"Robert E. Lewis" wrote in message
...
What I really think is needed is a motion-detector connected to the alarm
aimed at that landing. There are lots of outdoor motion-detector switches
for security lights, but I haven't seen any for alarm systems - can
someone point me to one? The location is outside, but relatively sheltered - it
won't be rained on, but will be subject to salt spray (motion detector
lights typically don't last very long around here).

Consider this system http://www.voicealert.com You can search the web or it, or buy it from
norcoalarms.com for about $130 http://www.norcoalarms.com/voice.htm . Good thing is it is all
portable, so you can take it with you if you move. An unadvertised feature of these motion detectors
(at least the newer ones), is that they also have a contact closure input. So you could have the
motion detector and/or a pressure mat or other switch connected to this one sensor. If you went all
out, you could have multiple detectors as they get up the stairs. Since there can be 6 different
"zones", Zone 1 could say "this house is being monitored". Zone 2 could be a recording of a shotgun
being cycled. Zone 3 could ...you get the point.

The base unit has good range, the sensors are supervised for low batteries (it will tell you when
you need to replace one), and the base unit has relay switch contacts for the first 4 zones so you
could trigger lights or sirens or your alarm or other things. The base unit also has audio output
screws, so you can feed that voice to an amplifier and have an outside speaker if you want.

Finally, the motion detectors have masks that you can place in them to narrow the field of view.
When I first set mine up, it only detected people and not animals. However, it wouldn't detect cars
which is what I was trying to detect. In order to detect cars, it also detects the cat.

--
Mark
Kent, WA