Solar Powered Security Lighting | Angles

Solar powered security lighting is installed primarily to fend off burglars, intruders, or other unwanted outsiders. They may also be installed in some areas in order to keep away stray or wild animals, and so on. Much of this is related to the fact that these devices tend to be motion activated, so that if they detect a certain amount of movement, taking place within range, they will turn on right away, and illuminate their area of coverage. One of the numbers or pieces of information which receive attention in relation to this, is the actual range of the sensor. This helps to determine how near or how far away the movement needs to be, in order for it to be detected by the device, and trip the control of the light. At the same time, however, it’s important to remember that range or distance isn’t the only number affecting the ability of the device to respond to movement. One other thing that is important and needs to be taken into consideration is the angle. What does this mean?

The sensor of each device is able to detect motion in a particular area. It doesn’t just detect motion happening directly in front of it, of course, but is also able to sense when movement is taking place off to the left or right of it, at a particular angle. And that is important. It’s as if the area that the sensor is able to cover is like a cone, radiating outward from the device itself. The wider the angle at which it can detect motion, the greater its ability to protect the area assigned to it. This is where something like a blind spot can come in. If the cone that the sensor can detect is too narrow, then this leaves open the possibility that an intruder can approach the window or door that the device is protecting, in a way that he can remain undetected, as long as he approaches from a particular angle, or in other words, takes advantage of the blind spot or spots of the solar powered security lighting. So again, the wider the angle at which the device can carry out its detection, the better. Usually, when comparing devices, the specifications of each piece of solar security lighting will identify just how wide an angle a device’s sensor can detect movement. Of course, the wider the angle, the more capable the device will usually be, in terms of keeping a particular area covered.