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I am installing ring camera outdoor flood lights. These devices are meant to be always powered. However, like many motion lights if you quickly turn them off and then on again their lights come on regardless of motion.

Rather than hope that my family and guests remember to "always keep the switch on" I'm wondering if I can have the opposite of a momentary switch.

That is, I want it always on but when pressed it's momentarily disconnected.

This should allow the devices to work as intended but also prevent people from accidentally leaving the switch off.

Edit: I wonder if I could do this with a normal 3-way switch. Connect the same load to both poles. Then it's always on but will be momentarily disconnected when toggling it?

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    You might be able to use a three way. You'd have to test one to see how long the off lasts, and see if that is enough. See if you can hold it in the off position, or if its too clicky and wants to be on one side or the other. That said, a "normally on, momentary off" switch is a thing and might be listed as ON-(OFF).
    – JPhi1618
    Oct 18, 2021 at 19:07
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    Is this "lights come on regardless of motion" actually a designed-in feature of the camera-light? Or is it an undesirable side-effect of rebooting the device? Look in the instructions and see.
    – Harper - Reinstate Monica
    Oct 19, 2021 at 0:00
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    There exist plastic guards that you can attach over a light switch, preventing someone from accidentally turning it off. I use them on some of my smart lights. This doesn't answer your question, but may solve your problem.
    – izzy
    Nov 17, 2021 at 20:42

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Matthias Wandel did this by putting a wooden block over the end of the switch, and putting a spring between the block and the switch.

But I don't recommend doing this. Every time you turn it off this way, the Ring camera stops working for a few minutes while it reboots.

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  • I gather that @Matthew's device to be switched is a light that is compatible with Ring doorbells, that has the power-toggle light-on capability, not the doorbell itself.
    – Triplefault
    Oct 18, 2021 at 19:26
  • No, he's talking about a Ring camera with an integrated flood light. I own one myself.
    – longneck
    Oct 18, 2021 at 19:33

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