Intermatic EI600WC Decorator Digital In-Wall 7-Day Astronomic Timer, White

I installed this for a neighbor a couple of months ago and it has been working flawlessly. It is a battery powered relay controller so it is unaffected by power outages and it is compatible with any lighting device (bulb/fixture) including low voltage. This timer is wired between the power source and the lighting device - in place of a standard wall switch. The battery must be changed every two years to avoid loss of programming. A tray in the front of the unit allows for battery replacement without removing the unit from the wall. Setup is straight forward using the supplied instructions. I found it easiest to program the timer before installing in the wall so that I could read the small display screen. The automatic day/night feature that corrects for seasonal changes in sunrise/sunset times has worked without any issues. A random option also allows for on/off times to be +/- 20 minutes from scheduled times. This installation did not require time of day programming, so I cannot confirm proper operation with daylight savings time shifts. The cover over the setup controls acts as an on/off switch that toggles the connected load with each press. This will override the timer until the next scheduled operation when automatic timing will resume. Based on my experience so far, I highly recommend this timer. But read the specifications to check that the ratings of the device's internal relay meet the demands of the load that it will be controlling.

These are a little tricky to program, and the directions could be more clear. However, in a few minutes you are done, and it only has to be done once. I have two now, one on my yard light and one on my post light (both, by the way, are LEDs, so this switch does work with them). They greatly simplify circuits that might otherwise need a timer, a photo-eye and a switch. For example, mine go on at dusk, off at a specific time each evening, and can be turned on or off manually at other times without changing the program. The switch adjusts automatically for dusk, and for daylight saving time. Many other programming options are possible.

Installation was easier than setting up the functions, but it works just fine.

Works great on my LED lamp post light, the built-in relay is powered by a 3 volt lithium battery thats user replaceable. Its a tight fit in most standard electrical boxes but I was able to wire it in and mount it using a switch plate. The digital clock is easy to set and setting up the on and off times wasn't too hard to do. Daylight savings time can be programed automatically too! I found this was one of few timer light switches that works with LED lighting so be careful as we will all be using LED bulbs in the near future, if you try to save a few bucks you'll pay later.

I currently use other brands of these types of timers, and have used other models of this brand. This is the first which will not program correctly. First of all, it is not a logical process to program the switch It requires you to select the program number you are setting and then go through the whole program process to set an "On" time, then start the full programming process again to set the "Off" time. Every other timer I have used is designed to establish the "On" and "Off" during a single programming series of steps. Whenever I followed the instructions, after setting a time to go on and then going through the process to set the time to go off, it would reset the time to go on to the same time as the off setting. If I then reset the time to go on, the off setting would be reset to match. The end result was it would never go on. On the positive side, the best I can come up with is that it works fine as a manual switch.

I've owned intermatic timers in the past - always intuitive to program, but this one is not. The display is very faint and difficult to read and the instructions are not clear on programming, particularly for the "dawn" and "dusk" settings. Works fine if you are home to manually turn it on or off, but that's certainly not the point of having an auto timer for your lights. I've had this installed now for a couple months and it still is not programmed correctly for the auto dawn and dusk settings.

Based on many reviews that I read, I expected it to be very difficult to program. But it turned out to be very easy. I looked at the official video which made all the steps very clear. Then I sat down with the instruction sheet (also very clear) and with great deliberation and care went through each step. Working slowly it took me about ten minutes to program the first one. The second one (I bought two) took about five minutes. There was really nothing to it. First you do the "set up" which means entering all the generic data about which zone you live in (north, central, south), your local date and time, local sunrise and sunset (find it on line) and whether you want the timer to operate on auto. (Of course you do! Why would you pay this much money just for an on/off switch?) Having done that, the next step is to enter the program mode (pgm) and choose your first "event" which means the first time you want the timer to turn on. For me (and I imagine for 90% of the people buying this) that would be DUSK. You push a few more buttons and now you've set the turn on time. Next you create "event 02" which is when you want the unit to turn off. Again I chose the obvious DAWN setting. Remember you already entered sunrise and sunset times so the timer knows when to come on and turn off. That's it. I did all this sitting at a table with the unit in my hand because it does not need to be hooked up to electrical power to program. It has a nice back up battery. Once you've installed it you may decide to have it come on earlier or stay on longer. No big deal. Just go to program. Scroll through the choices with your on/off button until you come to "DAWN/DUSK" and change your settings by however many minutes you want. You won't have to go through the entire set up process. Just push the "mode" button to return you to "Auto." Some people have complained that the LCD screen is not back lit. I wouldn't want it back lit. I want it to be as unnoticeable as possible. After all, the only thing it displays when you've finished programming it is current time. I have plenty enough digital clocks in my house and don't need another. Others have complained about the buttons being small. Yeah they're small. I still managed to push the right ones at the right time. Use a pencil if you have big fingers. Hooking it up to house current was simple once I identified which of the two black leads in the switch was the hot wire. A multimeter made that fairly easy to do. Of course do turn off the juice before you start wiring! All in all, programming and installing was a breeze.

Much has been written about the programming. Even though I'm in my 80's, II found programming the timer before installation, and using Youtube videos as a guide, programming was straight forward. I had an electrician install the device. Because of extra wiring, it was necessary for him to install a deeper electrical box. His job was done in less than 45 minutes. I have currently programmed the timer to come on at dusk and off 40 minutes before sunrise. Works great!

Great works as advertised, lots of flexibility in programming. A little hard to program, but once you figure it out it's easy enough. Each event (ON, OFF) must be programmed separately. No power required units is self powered with it's own battery. Been using it for 1 months now to control a piece of equipment that use to stay on 24 hours a day. Now it comes on 1 hour before I start work and its ready to go. Saves electricity and wear and tear on equipment.

Easy to install and setup. Works as advertised.

This timer/switch seems to be working well and was very easy to install

I don’t know why people are complaining about this product. It is pretty straightforward and very easy to setup. I love the astrological timer it has which makes the setup even more easier. For anyone having issues I suggest you go and check out their video on YouTube very helpful.

I never got to the point of installing this because I discovered right away that there were two troubling issues. First, programming the switch is cumbersome and difficult to do with the tiny programming buttons. Second and the most serious problem is that the display screen is horrible; it is very very tiny and worse yet is not back lit so it is close to impossible to read. This made the timer virtually unusable for me. Amazon immediately processed a refund.