# LED flood lighting on motion sensors



## CaptainBonehead (Dec 31, 2019)

Hey all.
I have a set of RAB FL3-LED50 flood lights on a work yard. They wanted motion sensors installed for security lighting at night.
The lights intermittently blink at times.
Could this be an issue with motion sensor compatibility?
If so does anybody know of an LED rated motion detector? Each sensor is only powering 50W of light so they are well under their limits.
The detectors I purchased had a dual brite feature that I was confident I had turned off.


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## A Little Short (Nov 11, 2010)

I would get a RAB Stealth sensor. They should work good with the RAB light plus they have a 5 (?) year warranty.


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## Forge Boyz (Nov 7, 2014)

If you get a RAB sensor make sure you get one rated for LED. Not all of them are. I think if they are they will have LED in the part #. 

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## MikeFL (Apr 16, 2016)

Put a logger on the output of the sensor, with no light connected, and see what it's doing. Then share that waveform with the lighting manufacturer and ask them why it's flashing. 

If it's a NC relay and has electronics, it's possible the hot & neutral are reversed causing it to lose power when the relay opens. We get that from time to time.


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## tmessner (Apr 1, 2013)

We had a Lithonia fixture with a motion/photo sensor. It was installed on a new building with white vinyl siding. I pointed the sensor down quite a bit to keep the motion part up close. After dark when motion would trigger it on it flashed like a strobe light. I think I tried 4 different fixtures before it dawned on me that the pc portion of the sensor was picking up reflected light from the building it was mounted on. When I tilted the sensor up a little bit the problem disappeared.


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## VELOCI3 (Aug 15, 2019)

Motion sensors have a relay that switches a load. The relay is listed for max current. You might be thinking of dimmers. 


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## Basttrax (Nov 15, 2013)

I find the motion sensors are really a mixed bag when it comes to compatibility and reliability. 

I would go with a RAB one first and if you can’t try a different brand or model. 


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## A Little Short (Nov 11, 2010)

VELOCI3 said:


> Motion sensors have a relay that switches a load. The relay is listed for max current. You might be thinking of dimmers.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk



If you referring to the post saying to make sure the sensor is rated for LED, he is correct. I didn't believe it either until the S/H showed me. It says it on the box and also in the documentation.


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## VELOCI3 (Aug 15, 2019)

A Little Short said:


> If you referring to the post saying to make sure the sensor is rated for LED, he is correct. I didn't believe it either until the S/H showed me. It says it on the box and also in the documentation.



That is like saying a single pole switch is “LED” rated. 


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## A Little Short (Nov 11, 2010)

VELOCI3 said:


> That is like saying a single pole switch is “LED” rated.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk



I believe they said something about LED has a high in-rush current and that's why the sensor had to be made to handle that.


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## VELOCI3 (Aug 15, 2019)

A Little Short said:


> I believe they said something about LED has a high in-rush current and that's why the sensor had to be made to handle that.



It’s a gimmick and a good marketing trick. A consumer would be foolish not to choose a sensor that wasn’t rated for LEDs while others don’t make the same claim. It isn’t false advertising. 


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## VELOCI3 (Aug 15, 2019)

Now if it’s a sensor that has a dimming capability built into the sensor,








the LED rating is important and you would need to use lamps that are certified by the manufacturer. 


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