What is Dusk to Dawn Mode & How Do D2D Photocells Work?

Many outdoor motion sensor security floodlights now have a dusk to dawn feature, and although the name is relatively self-explanatory it may be useful to know how your security light actually does this. Outdoor wall lights, motion sensor security lights, or smart security lights with cameras may be the most common type of lights that contain photocells and have a D2D (dusk to dawn) feature.

What is Dusk to Dawn?

Dusk to Dawn is a setting on your outdoor lights that make the light passive during the daytime or brightness and reactionary during nighttime or darkness. They’re based around being an energy-saving mode that means you don’t need to adjust your lights every day. They adapt to their surroundings. For exterior lighting, the D2D setting is one of the most popular settings for commercial or residential properties as its one of the most practical light settings. It saves both electrical and physical energy, as the light remains off when it is not needed.

Now although this setting is basic to understand knowing how it works and what causes D2D mode to initiate and stop is more complex than simply setting the light to D2D mode on the flick of a button. So let’s take a look at what goes into D2D mode on an outdoor exterior light.

How Does D2D Mode Work?  

D2D mode works by conserving energy throughout the day and switching your light on to be reactionary at night time. It’s possibly the most practical mode for residential security lighting, as it enables the light to be passive and active without having to be manually altered. The switching on and off of the light is done by the photocell sensor usually found on the motion of the light.

How do Photocell sensors Work?

There is a wide range of photocells, however the way they all work the same. Photocells use semiconductors to control the electrical current of the light. When the semiconductor is exposed to a certain level of brightness, usually 150 lux or more, the light will be switched off. As the semiconductor will have stopped the current. Now most manufactured security lights come with built-in photocells, which makes most LED outdoor security lights practical for residential or commercial lighting.

How to Find the Best LED Outdoor Security Light?

The best way to find the most suitable outdoor LED security light is to look for the most customizable light. This means a light with adjustable settings in terms of lux for the photocell, range for the motion sensor, and a timer for how long you want the light to stay on for. If you're just looking for a dusk to dawn security light then look for an outdoor LED security light with these features. If you’re looking for light more adjustable there are options on the market. A few distinct brands now produce highly customizable security lights. Lights that have various working modes and settings for each light feature.

SANSI 45W Outdoor Security light, Highly Customizable

The SANSI 45W LED Security Light is highly customizable. It has 4 working modes; Test mode, on-time mode, auto mode, and D2D mode. Each mode is further customizable with the timer, range, and lux settings on the bottom of the motion sensor. Making this one of the most adaptable lights on the market.

Offering 6000 lumens at 5000K this light will be able to illuminate a huge outdoor area. The high-quality lighting at 5000K will also create a stark contrast in the blackness of night so any object, animal, or person is easier to identify even at a fair distance.

These lights were built for purpose and their purpose is to protect. If you would like to get the brightest most adaptable LED outdoor security light then click here.