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By rikur_
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1839892
Flyin'Dutch' wrote:Isn't it just easier and cheaper to get some LED lights for the monument and let it be on at the same time as the lamp post?

The lights are already 12v LED.
We are trying to achieve the same 'on time' as the lamp post - albeit we switch off at midnight in line with 'dark skies' good practice (only lighting for safety purposes or prevention of crime is supposed to be allowed on all night).
The only way to get it to be on at the same time as the lamp post would be to run a feed from the photocell on the lamp post.
That would involve getting the highways authority's permission to attach equipment to their lamp post (although we have many lamp posts, this isn't one of ours. They've not said no, but stressed how much simpler it is to keep things independent, hence the fact we have a separate cabinet). It would need a cherry picker hire to actually make the connection to the photocell on the top of the light. Furthermore, should they replace the lamp unit in future, the new lamp units have integral photocell, so no way to take a feed from it.
With LEDs I would say the running costs are nearly negligible and wasn't it that you got the leccy for free?

Negligible, yes - but unmetered doesn't equal free - no.
There's a charging regime for unmetered supplies such as lamp posts, bus shelters, telecommunications cabinets, etc. It's largely based on estimated usage, but even down to estimating the electricity used by the photocells on the streetlights 24x7, separate to the lighting itself. 44 LED street lights, a bus shelter, monument lighting, and a Christmas tree for ~ 30 days cost us around £800 per year.

I'm sure many things are technically possible - but the timer suggested by CP is going to be simplest, simply replacing the existing timer without any paperwork, new ducting, safety case revisions, waveleaves, cherry pickers, or alike :-)
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By Paul_Sengupta
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1840281
If there is the option of a photocell position, this seems to turn on at dusk, and then stay on until a set time.

https://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Products/SMZV700B.html

Not an outdoor unit though, so this is just for information for others really.

Just did a search for Atronomical Time Switch and this came up. No idea how good it is but it's cheaper than the Sangamo!

https://www.automation24.co.uk/astronomical-time-switch-selec-ats2m1-1-16a-230v-ce