So how hard is it to do?

I know that The Medway Handyman (AKA Doorbell Dave) has successfully
installed two of them with money changing hands and today whilst wiring a
boiler up the customer offered me £10 to fit a wireless doorbell that they
had bought 6 months ago and not managed to install!

--
Adam

"ARWadsworth" wrote in message
news:uGf7o.113033$Ds3.6997@hurricane...
So how hard is it to do?

I know that The Medway Handyman (AKA Doorbell Dave) has successfully
installed two of them with money changing hands and today whilst wiring a
boiler up the customer offered me £10 to fit a wireless doorbell that they
had bought 6 months ago and not managed to install!

--
Adam

Easy to do: whether it has a tone that is loud enough and intrusive enough
for you to notice when you are upstairs replying to uk.d-i-y is quite
another matter. We have ours set to a 'barking dog', as the other tune type
sounds just didn't get heard, but the 'dog' often doesn't get heard either.
Ours did come with a pocket receiver for when you are in the garden, but the
indoor receiver soon packed up, so that has now become the indoor one.

Moral, try before you buy - which is not so easy in these days of the
impregnable vacuum pack!

S

On 07/08/2010 19:01, Chris Hogg wrote:
On Sat, 7 Aug 2010 17:17:29 +0100, "ARWadsworth"
wrote:

So how hard is it to do?

I know that The Medway Handyman (AKA Doorbell Dave) has successfully
installed two of them with money changing hands and today whilst wiring a
boiler up the customer offered me £10 to fit a wireless doorbell that they
had bought 6 months ago and not managed to install!

I installed one for my elderly mother a couple of years ago. Don't
remember the make but it came from B&Q. Several comments: The range of
the bell-push 'transmitter' seemed pitifully short and nothing like
what they claimed. They cautioned against possible signals from a
neighbouring bell setting it off*. Fat chance! Concrete walls and
embedded metal doorframes attenuate the signal and reduce the range
even further. If there's metal reinforcing in the door frame, don't
mount it there. The volume from her 'bell' is ridiculously quiet, with
no obvious way of adjusting it. And she's rather deaf! Whenever I
visit, I just bang on the door; much more effective.

*IIRC there was a sub-miniature switch system on the back for
selecting different channels to avoid this problem. Transmitter and
receiver had both to be set to the same channel.

Brilliant! I got one for about £3 on eBay and its really good. Two
sounders and one bell push. I often work well away from my front door
and now I don't miss deliveries. The tunes are vile though, so I
finished up with bing-bong that I used to make fun of. Hi ho.

Peter Scott

In message , Chris Hogg
writes
On Sat, 7 Aug 2010 17:17:29 +0100, "ARWadsworth"
wrote:

So how hard is it to do?

I know that The Medway Handyman (AKA Doorbell Dave) has successfully
installed two of them with money changing hands and today whilst wiring a
boiler up the customer offered me £10 to fit a wireless doorbell that they
had bought 6 months ago and not managed to install!

I installed one for my elderly mother a couple of years ago. Don't
remember the make but it came from B&Q. Several comments: The range of
the bell-push 'transmitter' seemed pitifully short and nothing like
what they claimed. They cautioned against possible signals from a
neighbouring bell setting it off*. Fat chance! Concrete walls and
embedded metal doorframes attenuate the signal and reduce the range
even further. If there's metal reinforcing in the door frame, don't
mount it there. The volume from her 'bell' is ridiculously quiet, with
no obvious way of adjusting it. And she's rather deaf! Whenever I
visit, I just bang on the door; much more effective.

You need one of these then

http://www.hearingdogs.org.uk/about_contact.php

no wires attached

--
geoff

On Sat, 07 Aug 2010 19:53:43 +0100, geoff wrote:

http://www.hearingdogs.org.uk/about_contact.php

no wires attached

What size batteries do they take though? ;-)


--
John Stumbles

I used to be forgetful but now I ... um ....

In message , John Stumbles
writes
On Sat, 07 Aug 2010 19:53:43 +0100, geoff wrote:

http://www.hearingdogs.org.uk/about_contact.php

no wires attached

What size batteries do they take though? ;-)


PPK9


--
geoff

In article uGf7o.113033$Ds3.6997@hurricane,
ARWadsworth wrote:
So how hard is it to do?

I know that The Medway Handyman (AKA Doorbell Dave) has successfully
installed two of them with money changing hands and today whilst wiring
a boiler up the customer offered me £10 to fit a wireless doorbell that
they had bought 6 months ago and not managed to install!


Generally a waste of time unless you live in a bedsit. They're simply not
loud enough for the average house where people listen to the radio, etc.

--
*Why do we say something is out of whack? What is a whack? *

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

In article ,
Dave Plowman (News) wrote:
In article uGf7o.113033$Ds3.6997@hurricane,
ARWadsworth wrote:
So how hard is it to do?

I know that The Medway Handyman (AKA Doorbell Dave) has successfully
installed two of them with money changing hands and today whilst wiring
a boiler up the customer offered me £10 to fit a wireless doorbell that
they had bought 6 months ago and not managed to install!


Generally a waste of time unless you live in a bedsit. They're simply not
loud enough for the average house where people listen to the radio, etc.

Then fit 2...

We have a wireless "bell" unit and 2 senders (Not buttons but units
designed to work with exsiting buttons - ie. 2 wires from the button
into the internal sender unit)

Bell has 2 different chimes so we can tell if it's front or back door.

We specifically went for the loudest 'bell' unit we could find, and it's
loud. Almost too loud if you're right next to it. Good for our big,
rambling Devon town-house, however, it would be trivial to fit a 2nd
'bell' unit if we needed to - the senders are one-way radio devices,
so can be picked up by any number of bell units tuned to the senders code.

Gordon

"Gordon Henderson" wrote in message
...
In article ,
Dave Plowman (News) wrote:
In article uGf7o.113033$Ds3.6997@hurricane,
ARWadsworth wrote:
So how hard is it to do?

I know that The Medway Handyman (AKA Doorbell Dave) has successfully
installed two of them with money changing hands and today whilst wiring
a boiler up the customer offered me £10 to fit a wireless doorbell that
they had bought 6 months ago and not managed to install!


Generally a waste of time unless you live in a bedsit. They're simply not
loud enough for the average house where people listen to the radio, etc.

Then fit 2...

We have a wireless "bell" unit and 2 senders (Not buttons but units
designed to work with exsiting buttons - ie. 2 wires from the button
into the internal sender unit)

Bell has 2 different chimes so we can tell if it's front or back door.

We specifically went for the loudest 'bell' unit we could find, and it's
loud. Almost too loud if you're right next to it. Good for our big,
rambling Devon town-house, however, it would be trivial to fit a 2nd
'bell' unit if we needed to - the senders are one-way radio devices,
so can be picked up by any number of bell units tuned to the senders code.

I also have a sender which is connected to our normal door bell. We use
the receiver when we are in the garden. Signal works well through the
length of the brick built house and to the end of the 45 foot garden, so
pretty good. As an aside, it is Friedland and so is our wireless intruder
alarm. I found by accident that, if you use the same four digit code on
each, pressing the door bell makes the indoor alarm respond as well (same
sound - bing, bong -, not continuous alarm and not the external siren).
--
Tinkerer

In article ,
Gordon Henderson wrote:
Generally a waste of time unless you live in a bedsit. They're simply
not loud enough for the average house where people listen to the radio,
etc.

Then fit 2...

So two lots of batteries to go flat?

We have a wireless "bell" unit and 2 senders (Not buttons but units
designed to work with exsiting buttons - ie. 2 wires from the button
into the internal sender unit)

Bell has 2 different chimes so we can tell if it's front or back door.

We specifically went for the loudest 'bell' unit we could find, and it's
loud. Almost too loud if you're right next to it. Good for our big,
rambling Devon town-house, however, it would be trivial to fit a 2nd
'bell' unit if we needed to - the senders are one-way radio devices, so
can be picked up by any number of bell units tuned to the senders code.

So you've got one that can drive an external non battery bell? Most can't.

--
*Depression is merely anger without enthusiasm *

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

In article ,
Dave Plowman (News) wrote:
In article ,
Gordon Henderson wrote:
Generally a waste of time unless you live in a bedsit. They're simply
not loud enough for the average house where people listen to the radio,
etc.

Then fit 2...

So two lots of batteries to go flat?

It's not that big a deal...

We have a wireless "bell" unit and 2 senders (Not buttons but units
designed to work with exsiting buttons - ie. 2 wires from the button
into the internal sender unit)

Bell has 2 different chimes so we can tell if it's front or back door.

We specifically went for the loudest 'bell' unit we could find, and it's
loud. Almost too loud if you're right next to it. Good for our big,
rambling Devon town-house, however, it would be trivial to fit a 2nd
'bell' unit if we needed to - the senders are one-way radio devices, so
can be picked up by any number of bell units tuned to the senders code.

So you've got one that can drive an external non battery bell? Most can't.

No... By "bell unit", I'm meaning one of the new fangled electronic
door-bell types that have a speaker rather than a mechanical bell,
so 2 identical 'bells' listening to the same sender(s).

For example: One of these:

http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Products/VED471.html

can send a signal to 100's of these:

http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Products/VED500.html

placed at strategic positions round the house.

but yes, 2 (or more) sets of batteries to replace every year.

Gordon

In article ,
Gordon Henderson wrote:
So you've got one that can drive an external non battery bell? Most can't.

No... By "bell unit", I'm meaning one of the new fangled electronic
door-bell types that have a speaker rather than a mechanical bell,
so 2 identical 'bells' listening to the same sender(s).

For example: One of these:

http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Products/VED471.html

can send a signal to 100's of these:

http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Products/VED500.html

placed at strategic positions round the house.

but yes, 2 (or more) sets of batteries to replace every year.

Two decent proper bells will cover most houses - even with the radio on.
For a lot less money and hassle than those things.

Speakers are horribly inefficient devices.

--
*Don't join dangerous cults: Practice safe sects*

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

In message , "Dave Plowman (News)"
writes

Two decent proper bells will cover most houses - even with the radio on.
For a lot less money and hassle than those things.

Speakers are horribly inefficient devices.


I am slightly hard of hearing, VERY if my wife is to be believed, so
when I was looking for a new door bell I fitted a sound bomb at the top
of the stairs wired in to the bell circuit, I kept the bell in the
lounge. Now I can hear it all over the house and most of the garden,
100' back garden. Also the person calling can hear it and get positive
feedback that it's working.

Similar to
http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Products/TSSB2.html
Not exactly subtle, but effective.
--
Bill

"Bill" wrote in message
...
In message , "Dave Plowman (News)"
writes

Two decent proper bells will cover most houses - even with the radio on.
For a lot less money and hassle than those things.

Speakers are horribly inefficient devices.


I am slightly hard of hearing, VERY if my wife is to be believed, so when
I was looking for a new door bell I fitted a sound bomb at the top of the
stairs wired in to the bell circuit, I kept the bell in the lounge. Now I
can hear it all over the house and most of the garden, 100' back garden.
Also the person calling can hear it and get positive feedback that it's
working.

Similar to
http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Products/TSSB2.html
Not exactly subtle, but effective.
--
Bill


I would only have one that plugs into the mains. Some have a 13a socket so
you don't lose a socket.
If it is battery operated then surely it is like having a radio turned on
24/7 waiting for a signal (to make it ring).

In article ,
Dave Plowman (News) wrote:
In article ,
Gordon Henderson wrote:
So you've got one that can drive an external non battery bell? Most can't.

No... By "bell unit", I'm meaning one of the new fangled electronic
door-bell types that have a speaker rather than a mechanical bell,
so 2 identical 'bells' listening to the same sender(s).

For example: One of these:

http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Products/VED471.html

can send a signal to 100's of these:

http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Products/VED500.html

placed at strategic positions round the house.

but yes, 2 (or more) sets of batteries to replace every year.

Two decent proper bells will cover most houses - even with the radio on.
For a lot less money and hassle than those things.

Speakers are horribly inefficient devices.

*shrug*

It works for us.

Gordon

John wrote:

If it is battery operated then surely it is like having a radio turned on
24/7 waiting for a signal (to make it ring).

Yes, but the current drain is much less (unless people ring the doorbell
continuously). We get about 18 months out of a couple of AA Duracells in
our Friedland one.

--
Mike Clarke

In article FJ88o.989$eU1.930@hurricane,
John wrote:

If it is battery operated then surely it is like having a radio turned on
24/7 waiting for a signal (to make it ring).

Not quite. The art of low-power electroics is quite good these days. So
the only thing running will be the reciever and once that gets the code,
it can 'wake-up' the amplifier, etc. and play the tune...

Gordon

In article
,
Owain wrote:
On Aug 9, 10:40 pm, "Dave Plowman (News)" wrote:
Two decent proper bells will cover most houses - even with the radio
on. For a lot less money and hassle than those things.

I have a 6" Gent bell (mains powered) which can interface to the phone
ringer or the wake-up alarm and it comfortably covers most of the block
of flats :-)

Sounds good.

Friedland are wimpy by comparison, and Byron you might as well rattle a
dried lentil in an empty coke can.

Indeed. An underdome bell is about the loudest standard door bell - those
ding dongs and warbly things near useless unless you live in silence.

--
*Confession is good for the soul, but bad for your career.

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

In message , "Dave Plowman (News)"
writes

Generally a waste of time unless you live in a bedsit. They're simply not
loud enough for the average house where people listen to the radio, etc.


A couple of years ago I got one from B&Q for an elderly relative who is
going a bit deaf. The one button operated two sounder units, one
plugged into the mains, the other battery operated, so they could be
located in different rooms. This seemed a good arrangement, and both
sounders were quite loud. I didn't find the distance to be a problem,
but it's a smallish bungalow.

Unfortunately the reliability turned out to be extremely poor: at times
the darned thing would sound when nobody pressed the bell-push; even
worse at random intervals of a few weeks one or both sounder units would
stop working, until I next visited and could reset the whole thing by
removing all batteries/mains power and setting up from scratch again.

I've now removed all these wireless units and replaced with a couple
chime units powered by mains (via a transformer) and all hard-wired.

The one I had the misfortune to buy was by Friedland and marked D422
Doorchime kit. I strongly recommend not buying this, and from what I
have heard since would suggest avoiding all units marketed by Friedland.

--
Clive Page

In article ,
Clive Page wrote:
Unfortunately the reliability turned out to be extremely poor: at times
the darned thing would sound when nobody pressed the bell-push; even
worse at random intervals of a few weeks one or both sounder units would
stop working, until I next visited and could reset the whole thing by
removing all batteries/mains power and setting up from scratch again.

Seems to mirror what I hear from pals with them.

I've now removed all these wireless units and replaced with a couple
chime units powered by mains (via a transformer) and all hard-wired.

Indeed. Which should then work happily for 50 years...

The one I had the misfortune to buy was by Friedland and marked D422
Doorchime kit. I strongly recommend not buying this, and from what I
have heard since would suggest avoiding all units marketed by Friedland.

My two underdomes are badged Friedland - but many years old. Not part of a
kit, though.

--
*What happens when none of your bees wax? *

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.