How to bypass motion detector on outdoor flood light

Question

My contractor installed this outdoor motion detector flood light: Home Zone Security MK-SC0108 (https://www.manualslib.com/manual/2508816/Home-Zone-Security-Mk-Sc0108.html)

When I turn on the switch, the light comes on for ~15 seconds (the manual refers to it a "warm up period") and then turns off until further motion is detected. This is super annoying since I hate having to dance around to get the light to come back on. I usually only go out for short periods of time. Honestly, I just want to bypass the motion detector altogether and use it like a normal flood light with the switch that is already wired up.

Here's the circuit board (the motion detector was attached to the right-most header and the other 3 go to the LEDs):

Wondering if there's a simple jumper I can put it to bypass the motion detector? I was guessing maybe the +12V directly to LED+? Not sure if there would be any current issues though. I see the pins labeled PWM (pulse width modulation I'm guessing?)... not sure if that complicates things. I'm guessing "PMO" is the output for the motion sensor? So another idea was jumping +12V directly to PMO?

Let me know if there are any simple ideas here without burning my house down. Thanks in advance!

Answer 1

TL;DR Turn the switch ON. Wait ~15 seconds for it to turn off automatically. Then turn it OFF, ON, OFF, ON and the light will obey standard ON and OFF from the switch for the next 6 hours.

From the manual:

4. Manual Override Function This feature only works at night and only for one night at a time. When power is on, the PIR sensor enters a "warm-up" period for about 15 seconds, then automatically switches into AUTO MODE. During AUTO MODE, by switching the main switch OFF-ON-OFF-ON within 3 seconds, the PIR sensor will automatically change into MANUAL MODE from AUTO MODE. In Manual MODE, the lights will remain ON, and will NOT be controlled by time duration or ambient light (LUX) levels. The MANUAL MODE will change to AUTO MODE in 6 hours automatically or will change back to AUTO MODE if dawn is reached. During MANUAL MODE, by switching the main switch OFF over 10 seconds then back On again, the PIR sensor will reset to the "warm-up" period.

Answer 2

Unless it's in the manual, don't do it.

Why?

The unit you show seems to have the lighting control, power supply and LED driver integrated on the PCB, making it difficult to find the right spot to short or bypass. Your goal is to have the circuit always-on so that the switch supplying power to the unit effectively becomes the lighting switch.

While hacking it is maybe not impossible to do, it would not be recommended as doing so would void the UL and affect your house insurance coverage in the event of a fire. Unless it's in the manual, don't do it.

The better route is to replace the unit with a style that uses independent light bulbs which are separate from the motion control unit. (This is also the kind of unit you could use to chain other outdoor lights, but this is not what you asked)

Here is an example:

This unit has a line (black) and neutral (white) as well as a switched line (red). The switched line feeds the two line-voltage spot lights.

If, at the unit's junction box, you tie the switched live from your wall switch to the red of the unit, you have normal switched spot lights. Leave the black wire of the motion detector head itself unconnected and cap & tape it off. You are now using the unit as a "dumb" armature.

You now have permanent override feature, and no functional motion detector.

Should you change your mind, and wish normal motion operation (and the unit's temporary override feature), you wire the live from the switch to the black of the motion detector, and the red from the detector to the live for the bulb fittings. This is the wiring per the manual.

Image: https://www.homedepot.com/p/Defiant-180-Degree-White-LED-Motion-Outdoor-Security-Light-DFI-5983-WH-H/318293190?

Answer 3

I do not see any means of bypassing the motoin detection as separate supply from the LED.

Adjust the LUX and the time and aim the unit correctly and distance adjustment.

There is no need to turn on the unit. The unit is turned on once when the unit is installed.

Leave the Lux in the middle. Time to 3 minutes and adjust distance and angle for best response.

(What do you mean by using it as a flood light? Do you mean you want the light to turn on if/when you want to and stay on until you turn the switch off?)

If so, you can supply the LED with 5 volts and increase voltage until the LEDs come on. A typical LED require 3 volts to turn on. I wouldn't start with 12V at first. Apparently you can not replace the LEDs on the unit.

The power supply to the unit suggests 220V, rather unusual. Hard telling how many LEDs are in the unit and what type of transformer is used to increase and adjust voltage and current in conjunction with some sort of voltage regulator.

Where it says U5 looks like a voltage regulator, the rest are resistors, diodes, capacitors and there seem to be an optocoupler.

[ Have you tried this trick and see what happens? Sensors will have the ability to override the sensor function altogether and operate the light manually, as necessary.

This is done by turning the light switch OFF – ON – OFF – ON in quick succession. The light will then remain ON and will not go OFF until you manually turn it OFF at the switch.

When you’re ready to use the sensor again, simply turn the light switch OFF and leave it there for at least a minute. When you turn it back ON the sensor will be reinstated.]

Hope this helps. Take care