Solar-Powered Motion-Sensing Security Light

[MarkBC]

PIR Solar Spotlight

I know...people also laughed when I bought the Solar-Powered Bug Zapper.

(But they laughed at Galileo, too...as that great scientician, Gov. Rick Perry, recently pointed out).

How does this relate to camping?
Well, mount it on the back or roof of your camper, and this baby will detect (via Passive InfraRed sensor) and spotlight bears or wolves or mountain lions when they try to creep up on your camper door at night. AND it doesn't require any external power other than the sun, which charges internal batteries that power the light.

It actually works! At least, after a few hours of sunlight today (most of it indirect) it detected me and turned itself on tonight. If it can detect me it will detect any large predator...
So: The light goes on outside your camper, you look out your camper window, see what's tripped the sensor, and decide whether you step outside with a rolled-up newspaper or a large-caliber rifle.

I got this on sale for $20 (two weeks ago) at Newegg.com. May not be worth the full-retail price, but at that discount I bought 2 of them.

 

[Lighthawk]

Looks cool, Mark. But I wouldn't use Perry as a paragon of wisdom.

 

[highz]

Well, your intended use sounds reasonable. Just remember to shut it off if you go to a star party ...

Now I have a mental image of Rick Perry standing frozen outside your camper staring at the security light - kinda like a deer in the headlights. Late night does strange things to my brain.

 

[craig333]

I dont care whats outside the camper, when I'm snoozing I'm not getting up to look at anything, though come to think of it, it might help with finding out what the pink flamingoes do at night.

 

[generubin]

Think I'll continue to make my camps bear safe before I turn in and sleep through the night. For me, if I wake up in the middle of the night for every raccoon and fox, I might never fall back to sleep.

 

[simimike]

I dont care whats outside the camper, when I'm snoozing I'm not getting up to look at anything, though come to think of it, it might help with finding out what the pink flamingoes do at night.

I've seen what the pink flamingos do at night. Believe me, you don't want to know. I'm still in therapy.

Mike

 

[Ted]

For me, if I wake up in the middle of the night for every raccoon and fox, I might never fall back to sleep.

I agree with Gene on this one. Every deer, raccoon, skunk, owl, etc. Not to mention it lighting me up during a quick trip outside during the middle of the night. I think it would be on more often than not.

 

[MarkBC]

In case there's any doubt...my suggestion of a Predator Detection and Protection application for this cool gadget was completely tongue-in-cheek!

I don't worry much about predators while camping, believing in this view of relative risks.
Maybe I should have put more

around my suggestion.

That said, I think it would be cool to have a critter-detector like this running outside when passing dark evenings in my camper (when not surrounded by other campers who might be disturbed by it), so I know when to look outside to see passing raccoons, wolverines, capybaras, etc.
And then I'd turn it off before I went to sleep.

I'll do a field test and report my results later.

 

[Hittheroad]

In case there's any doubt...my suggestion of a Predator Detection and Protection application for this cool gadget was completely tongue-in-cheek!

I don't worry much about predators while camping, believing in this view of relative risks.
Maybe I should have put more

around my suggestion.

That said, I think it would be cool to have a critter-detector like this running outside when passing dark evenings in my camper (when not surrounded by other campers who might be disturbed by it), so I know when to look outside to see passing raccoons, wolverines, capybaras, etc.
And then I'd turn it off before I went to sleep.

I'll do a field test and report my results later.


I am not too sure where my tongue is but I have been thinking that there is a rare opportunity here what with the sales that are going on now in Libya. One could connect the detector to a small missile battery. Not only would you be able to sleep secure all night long but you might even find a cooked breakfast waiting for you in the morning. But it is probably best not try this at home.

 

[craig333]

Hmmm, I would like to awaken to see a wolverine. If you could build one that could differentiate between species that'd be awesome.

 

[MidnightRider]

can you put it on a switch or bypass the motion part and use it as a porch light outdoor camp light.

 

[The Saints]

I could be interested in it if it would detect a chupacabra or big foot. I would even pay up to $28.75 for it.

 

[Hittheroad]

Hmmm, I would like to awaken to see a wolverine. If you could build one that could differentiate between species that'd be awesome.

I think I saw one once in Colorado. It was scampering up the other side of the valley fast enough that it was hard to tell what it was other than hairy and easy to tell why they aren't seen too often.

 

[MarkBC]

Hmmm, I would like to awaken to see a wolverine. If you could build one that could differentiate between species that'd be awesome.

I've seen a wolverine once, and that was when backpacking in Denali National Park...so not exactly a convenient location.

 

[MarkBC]

Wow! I just saw this model:

Rosewill RSL-113 Dual Head PIR Solar Light
Two heads are better than one, they say -- maybe spot two different critters in the dark at once!
(no, I don't think they work independently...)

 

[Barko1]

I bought a similar light cheap at Harbor Freight and stuck on the corner of my house by the FWC. Works good enough so I have a little light if I run out there after the sun is down. I don't need it to see what I am doing outside in the middle of the night when camping and I don't need to alert any neighbors either