Making a Dusk / Dawn sensor using Micro On off module?

[paulbates]

I'm wanting to recreate the dusk / dawn sensor capability of the last gen Insteon motion sensor. My idea is to get a 110v wire in lamp post photocell dusk dawn sensor, and wire the red switch lead to a micro on/off module's sense wire in latching mode. The idea is that the photo cell would turn on when its dusk, the micro on/off would sense that and a change its state to on. The micro module would send a message on the Insteon network that it was switched on and I can take action via a scene, or in this case my eisy controller? Any thoughts on this?

[BLH]

May depend on the photocell dusk dawn sensor's output.
I have a real old style fixture ( a CFL) and it has a small relay in it. That would turn the 110VAC on and off.
I believe the newer ones may use a solid state triac and it maybe possible its small off leakage. Maybe enough to trigger the micro modules sense input. I believe it is a high impedance input.
Trying it maybe what will answer your situation.

[paulbates]

Thanks BLH, that's what I was looking for. I'll read up on the available products to see if they cover what method the product uses to trigger dusk/dawn..

Also important is if the embedded on/off sees 110v being tripped, it sends a message on the Insteon network that the local switch was turned on, which sounds like a yes.

The idea is plausible, I will try, thank you.

[paulbates]

An Insteon Dusk/Dawn sensor using a on/off micro module and lamp post photocell survived bench testing and sample program. I'm putting it on the front porch today and see how it does and think about a project box and a final home for it... if it works

[BLH]

Looks promising and I hope it is 100% OK for you.

[paulbates]

I completed testing the dusk/dawn sensor for Insteon and it works. Here is the parts list for those interested:
- 2443-222 Micro On/off module
- Solus SPC-320Z 120V Automatic Dusk to Dawn Photocell - Look that up on Amazon, $12:45 us
- 120v AC power cord with black/white leads.

Notes:
- Wire it as shown in the picture 2.posts above. For power from the house, you'll want black to go to Line and White to Neutral. Wire the red lead from the sensor goes to the yellow sense lead from the 2443-222. Cap the purple lead or cut it off. You can wire as needed in your case, including possibly fitting it in a lamp post and wiring the lamp post light to the 2434-222's load terminals, or the red lead from the sensor, whatever is easier / safer / best for wiring.

- The Solus SPC-320Z is now known to work with the 2443-222. BLH made a point a few posts up that it's possible that some lamp post dusk/dawn sensors' design may cause bleed voltage on the red line that will make it appear on all of the time to the 2443-222. If you choose to try a different sensor you'll have to find out how that works.

- Use the 2443-222 as the controller for any Insteon devices you want switched on when the photocell detects dark, and/or switched off when it senses light.

- I have an eISY controller, and I'm still finishing programming for lighting control rather than direct Insteon links. I found that the Solus switches on too early for me, like many of these lamp post sensors. I'm adding a delay via eISY wait commands in a program to delay the actual turn on of the lights.