# Best Motion Flood Light



## JoeSparky (Mar 25, 2010)

Cheapo Heath Zenith. They're not bad and they last just as long as any of the rest of the junk on the market. I typically only see a 5-year lifespan on any motion sensor. Yes, even the RAB. 
I'm not a big fan of spending extra for a lifetime warranty. These days, that means it's just as good as the cheap junk, but you paid for your "free" replacements up front.


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## nrp3 (Jan 24, 2009)

I’ve been using mostly Rab super stealth when I can, but I’ve even had some trouble with them. In that case, I went to a cheaper Heath Zenith type and the problem went away. Something else on the circuit it didn’t like or on a multi wire branch circuit, I’ve forgotten. 

I installed six Lithonia wafers last week in a family room with dimmer. They were happy until they discovered the motion sensor outside on the same circuit now blinks. Take out the dimmer and the problem goes away. I’ll probably get them another one of those Heath Zenith ones. 

Motion sensors aren’t my favorite things to install.


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## VELOCI3 (Aug 15, 2019)

RAB site says 10 year sensor warranty with no listed exclusions except the contact rating of 8 amps/1000 watts. Where did you see the LED bulb exclusion?


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## HackWork (Oct 2, 2009)

I have been using the RAB 360's for a decade and not a single callback. It is true that they say you can't use LED's in them due to the quick startup draw or something like that, but I never had an issue with the dozens that I have put LEDs in. 

The price could go up to $125 at the supply house, but Amazon often sells them for as low as $75. Right now they are $99.

This is one of the few situations in which I sell the customer on a better product because they do last much longer, so the customer is willing to pay the premium, which I double so I make more too. 

It's funny because in many situations I can point to one of their neighbor's houses and show them the Heath Zenith light in which the sensor or bulb holder is literally hanging by the wire due to the wind blowing the cheap light apart. That sells it for me.


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## CTshockhazard (Aug 28, 2009)

I've had the same track record as Hack with the RAB's.


No other brand that I've worked with acts the same in test as it does in auto. When I leave, I'm confident the fixture will perform exactly as I intended.


I tell people I'll install any brand they'd like to provide, but if I'm providing it, it's the RAB.


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## HackWork (Oct 2, 2009)

CTshockhazard said:


> I tell people I'll install any brand they'd like to provide, but if I'm providing it, it's the RAB.


And I am very specific with customers when I tell them that if they provide a light I will have to charge them for a service call to come back and make adjustments or fix something.


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## shocksystems (Apr 25, 2009)

VELOCI3 said:


> RAB site says 10 year sensor warranty with no listed exclusions except the contact rating of 8 amps/1000 watts. Where did you see the LED bulb exclusion?
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


I had a RAB Stealth Sensor fail and I contacted them about a warranty replacement. They told me the sensor "is not compatible with LED lamps".

When I asked them if they had a sensor that was compatible with LED lamps they said: 

"We did come out with STL200-LED (and STL110-LED) for use with LED lamps (they are just the sensor head only – they currently don’t ship with lampholders)."

I have searched for these sensors but they seem to be in very short supply for the color white.


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## shocksystems (Apr 25, 2009)

HackWork said:


> .....
> 
> The price could go up to $125 at the supply house, but Amazon often sells them for as low as $75. Right now they are $99.
> ......


That is how I have been buying them as well, usually the whole assembly. I have had call backs with the 360 sensors though and the whole not approved for LED bulbs thing bothers me. In addition it would be great if it came with integrated bulbs so that I did not have to provide them separately.


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## HackWork (Oct 2, 2009)

shocksystems said:


> That is how I have been buying them as well, usually the whole assembly. I have had call backs with the 360 sensors though and the whole not approved for LED bulbs thing bothers me. In addition it would be great if it came with integrated bulbs so that I did not have to provide them separately.


RAB makes motions lights with LEDs, but they are super expensive.


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## shocksystems (Apr 25, 2009)

HackWork said:


> RAB makes motions lights with LEDs, but they are super expensive.


I see that they have a fixture which is in the price range I would tolerate for a high quality LED flood motion light with integrated bulbs (around $150). However the motion sensor looks like crap, like it does not have much flexibility on how to position it. Not sure if it would even work mounted on a soffit



https://www.gordonelectricsupply.co...CNpbWKDSdFRcfsFRFcG89efy37oEUv4BoCpj0QAvD_BwE


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## HackWork (Oct 2, 2009)

shocksystems said:


> I see that they have a fixture which is in the price range I would tolerate for a high quality LED flood motion light with integrated bulbs (around $150). However the motion sensor looks like crap, like it does not have much flexibility on how to position it. Not sure if it would even work mounted on a soffit
> 
> 
> 
> https://www.gordonelectricsupply.co...CNpbWKDSdFRcfsFRFcG89efy37oEUv4BoCpj0QAvD_BwE


Exactly, that motion sensor looks like Heath Zenith garbage. 

The ones with the 360 head are expensive.


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## 99cents (Aug 20, 2012)

If it’s Heath Zenith, I tell the customer my responsibility is over once I get power to it. Those fixtures are garbage. He gets the instructions and he can screw around with it and then toss it in the dumpster where it belongs.


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## shocksystems (Apr 25, 2009)

99cents said:


> If it’s Heath Zenith, I tell the customer my responsibility is over once I get power to it. Those fixtures are garbage. He gets the instructions and he can screw around with it and then toss it in the dumpster where it belongs.


What fixture do you provide instead?

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## 99cents (Aug 20, 2012)

shocksystems said:


> What fixture do you provide instead?
> 
> Sent from my moto g(6) using Tapatalk


Rab but I believe our Rab is different from your Rab.


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## NoBot (Oct 12, 2019)

shocksystems said:


> RAB does not guarantee their Stealth sensors paired with LED bulbs.


Buy the correct Stealth and it has a ten year warranty with LED bulbs
https://www.rablighting.com/product/STL200-LED
If you need the complete fixture, pair it with this
https://www.rablighting.com/product/H2W
Both are available in white or bronze


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## shocksystems (Apr 25, 2009)

NoBot said:


> Buy the correct Stealth and it has a ten year warranty with LED bulbs
> 
> https://www.rablighting.com/product/STL200-LED


Yes, I mentioned that model above. However it seems to be in short supply, particularly in white. I cannot find it available anywhere.

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## shocksystems (Apr 25, 2009)

NoBot said:


> Buy the correct Stealth and it has a ten year warranty with LED bulbs
> https://www.rablighting.com/product/STL200-LED
> If you need the complete fixture, pair it with this
> https://www.rablighting.com/product/H2W
> Both are available in white or bronze


The other challenge with this configuration, if I could get it in white, is that it would be close to $200. Roughly: $75 for the backplate & bell housings, $110 for the sensor and 2 LED bulbs $20 = $205


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## VELOCI3 (Aug 15, 2019)

shocksystems said:


> The other challenge with this configuration, if I could get it in white, is that it would be close to $200. Roughly: $75 for the backplate & bell housings, $110 for the sensor and 2 LED bulbs $20 = $205















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## 99cents (Aug 20, 2012)

As far as I’m concerned, motion sensors are a crap shoot. Even expensive occ sensors are a crap shoot. For outdoor lighting, photocontrol is more reliable. LED’s cost very little to operate.


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## joe-nwt (Mar 28, 2019)

99cents said:


> As far as I’m concerned, motion sensors are a crap shoot. Even expensive occ sensors are a crap shoot. * For outdoor lighting, photocontrol is more reliable. LED’s cost very little to operate.*



This is what I tell my customers.


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## VELOCI3 (Aug 15, 2019)

99cents said:


> As far as I’m concerned, motion sensors are a crap shoot. Even expensive occ sensors are a crap shoot. For outdoor lighting, photocontrol is more reliable. LED’s cost very little to operate.




I group a time clock, photocell and override to control outdoor lights for on but especially off. Eg a business that wants the lights on during a certain time frame but doesn’t want to keep adjusting for sunrise/set or dark sky via clouds. 

I set the on time for 6am but the contactor gets held out by the photocell so lights only turn on if it gets dark enough. 

Off is say 10pm after close of business. Lights held out by time clock even if photo calls for on command. 

Override. Just a single pole toggle to energize the lighting contactor coil(s) in case of testing or the lights being needed beyond the program window. 
Also if there is a photo or clock failure.

This way the time clock is adjusted for DST manually or automatically and there is no need to chase the varying daylight times. 


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## HackWork (Oct 2, 2009)

99cents said:


> As far as I’m concerned, motion sensors are a crap shoot. Even expensive occ sensors are a crap shoot. For outdoor lighting, photocontrol is more reliable. LED’s cost very little to operate.


Agreed. I tell customers this all the time.


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## joe-nwt (Mar 28, 2019)

I've also used these for outdoor lighting,

https://www.leviton.com/en/products/vpt24-1pz

Punch in your longitude and latitude and your lights come on and off based on sunrise and sunset where you are located. Good for where adding a photocell is not easy, such as soffit lighting.


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## macmikeman (Jan 23, 2007)

My preferred and favorite motion fixtures is the one the GC buys instead of me. (no warranty) .... 

And... it's the one that has the terminal board on the backside of it instead of wire leads. The fixture package has this little screwdriver in there to tighten the teensy screws on the terminal block. That screwdriver is terrific at prying out the slug from your 1/2" shockwave holesaw bit. That is the reason I love that brand of motion sensor light. I think they come from Lowe's. Or maybe it's H.D.


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## HackWork (Oct 2, 2009)

It seems like all the manufacturers promote super bright lights. I would like to find some lower output and smaller lights for this purpose. For example, when someone wants a motion light on each side of their house in case someone walks thru. Instead of using the motion light, use small lights that are on all night which will help prevent someone from walking thru there in the first place. But these do not need to be very bright so that they look odd or bother the neighbors.


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## 99cents (Aug 20, 2012)

HackWork said:


> It seems like all the manufacturers promote super bright lights. I would like to find some lower output and smaller lights for this purpose. For example, when someone wants a motion light on each side of their house in case someone walks thru. Instead of using the motion light, use small lights that are on all night which will help prevent someone from walking thru there in the first place. But these do not need to be very bright so that they look odd or bother the neighbors.


I use a mini-flood and point it straight down.


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## HackWork (Oct 2, 2009)

99cents said:


> I use a mini-flood and point it straight down.


Brand/model? Or is it generic?


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## 99cents (Aug 20, 2012)

HackWork said:


> Brand/model? Or is it generic?


Rab FL series. Solid little lights. Not sure if you get them down south.


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## HackWork (Oct 2, 2009)

99cents said:


> Rab FL series. Solid little lights. Not sure if you get them down south.


It looks like it's Canadian only.

For something like this I don't mind using the inexpensive brands like Lithonia since basic LED lights are pretty reliable. But what they offer is very bright, I was thinking about something dimmer just for ambient light that won't bother anyone.


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## JohnJ65 (May 8, 2008)

I had no I idea that the RAB motion sensors were not rated for LED lamps. I've been putting Satco LED par38's in them for the last five years!


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## Easy (Oct 18, 2017)

I have used the Defiant 270 in a few places and have had no problems with them. They are much less than the RAB's. I did have an issue when I put 2 motion sensors on one switch. 
"Wall Switch Manual Override: (to keep lights on)
Flip the switch twice slowly (off-on-off-on) within 1–2 seconds. If you set this
during the sensor will become “ready” for the Manual Override Mode and will
start Manual Override at dusk." 
This caused one light to stay on and the other to sense motion. Had to disconnect one fixture flip the switch on off then reconnect the second fixture so that they would function properly. I guess it would have been best to put each fixture on it's own switch but this was an afterthought as the 4 wall packs were already in place and wired to 2 switches. The defiant sensors claim to work with LED's. They worked well for me and have been in place for a couple of years now.


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## joebeadg (Oct 7, 2008)

I used rab many years ago, they were not any better than box store brands. I tell my customers to supply their own now. Because if I supply it, there can be difference of opinion that its working satisfactory. None of them are perfect.


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