Floodlight automation help

[Prophet]

I'd like to install 5 floodlights around the house which are activated by remote PIR or Smart Life (or similar).

Scenarios I'd like to cover.

Front light(s) comes on when PIR activated.
Rear lights come on when PIR activated.
1 remote PIR on each rear gate that activate all lights after midnight (Night security mode). If these get activated someone is where they shouldn't be!
Ability to control on/off with Alexa/Google

Looking at it the Hue range would do everything but cost a fortune. I've looked at Sonoff and Shelly WiFi switches but would like input from the OcUK collective.

Thanks

 

[Pho]

Hmm this is something I've also been thinking of too. How into tinkering are you?

You (we!) could likely achieve this using things like Home Assistant which runs on any number of devices, e.g., a raspberry PI, a home server, a docker container etc. It does tonnes of things. This would act as the coordinator - to set-up schedules, to monitor for a PIR being activated, to trigger whatever switches (lights) you want manually etc.

I know wireless switches like the Soniffs work with it; I believe they take a bit of work out the box (but there's plenty of stuff you'll find if you search for it). From what I've read people tend to flash the Tasmota firmware to these switches to make direct integration much easier. These switches use a ESP8266 wifi module which is massively popular in homemade Arduino circuits etc, hence there's lots of support for it out there.

You could dot a couple of Hue outdoor PIRs (which apparently can also work with home assistant) around to do the detection.

I have no idea if this will work, but I don't see why not. You might have to write a few scripts to make it all work how you like I guess.

 

[Semple]

As above, how into tinkering are you?

If you're looking at an off-the-shelf solution, then unfortunately you are looking at expensive "all-in-one" kit to do what you need.

From a tinkering perspective, you can use one of the multitude of motion sensors that are available and connect those up with some external lights that are triggered by the motion sensor.

Ditch SmartLife, it's **** and is only really for very basic control. You'll have a much better end experience with HomeAssistant, but does require quite a bit of tinkering to get set up.

 

[Seearbe]

A bit Heath Robinson but cheapest option might be to install cable to the floodlight locations direct from the live (so not via a light switch) and have that cable feed into a plug socket in a waterproof box. The floodlights would then be wired via a PIR into a three-pin plug. Connect a wifi plug between these (e.g. Jomarto smart plug - I have these for indoor lamps and they work fine) and you'll be able to control via SmartLife.

Whether that would look any good or pass muster from an electrical certification perspective is another matter, although my only real concern is having plug sockets on a lighting circuit, so could easily power from the socket ring. In fact, it might be easier from an install perspective to stick floodlights above where you have sockets inside, as you could take the feed through the wall and up the outside (in some conduit) and use waterproof outdoor sockets.

Third option is to wire the floodlights up normally, i.e. via a light switch inside, and replace that light switch with a smart one.