OT: Any off the shelf 'wireless relay' for 120AC or 12VDC?

[gellfex]

I want to make undercabinet lights on the other side of the room go on when the existing ones do. It's wired to the overhead light so it doesn't even have a switch, just an outlet for a 12v wall wart. I have an unswitched outlet at the new location, so either voltage switched wirelessly would do. I don't want to have a dongle remote to click, nor get deep into 'smart house' crap, just want it to go on with the other. I can't find this searching the electrical supply house stuff.

[PStechPaul]

You can get individual remote control WiFi outlets that operate using a smartphone app:

https://usa.banggood.com/Mini-Smart-...N&rmmds=search

https://usa.banggood.com/Outdoor-Wir...N&rmmds=search

https://usa.banggood.com/12V-24V-220...6&rmmds=search

https://usa.banggood.com/433mhz-AC22...N&rmmds=search

https://usa.banggood.com/Tuya-4-way-...N&rmmds=search

You might be able to hack one of the simple wireless transmitters so that the light in the cabinet activates the switch to turn on the remote unit.

[gellfex]

You can get individual remote control WiFi outlets that operate using a smartphone app:

https://usa.banggood.com/Mini-Smart-...N&rmmds=search

https://usa.banggood.com/Outdoor-Wir...N&rmmds=search

https://usa.banggood.com/12V-24V-220...6&rmmds=search

https://usa.banggood.com/433mhz-AC22...N&rmmds=search

https://usa.banggood.com/Tuya-4-way-...N&rmmds=search

You might be able to hack one of the simple wireless transmitters so that the light in the cabinet activates the switch to turn on the remote unit.

Nope, not what I'm looking for, I have those for other stuff, like I can turn on the bedroom AC from the shop long before I go to bed. Needs to be a real dumb AC though. This needs to be behind the scenes, just turn on the room light and both sets of undercab LEDs go on. My experience with trying to hack cheap electronics is the buttons contacts are a momentary toggle rather than an ON-OFF that could be linked to a 12v relay.

[BCRider]

That'll be tough. You're asking for a single switch that controls the 110V AND a remote outlet wirelessly.

What I did find for you is a wall switch and controlled plug pair. This would work if you stick the switch to the wall beside the AC switch for the regular lights. It's not a single AC and remote switch but it's pretty close.

DEWENWILS Wireless Remote Control Light Switch and Outlet Plug in 100ft RF Range 742377811932 | eBay

[gellfex]

That'll be tough. You're asking for a single switch that controls the 110V AND a remote outlet wirelessly.

What I did find for you is a wall switch and controlled plug pair. This would work if you stick the switch to the wall beside the AC switch for the regular lights. It's not a single AC and remote switch but it's pretty close.

I've used similar before, but it ain't the thing. I want it seamless, one switch to rule them all!

[Paul Alciatore]

OK, to summarize you have:
1. A standard, wall mounted light switch that turns the ceiling/room lights on.
2. A standard, probably duplex outlet (two sockets) that is wired through that light switch. Hot when the lights are on and not when they are off.
3. A wall wart in that outlet.
4. One or more 12V lights that are connected to that wall wart.

And you want another, under the cabinet light to come on and off with the room lights. This light is across the room. There is a standard, un-switched outlet near that light. You do not want to use a hand held remote. Besides, an IR remote would be line of sight and therefore a bad way to go. RF is probably the way to go. Or a relay operated by a photocell that senses the room lights.

There are a trillion, inexpensive photocell devices that turn the lights ON when they sense DARK and then turn them off when they sense light. They are all over the internet and probably available at every hardware or home supply in the world. But that is the opposite of what you want. Some of them are sensitive enough to detect indoor lights (think automatic night lights) and one could be hacked to reverse the operation; the addition of a small relay may do it. But I doubt you could do that in a safe manner.

RF transmitter/receiver modules are available, again at low cost. But most are naked circuit boards so an enclosure and power supply modules would be needed. The transmitter could be wired to send a pulse when power is present and a relay at the receiver would then turn your light on. A different signal, perhaps two pulses, could signal that the lights are off. But again it would need to be put together and I doubt you could do it safely.

We are talking about 12 Volt lights and probably in your shop. I would suggest that the easiest way would be to get a bigger wall wart that can power both (all) the lights and run a low Voltage line across the ceiling with something like zip cord. That should be legal in most places. Or you could run it above the ceiling if you have access.

Or call an electrician and have a second, switched outlet installed.

[Paul Alciatore]

Another suggestion would be to go to a local electrical supply house and ASK. Grainger, Graybar, etc. The yellow pages is your friend here. They have controls you never imagined. But that word, "smart" may come up.

[danlb]

I have undercabinet lights in my kitchen that come on when they sense movement. It uses a Simple PIR to detect movement. The lights are LED and run off 3 AAA batteries. That's convenient since it allowed me to wire a USB power puck to a stick that replaced the batteries.

I bought two of the lights in a pack from costco.

The overhead lights come on when I enter the room. A Luton 120V switch with motion detector handles that job.

[Bob La Londe]

Have you looked into the old X10 stuff?

[wmgeorge]

I want to make undercabinet lights on the other side of the room go on when the existing ones do. It's wired to the overhead light so it doesn't even have a switch, just an outlet for a 12v wall wart. I have an unswitched outlet at the new location, so either voltage switched wirelessly would do. I don't want to have a dongle remote to click, nor get deep into 'smart house' crap, just want it to go on with the other. I can't find this searching the electrical supply house stuff.

Did you try google or some other online search? Going to a local supply house is a waste of time.

[chipmaker4130]

In our crating/shipping dept we use a system that turns on the dust collector whenever any saw is switched on. There is a pass-through sensor on each saw and a receiver/switch on the blower motor. Might work for you. Not really inexpensive. If you're interested I can try to get the mfg/model info.

[gellfex]

OK, to summarize you have:
1. A standard, wall mounted light switch that turns the ceiling/room lights on.
2. A standard, probably duplex outlet (two sockets) that is wired through that light switch. How when the lights are on and not when they are off.
3. A wall wart in that outlet.
4. One or more 12V lights that are connected to that wall wart.

And you want another, under the cabinet light to come on and off with the room lights. This light is across the room. There is a standard, un-switched outlet near that light. You do not want to use a hand held remote. Besides, an IR remote would be line of sight and therefore a bad way to go. RF is probably the way to go. Or a relay operated by a photocell that senses the room lights.

We are talking about 12 Volt lights and probably in your shop. I would suggest that the easiest way would be to get a bigger wall wart that can power both (all) the lights and run a low Voltage line across the ceiling with something like zip cord. That should be legal in most places. Or you could run it above the ceiling if you have access.

Or call an electrician and have a second, switched outlet installed.

You've nailed it right up till the end, It's a rental kitchen not the shop, which is why I want it simple. I do not want to start ripping down drywall to wire a new outlet. It may be there simply isn't what I want out there.

[wmgeorge]

Did you look into these, found at our local big box home improvement store.

[BCRider]

In our crating/shipping dept we use a system that turns on the dust collector whenever any saw is switched on. There is a pass-through sensor on each saw and a receiver/switch on the blower motor. Might work for you. Not really inexpensive. If you're interested I can try to get the mfg/model info.

I've seen those. They use a box that fits between the tool and the power outlet to pick up on the flow of current and send a signal either by RF or power line carrier to the receiver switch block at the dust collector or a switch cabinet if it's a hard wired bigger setup. So it would only work if there was a primary controlled outlet that has a light or other unit plugged in that draws enough power to trip the function. And the last ones I saw were not small wall wart like units either. More importantly there does not appear to be anything running from an outlet off the lighting circuit which could be used to trigger a plug in unit of that sort.

The trick appears to be that you're looking for a single combination switch that both switches the 110 AND at the same time sends a signal to a remote switch block or switch outlet. My 5 minutes of curiosity and searching didn't turn up such an option despite a few different keywords.


Since it's a rental kitchen there MIGHT be a suitable option for you. The idea of the proximity switch got me looking at the idea of a plug in adapter with a motion sensor. Those are rare too but THIS ONE showed up. It's not your "one switch to rule them all" but it would turn on the lights when you come close. And it can go with you when you move.

On the other hand some folks I know along with myself will leave our LED under counter lights on as low level walking around lights that don't blind us in the evening. So I'd venture to suggest that it would be nice to have the undercounter light as a separate control. And that would put us back to the idea of the RF switched outlet I found in my earlier post.

[gellfex]

In our crating/shipping dept we use a system that turns on the dust collector whenever any saw is switched on. There is a pass-through sensor on each saw and a receiver/switch on the blower motor. Might work for you. Not really inexpensive. If you're interested I can try to get the mfg/model info.

Is the system wireless? I have an inexpensive box that turns on the vacuum when I turn on the sander.