.

aczlan · Oct 22, 2009

If you were to go with an X10 system I would suggest:
Item Price Qty Total
SlimFire Keychain Remote $19.99 3 $59.97
Transceiver Module (TM751) $12.99 2 $25.98
3-Way Wall Switch Module (WS4777) $15.99 1 $15.99
Grand Total $101.94

Uses:
One remote for each vehicle
3way switch would replace your existing switch, if you only have a one way switch they have one that is ~$13.
I would then see if you get the range you want with that setup. If you dont get enough range, I would see what extra range a Transceiver module would give you and mount a transceiver in/on the corner of the house closest to the road.
If that was close long enough for the transmitter to work, I would run a buried wire out to the end of the driveway and put a transceiver into that. Then I would put the other end of the run on the same circuit as the light switch. That should give you the range to get out to the end of the driveway.

Aaron Z

Wildbill34 · Oct 22, 2009

I put in a driveway sensor for that reason. It sends a beep to the house to let you know someone is coming up your driveway and also turns the lights on for 15-20 minutes. Didn't take the dogs long to figure out what the tone meant. Just make sure it is far enough off the road so when people turn around in your drive way they don't set the thing off.

DELInstallations · Oct 23, 2009

Wildbill34 said:
I put in a driveway sensor for that reason. It sends a beep to the house to let you know someone is coming up your driveway and also turns the lights on for 15-20 minutes. Didn't take the dogs long to figure out what the tone meant. Just make sure it is far enough off the road so when people turn around in your drive way they don't set the thing off.

Exactly what I suggested. X-10 is sometimes hit or miss, also prone to "phantom" operation and if there's multiple phase electric, forget it.

The driveway alert (not motion based) is the easiest, no trenching, and depending on your existing wiring, one of the better solutions without having to add a ton of stuff.