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.

Thanks

One of the gadget catalogs had a yellow plastic thing that you
preloaded when you got the mail and it would pop up when the door was
opened.

The older couple across the street from my house just flip their flag
up when they get their mail. They know when the mailman has come by
when they look out and the flag is down.


Kurt Gavin wrote:
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.

Thanks

"nhurst" wrote in message
oups.com...
The older couple across the street from my house just flip their flag
up when they get their mail. They know when the mailman has come by
when they look out and the flag is down.


Kurt Gavin wrote:
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.

Thanks

I'll bet the mailman likes stopping to pick up mail that isn't there. The
red flag is for "flagging" him down to pick up mail. I think like another
poster said, that I've seen boxes advertised that have a red flag on one
side and yellow on the other side. The yellow automatically pops up when
the door has been opened. However, in this day and age, I'm not sure I
would want to advertise that I have mail waiting in my box. While living in
the Phoenix area, the post office advised that you not mail/receive any
thing with a check in the box in front of your house as thieves were
following mailmen around (especially around the first of the month) and
stealing mail in order to find checks they could alter to obtain the money
themselves. Would even use checks to order new checks to further empty a
persons bank account.
We have a rural mailbox but also rent a box at the post office and give that
address out to any place that might send us checks or things of a personal
matter such as medical records.

Tom G.

That makes the postman stop and check the box when it's empty, costing
him some time. Rubbermades make a box that has the standard red flag
to indicate there is mail to be taken away and a yellow flag that gets
raised when someone opens the box.

nhurst wrote:
The older couple across the street from my house just flip their flag
up when they get their mail. They know when the mailman has come by
when they look out and the flag is down.


Kurt Gavin wrote:
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.

Thanks

Kurt Gavin wrote:
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.

Thanks

Check out: http://www.smarthome.com/searchweb.asp?q=mail+box


--
Joseph Meehan

Dia duit

On Wed, 30 Aug 2006 18:46:06 GMT, "Tom G"
wrote:


"nhurst" wrote in message
roups.com...
The older couple across the street from my house just flip their flag
up when they get their mail. They know when the mailman has come by
when they look out and the flag is down.


Kurt Gavin wrote:
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.

Thanks

I'll bet the mailman likes stopping to pick up mail that isn't there.

And mine often "forgets" to lower the flag.

The
red flag is for "flagging" him down to pick up mail. I think like another
poster said, that I've seen boxes advertised that have a red flag on one
side and yellow on the other side. The yellow automatically pops up when
the door has been opened. However, in this day and age, I'm not sure I
would want to advertise that I have mail waiting in my box. While living in
the Phoenix area, the post office advised that you not mail/receive any
thing with a check in the box in front of your house as thieves were
following mailmen around (especially around the first of the month) and
stealing mail in order to find checks they could alter to obtain the money
themselves. Would even use checks to order new checks to further empty a
persons bank account.
We have a rural mailbox but also rent a box at the post office and give that
address out to any place that might send us checks or things of a personal
matter such as medical records.

Tom G.

--
Mark Lloyd
http://notstupid.laughingsquid.com

"Democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what
to have for lunch. Liberty is a well armed lamb
contesting the vote." - Benjamin Franklin

Kurt Gavin wrote:
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.

Thanks

http://www1.acehardwareoutlet.com/(5...Source=froogle

http://www.getmymailbox.com/amazonst... se_id=118100

When I was a kid, we lived on a rural route in Canada. You had to purchase
your Rural Mail box through the post office. It was a big heavy brute. It
was designed on a 90 degree swivel. You installed it parallel to the road
when it was empty. For the mailman to fill it he had to turn it 90 degrees
so that he could open the door, it was now at right angles to the road, as
most mail boxes are now. It was easy to see from quite a long distance if
there was mail. When you removed the mail you would turn it back to parallel
with the road. If you had mail for pick up, you would leave it at right
angles to the road so the delivery guy knew to stop even if he had no mail.

Now they are all fixed base units the same as used in the US.


"Kurt Gavin" wrote in message
nk.net...
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.

Thanks

"Stubby" wrote in message
Rubbermades make a box that has the standard red flag to indicate there
is mail to be taken away and a yellow flag that gets raised when someone
opens the box.


And it works well,. I can easily see the flag from the house. It had been
up for a few years now and has withstood the snow plow also.

I've seen attachments you can put on a box also. Can't remember where, but
they do exist.

On 08/30/06 01:43 pm Kurt Gavin wrote:

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.

Radio Schlock used to[1] sell a system with a light-triggered
transmitter that goes in the box and a receiver (with a wall wart) that
goes in the house. When the box is opened, the light triggers the
transmitter, and an audible and visual alarm goes off at the receiver --
the sound is temporary, the flashing light continues.

[1] I say "used to" because I think that when we bought ours at a
fraction of its original price it was because they were discontinuing them.

Ours has not been foolproof. Sometimes the alarm has gone off several
times in one day. Sometimes it has not gone off at all even when the box
was opened, but our mailbox is across the street, so of course the truck
is between the transmitter and the receiver and reduces the signal strength.

Maybe there is another similar device but better.

Perce

On Wed, 30 Aug 2006 17:43:26 GMT, "Kurt Gavin"
wrote:

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.

Thanks

I just can't recall the last time my mail box did not have mail in it,
junk included. It is checked six days a week, excluding Sunday and
Federal holidays.

Oren

On 30 Aug 2006 11:24:14 -0700, "nhurst" wrote:

The older couple across the street from my house just flip their flag
up when they get their mail. They know when the mailman has come by
when they look out and the flag is down.



Sooner or later, they'll get told to cut that out.. the flag
is supposed to indicate outgoing mail.

Kurt Gavin wrote:
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.

Thanks

A good tinkerer can make a simple device like that. Open the door and
it trips a flag. Of course you'd have to reset it every time you got
your mail.

"Oren" wrote in message
...
On Wed, 30 Aug 2006 17:43:26 GMT, "Kurt Gavin"
wrote:

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.

Thanks

I just can't recall the last time my mail box did not have mail in it,
junk included. It is checked six days a week, excluding Sunday and
Federal holidays.

Oren

We get mail every day too, but at various times between 1 and 6 pm, earlier
on Saturday. We can't see the mailbox from the house anyhow, so I just pick
it up when I head out in the morning, along with the paper.

Keith

On Wed, 30 Aug 2006 19:39:58 GMT, "Edwin Pawlowski"
wrote:


"Stubby" wrote in message
Rubbermades make a box that has the standard red flag to indicate there
is mail to be taken away and a yellow flag that gets raised when someone
opens the box.


And it works well,. I can easily see the flag from the house. It had been
up for a few years now and has withstood the snow plow also.

I've seen attachments you can put on a box also. Can't remember where, but
they do exist.

We had one. It used a weight to lower the flag.

There was a bracket (probably attached with set screws to the lip at
the opening of the mailbox, on the side. The yellow flag was on a
metal arm, pivoting in the middle.

The bottom of the flag arm was a piece of moderately stiff sheetmetal.
One set the flag arm horisontal and closed the mail box door on top of
that piece, so the flag was down. When the mailman opened the door,
the weight went down and the flag went up.

If you can't find one for sale, you could make one.

On Wed, 30 Aug 2006 17:43:26 +0000, Kurt Gavin wrote:

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.

Thanks

COPY and PASTE to a text editor such as notepad so you can make
sense of the crude drawing.


Mailbox not to proportion.
___________
front k||\ /| rear
|| \ cord/ |\
|| \ / | \
||___\O/___| B fishing bobber


|| = door & front opening of mailbox
k = knot
O = 3/8" flat washer.
B = fishing bobber
Cord = string as found on blinds approx.1/8" dia.

Drill small hole in *door* near top to run cord through and tie knot.

Cord goes inside mailbox with a 3/8" *flat washer* tied in the
middle with a single overhand knot so washer position can be adjusted.

Drill small hole in back of mailbox and thread (pass) cord through and
connect fishing float (bobber) to end of cord so that when door is opened,
the bobber is pulled to top of the rear of the mailbox.

The 3/8" flat washer is enough weight to hold the bobber high on the
back of the box once the door has been opened and mail deposited.

Retrieve mail and pull bobber to the down position.

Debur and smooth hole in rear of mailbox so cord lasts longer.

I used one like this for years. Looked out the window to see if the bobber
was up. Saved walking 100' to the street to check if mailman had run.
I'm now overweight to prove it.

On Thu, 31 Aug 2006 01:12:50 +0000, RLM wrote:

On Wed, 30 Aug 2006 17:43:26 +0000, Kurt Gavin wrote:

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.

Thanks

COPY and PASTE to a text editor such as notepad so you can make
sense of the crude drawing.


Mailbox not to proportion.
___________
front k||\ /| rear
|| \ cord/ |\
|| \ / | \
||___\O/___| B fishing bobber


|| = door & front opening of mailbox
k = knot
O = 3/8" flat washer.
B = fishing bobber
Cord = string as found on blinds approx.1/8" dia.

Drill small hole in *door* near top to run cord through and tie knot.

Cord goes inside mailbox with a 3/8" *flat washer* tied in the
middle with a single overhand knot so washer position can be adjusted.

Drill small hole in back of mailbox and thread (pass) cord through and
connect fishing float (bobber) to end of cord so that when door is opened,
the bobber is pulled to top of the rear of the mailbox.

The 3/8" flat washer is enough weight to hold the bobber high on the
back of the box once the door has been opened and mail deposited.

Retrieve mail and pull bobber to the down position.

Debur and smooth hole in rear of mailbox so cord lasts longer.

I used one like this for years. Looked out the window to see if the bobber
was up. Saved walking 100' to the street to check if mailman had run.
I'm now overweight to prove it.

The holes drilled in the front door and the back of the mailbox should be
at approx. the same height from the bottom of the mailbox
(higher = better)
and positioned to the same side of the mailbox, so the cord and washer
stays to one side and out of the way.

Parts list:

3' or so of braided nylon cord approx. 1/16" to 1/8" in diameter.
3/8" flat washer.
Fishing float ( bobber) of bright color 1" or larger in diameter.

Tools required:

Drill motor
1/8" drill bit.
Small scrap of sandpaper to debur holes.

"Kurt Gavin" wrote in message
nk.net...
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.

Thanks



Simply balance / place a tennis ball or equivalent on top of the box. Tie a
string to the ball. When the ball is down, your box has been disturbed.

Ivan Vegvary

Its hard to imagine that a bureaucracy like the USPS doesn't have a
whole book of rules concerning this.

"Rural" mailboxes in front of individual homes (or clustered somewhere
on a block of individual homes, as I have seen in California) is a
relatively recent development. Before the suburbs sprouted, farmers
would have a cluster of mailboxes at intersections, so your own box
might be miles from your home. At that time, the postman would raise
the red flag when he put mail in your box, so you could see you had mail
from your tractor or truck, and make the trek to get it. I don't recall
any device to show that there was mail to be picked up by the postman,
but he didn't really need one as he would stop by the cluster of boxes
to make his deliveries. Of course, at that time there was not the flood
of advertisements mailed that there is today.

Perhaps the growth of suburbs and advertising mailings has changed this,
but certainly the post office has a set of rules covering this; I know
they had some regarding the size of mail boxes a few years ago.

Kurt Gavin wrote:
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.

Thanks

Good idea.



"RLM" wrote in message
. ..
On Wed, 30 Aug 2006 17:43:26 +0000, Kurt Gavin wrote:

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.

Thanks

COPY and PASTE to a text editor such as notepad so you can make
sense of the crude drawing.


Mailbox not to proportion.
___________
front k||\ /| rear
|| \ cord/ |\
|| \ / | \
||___\O/___| B fishing bobber


|| = door & front opening of mailbox
k = knot
O = 3/8" flat washer.
B = fishing bobber
Cord = string as found on blinds approx.1/8" dia.

Drill small hole in *door* near top to run cord through and tie knot.

Cord goes inside mailbox with a 3/8" *flat washer* tied in the
middle with a single overhand knot so washer position can be adjusted.

Drill small hole in back of mailbox and thread (pass) cord through and
connect fishing float (bobber) to end of cord so that when door is opened,
the bobber is pulled to top of the rear of the mailbox.

The 3/8" flat washer is enough weight to hold the bobber high on the
back of the box once the door has been opened and mail deposited.

Retrieve mail and pull bobber to the down position.

Debur and smooth hole in rear of mailbox so cord lasts longer.

I used one like this for years. Looked out the window to see if the bobber
was up. Saved walking 100' to the street to check if mailman had run.
I'm now overweight to prove it.

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.

--
is Joshua Putnam
http://www.phred.org/~josh/
Books for Bicycle Mechanics and Tinkerers:
http://www.phred.org/~josh/bike/bikebooks.html

Kurt Gavin wrote:

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.

Thanks

Here's a gadget that would work -- mailbox chime:
http://www.improvementscatalog.com/product.asp?product=276342zz&dept%5Fid=12300&subde pt%5Fid=12330

On Wed, 30 Aug 2006 17:43:26 GMT, "Kurt Gavin"
wrote:

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.

Thanks


=============
My my mailbox is only 150 pr so feet from my front door BUT I have
trouble walking and 300 or so feet is, or rather sometimes is, rather
painful ...

So I just wait to check my mail until 4 PM Not much of a problem !

Bob G.

On Fri, 01 Sep 2006 00:09:40 +0000, Kurt Gavin wrote:

Good idea.

Thank you.

"Everything should be made as simple as possible,
but not one bit simpler."
-- Attributed to Albert Einstein --




"RLM" wrote in message
. ..
On Wed, 30 Aug 2006 17:43:26 +0000, Kurt Gavin wrote:

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.

Thanks

COPY and PASTE to a text editor such as notepad so you can make sense
of the crude drawing.


Mailbox not to proportion.
___________
front k||\ /| rear
|| \ cord/ |\
|| \ / | \
||___\O/___| B fishing bobber


|| = door & front opening of mailbox
k = knot
O = 3/8" flat washer.
B = fishing bobber
Cord = string as found on blinds approx.1/8" dia.

Drill small hole in *door* near top to run cord through and tie knot.

Cord goes inside mailbox with a 3/8" *flat washer* tied in the middle
with a single overhand knot so washer position can be adjusted.

Drill small hole in back of mailbox and thread (pass) cord through and
connect fishing float (bobber) to end of cord so that when door is
opened, the bobber is pulled to top of the rear of the mailbox.

The 3/8" flat washer is enough weight to hold the bobber high on the
back of the box once the door has been opened and mail deposited.

Retrieve mail and pull bobber to the down position.

Debur and smooth hole in rear of mailbox so cord lasts longer.

I used one like this for years. Looked out the window to see if the
bobber was up. Saved walking 100' to the street to check if mailman had
run. I'm now overweight to prove it.

If the bobber is up, the door is open. This does not necessarily tell
you if there is mail inside.

When the door closes again, are you saying that the weight of the
washer is enough to hold the bobber high on the back, allowing the cord
between the washer and the door to curl up?? If the washer is heavy
enough, and the bobber light enough, yes. I might go for a 3/8 nut
rater than the washer just to be sure.

Then when you walk out to get the mail, you pull the bobber back down
into place.

RLM wrote:
On Fri, 01 Sep 2006 00:09:40 +0000, Kurt Gavin wrote:


Good idea.


Thank you.

"Everything should be made as simple as possible,
but not one bit simpler."
-- Attributed to Albert Einstein --



"RLM" wrote in message
. ..

On Wed, 30 Aug 2006 17:43:26 +0000, Kurt Gavin wrote:


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.

Thanks

COPY and PASTE to a text editor such as notepad so you can make sense
of the crude drawing.


Mailbox not to proportion.
___________
front k||\ /| rear
|| \ cord/ |\
|| \ / | \
||___\O/___| B fishing bobber


|| = door & front opening of mailbox
k = knot
O = 3/8" flat washer.
B = fishing bobber
Cord = string as found on blinds approx.1/8" dia.

Drill small hole in *door* near top to run cord through and tie knot.

Cord goes inside mailbox with a 3/8" *flat washer* tied in the middle
with a single overhand knot so washer position can be adjusted.

Drill small hole in back of mailbox and thread (pass) cord through and
connect fishing float (bobber) to end of cord so that when door is
opened, the bobber is pulled to top of the rear of the mailbox.

The 3/8" flat washer is enough weight to hold the bobber high on the
back of the box once the door has been opened and mail deposited.

Retrieve mail and pull bobber to the down position.

Debur and smooth hole in rear of mailbox so cord lasts longer.

I used one like this for years. Looked out the window to see if the
bobber was up. Saved walking 100' to the street to check if mailman had
run. I'm now overweight to prove it.

On Sun, 03 Sep 2006 11:29:25 +0000, Robert Gammon wrote:

If the bobber is up, the door is open. This does not necessarily tell
you if there is mail inside.

If the bobber is up the door *has been opened*. Only the mailman opens my
box. Then only to deposit or pick up mail. Never had any problems with
local kids getting in our mailbox here.


When the door closes again, are you saying that the weight of the
washer is enough to hold the bobber high on the back, allowing the cord
between the washer and the door to curl up??

That's correct.

If the washer is heavy enough, and the bobber light enough, yes. I might
go for a 3/8 nut rater than the washer just to be sure.

The 3/8" washer and the friction of the cord exiting the hole was always
enough to hold the bobber in place for me. I used a 1-1/4" plastic bobber
that is easily visible from the house. I see no problem with the extra
weight of a 3/8 nut or more weight if you choose to use a really large
bobber. You may have a greater distance that you have to view it from. The
weight just slides on the bottom of the mailbox so it doesn't offer that
much friction when opening the door of the box.


Then when you walk out to get the mail, you pull the bobber back down
into place.

That's correct. Close the box after removing the mail and pull the bobber
down in back. It is then ready for the next time the mailman opens the box
to deliver the mail.

With the door wide open, and the *weight lying* on the bottom of the
box. The bobber should be attached near the point on the cord where it
exits the rear of the box.

This way when the door is closed the bobber can be pulled down.


Snipped

On Sun, 03 Sep 2006 09:26:01 -0400, RLM wrote:

On Sun, 03 Sep 2006 11:29:25 +0000, Robert Gammon wrote:

If the bobber is up, the door is open. This does not necessarily tell
you if there is mail inside.

If the bobber is up the door *has been opened*. Only the mailman opens my
box. Then only to deposit or pick up mail. Never had any problems with
local kids getting in our mailbox here.


When the door closes again, are you saying that the weight of the
washer is enough to hold the bobber high on the back, allowing the cord
between the washer and the door to curl up??

That's correct.

If the washer is heavy enough, and the bobber light enough, yes. I might
go for a 3/8 nut rater than the washer just to be sure.

The 3/8" washer and the friction of the cord exiting the hole was always
enough to hold the bobber in place for me. I used a 1-1/4" plastic bobber
that is easily visible from the house. I see no problem with the extra
weight of a 3/8 nut or more weight if you choose to use a really large
bobber. You may have a greater distance that you have to view it from. The
weight just slides on the bottom of the mailbox so it doesn't offer that
much friction when opening the door of the box.


Then when you walk out to get the mail, you pull the bobber back down
into place.

That's correct. Close the box after removing the mail and pull the bobber
down in back. It is then ready for the next time the mailman opens the box
to deliver the mail.

With the door wide open, and the *weight lying* on the bottom of the
box. The bobber should be attached near the point on the cord where it
exits the rear of the box.

The two sentences above are wrong, I thought about this after I sent
this. With the door wide open, pull on the cord at the rear of the box
enough to raise the weight off the bottom of the box. Then attach the
bobber near the point that the cord exits the box.


This way when the door is closed the bobber can be pulled down.


Snipped

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

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).

--
113 days until the winter solstice celebration

Mark Lloyd
http://notstupid.laughingsquid.com

"Democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what
to have for lunch. Liberty is a well armed lamb
contesting the vote." - Benjamin Franklin

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.