An easy-to-build lights controller that knows when it’s time to switch off.

This project was developed for use with garden lights or any lighting system, including Christmas lights, which need to illuminate at dusk, but turn off around midnight.

Many existing lights are controlled by timers, but these have to be continually reset during Autumn (Fall) and Spring as the period of daylight changes. Often lights are controlled by sensors such as LDRs, in which case the light stays on all night, which is not ideal.

A system which turns on at dusk, but switches off at around midnight would require a light sensor and a real time clock, which in turn requires a means of setting the time, and occasional re-setting. All very inconvenient … unless you implement it as described using this PIC-based project!