I’ve noticed that you can’t use a CFL in a dust to dawn device. Only incandescent bulbs work. I tried both and every time the CFL didn’t come on when the sensor was covered up to trigger it. When using incandescent bulbs, the sensor worked every time. This, to me, is a big problem not only because CFLs don’t work in my dust to dawn receptacle but the size of the CFL (that puts out the same light intensity as the incandescent) is too tall to fit into the lamp that is attached to the house. Even if I chose to just use a CFL in my outside lamp, I would have to buy and install and larger lamp so it would fit. To make it go off and on when it gets light or dark, I would have to also buy a timer device for it. The government sure knows how to screw up every thing it touches.
Ordinary CFL’s labeling says not to use in sensor controlled, or light dimming controlled circuits. Only the specially designed CFLs (and more expensive) can work with varying AC voltage. So stalk up on incandescent if you want decent porch lighting with automatic dusk-dawn and/or motion detection switching.
Doesn’t matter. The government has outlawed DUST, anyway. Thank God, they have not yet outlawed DUSK.