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Tom Lachance

Mark Lloyd wrote:
On Sun, 03 Sep 2006 15:58:26 GMT, (Beachcomber)
wrote:

On Thu, 31 Aug 2006 21:19:36 -0700, Joshua Putnam
wrote:

In article et,
says...
I'm talking about those standard roadside USPS boxes.

Mine's in front of the house and I'm wondering if there's a gadget that can
tell you by sight, or maybe electric trip switch, if there's something in
the box.
At a previous employer, our mailbox was a quarter mile from the office.
We had a device with a tilt switch and a radio transmitter that detected
when the door was opened, rining a bell in the front office. Don't know
where he got it, other than it was from a mail-order catalog.

The radio notification devices may not work for everyone. Reception
problems due to weak signals can occur if the distance is too great.
The transmitters require batteries and may experience problems during
temperature extremes.

Beachcomber

My (rural type) mailbox is just about 30 feet from the house, with
nothing but air in between. However, none of those RF devices I've
ever tried would work reliably. If there's any interference, the most
likely source seems to be the box itself (heavy steel).

Not that tough to make one. I made one 20+ years ago with a stainless
welding rod and a piece of aluminum painted a bright color. Twist one
end into a small loop and add a coil or three above it. Attach the
"flag" to the other end with about an inch protuding from the end. bend
a small (30 degrees)angle in the end and attach to a small tab cut and
folded up in the lip of the front door that has a hole drilled into it.
With a little "fiddiling" and adjusting, you can make a cheap one.
When you get the mail, you reset the flag by closing the door and
inserting the end of the wire in the hole of the tab. When the mailman
opens the door, the flag pops up.