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Build Suggestion: Motion sensing power outlet

e14 Contributor

Hi Ben,

 

I recently bought a tricklestar brand power strip with a pre-attached motion sensor. I was hoping that it would switch power on when motion is detected and then switch off the power after some length of no motion detection. But it doesn't work that way. It requires something to be plugged into the "control" outlet before any power will go to the switched outlets. To make matters worse, it has to draw a certain amount of current to work. I tried testing with an iphone charger, but it didn't pull enough current to switch the switched outlets on.

 

All I want is for it to turn power on when there's motion detected, and then turn power back off after a set amount of time of no motion in the room. I do not want to have to leave something else turned on and plugged in to a control outlet.

 

I can think of two possible solutions to this. The preferred one would be to invent something that can do this without needing this power strip at all anymore. The other would be to create some kind of add on plug which will draw just enough current to trigger the control outlet, but not too much where it will waste too much electricity.

 

Thanks Ben,

 

You rock!

  • In the episode-Feeling a little dirty?Ben shows how to keep it clean, he used 2 motion detectors and a parallax propeller board and used it to log time, direction of motion etc to dispose handwash. You could do it similar and using 2 is better than a strip.

  • There are 2 ways to accomplish this with minimal technical skills.

     

    First: The long term solution. If you have electrical experience, buy a motion activated light switch. This can be wired to an electrical outlet the same as it would be wired to a light. (DO NOT attempt without experience. Call an electrician to do it).

     

    Second: The quick, non technical, simplest/safest. Buy a motion activated flood light and a power receptacle that screws into the light socket the same as a bulb ( they are usually only 2 prong, DO NOT break off ground from 3 prong to get it to fit in a 2 prong outlet). The time on the flood lights usually isn't very long, so you may need to keep moving around in the room to keep it activated.

     

    Confidence is NOT a substitution for safety!!!