Oregon UV sensor useful for determining dark/light

Post by **rickk** » Sat Oct 06, 2007 7:57 pm

I'm currently not happy using dusk/dawn timers or MS13s to determine if it's dark outside.

Therefore, I'm wondering if the Oregon Scientific UV sensor could provide useful input for determining if it's light or dark outside.

Does anyone here have experience with these units?

Thanks in advance,
Rick

Post by **Snelvuur** » Sat Oct 06, 2007 8:47 pm

if there is no sun, there could be 0 uv coming from the oregon while its still light outside.

As you can see at http://www.binkey.nl/perl/sensors.pl?se ... ng&type=uv

The oregon uv sensor says its 0 at 17:00, but its still light outside at that moment.

// Erik (binkey.nl)

Post by **Bwired** » Sat Oct 06, 2007 10:27 pm

I agree, it's totally depending on the sun, there are day's my UV sensors does not get higher then 0.
Check out the PEHA type 941 lux sensor I use, works great for me and very reliable. Before that I used software to determine sunset and sunrise, but mostly when it was dark weather my electrical curtains stayed open to long.
http://www.domoticaforum.eu/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=379

Post by **rickk** » Sat Oct 06, 2007 10:34 pm

Thanks, that's very useful. I'll start hunting for (something like) the PEHA sensor, as it seems to be just the ticket.

Post by **Snelvuur** » Sat Oct 06, 2007 11:49 pm

Hmm, i need one too then since i thought the ms13 would be enough. But i can see why you want something else.. i'll keep my eye open too.

// Erik (binkey.nl)

Post by **Peterpc** » Sun Oct 07, 2007 11:41 am

I use a LDR in combination with an analog input of my Ocelot.
I get 255 values of the light outside this way. The LDR is mounted on the roof of my house.
I use it with Homeseer en have made different stages of the LDR to switch lights/curtains. My kitchen light switch on when it is cloudy, my hallight when it is very cloudy, my roomlight when it is getting dark and my curtains close when it is almost dark outside. Never had a problem with it.

Post by **b_weijenberg** » Sun Oct 07, 2007 12:33 pm

Here is a solution using a photo transistor connected to a wireless RFXSensor temperature sensor 40066 (40065 for U.S. 310MHz)
http://board.homeseer.com/showthread.php?p=746762

Edit: type US added

Post by **Mhwlng** » Sun Oct 07, 2007 12:59 pm

I'm using this one-wire solution :

http://www.hobby-boards.com/catalog/pro ... ucts_id=57
it uses the Clairex CLD140/240 photodiode for solar radiation measurement...

according to the spec :

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">"It detects light in the visible to infrared portion of the spectrum, with peak detection at 860nm and an acceptance angle of 140 degrees."<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></font id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">see chart :

Marcel