Photoelectric switches for outside lights

[ahofle]

I have one of those little timers that fits in a wall switch like this:
http://www.drillspot.com/products/43454/Intermatic_SS7C_Digital_7_Day_Wall_Switch_Timer
I use it to automatically turn on the lights on the front porch and on the sides of the garage when it gets dark.  I am tired of constantly setting the time and programming the on/off times with the change of seasons.  Not to mention I think it has finally crapped out (it's not even turning on the lights now as of yesterday).  What I really want is a remote photocell that signals to turn on the lights at dusk and then either leaves them on for a specified amount of time (preferred) or just turns them off at dawn.  For the life of me I can't find such a product.  About the only solution I can find is to take all 3 lights apart and install separate photocells in each.  I would lose having manual control over the lights in that case.  This seems like a very obvious and useful product but I am not finding anything out there.  Maybe my google-foo is getting weak.  I can find remote motion sensors that signal a wall socket on, but nothing like this.  Any help or suggestions would be appreciated.

[JackTucky]

I have timers from Home Depot that you can tell it what region you live in and it will automatically do dusk to dark, and adjust for daylight savings, calendar, etc.

They are awesome.

Not sure if they do dusk + x hours.

There are tons of timers that plug into outlets that do that.  I guess they are mostly for Christmas lights, etc.  I have my low voltage landscape lights plugged into these kind of timers.  I don't use the timers you get with the lights.

[ahofle]

Hmm thanks, that certainly sound better than what I have anyway.  You don't happen to have a model number or anything do you?  When you say it automatically does dusk to dark, do you mean it figures out the amount of daylight based on the time and current season?  How does it know your longitude (like if you lived in Alaska LOL)?

[hatrick]

All of the houses in my neighborhood have a simple photo-eye wired into the light circuit that automatically turns the lights on and off at dusk/dawn.
I think it's a fairly common part and relatively cheap. Much more reliable than a "hard-coded" timer.

[hatrick]

All of the houses in my neighborhood have a simple photo-eye wired into the light circuit that automatically turns the lights on and off at dusk/dawn.
I think it's a fairly common part and relatively cheap. Much more reliable than a "hard-coded" timer.

A quick google search gave me this:
http://www.elights.com/photocontrols.html
That should point you in the right direction.

[Ed_McCarron]

http://www.smarthome.com/4259W.html

Light switch style, can be programmed for on at dusk, off at dawn, and looks like it'll do on at sunset and off at a particular hour - the example in the manual shows on at sunset, off at 10 pm.

Table based, not photocell tho...

[2600]

They make a photo-cell that you plug into where the bulb goes and then plug the bulb into that as well.

kinda like this
photocell

[DrumAnBass]

I have this Intermatic - also comes pre-programmed with sunrise and sunset times; works well. Had to change it's batteries after a couple of years of service.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000QD9QLA

Edit - Bought this because the photocell "under the bulb" switches sucked....

[ahofle]

http://www.smarthome.com/4259W.html

That looks like a winner there.  If my switch only controls 3 60 watt lights outside, is it OK to get the 2400 watt one?  They also have a 40-500 watt version for the same price.

[Ed_McCarron]

Go with the smaller one then - its probably just a different sized relay/scr/whatever in the case.