Customer Reviews

American Tack (Hemco) OMLC3BC Outdoor Motion Activated Light Control

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

I live in foggy San Francisco so climate and the way I have it set up may play a large part in the problem I encountered with this product.
This is a fantastic, compact product design that works great for a few months. But afterwards, given my foggy climate, moisture accumulates in the motion sensor and then unit stops working. I've had 3 of these and each one follows the same pattern of working great and then not at all after a few months. Each one that I had was installed low to the ground with a staked socket to provide sidewalk lighting. You may have better luck if it were higher off the ground such as with a dome light or sconce. It is hard to find a motion sensor light or socket that is good for outdoor use without having to run electrical wire and install it into the exterior wall of the house. I only wish it were more moisture resistant.

This item is under brand names: Utilitech (120W), Amertac, American Tack, Hemco, Westek, with model numbers, either OMLC3BC or OMLC3BCL.
This item is a unique product, unfortunately the packaging, literature and instructions is somewhat incorrect and misleading.

Perfect for indoor use, but the packaging and instructions indicate it is for outdoor use only. Most of what I learned about this product was by trial-and-error. Bought eight of them, for my indoor lights. It is perfect for small, indoor spaces, an alternative to indoor "vacancy" and "occupancy" wall switch sensors, which only work with fixtures hardwired to it.

DO NOT USE IN THREE-WAY BULB SOCKETS! A potiential hazard.
(for this purpose, use a bulb-socket extender. It will work fine screwed into the extender.)

WHAT I LIKED BEST ("pros" for indoor use, the only way I'm using it):

1) NOT very SENSITIVE TO "man-made" INDOOR LIGHT, unless a bright bulb is right next to it, like a foot or so away (a good thing for indoor use)

Tested three different units for bulb light sensitivity, shining incandescent light directly at them, but they stayed on. If this item were bulb-light-sensitive, other lights in the room would shut it off. They do not. However, this item does respond to outdoor sunlight radiation. I know this because I have one over the kitchen sink in front of a window. One day the kitchen was filled with sunlight. Although the sun was NOT hitting it directly, this unit did stayed off.

2)DOES NOT REQUIRE "WARM UP" PERIOD - ALWAYS LIGHTS WHEN POWER APPLIED (can be used as an automatic/manual this way.)

Standard permanently installed motion sensors require a "warm up" period. The item reviewed requires no "warm up." It works instantly when power is applied (for the full time-off delay period, 10 minutes) even if motion is not sensed at the time. If left "on," it will turn itself off when there's nobody in the detection area.

3) THE POSITION OF THIS ITEM IS ALMOST UNIVERSALLY ADJUSTABLE A TO DETECT MOTION FOR SELECTED NARROW SPACES OR SELECTED WIDE AREAS.

The unit rotates in the fixture socket. together with the sensor-eye extended on a "neck" (rather than built into the body,) allows a globally rotating adjustment feature. The sensor-eye, has a ball-and-socket pivot connecting the sensor-eye to the body.

Screwing this item into a bulb socket adapter for making two bulb sockets from one socket (this adapter is shaped like a "Y") can give you even more angles from which to choose. An unused socket of that adapter should be "closed" with a plug-receptacle adapter, a dead bulb, or anything else, for safety.

Furthermore, the sensor eye can also be turned to detect motion occurring on the "male" bulb-screw side of the unit, which would allow it to be used in table and floor lamps for specific floor areas and personal spaces. This is not indicated in the instructions. Explain below ("Interesting experiences and applications") is how to do this, making it useful in table lamps and floor lamps.

(4) NO TOXIC ODORS OR VAPORS

Some plastics used in electronics emit toxic and/or irritating vapors, especially when they are in confined spaces and/or get hot.

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COMPLAINTS and NEGATIVES ("cons"):

(1) HARDWARE DESIGN AND INSTRUCTIONS/PACKAGE DON'T ALTOGETHER MATCH

It seems as if the marketing, packaging, and instructions was NOT done by the same people who designed and manufactured this item. It written only for a typical 45 degree outdoor security floodlight 8-18 feet from the ground, and nothing else. It is marketed for that purpose alone.

This item has a large ugly decal on the sensor saying "CAUTION: DO NOT ADJUST WHEN FIXTURE IS MOUNTED" and I cannot figure out what it means. It makes no sense. Luckily, it peels off easily.

(2) DESIGN SHOULD HAVE INCLUDED TEST SWITCH - AND - AT LEAST ONE SHORTER TIME-DELAY SHUT-OFF SETTING OR ANOTHER MODEL WITH SHORTER TIME-DELAY SHUT-OFF

The one built-in delay shut-off time setting is 10 MINUTES. For some applications, like hallways, 10 minutes is too long. Less adjustments and controls is better - less things to fail, but a test switch (simply a timer bypass) would be helpful for adjustment.

(3)INSTRUCTIONS SHOULD MENTION ALMOST 360-degree ROTATION OF SENSOR EYE - A SINGLE "STOP" SHOULD BE USED in THE BALL JOINT (to PREVENT TWISTING WIRE INSIDE by CONTINUOUSLY ROTATING IT IN ONE DIRECTION, CW or CCW.)

There are two "stops" in the ball joint connecting the sensor eye to the body of the item. They are at about 180 degrees from each other. Instead of these two stops at each end of a half rotation, restricting it to 180-degrees, there should be just one stop, allowing an almost 360-degree rotation (except for the "stop" space.)

(4) ONLY AVAILABLE IN WHITE.

Beige/ivory/cream/etc. color would be nice. White is only best for kitchen and bath.

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INTERESTING EXPERIENCES AND APPLICATIONS

FOR TABLE AND FLOOR LAMP USE:

The instructions say, "The motion sensor [eye] can be tilted up or down (up to 20 degrees in either direction)and rotated left or right" (up to 90 degrees in either direction) to accomodate your unique installation (See fig.1)"

However, you can also direct the sensor eye to point in the direction of the "male" screw side of the item. This makes it useful in table and floor lamps.

Loosening the tilt-adjusting ring will allow you to add another 90 degrees past the notch "stoppers" at "90 degrees in either direction" There is never any need to disassemble it in any way. When the desired sensor position is found, tighten the ring snug. One must be careful NOT to rotate the sensor in the ball socket past another 90-degrees, CW or CCW, thereby twisting the wire inside. If you want to rotate past 90-degrees, you must reverse the rotation and go back around the other way. (see #4 Complaints and Negatives, above)

For table/floor lamps, use a taller lampshade harp (this item adds about 3".) Lifting the shade also allows the sensor-eye to "peek" downward-facing under the bottom of the shade, at the optimum angle for the detecting someone sitting in a personal space. For my application, the sensor-eye worked well in a portrait position, with the flat back of the sensor-eye tilted to around 45 degrees. Whether the sensor is on the right or left of the lamp, depends on which side the space is to be detected.

The literature discourages experimenting such applications in the instructions, "Caution: This motion sensor is not designed for use with an enclosed or shaded fixture of any kind. [The] Infrared [sensor] cannot penetrate glass or plastic..." In other words, "...don't block the sensor eye..." would have been sufficient without discouraging other uses.

DETECTING MOTION FOR SPECIFIC AREAS:

BROAD AREAS
Generally speaking, the sensor detects motion in broad areas well, by what the sensor-eye can see from the left side to the right side in a horizontal "landscape" position. One can say the top of the sensor-eye looks straight out perpendicular, and the bottom of the sensor-eye angles downward.

NARROW AREAS
For detecting motion in narrow spaces, the "portrait" position might work better.

Example 1:

I have a floodlight pointing straight down from the ceiling over my kitchen sink, with the bulb/sensor aimed directly down at the center of the sink. Looking up at the sensor, it is positioned at "12 o'clock." The light only goes on when I put my arms over the sink, because the vision of the sensor-eye is skewed away from me, that is, skewed towards the body of the unit.

Example 2:

In a bathroom, I have one bulb lamps: ceiling over the toilet; ceiling near the bath; and wall over the sink/cabinet. There is a 3-bulb flood/heat-lamp fixture, to which I have added socket extensions and pullchains, and use these with 25W or 40W and 60W Sylvania soft white globe bulbs (no shades.) I have been able to adjust these three sensors to work individually (sink lamp detects the toilet too.) I used a "portrait" sensor-eye position over the toilet, restricting detection to that area. For the tub and sink, the sensor-eye peers from the top of the unit (in a "landscape" position,) at about a 45-degree angle (the manufacturer's recommended orientation) using a 1-to-2 'Y'-bulb-socket splitter, using a plug adapter to close any open sockets.

One fixture is a four-bulb globe-bulb fixture over the bathroom sink. The bulbs extend perpendicular from the wall over the medicine cabinet. I used a 60W in the first bulb socket on the left side, and put dead bulbs in the other sockets, for safety. When I installed this sensor unit, I put the sensor-eye at "9 o'clock," (the sensor-eye itself looking downward, at about 45-degrees) This gives me more sensor-eye vision to the right (The vision of the sensor-eye is always skewed towards the body of the unit) which is desirable in this case because the fixture socket is over the left side of the sink.

NOTES:

1. FOR THE TUB SENSOR UNIT, I USED A ONE-TO-TWO-BULB LAMP SOCKET ADAPTER, as a 45-degree angle fitting, to achieve a good sensor angle, while not blocking the eye with the bulb.

2. For safety purposes, the open (unused) female-socket of the adapter was fitted with a plug-receptacle lamp-socket adapter.

3. I keep a CF ultra-violet (black-light) bulb in one of the ceiling sockets at all times, to prevent mold/mildew growth.

I think this unit was designed and intended to be used as an outdoor floodlight control. However, I bought it to use in a walk-in closet. I use this to take the place of one of those "pull-chain" lights which always seemed to be left on for hours at a time. Now the light comes on as I enter the closet and automatically turns off after 10 minutes. Works perfect.

Works Great, I bought five of these to add otion lights to pre-existing flood lights surrounding my house. Easy Installation, the only issue I experienced is that these will not fit into some older deep socket light fixtures.

I bought two of these for walk-in closets with pull chain lights. A little adjustment of the sensor and they work great, with compact fluorescents.

I wanted an adapter that worked with my existing fixture and my preference for Compact Fluorescent Light bulbs. This fit the bill. It took a bit of finagling over the course of two days (and nights), but it works as advertized, and I now have a motion sensitive, light sensitive light at my front door. I think the range might actually be a bit longer than the package claims, but it's hard to tell exactly, and it's fine for my needs.

If it seems like it's not working right away, keep adjusting the angle. First, it didn't go off in daylight, then it didn't go on with movement, but I kept moving it around--finally ignoring the instructions as to angle--and now it's good.

It's a reasonable alternative to replacing an entire fixture, and I'm pleased.

Our old Craftsman 1/3 HP garage door opener continues to work, except the 'lights on for a time, when used' feature stopped working. (It's 25+ years old, so, OK - I can see how that might happen).

Reviews of new openers seem to have about a 33% fail rate, here, Sears, Lowes, Home Depot so we weren't enthused about laying out cash for the disappointing experience.

I got this AmerTac Outdoor Motion Activated Light Control for $24.08 at Lowes, screwed it in, and we're better than before! Now, the light comes on when someone goes in the garage, as well as, when the car comes in! No more fumbling for the light switch in the dark!
That, plus the 1-2 minute installation time made for a very positive experience.
(you have to be creative to find it on Lowes search, though, Amazon's got search down.)

I live in a rural area with no outside street lights. After a friend fell and broke his collar bone, bought one of these for my very dark back door. Works great. Open the door and step out, turns on. Traffic going by doesn't turn it on all the time but anyone approaching the door, turns on as it should. LOVE this light.

I just installed 2 of these outdoors and so far they work as expected.
There is one feature that is not covered in the instructions which at first made me wonder if the product worked.
Day or night, motion or no motion, when the light switch is first turned on, the lights stay on for 10 minutes.
On reflection, I would rather have this feature than not so I can flip the switch and see what's outside in the dark even when there is no motion out there.

the only good thing i can say about this is that it "works". it doesn't have a test feature. you can't tell the item is in working condition until its dark, and then you have to wait out the 10 mins for it to reset before you can test the coverage area again. there is no sensitivity adjustment or time adjustment. we use this on a light controlled by an indoor switch. if someone accidentally flips the switch off and turns it back on at night, then it automatically comes on for the whole 10 mins. the sensor can't move enough to be in the right position for a normal light socket that faces straight to the ground. even after buying a swivel adapter, its still somewhat blocked by the bulb. its not rated for true outdoor use, only damp locations. i don't even understand that as i've never seen a covered security flood light. the only reason i'm keeping it is because its the only option for my specific needs on my back porch. this supplements other motion lights to make sure the back door can't be approached. i wouldn't recommend this as a primary security device.