Annoyed: Motion sensing lights for power savings

silverpig

Lifer
Jul 29, 2001
27,703
12
81
I'm in a breakout room at school doing some work and it's got one of those stupid motion-sensing lights for power saving. If there's no motion in the room for 15 seconds, the light turns off until something moves, then it turns back on.

I'm sitting still at my laptop doing work so the bloody light turns off every 15 seconds. When I move my arm to scroll the page I'm reading down a little, the light goes back on.

On off on off on off on off...

What a freaking annoying piece of crap.
 

AnonymouseUser

Diamond Member
May 14, 2003
9,943
107
106
Do your school (and yourself) a favor and turn the switch to the proper setting. Sounds like it is in "Test" mode, where 4 and 10 minutes are normal modes.
 

Leros

Lifer
Jul 11, 2004
21,867
7
81
I hate it when they have it in the bathroom. You walk in and the light comes on. But if you go into a stall for a few minutes, the light goes out, and you have to poop in the dark.
 

PhoKingGuy

Diamond Member
Nov 15, 2007
4,685
0
76
I hate it when they have it in the bathroom. You walk in and the light comes on. But if you go into a stall for a few minutes, the light goes out, and you have to poop in the dark.

There was a sticker next to the sensor in the bathroom next to my lab in college saying "Light will remain on for 5 minutes after movement is detected"

One day someone took a sharpie and wrote "...so shit fast motherf*cker"

always made my day when I saw that
 

silverpig

Lifer
Jul 29, 2001
27,703
12
81
Do your school (and yourself) a favor and turn the switch to the proper setting. Sounds like it is in "Test" mode, where 4 and 10 minutes are normal modes.

There's only one button. It can either be "in" or "out". When "out" the light stays off all the time. When "in" it's set to this dumbass 15 second mode.

I've tried pushing it a few times, have tried holding it, have tried seeing if there's some third state the button can be in, nothing.

Light switch > me :(
 

DrPizza

Administrator Elite Member Goat Whisperer
Mar 5, 2001
49,601
167
111
www.slatebrookfarm.com
I have one of those sensors in my classroom. 120 seconds. The problem is, the projector hanging from my ceiling is directly between that sensor and my desk. I can flap my arms all I want. But every 120 seconds, I have to get up from my desk, move about 4 feet, flap my arms, then get back to work.

My solution: I have one of those battery operated planes with a propeller that hang from a string and go around in circles. When I need the light to stay on, I just lower that thing from a clip I have on the ceiling (which holds it out of the way most of the time), and turn it on. I've already gone through about 10 sets of batteries for it this year. Ironically, the cost of the batteries exceeds the cost of the electricity the motion sensor would otherwise have saved.
 

Rubycon

Madame President
Aug 10, 2005
17,768
485
126
I have one of those sensors in my classroom. 120 seconds. The problem is, the projector hanging from my ceiling is directly between that sensor and my desk. I can flap my arms all I want. But every 120 seconds, I have to get up from my desk, move about 4 feet, flap my arms, then get back to work.

My solution: I have one of those battery operated planes with a propeller that hang from a string and go around in circles. When I need the light to stay on, I just lower that thing from a clip I have on the ceiling (which holds it out of the way most of the time), and turn it on. I've already gone through about 10 sets of batteries for it this year. Ironically, the cost of the batteries exceeds the cost of the electricity the motion sensor would otherwise have saved.

There SHOULD be an occupied setting so you don't have to do this. Do you fish? Bring a small pole in with a plastic sinker and cast it! :biggrin:
 

FoBoT

No Lifer
Apr 30, 2001
63,084
15
81
fobot.com
What moron set the timer to 15 seconds

this

it should be at least 5 minutes
or 10 minutes
^_^

put this in the sensor area
drinkingbird.jpg
 

DrPizza

Administrator Elite Member Goat Whisperer
Mar 5, 2001
49,601
167
111
www.slatebrookfarm.com
There SHOULD be an occupied setting so you don't have to do this. Do you fish? Bring a small pole in with a plastic sinker and cast it! :biggrin:

If I had a pole, I'd just stick a flag on the end & wave it. :p That's actually a good idea, instead of the plane. After a while, the constant droning of the little propeller gets annoying.
 

Cattlegod

Diamond Member
May 22, 2001
8,687
1
0
I have one of those sensors in my classroom. 120 seconds. The problem is, the projector hanging from my ceiling is directly between that sensor and my desk. I can flap my arms all I want. But every 120 seconds, I have to get up from my desk, move about 4 feet, flap my arms, then get back to work.

My solution: I have one of those battery operated planes with a propeller that hang from a string and go around in circles. When I need the light to stay on, I just lower that thing from a clip I have on the ceiling (which holds it out of the way most of the time), and turn it on. I've already gone through about 10 sets of batteries for it this year. Ironically, the cost of the batteries exceeds the cost of the electricity the motion sensor would otherwise have saved.

why don't you just move to a different desk?
 

FelixDeCat

Lifer
Aug 4, 2000
30,618
2,587
126
Motion sensor lighting is one of the DUMBEST, Al-Gorish, annoying and obviously detrimental inventions in the history of all mankind.

We should contact state and federal officials to ban their production ASAP before even more people become annoyed by this device.
 

Miramonti

Lifer
Aug 26, 2000
28,651
100
91
When applied appropriately they can be awesome.

Case and point...I installed one for the garage light and its a fantastic convenience, especially on handyman weekends. This one of course has an override switch too.
 

bobdole369

Diamond Member
Dec 15, 2004
4,504
2
0
In all likelihood there is a lighting control system at work here. The switch itself for the light is buried somehwere in an electrical closet. Changing the switch will not help.
 

TheRickRoller

Member
Dec 2, 2009
164
0
0
My solution: I have one of those battery operated planes with a propeller that hang from a string and go around in circles. When I need the light to stay on, I just lower that thing from a clip I have on the ceiling (which holds it out of the way most of the time), and turn it on.

29zonzt.jpg
 

Jeff7

Lifer
Jan 4, 2001
41,596
19
81
Are the lights fluorescent?
If they are, that's going to kill them in a damn big hurry - fluorescents really don't like frequent power cycling.

Save electricity, annoy people, and require more frequent bulb replacement. :confused;
 
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