We can't see the mailbox from the house - it's down at the end of a
fairly long drive. I'd like to know whether the postie's been, without
having to bundle up and slog down the drive in winter weather - it would
also be good to have at least a little warning before guests drop in.

Ideally, I'd like more than one sensor - one perhaps _inside_ the box,
so passing sheep, cattle and cats don't set it off, and one part-way up
the drive (above cat level), as a drop-in-guest-detector.

Wireless, of course, with a plug-in receiver.

Anyone here have useful experience of such things?

On 9/14/2016 4:17 PM, jim wrote:
S Viemeister Wrote in message:
We can't see the mailbox from the house - it's down at the end of a
fairly long drive. I'd like to know whether the postie's been, without
having to bundle up and slog down the drive in winter weather - it would
also be good to have at least a little warning before guests drop in.

Ideally, I'd like more than one sensor - one perhaps _inside_ the box,
so passing sheep, cattle and cats don't set it off, and one part-way up
the drive (above cat level), as a drop-in-guest-detector.

Wireless, of course, with a plug-in receiver.

Anyone here have useful experience of such things?

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B003765W0W/

Interesting.
Have you used one yourself?

On 2016-09-14 20:14, S Viemeister wrote:
We can't see the mailbox from the house - it's down at the end of a
fairly long drive. I'd like to know whether the postie's been, without
having to bundle up and slog down the drive in winter weather - it would
also be good to have at least a little warning before guests drop in.

Ideally, I'd like more than one sensor - one perhaps _inside_ the box,
so passing sheep, cattle and cats don't set it off, and one part-way up
the drive (above cat level), as a drop-in-guest-detector.

Wireless, of course, with a plug-in receiver.

Anyone here have useful experience of such things?

I have these:

https://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Main_In...ems/index.html

Hooked up to a mixed X10/Insteon system.

The Luminite stuff is pretty good, but expensive (imo). Linking it into
Home Automation (HA) is initially simple, but becomes complex depending
on what you're trying to achieve.

On 9/14/2016 4:27 PM, S Viemeister wrote:
On 9/14/2016 4:17 PM, jim wrote:
S Viemeister Wrote in message:
We can't see the mailbox from the house - it's down at the end of a
fairly long drive. I'd like to know whether the postie's been, without
having to bundle up and slog down the drive in winter weather - it would
also be good to have at least a little warning before guests drop in.

Ideally, I'd like more than one sensor - one perhaps _inside_ the box,
so passing sheep, cattle and cats don't set it off, and one part-way up
the drive (above cat level), as a drop-in-guest-detector.

Wireless, of course, with a plug-in receiver.

Anyone here have useful experience of such things?

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B003765W0W/

Interesting.
Have you used one yourself?

Eeek!
The Amazon _UK_ price is highway robbery!
I wonder what US airport security would think if I packed that in my bag...

On 9/14/2016 4:34 PM, WeeBob wrote:
On 2016-09-14 20:14, S Viemeister wrote:
We can't see the mailbox from the house - it's down at the end of a
fairly long drive. I'd like to know whether the postie's been, without
having to bundle up and slog down the drive in winter weather - it would
also be good to have at least a little warning before guests drop in.

Ideally, I'd like more than one sensor - one perhaps _inside_ the box,
so passing sheep, cattle and cats don't set it off, and one part-way up
the drive (above cat level), as a drop-in-guest-detector.

Wireless, of course, with a plug-in receiver.

Anyone here have useful experience of such things?

I have these:

https://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Main_In...ems/index.html


Hooked up to a mixed X10/Insteon system.

The Luminite stuff is pretty good, but expensive (imo). Linking it into
Home Automation (HA) is initially simple, but becomes complex depending
on what you're trying to achieve.

I'll take a look at that. Thank you.

jim wrote:
S Wrote in message:

We can't see the mailbox from the house - it's down at the end of a
fairly long drive. I'd like to know whether the postie's been, without
having to bundle up and slog down the drive in winter weather - it would
also be good to have at least a little warning before guests drop in.

Ideally, I'd like more than one sensor - one perhaps _inside_ the box,
so passing sheep, cattle and cats don't set it off, and one part-way up
the drive (above cat level), as a drop-in-guest-detector.

Wireless, of course, with a plug-in receiver.

Anyone here have useful experience of such things?




https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B003765W0W/


I'd run a cable down with a cctv camera in the box and a pir sensor
across the drive with a buzzer in the house. Wirless means having to
build in solar charging, which IMO is always unreliable in winter.

S Viemeister wrote:
On 9/14/2016 4:27 PM, S Viemeister wrote:
On 9/14/2016 4:17 PM, jim wrote:
S Viemeister Wrote in message:
We can't see the mailbox from the house - it's down at the end of a
fairly long drive. I'd like to know whether the postie's been, without
having to bundle up and slog down the drive in winter weather - it
would
also be good to have at least a little warning before guests drop in.

Ideally, I'd like more than one sensor - one perhaps _inside_ the box,
so passing sheep, cattle and cats don't set it off, and one
part-way up
the drive (above cat level), as a drop-in-guest-detector.

Wireless, of course, with a plug-in receiver.

Anyone here have useful experience of such things?

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B003765W0W/

Interesting.
Have you used one yourself?

Eeek!
The Amazon _UK_ price is highway robbery!
I wonder what US airport security would think if I packed that in my
bag...
Carry on or checked?

S Viemeister Wrote in message:
We can't see the mailbox from the house - it's down at the end of a
fairly long drive. I'd like to know whether the postie's been, without
having to bundle up and slog down the drive in winter weather - it would
also be good to have at least a little warning before guests drop in.

Ideally, I'd like more than one sensor - one perhaps _inside_ the box,
so passing sheep, cattle and cats don't set it off, and one part-way up
the drive (above cat level), as a drop-in-guest-detector.

Wireless, of course, with a plug-in receiver.

Anyone here have useful experience of such things?



https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B003765W0W/

--
Jim K


----Android NewsGroup Reader----
http://usenet.sinaapp.com/

On 9/14/2016 5:10 PM, Capitol wrote:
S Viemeister wrote:
Eeek!
The Amazon _UK_ price is highway robbery!
I wonder what US airport security would think if I packed that in my
bag...
Carry on or checked?

Checked.

On 9/14/2016 4:54 PM, Capitol wrote:

I'd run a cable down with a cctv camera in the box and a pir sensor
across the drive with a buzzer in the house. Wirless means having to
build in solar charging, which IMO is always unreliable in winter.

Easier to install wireless, though.
The soil is very rocky - The previous owners had to use explosives to
clear a way for the drive.

On 9/14/2016 6:35 PM, jim wrote:
Wrote
On 9/14/2016 4:17 PM, jim wrote:
Wrote
We can't see the mailbox from the house - it's down at the end of a
fairly long drive. I'd like to know whether the postie's been, without
having to bundle up and slog down the drive in winter weather - it would
also be good to have at least a little warning before guests drop in.
Ideally, I'd like more than one sensor - one perhaps _inside_ the box,
so passing sheep, cattle and cats don't set it off, and one part-way up
the drive (above cat level), as a drop-in-guest-detector.
Wireless, of course, with a plug-in receiver.
Anyone here have useful experience of such things?
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B003765W0W/
Interesting.
Have you used one yourself?
Well not exactly ;-)
I read about one being hacked with a raspberry pi to do emailed
alerts with pics so I bought one from US Amazon
(dvd to UK) but not got tuit yet...

Let me know if/when you do.
(Now I'll need to buy a raspberry pi, too.)

On 9/14/2016 6:41 PM, jim wrote:
S Viemeister Wrote in message:

The Amazon _UK_ price is highway robbery!
I wonder what US airport security would think if I packed that in my bag...

Just buy it from USA Amazon for £70
delivered?

I feel like an idiot - I never even considered doing that.
Thank you.

S Viemeister Wrote in message:
On 9/14/2016 4:17 PM, jim wrote:
S Viemeister Wrote in message:
We can't see the mailbox from the house - it's down at the end of a
fairly long drive. I'd like to know whether the postie's been, without
having to bundle up and slog down the drive in winter weather - it would
also be good to have at least a little warning before guests drop in.

Ideally, I'd like more than one sensor - one perhaps _inside_ the box,
so passing sheep, cattle and cats don't set it off, and one part-way up
the drive (above cat level), as a drop-in-guest-detector.

Wireless, of course, with a plug-in receiver.

Anyone here have useful experience of such things?

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B003765W0W/

Interesting.
Have you used one yourself?


Well not exactly ;-)
I read about one being hacked with a raspberry pi to do emailed
alerts with pics so I bought one from US Amazon (dvd to UK) but
not got tuit yet...

--
Jim K


----Android NewsGroup Reader----
http://usenet.sinaapp.com/

S Viemeister Wrote in message:
On 9/14/2016 4:27 PM, S Viemeister wrote:
On 9/14/2016 4:17 PM, jim wrote:
S Viemeister Wrote in message:
We can't see the mailbox from the house - it's down at the end of a
fairly long drive. I'd like to know whether the postie's been, without
having to bundle up and slog down the drive in winter weather - it would
also be good to have at least a little warning before guests drop in.

Ideally, I'd like more than one sensor - one perhaps _inside_ the box,
so passing sheep, cattle and cats don't set it off, and one part-way up
the drive (above cat level), as a drop-in-guest-detector.

Wireless, of course, with a plug-in receiver.

Anyone here have useful experience of such things?

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B003765W0W/

Interesting.
Have you used one yourself?

Eeek!
The Amazon _UK_ price is highway robbery!
I wonder what US airport security would think if I packed that in my bag...


Just buy it from USA Amazon for £70delivered?
--
Jim K


----Android NewsGroup Reader----
http://usenet.sinaapp.com/

On Wed, 14 Sep 2016 21:54:03 +0100, Capitol wrote:

I'd run a cable down with a cctv camera in the box and a pir sensor
across the drive with a buzzer in the house. Wirless means having to
build in solar charging, which IMO is always unreliable in winter.

This is where those cheap Chinese lasers could come in useful. You could
criss-cross your driveway/paths with their beams like something out of a
James Bond film. Photodiodes to detect interruptions and away you go.

S Viemeister wrote:
On 9/14/2016 5:10 PM, Capitol wrote:
S Viemeister wrote:
Eeek!
The Amazon _UK_ price is highway robbery!
I wonder what US airport security would think if I packed that in my
bag...
Carry on or checked?

Checked.
Probably no problem, Guarantees that your case will be searched and
very badly repacked. The lock will probably be broken also as a crowbar
is the preferred opening tool! That's why I always use a strap as well!

I am not a fan of battery driven devices and wouldn't fit it
unless I had and external supply.

S Viemeister wrote:
On 9/14/2016 4:54 PM, Capitol wrote:

I'd run a cable down with a cctv camera in the box and a pir sensor
across the drive with a buzzer in the house. Wirless means having to
build in solar charging, which IMO is always unreliable in winter.

Easier to install wireless, though.
The soil is very rocky - The previous owners had to use explosives to
clear a way for the drive.
If you have a drive, it's easy enough to angle grind a channel for
a small cable, you only need one wire for supply, as the return can be
through the ground IME. Just need to adjust the drive voltage to ensure
enough power. Then you may want to use wireless for the signal or add a
couple of wires for twisted pair video linkage, these are good for 200M
I understand.

jim wrote:
S Wrote in message:

On 9/14/2016 4:27 PM, S Viemeister wrote:

On 9/14/2016 4:17 PM, jim wrote:

S Wrote in message:

We can't see the mailbox from the house - it's down at the end of a
fairly long drive. I'd like to know whether the postie's been, without
having to bundle up and slog down the drive in winter weather - it would
also be good to have at least a little warning before guests drop in.

Ideally, I'd like more than one sensor - one perhaps _inside_ the box,
so passing sheep, cattle and cats don't set it off, and one part-way up
the drive (above cat level), as a drop-in-guest-detector.

Wireless, of course, with a plug-in receiver.

Anyone here have useful experience of such things?


https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B003765W0W/


Interesting.
Have you used one yourself?

Eeek!
The Amazon _UK_ price is highway robbery!
I wonder what US airport security would think if I packed that in my bag...


Just buy it from USA Amazon for £70
delivered?


I hadn't realised that I could do that, thanks. I normally just buy
in the US.

Cursitor Doom wrote:
On Wed, 14 Sep 2016 21:54:03 +0100, Capitol wrote:


I'd run a cable down with a cctv camera in the box and a pir sensor
across the drive with a buzzer in the house. Wirless means having to
build in solar charging, which IMO is always unreliable in winter.

This is where those cheap Chinese lasers could come in useful. You could
criss-cross your driveway/paths with their beams like something out of a
James Bond film. Photodiodes to detect interruptions and away you go.

I wonder how much you could generate with one of the beam lasers
used to blind pilots? Need a parabolic collector I guess to optimise yield!

On 14/09/2016 20:14, S Viemeister wrote:


Anyone here have useful experience of such things?

1. I found that the easiest way to have a nice-sounding chime that
warned of a visitor was to feed a bog standard ding-dong door bell via a
relay. You can have several different chimers from the same unit if you
have several IR beams.

2. If you use CCTV don't try to get two camera signals up one CAT6.
There's crosstalk. It's unworkable.

Bill

"Capitol" wrote in message
...
Cursitor Doom wrote:
On Wed, 14 Sep 2016 21:54:03 +0100, Capitol wrote:


I'd run a cable down with a cctv camera in the box and a pir
sensor
across the drive with a buzzer in the house. Wirless means having to
build in solar charging, which IMO is always unreliable in winter.

This is where those cheap Chinese lasers could come in useful. You could
criss-cross your driveway/paths with their beams like something out of a
James Bond film. Photodiodes to detect interruptions and away you go.

I wonder how much you could generate with one of the beam lasers used
to blind pilots? Need a parabolic collector I guess to optimise yield!

Trouble is that in his case it would be impossible to distinguish between
cars and cattle. Easy enough to distinguish between cats and the rest tho.

On 14/09/16 20:14, S Viemeister wrote:
We can't see the mailbox from the house - it's down at the end of a
fairly long drive. I'd like to know whether the postie's been, without
having to bundle up and slog down the drive in winter weather - it would
also be good to have at least a little warning before guests drop in.

Ideally, I'd like more than one sensor - one perhaps _inside_ the box,
so passing sheep, cattle and cats don't set it off, and one part-way up
the drive (above cat level), as a drop-in-guest-detector.

Wireless, of course, with a plug-in receiver.

Anyone here have useful experience of such things?

This place has one. Pigeons delight on alighting just in front of it,
and cats walking up the drive also set it off.

To be fair, a car always does.


--
Ideas are more powerful than guns. We would not let our enemies have
guns, why should we let them have ideas?

Josef Stalin

On 14/09/2016 21:47, S Viemeister wrote:
On 9/14/2016 4:34 PM, WeeBob wrote:
On 2016-09-14 20:14, S Viemeister wrote:
We can't see the mailbox from the house - it's down at the end of a
fairly long drive. I'd like to know whether the postie's been, without
having to bundle up and slog down the drive in winter weather - it would
also be good to have at least a little warning before guests drop in.

Ideally, I'd like more than one sensor - one perhaps _inside_ the box,
so passing sheep, cattle and cats don't set it off, and one part-way up
the drive (above cat level), as a drop-in-guest-detector.

Wireless, of course, with a plug-in receiver.

Anyone here have useful experience of such things?

I have these:

https://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Main_In...ems/index.html



Hooked up to a mixed X10/Insteon system.

The Luminite stuff is pretty good, but expensive (imo). Linking it into
Home Automation (HA) is initially simple, but becomes complex depending
on what you're trying to achieve.

I'll take a look at that. Thank you.
I've got a number of Niteguard PIR's protecting a roof and hooked into a
burglar alarm, occasional false alarms from birds (two or three magpies
squabbling normally - I've also got CCTV!), PP9 batteries last at least
a year sometimes two (if I forget to change them). Been in service for
nearly 10 years.

One would fit inside your mailbox, but aerial would need to be outside
if box is metal.

Peter

On 9/14/2016 7:55 PM, Capitol wrote:
S Viemeister wrote:
On 9/14/2016 4:54 PM, Capitol wrote:

I'd run a cable down with a cctv camera in the box and a pir sensor
across the drive with a buzzer in the house. Wirless means having to
build in solar charging, which IMO is always unreliable in winter.

Easier to install wireless, though.
The soil is very rocky - The previous owners had to use explosives to
clear a way for the drive.
If you have a drive, it's easy enough to angle grind a channel for
a small cable, you only need one wire for supply, as the return can be
through the ground IME. Just need to adjust the drive voltage to ensure
enough power. Then you may want to use wireless for the signal or add a
couple of wires for twisted pair video linkage, these are good for 200M
I understand.

It's a LONG drive, and I have other things I'd rather spend the time and
effort on.
It will be wireless.