Lift/dock wireless floodlight

[glen e]

here's a project I did about 4 years ago that is still going strong today. Ever want a floodlight to go on when you're about to dock in a lift late at night?..and turn the floodlight on with a wireless key fob on the boat? Here's how you do it:

1. get a long piece of aluminum square pipe and mount a 40 dollar home depot floodlight at the top. Wood bolt it to a piling that illuminates the lift area....
2. run the the standard outdoor wire down the pipe and attach a std plug.
3. mount an outdoor box with std a 110 recepticle in the box and get a wireless X-10 controller that uses a antenna to turn the unit on an off - got mine also at home depot or smarthome.com - all of 30 bucks...
4. that's it - key fob has on/off and works from 50 yards away...lots of light to dock on late nights...amazes your friends too

[TunaTeaser1]

that's some pretty cool stuff there

[lcosta01]

That is an excellent idea. I might do the same with our dock.

[w5it]

That's cool. You could use that for several places that need light with no need to stumble around tryin to get to the light switch.

[glen e]

correct...as long as the module is weather protected...it plugs into any wall socket and you plug whatever you want into it...we have X-10 all over the house...on my nightstand is a module that plugs into the wall socket and allows me to kill all the lights in the house that are still on as I go to bed...google X-10 - it's been around for 10 years years or see smarthome.com.....

[Prodigal Son]

My buddy has a lift that's got a roof over it and he has tons of outdoor lights up under the roof to illuminated it, but we've always run into the problem of having to pull up in the dark, put someone on the dock and then cut the lights on for the guy still in the boat to put it on the lift...that could be a perfect solution...and one I'd have never thought of.

[offshore]

Glen I think I will modify the light on my dads lift for the remote to do the same. He has the remote lift operator already. Sure beats having to get out and turn the light on...Thanks for the post....Mark

[Kern O]

In my case, my marina is my driveway. But I had no idea the remotes were that inexpensive. To be able to light the driveway up and even turn on a video camera with a remote feed from a camera mounted on the fence to the the screen in the truck? Yeah, baby, we're on our way now!

[rwidman]

Originally Posted by glen e

correct...as long as the module is weather protected...it plugs into any wall socket and you plug whatever you want into it...we have X-10 all over the house...on my nightstand is a module that plugs into the wall socket and allows me to kill all the lights in the house that are still on as I go to bed...google X-10 - it's been around for 10 years years or see smarthome.com.....

I used the X-10 system extensively in my former house, primarily to turn lights on and of when I wasn't home as a security effort. I have the computer interface. I also used the wireless remote to control the lighting in the media room (OK, basement).

The original post is a great idea. For a driveway, a motion sensor light might work just as well and double as a security light to prevent people from tampering with the boat.

[rwidman]

Originally Posted by glen e

correct...as long as the module is weather protected...it plugs into any wall socket and you plug whatever you want into it...we have X-10 all over the house...on my nightstand is a module that plugs into the wall socket and allows me to kill all the lights in the house that are still on as I go to bed...google X-10 - it's been around for 10 years years or see smarthome.com.....

More than 10 years. My original X-10 computer interface was for my Commodore 64!