Owners of private houses, when landscaping the site, are concerned about the question of how to automatically turn on the light at dusk and turn it off at dawn. There are two devices for this - a photorelay and an astrotimer. The first device is simpler and cheaper, the second is more complicated and more expensive. Let's talk in more detail about the photo relay for street lighting.
Device and principle of operation
This device has many names. The most common is a photorelay, but they are also called a photocell, a light and twilight sensor, a photosensor, a photosensor, a twilight or light-control switch, a light sensor or day-night. In general, there are many names, but the essence of this does not change - the device allows you to automatically turn on the light at dusk and turn it off at dawn.
The operation of the device is based on the ability of some elements to change their parameters under the influence of sunlight. The most commonly used photoresistors, phototransistors and photodiodes. In the evening, when the illumination decreases, the parameters of the photosensitive elements begin to change. When the change reaches a certain value, the relay contacts close, supplying power to the connected load. At dawn, the changes go in the opposite direction, the contacts open, the light goes out.
Characteristics and selection
First of all, choose the voltage with which the light sensor will work: 220 V or 12 V. The next parameter is the protection class. Since the device is installed outdoors, it must be at least IP44 (numbers may be higher, lower - undesirable). This means that objects larger than 1 mm cannot get inside the device, and that it is not afraid of water splashes. The second thing you should pay attention to is the temperature regime of operation. Look for options that marginally cover the averages in your region in both positive and negative temperatures.
It is also necessary to select a photorelay model according to the power of the lamps connected to it (output power) and the load current. It, of course, can “pull” the load a little more, but there may be problems. So it is better to take even with some margin. These were the mandatory parameters by which it is necessary to choose a photorelay for street lighting. There are a few more extras.
In some models, it is possible to adjust the response threshold - to make the photosensor more or less sensitive. Decrease the sensitivity when it snows. In this case, the light reflected from the snow can be perceived as dawn. As a result, the light will turn on and off. You won't like this show.
Pay attention to the sensitivity adjustment limits. They can be more or less. For example, for a Belarusian-made AWZ-30 photo relay, this parameter is 2-100 Lx, for a P02 photocell, the adjustment range is 10-100 Lx.
Response delay. What is the delay for? To eliminate false on / off light. For example, at night, the headlights of a passing car hit the photo relay. If the response delay is short, the light will turn off. If it is sufficient - at least 5-10 seconds, then this will not happen.
Selecting an installation site
For the correct operation of the photorelay, it is important to choose its location correctly. Several factors must be taken into account:
As you can see, when organizing automatic lighting on the street, choosing a place to install a photorelay is not an easy task. Sometimes you have to move it several times until you find an acceptable position. Often, if a light sensor is used to turn on a lamp on a pole, they try to place a photo relay in the same place. This is completely optional and very inconvenient - you have to clean off dust or snow quite often and climbing a pole every time is not very fun. The photorelay itself can be placed on the wall of the house, for example, and the power cable can be pulled to the lamp. This is the most convenient option.
Wiring diagrams
The connection diagram for a photorelay for street lighting is simple: a phase and zero are connected to the input of the device, from the output the phase is supplied to the load (lanterns), and zero (minus) to the load comes from the machine or from the bus.
If you do everything according to the rules, the wire connection must be done in the junction box (junction box). Choose a sealed model for outdoor location, mount in an accessible place. How to connect a photorelay to outdoor lighting in this case is in the diagram below.
If you need to turn on / off a powerful lamp on a pole, in the design of which there is a throttle, it is better to add to the circuit. It is designed for frequent on and off, normally tolerates inrush currents.
If the light should be turned on only for the time the person is (in the street toilet, near the gate), add to the photocell. In such a bundle, it is better to first put a light-sensitive switch, and after it - a motion sensor. With this construction, the motion sensor will only work in the dark.
Connection diagram for a photorelay with a motion sensor
As you can see, the schemes are simple, it is quite possible to do it yourself.
Features of connecting wires
The photorelay of any manufacturer has three wires. One is red, another is blue (may be dark green) and the third can be any color but is usually black or brown. When connecting, remember:
- the red wire always goes to the lamps:
- zero (neutral) from the supply cable is connected to blue (green);
- phase is applied to black or brown.
If you look at all the above diagrams, you will see that they are drawn in compliance with these rules. That's it, no more complications. By connecting the wires like this (do not forget that the neutral wire must also be connected to the lamp), you will get a working circuit.
How to set up a photo relay for street lighting
It is necessary to configure the light sensor after installation and connection to the network. There is a small plastic rotary dial in the lower part of the case to adjust the operation limits. Its rotation sets the sensitivity.
Find a similar regulator on the case - it adjusts the sensitivity of the photo relay
A little higher on the case there are arrows that indicate which way to turn to increase and decrease the sensitivity of the photorelay (left - decrease, right - increase).
To begin with, set the lowest sensitivity - drive the regulator to the extreme right position. In the evening, when the illumination is such that you decide that you should already turn on the light, start the adjustment. It is necessary to smoothly turn the knob to the left until the light turns on. On this we can assume that the setting of the photo relay for street lighting is completed.
Astrotimer
An astronomical timer (astrotimer) is another way to automate street lighting. The principle of its operation is different from the photorelay, but it also turns on the light in the evening and turns it off in the morning. Street lighting is controlled by time. This device contains data about what time it gets dark / dawn in each region in each season / day. When setting up the astrotimer, the GPS coordinates of its installation are entered, the date and current time are set. According to the programmed program, the device works.
Astrotimer - the second way to automate the light in the area
How is it more convenient?
- It does not depend on the weather. In the case of installing a photorelay, there is a high probability of a false alarm - in cloudy weather, the light may turn on in the early evening. When light hits the photo relay, it can turn off the light in the middle of the night.
- You can install the astrotimer in the house, in the shield, anywhere. He doesn't need light.
- It is possible to shift the on / off time by 120-240 minutes (depending on the model) relative to the set time. That is, you yourself can set the time as you like.
The disadvantage is the high price. In any case, the models that are in the distribution network are quite solid money. But you can buy in China much cheaper, however, how it will work is a question.
To control the operation of many electrical devices, special controllers are needed that are responsible for the accuracy and correctness of their operation. We propose to consider how to connect a simple street photo relay, what it is and its principle of operation.
Photo relay description
Sensitive photorelay on triac GOST 51324.2.1-99. is an optocoupler device consisting of LEDs optically connected to the contacts of electrical appliances. It is also often referred to as a twilight LED sensor, a day-night fixture, etc.
Photo - photo relay photoPhotorelay offer various benefits compared to mechanical timing relays:
- Small size. Housed in small blocks such as the USOP, the fixture is designed with a reduced fee;
- Long service life. In the absence of mechanical contact, the shelf life is significantly extended due to the fact that there is no wear at all;
- Weak drive. This device can operate with an incoming current of even a few milliamps without an amplifier. Thus, neighboring devices can do without drivers;
- Silent operation. In the absence of mechanical contact, the non-contact relay does not make any sounds at all during operation;
- High speed. The photorelay is about 10 times faster than mechanical counterparts (which take a few milliseconds to switch).
- Excellent performance, many appliances come with a timer.
The components of the device are: three contact wires for connecting to a common network, a magnetic starter, an anchor.
Photo - Disassembled photo relay Video: simple photorelay
Operating principle
The diagram shows the principle of operation of the device. The photoresistor PR1 reduces its resistance to several Kom when the illumination increases, due to which the phototransistor VT2 opens, which turns on the photorelay K1, and this device, in turn, will begin to transmit signals. The VD1 diode protects the circuit from self-induction. Thanks to this principle, even very weak signals allow you to turn the light on or off.
Photo - Photo relay diagram The main working part - a photocell, is a gas tube in which gas ionization is performed. It has a cathode that is capable of producing electrons in proportion to the intensity of the light directed towards it, and the tube is also equipped with an anode to collect electrons.
Photo - Photorelay Whenever a negatively charged surface is placed in an atmosphere of an ionizable gas, such as mercury vapor or some inert gas, electrons are transferred to it. There, through the use of Fermi-Dirac velocity theory, electrons are accelerated depending on the strength of the applied electric field.
Photo - Photorelay TDM These electrons travel a relatively short distance before colliding with an atom of the ionizing gas. When an electron, which has constant kinetic energy, passes through an ionizing substance, it disrupts the atoms it collides with. Also, its trajectory of action can change periodically. If the material is gaseous, then the resulting fragments or ions can move in the opposite direction from each other. But if the electrons are knocked out of the atoms, then they move in one direction, and the residual positive ions move in the opposite direction. The output of the type of ionization or photocell depends on the number of electrons at the anode.
It is the movement of electrical particles in a certain sequence that causes the device to switch. I must say that this is especially convenient for devices with a motion sensor Finder, Legrand.
Application and connection
Electronic devices with a built-in light photo sensor are used to organize and control automatic street lighting, outdoor facade, driveway or household. Often, console lamps of the housing and communal services type are used with it, which are equipped with protective glass and a special grille.
The device works on a very small microcircuit and transistors, and instructions are most often given on the case on how to properly connect the device. We use a light control switch to demonstrate step by step how the fixture is mounted. Despite the outwardly small size, this device perfectly copes with the function of lighting yards, parks and gardens.
Photo - photorelay FR-3 In the main photo relay for street lighting, it is recommended to install in the middle position. To install the switch with your own hands, you need to use a special bracket that is attached to the wall. The canopy with the help of a screw is installed directly in the photo relay. The installation location depends on the illumination, try to choose an area where nothing prevents the sun's rays from falling on the working surface of the device, otherwise interference will begin on the photodiode and the device will not work correctly. Depending on the characteristics of the device, it is not allowed to have trees, furniture, curtains, etc. in front of the photo relay.
The scheme of the photorelay and its principle of connecting to the network is most often shown on the box from the device, it is very convenient, you do not need to look for the right one for your device. Detailed instruction how to connect a photorelay with your own hands:
- Three wires come out of the relay: brown, blue and red. Based on the standard parameters and indicators, brown is a phase cable, red is a remote wire, it goes like switching to a lamp, blue is zero (if you are developing a home-made relay, then you need to take into account these branches);
- In order for everything to connect correctly, it is necessary to connect the wires to the console lamp as a load, this is demonstrated by the designation of the circuit.
To check if the connection is correct, you need to turn on the starter in the network and see if the searchlight or flashlight is working.
Photo - Photo relay connection Relay installation and grounding
If a grounding system of the TN-S or TN-C-S type is used in an apartment, house or on the street, the electrical circuit is powered from the network by a three-core cable (phase wire, neutral, ground). But for connecting lamps with TN-C type wiring, the connection will differ only in that there is no PE conductor.
Adjustment is made according to the manufacturer's settings. Before connecting the lamp, be sure to check the passport, certificate and patent of the seller, so that later you do not have to overhaul the wiring in the apartment. It is advisable to install a separate machine for this controller in the switchboard (cabinet).
You can buy a photorelay at any electrical store, the price directly depends on the brand and scope (street - FR-601 IEC, FR-602, facades - FRSU-1-0 uhl 4.2, FRSU-2-0 and other types). The most popular are the following models FR-1 12 volts, UTFR-1M, CSM, LUNA 110 AL, TWS-1, TWS-1M, AWZ-30, ABB (АВВ), LXP-01, DLS-1/50, AZH-S , AS-7, RFS-11, FB-2-16A (range 2-4 kW), LUX 2.
Photo - Connecting the photorelay FR-601 A light sensor, also called a twilight switch or photo relay, is used to automate the street lighting system and at the same time (the light will turn on and off depending on how dark it is outside on a day-night basis). The scope of its application can be very diverse: a lawn in a country house, an entrance to a country house and even an entrance to an apartment. Next, we will talk about how to properly connect a photo relay for street lighting with your own hands, having examined step-by-step photo instructions, diagrams and a visual video example.
The principle of operation of the device
So, first, let's look at how the twilight switch works so that you catch the features of its connection, which we will provide below.
The design of the photorelay includes three main elements: a photocell, a comparator and a relay.
As for the photocell (and it is mainly a photodiode, phototransistor or photoresistor), its main purpose is to analyze the intensity of light. If it gets dark or bright outside, the photocell will let you know about it, on the basis of which the light will turn on / off. The comparator is the so-called system response threshold. If the voltage supplied by the photocell exceeds the setting, the comparator will turn on the relay, and accordingly the lamp. A relay (or triac) is an output device that switches the load (in our case, this is a light bulb).
Simply put, the principle of operation is as follows: when the light level decreases, the resistance on the photoresistor changes, as a result of which the voltage rises and the relay operates. The result is that the lamp to which the device is connected turns on until it starts to get light.
Video review of the detector from Feron, model SEN27:
Device characteristic
Connection diagrams
Before moving on to installing a light control switch (another popular name) instead of a regular light switch, you need to figure out how to connect the wires to the lamp and sensor terminals. So, the scheme for connecting a photorelay for street lighting can be presented in two versions: using a junction box and without using it. The first option is usually used when it happens, because. in this case, you will need to bring a new line out of the junction box.
The wiring looks like this: 
As you can see, connecting a photo relay to a lamp is practically the same as. As well as in the usual version, the phase is broken, and zero goes directly to the lantern. The only difference is that the neutral wire must also be wound into the photosensor itself.
If you have already made repairs in the house and do not want to ditch the wall for a new line, you can use the second option for connecting the photorelay with your own hands - directly: 
In this case, all 3 wires: phase, zero and ground are brought inside the case and pressed with terminals. Both the first and the second installation method are correct. Having chosen the appropriate option, you can proceed further - to installing a photocell with your own hands.
Step by step installation instructions
I would immediately like to move away from the topic a little and advise you to simultaneously connect the photorelay and. Together, these two devices will allow you to turn on the lamp when it gets dark, only if a person has appeared in the detection zone. If there is no one on the site, then the bulbs will not light up, which will significantly save electricity.
The method of installation depends on what protection class and type of fastening of the twilight light switch you bought.
To date, there are various manufacturing options, namely:
- with fastening on a DIN rail, on a wall or on a horizontal surface;
- outdoor or indoor use (depending on);
- photocell built-in or external.
In the instructions, we will provide, for example, the installation of a photo relay for street lighting with a wall mount. Connection is carried out at the stand for convenience, especially since this is just an example.
So, in order to connect the photorelay to the lamp yourself, you must complete the following steps:
- We turn off the electricity at the input shield and check the presence of current in the junction box, from which we will lead the wire.
- We stretch the supply wire to the installation site of the photorelay (next to the lighting device). We recommend that you use a three-wire switch to connect the twilight switch, which has proven itself to be a reliable and not too expensive conductor option.
- We clean the wires from insulation by 10-12 mm to connect them to the terminals.
- We create holes in the case for the institution of cores in order to connect the photorelay to the network and the lamp.
- To increase the tightness of the case, we fix special rubber seals in the cut out holes, which protect against dust and moisture from entering inside. By the way, you need to place the twilight switch in such a way that the inlet holes are at the bottom, which will prevent moisture from penetrating under the cover.
- We carry out the connection of a photo relay for street lighting according to the electrical diagram that we provided above. As you can see in the photo, the input phase is connected to the L connector, and the input neutral to N. A separate screw terminal with the appropriate designation is used for grounding.
- We cut off the required length of wire to connect the photorelay to the light bulb (in reality, it can even be an LED spotlight). We also strip the insulation by 10-12 mm and connect it to the N 'and L' terminals, respectively. The second end of the conductor is brought to and connected to the terminals of the cartridge. If the luminaire body is non-conductive, ground connection is not necessary.
- Installation and connection are over, we proceed to setting up the photorelay with our own hands. There is nothing complicated here, there is a special black bag in the kit, which is necessary in order to simulate the night. On the body of the light sensor, you can see the regulator (signed with the abbreviation LUX), which serves to select the intensity of illumination at which the relay will operate. If you want to save energy, set the rotary control to minimum (mark "-"). In this case, the signal to turn on will be given when it is completely dark outside. Usually the regulator is located next to the screw terminals, a little to the left and above (as shown in the photo).
- The last step in connecting the photorelay is to attach the protective cover and turn on the electricity on the shield. Once you have done this, you can proceed to testing the device.
That's all I wanted to tell you about how to install and connect a photo relay with your own hands. We also recommend that you watch a visual video lesson, which shows in detail the whole essence of wiring.
Svetlana Davaeva
Looking through the types of folk rag dolls, I never cease to admire their diversity, uniqueness, amazing purpose and application. Interested two-faced doll« Day Night» , I wanted to make it even more when I found out about the existence of another option: steam room. I will definitely make it too.
Folk doll« Day Night» - this is a small amulet that will protect the home and its household, it symbolizes the day and protects the change of day and night, order in the world. one bright side puppets means day, the second dark, blue - night. Every morning, the one who got up first put forward doll light side and asked her for a good day. In the evening, the last one who went to bed changed the doll to a dark one, and prayed for a good night for all the household members, so that everyone would wake up alive, healthy and rested. So wise, thoughtful and mysterious doll The night followed so that everyone went to bed, so that everyone rested and gained strength, she gave sleep and protected him.
Material: two shreds of dark and light fabric measuring 20 * 20 cm, a bundle of tow from sanitary flax, red floss thread, tricolor yarn.
We fold one square flap diagonally and put it on another.
We turn over the shreds and put in the tow.
We form the head and wrap it with red thread. This side is Night.
This - Day.
We form hands and tie with a thread.
From yarn of three colors (dark, white and red) weave a braid.
We apply it to the head at the junction of two tissues and wrap it tightly with a long red thread to the neck.
We wrap the body with the rest of this thread dolls to make a sacred cross.
Side view.
Doll amulet« Day and night» ready. Such doll sewn and given for the New Year. She was like a calendar.
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It was believed that amulets dolls possessed a certain strength and family energy, helped their owners in times of adversity, and brought happiness.
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Winter holidays are approaching: New Year, Christmas, Christmas holidays. I wish you all joyfully meet and spend these winter days.
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Doll-amulet "Day and Night" symbolizes the duality of our world. The light side of the chrysalis charges with cheerful energy during the daytime, and the black side gives peace and tranquility at night. It also helps to survive both the good (not to become proud, for example), and the bad (not to be very upset, because all this is passing and can certainly be corrected). Make yourself such a doll and hang it in a conspicuous place, and you will see how often you will be visited by wise philosophical thoughts.
Attention! Before making a doll, read carefully
general recommendations , as well as recommendations for the manufactureVepsian chrysalis .To make a doll you will need:
1) identical squares of white and black fabric, 1 piece of each color, approximately 12x12 cm in size. (As an option, you can choose light blue and dark blue, soft purple and dark purple, etc.).
2) small pieces of cotton,
3) red thread,
4) braid or string for hanging the doll.
rice. 1 fig. 2
Put cotton wool in the middle of the squares (Fig. 1). Carefully shape the head and tie with red thread (Fig. 2).
rice. 3 fig. 4
Form the body of the dolls in the same way as the basis of the Vepsian doll is made (Fig. 3). Fold the resulting pupae together, back of the head to the back of the head (Fig. 4).
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