I'm having problems with connecting a 2nd light fixture to one motion detector. The motion detector is rated to 500 watts and has 2 lights. Because of the lack of coverage I wanted to add a 2nd light fixture to flip on when motion is detected. When I connected everything together, the 2nd light just stays on no matter what I seem to do. The 2nd light fixture has a red wire but there's no corresponding wire on the 1st fixture. I've connected the red to the black and left the red unconnected. The only thing I haven't done is connect the red wire to the white wire.
Thanks in advance

OK... what connections are made to the first (existing) fixtre? And what wires are present on the 2nd fiture? I'm curious as to why it has a red wire rather than a black. Usually fixtures are simply black and white unless they have some other controls in the fixture.

White, Black and the ground. No red wire. The first light fixture w/the motion detector is working properly. When I try to attach a 2nd light fixture to the first one, there's the same set of wiring. In that setup, the 2nd light comes on but never goes off, while the motion detector on the first fixture works properly.
Darn good question on why the red wire. No idea but I did connect it to the black and then didn't connect to either one but negative results. Only thing left to try is connecting it to the white wire to see if that might work.
Anyway, thank you for your quick response.

Well... youneed to determine which wires are connected to the light in the second fixture. You may have to take it apart a bit to find that out, and find out what the red wire is for. Have yo got instructions or a model number to look it up online? Secondly, the second fixture needs to be hooked to the red wire of the first, and the neutral. When you figure out what the red wire does it will make sense. (probably)

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The manufacturer is The Designers Edge, Model L-940. Their website doesn't seem to be helpful, that's why turned to the web (google) to find out if someone else can figure this out.
My original quest was to have one sensor but 2 light fixtures as you diagrammed in JPG 1 but the motion sensor that's there now does not have a red wire. Just black & white, made it easy to hook up. Again the problem is the 2nd fixture stays on and never turns off.
What I'm thinking of trying this weekend is to use the new motion detector w/the red wire and try to follow what is outlined in JPG 1. Hopefully that does the trick.

If you want two lights controlled by one sensor as in diagram 1, return the fixture and purchase a light with out a motion sensor.

Are you saying that the first fixture has the motion sensor built in? If so, you will have to go into the old unit, find the wire from the motion sensor module to the base of the screw shell (the bottom of the thing the bulb screws into).
Cut that wire and strip back about 3/4" of each end, connect them back together with a wire nut and add a short piece of wire.

Connect the white of the cable from the switch, the white of the light and the white of the cable going to the new light.
Connect the black from the switch to the black of the light (just as it is now). Connect the short piece of wire you just added to the black of the cable going to the new light.

What you are doing is splicing into the wire between the motion sensor and the light of the old fixture to power the new fixture. Right now you have the new light connected directly to the switch, that's why it won't go off.

Yes, that is correct. I've already tried that scenario but I'm thinking of switching the motion detectors because the 2nd has the red wire whereas the 1st doesn't. When I added the 2nd light fixture (no motion), it stayed on and never turned off unless the light switch itself was turned off.

Googling The Designers Edge, Model L-940, indicates that it is a motion sensor that wirelessly communicates with a light fixture. A second fixture would have to be compatible with that sensor ( i.e. a Designers Edge fixture).
Or it could be communicating with a generic light fixture that has a Designers edge receiver module installed in it.

If that is correct, you could run a cable from light one to light two. When sensor turns light one on, light two will come on.

I already tried that scenario but again the 2nd light comes on and stays on. It never turns off. That tells me and correct me if I'm wrong, is that the circuit is on but it shouldn't.

Show me a pic of the wiring in the first (old ) light fixture. I am assuming that the fixture and motion detector are all one unit.

How do I add a jpg? Doesn't seem to be a way...

There is apparently two skins, I use the old style.

In the Post Quick Answer block, enter at least two characters. Click on the Go Advance button. Scroll down and click on the Manage Attachment button. Browse to find the picture file, click Open and them click Upload. There is a file size limitation, JPG format works best.


These instructions appear to be for the newer style skin.


A. "Attach" files (including pictures) from your computer. This method puts the attached file below the text of the post.

1. Click on an Ask or Answer button to ask or answer a question
2. Compose your question or answer in the window.
3. Under the window where you composed your question or answer is a section called Additional Options.
4. Click on the Manage Attachments button: a pop-up dialog will open. NOTE: The Manage Attachments dialog lists the maximum sizes of the various types of files that may be attached.
5. Click the Browse button to navigate to the image on your computer and double click the file on your computer: this will return you to the dialog window.
6. Click the Upload button.
7. Click the link to close the dialog window OR repeat numbers 5 & 6 to attach another image.

B. "Embed" image(s) from the internet. This method inserts an image wherever you wish within the text of your post.

1. Click the Insert Image icon above the posting window: A pop-up asking for the URL will open.
2. Enter the URL of the image in the field then click the OK button.

Hopefully this worked.
1st pix shows both sets. The motion detector and the 2nd light fixture (no motion detector)
2nd pix is the 1st light fixture wiring
3rd pix is the motion detector wiring

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Will try this weekend and let you know... hopefully it works. Thanks