An electric
street light controller apparatus and monitoring method allows automatic
street light turn-on and turn-off characteristics to be field programmable using RFID technology,
lamp current magnitude recording, auxiliary sensor input, diagnostic alarming and data storage for later retrieval in a remote electric street lighting
monitoring system. The apparatus and method includes, from a remotely located
exciter apparatus using an antenna to transmit a specific frequency and code key to the antenna of an electric
street light control and monitoring apparatus associated with the electric street light allowing remote
wireless field
programming of turn-on fight levels, turn-off light levels, rate of change of light levels, specific turn-on, turn-off, and turn back on sequences during dark hours, and specific remote
wireless sensors or internal sensor inputs useful for radiological, biological, chemical, or
environmental sensing and alarming. Additionally the method and apparatus includes a method of providing automatic diagnostics for the street lamp
bulb,
starter and self diagnostics of the controller itself.