Our doorbell is a conventional 'Ding-dong' solenoid 6V battery powered
(4x C cell) type with a wired bell push.

So I could hear it in the garden it's near the back of the house and
so because of the double glazing, you often (depending on other
outside noise levels etc) can't hear it outside the front door.

Some of the delivery drivers (and a couple in particular) *also*
either rap the letterbox or tap the glass (one quite 'energetically
that makes the dog think he was an aggressor and he tells him so when
I open the door). ;-)

So, without putting any significant extra load on the battery system
or replacing the bell etc, is there an existing solution that provides
positive feedback for a successful press of the doorbell or can anyone
think of something that could be made / done that would provide such?

Like, I'm thinking there must be 6V across the back of the bell push
and so there could be the source of some energy to charge a cap that
could then be use to momentarily illuminate or rapidly flash a LED
that could be fitted into the std bell push? Should be ok as long as
the quiescent current remained very very low?

Or I could fit a small box containing such electronics on the back of
the door frame behind the bell push if required (because you would
probably need more wires etc and I don't want to have to run any)

It's not a biggie but I know myself how any lack of feedback that the
bell has sounded can be frustrating and it must be even more so if you
have to press 100+ a day to earn a living. ;-(

Maybe an audio 'repeater' in / behind the bell push (cellphone
speaker?) would be better than a LED, even if it was only a momentary
'Beep', as you pressed the button?

Cheers, T i m

On Tue, 13 Oct 2020 13:22:10 +0100, T i m wrote:

Maybe an audio 'repeater' in / behind the bell push (cellphone
speaker?) would be better than a LED, even if it was only a momentary
'Beep', as you pressed the button?

I think a beep when button pushed is a better indication that the
button has worked than a flashing LED.

How about a self resonating magnetic(*) beeper across a resistor in
series with the bell push? Resistor value "adjusted on test" to drop
enoough volts for the beeper but not to stop the ding-dong
ding-donging.

(*) Magentic as I'm not sure how tolerant a piezo beeper would be to
the back EMF from the ding-dong- solneoide.

--
Cheers
Dave.

In article ,
T i m wrote:
Our doorbell is a conventional 'Ding-dong' solenoid 6V battery powered
(4x C cell) type with a wired bell push.

So I could hear it in the garden it's near the back of the house and
so because of the double glazing, you often (depending on other
outside noise levels etc) can't hear it outside the front door.

Some of the delivery drivers (and a couple in particular) *also*
either rap the letterbox or tap the glass (one quite 'energetically
that makes the dog think he was an aggressor and he tells him so when
I open the door). ;-)

So, without putting any significant extra load on the battery system
or replacing the bell etc, is there an existing solution that provides
positive feedback for a successful press of the doorbell or can anyone
think of something that could be made / done that would provide such?

Like, I'm thinking there must be 6V across the back of the bell push
and so there could be the source of some energy to charge a cap that
could then be use to momentarily illuminate or rapidly flash a LED
that could be fitted into the std bell push? Should be ok as long as
the quiescent current remained very very low?

Or I could fit a small box containing such electronics on the back of
the door frame behind the bell push if required (because you would
probably need more wires etc and I don't want to have to run any)

It's not a biggie but I know myself how any lack of feedback that the
bell has sounded can be frustrating and it must be even more so if you
have to press 100+ a day to earn a living. ;-(

Maybe an audio 'repeater' in / behind the bell push (cellphone
speaker?) would be better than a LED, even if it was only a momentary
'Beep', as you pressed the button?

Cheers, T i m

A former colleague had the bell trigger a tape look of Big Ben striking
with a lagre loudspeaker fixed to the hall ceiling. That could be heard
down the gardeb.

--
from KT24 in Surrey, England
"I'd rather die of exhaustion than die of boredom" Thomas Carlyle

In article ,
T i m wrote:
It's not a biggie but I know myself how any lack of feedback that the
bell has sounded can be frustrating and it must be even more so if you
have to press 100+ a day to earn a living. ;-(

If a delivery man can't hear a bell, do you think he'd be impressed with a
LED? My bell is mains via a transformer and the light in the push goes out
when the bell rings. Which you can hear from outside the house too.
Doesn't stop them banging on the door.

--
*Organized Crime Is Alive And Well; It's Called Auto Insurance. *

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

On Tue, 13 Oct 2020 13:33:21 +0100 (BST), "Dave Liquorice"
wrote:

On Tue, 13 Oct 2020 13:22:10 +0100, T i m wrote:

Maybe an audio 'repeater' in / behind the bell push (cellphone
speaker?) would be better than a LED, even if it was only a momentary
'Beep', as you pressed the button?

I think a beep when button pushed is a better indication that the
button has worked than a flashing LED.

Agreed, doesn't require any looking but could be missed [1] by the
current postie who regularly wears some Beat headphones. ;-)

How about a self resonating magnetic(*) beeper across a resistor in
series with the bell push? Resistor value "adjusted on test" to drop
enoough volts for the beeper but not to stop the ding-dong
ding-donging.

I like it, because it's in series there is nothing going on when the
button isn't pressed. ;-)

(*) Magentic as I'm not sure how tolerant a piezo beeper would be to
the back EMF from the ding-dong- solneoide.

Assuming there isn't a diode on there ATM, couldn't I fit such at the
bell end (oooh, Mrs) in any case?

So I'm looking for as low as possible 'buzzer' of some sort and maybe
start with a pot to set the threshold (buzz vol V reliable Ding-dong)
and then replace it with a fixed resistor.

Actually, ATM I have 4 x NiMh C's in there so am already dropping some
volts so could probably go back to 4 Alkaline if need be.

Cheers, T i m

[1] Couldn't I also have said but high efficiency LED in parallel with
the buzzer (possibly with it's own load resistor)?

On Tue, 13 Oct 2020 13:43:24 +0100, charles
wrote:

snip

Maybe an audio 'repeater' in / behind the bell push (cellphone
speaker?) would be better than a LED, even if it was only a momentary
'Beep', as you pressed the button?


A former colleague had the bell trigger a tape look of Big Ben striking
with a lagre loudspeaker fixed to the hall ceiling. That could be heard
down the gardeb.

I bet it could. ;-)

Mum has the old mechanical Westminster Chimes (is it?) (Ding dong ding
dong ... ding dong ding dong) and that's handy sometimes if you aren't
sure if you heard the first bit but it does seem to go in a bit if you
have.

Some elderly relies had a wind-up clockwork one on the back of the
front door and that was pretty effective and you were in no doubt that
it's worked as the whole door resonated it in both directions!

Cheers, T i m

On Tue, 13 Oct 2020 13:51:58 +0100, "Dave Plowman (News)"
wrote:

In article ,
T i m wrote:
It's not a biggie but I know myself how any lack of feedback that the
bell has sounded can be frustrating and it must be even more so if you
have to press 100+ a day to earn a living. ;-(

If a delivery man can't hear a bell, do you think he'd be impressed with a
LED?

Possibly not, but possibly yes (as I've looked for similar if I can't
hear anything and they must see / hear a fair few in their day)?

My bell is mains via a transformer and the light in the push goes out
when the bell rings.

Yeah, that is an advantage with mains driven ones.

Which you can hear from outside the house too.

You can mine, if it happens to be quiet and you know what to listen
for. It's just not 'blatantly obvious'.

Doesn't stop them banging on the door.

I'm going to have a word with the one who often sounds like he's
trying to break the front door down and was then surprised when the
dog told him off [1]. ;-)

Cheers, T i m

[1] Funnily enough he might just bark once if someone knocks or rings
the bell and is keen to see who it is, *especially* if he thinks it's
his Mum [2]. ;-)

[2] In spite of the TV being in and not being able to hear much of
what going on outside he *can* hear her (quiet / ordinary Corsa) drive
past as he pricks his ears up and looks at where the front door is,
through the lounge wall. ;-)

In article ,
T i m wrote:
On Tue, 13 Oct 2020 13:51:58 +0100, "Dave Plowman (News)"
wrote:

In article ,
T i m wrote:
It's not a biggie but I know myself how any lack of feedback that the
bell has sounded can be frustrating and it must be even more so if you
have to press 100+ a day to earn a living. ;-(

If a delivery man can't hear a bell, do you think he'd be impressed
with a LED?

Possibly not, but possibly yes (as I've looked for similar if I can't
hear anything and they must see / hear a fair few in their day)?

Given so many have cordless units that often have failed or have flat
batteries - even if you can hear it throughout the house - I'm not
surprised so many prefer to knock.

My bell is mains via a transformer and the light in the push goes out
when the bell rings.

Yeah, that is an advantage with mains driven ones.

I've got two underdome bells. One upstairs. Can hear them anywhere. And
replaced the weedy bulb in the bell push with two nice bright LEDs which
are easily seen in daylight.

Which you can hear from outside the house too.

You can mine, if it happens to be quiet and you know what to listen
for. It's just not 'blatantly obvious'.

I have a well fitting vestibule door and that drops the level of someone
knocking on the outside one to the point I won't hear it unless close. I
did have a door knocker (for looks) but got rid at the last redecoration.
And the letter box has a stiff spring making it difficult to rattle that.


Doesn't stop them banging on the door.

I'm going to have a word with the one who often sounds like he's
trying to break the front door down and was then surprised when the
dog told him off [1]. ;-)

Cheers, T i m

[1] Funnily enough he might just bark once if someone knocks or rings
the bell and is keen to see who it is, *especially* if he thinks it's
his Mum [2]. ;-)

[2] In spite of the TV being in and not being able to hear much of
what going on outside he *can* hear her (quiet / ordinary Corsa) drive
past as he pricks his ears up and looks at where the front door is,
through the lounge wall. ;-)

Mate's dog only barks at someone at the door when he's at home. Not much
use as a guard dog. ;-)

--
*When did my wild oats turn to prunes and all bran?

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

On Tue, 13 Oct 2020 14:54:51 +0100, T i m wrote:

Some elderly relies had a wind-up clockwork one on the back of the
front door and that was pretty effective and you were in no doubt that
it's worked as the whole door resonated it in both directions!

Oh, yes my Grandad had one of those, excellent door bell. You can
still get them, going rate seems to be just over £30.00

--
Cheers
Dave.

On Tue, 13 Oct 2020 14:25:45 +0100, T i m wrote:

I think a beep when button pushed is a better indication that the
button has worked than a flashing LED.

Agreed, doesn't require any looking but could be missed [1] by the
current postie who regularly wears some Beat headphones. ;-)

Ours just used to have the van radio turned up...

How about a self resonating magnetic(*) beeper across a resistor
in
series with the bell push? Resistor value "adjusted on test" to
drop
enoough volts for the beeper but not to stop the ding-dong
ding-donging.

I like it, because it's in series there is nothing going on when the
button isn't pressed. ;-)

Exactly, KISS...

(*) Magentic as I'm not sure how tolerant a piezo beeper would be
to
the back EMF from the ding-dong- solneoide.

Assuming there isn't a diode on there ATM, couldn't I fit such at the
bell end (oooh, Mrs) in any case?

Yeah that would work.

So I'm looking for as low as possible 'buzzer' of some sort

CPC SN36941 £0.32p ea inc VAT.
1 to 2 V range, 80dB, approx 2 kHz

and maybe start with a pot to set the threshold (buzz vol V reliable
Ding-dong) and then replace it with a fixed resistor.

I'd measure the current drawn by the bell and apply Ohms/Kirchoffs
Laws in conjuction with the sounders spec.

[1] Couldn't I also have said but high efficiency LED in parallel with
the buzzer (possibly with it's own load resistor)?

Yeah I guess so.

--
Cheers
Dave.

A pietzo sounder on some kind of one shot circuit. We used to build things
like that in the old days.

Brian

--
--
This newsgroup posting comes to you directly from...
The Sofa of Brian Gaff...

Blind user, so no pictures please
Note this Signature is meaningless.!
"T i m" wrote in message
...
Our doorbell is a conventional 'Ding-dong' solenoid 6V battery powered
(4x C cell) type with a wired bell push.

So I could hear it in the garden it's near the back of the house and
so because of the double glazing, you often (depending on other
outside noise levels etc) can't hear it outside the front door.

Some of the delivery drivers (and a couple in particular) *also*
either rap the letterbox or tap the glass (one quite 'energetically
that makes the dog think he was an aggressor and he tells him so when
I open the door). ;-)

So, without putting any significant extra load on the battery system
or replacing the bell etc, is there an existing solution that provides
positive feedback for a successful press of the doorbell or can anyone
think of something that could be made / done that would provide such?

Like, I'm thinking there must be 6V across the back of the bell push
and so there could be the source of some energy to charge a cap that
could then be use to momentarily illuminate or rapidly flash a LED
that could be fitted into the std bell push? Should be ok as long as
the quiescent current remained very very low?

Or I could fit a small box containing such electronics on the back of
the door frame behind the bell push if required (because you would
probably need more wires etc and I don't want to have to run any)

It's not a biggie but I know myself how any lack of feedback that the
bell has sounded can be frustrating and it must be even more so if you
have to press 100+ a day to earn a living. ;-(

Maybe an audio 'repeater' in / behind the bell push (cellphone
speaker?) would be better than a LED, even if it was only a momentary
'Beep', as you pressed the button?

Cheers, T i m

The issue often is those who just hold their finger on the bell. The ting
noise would only sound when you took your finger off. I get this with my
door intercom.


Many years ago in Radio Constructor, somebody modified an ordinary door
knocker to operate a chime. It used a read switch and a magnet as I recall
and was probably far more complicated than you would want involving two
power supplies and a relay.
Brian

--
--
This newsgroup posting comes to you directly from...
The Sofa of Brian Gaff...

Blind user, so no pictures please
Note this Signature is meaningless.!
"Dave Liquorice" wrote in message
idual.net...
On Tue, 13 Oct 2020 13:22:10 +0100, T i m wrote:

Maybe an audio 'repeater' in / behind the bell push (cellphone
speaker?) would be better than a LED, even if it was only a momentary
'Beep', as you pressed the button?

I think a beep when button pushed is a better indication that the
button has worked than a flashing LED.

How about a self resonating magnetic(*) beeper across a resistor in
series with the bell push? Resistor value "adjusted on test" to drop
enoough volts for the beeper but not to stop the ding-dong
ding-donging.

(*) Magentic as I'm not sure how tolerant a piezo beeper would be to
the back EMF from the ding-dong- solneoide.

--
Cheers
Dave.

On 13/10/2020 13:22, T i m wrote:
Our doorbell is a conventional 'Ding-dong' solenoid 6V battery powered
(4x C cell) type with a wired bell push.

So I could hear it in the garden it's near the back of the house and
so because of the double glazing, you often (depending on other
outside noise levels etc) can't hear it outside the front door.

If you were to use a transformer instead of batteries a thousand options
would appear as ways of solving your problem.

Incidentally I was trying to test a doorbell that had a sounder a long
way from the bellpush. I dialed the house number on my phone, put the
house phone on the shelf next to the sounder, and took my mobile to the
bellpush. It appeared that the thing didn't work, which was inexplicable
because every part of the installation had been tested separately, so I
became vexed. Then someone came out of the house and said, "Will you
stop ringing that bloody doorbell?" It turned out that the house phone
had some sort of fast-acting limiter and was muting whenever the sounder
operated. When I put the house phone at the other side of the room
everything worked.

Bill

"charles" wrote in message
...
In article ,
T i m wrote:
Our doorbell is a conventional 'Ding-dong' solenoid 6V battery powered
(4x C cell) type with a wired bell push.

So I could hear it in the garden it's near the back of the house and
so because of the double glazing, you often (depending on other
outside noise levels etc) can't hear it outside the front door.

Some of the delivery drivers (and a couple in particular) *also*
either rap the letterbox or tap the glass (one quite 'energetically
that makes the dog think he was an aggressor and he tells him so when
I open the door). ;-)

So, without putting any significant extra load on the battery system
or replacing the bell etc, is there an existing solution that provides
positive feedback for a successful press of the doorbell or can anyone
think of something that could be made / done that would provide such?

Like, I'm thinking there must be 6V across the back of the bell push
and so there could be the source of some energy to charge a cap that
could then be use to momentarily illuminate or rapidly flash a LED
that could be fitted into the std bell push? Should be ok as long as
the quiescent current remained very very low?

Or I could fit a small box containing such electronics on the back of
the door frame behind the bell push if required (because you would
probably need more wires etc and I don't want to have to run any)

It's not a biggie but I know myself how any lack of feedback that the
bell has sounded can be frustrating and it must be even more so if you
have to press 100+ a day to earn a living. ;-(

Maybe an audio 'repeater' in / behind the bell push (cellphone
speaker?) would be better than a LED, even if it was only a momentary
'Beep', as you pressed the button?

Cheers, T i m

A former colleague had the bell trigger a tape look of Big Ben striking
with a lagre loudspeaker fixed to the hall ceiling. That could be heard
down the gardeb.

I have a loud doorbell by the front door, also a sign below the bell push
which says Please press the doorbell YES it does work
and delivery driver still ignore it and tap on the door

--

On 13/10/2020 13:22, T i m wrote:
Our doorbell is a conventional 'Ding-dong' solenoid 6V battery powered
(4x C cell) type with a wired bell push.

So I could hear it in the garden it's near the back of the house and
so because of the double glazing, you often (depending on other
outside noise levels etc) can't hear it outside the front door.

Some of the delivery drivers (and a couple in particular) *also*
either rap the letterbox or tap the glass (one quite 'energetically
that makes the dog think he was an aggressor and he tells him so when
I open the door). ;-)

So, without putting any significant extra load on the battery system
or replacing the bell etc, is there an existing solution that provides
positive feedback for a successful press of the doorbell or can anyone
think of something that could be made / done that would provide such?

Couldn't you replace the button with an illuminated one? The kind where
the light goes out when you press the button (because it's wired across
the contact). You could probably DIY (incandescent or LED).

--
Max Demian

T i m wrote:
Our doorbell is a conventional 'Ding-dong' solenoid 6V battery powered
(4x C cell) type with a wired bell push.

So I could hear it in the garden it's near the back of the house and
so because of the double glazing, you often (depending on other
outside noise levels etc) can't hear it outside the front door.

Some of the delivery drivers (and a couple in particular) *also*
either rap the letterbox or tap the glass (one quite 'energetically
that makes the dog think he was an aggressor and he tells him so when
I open the door). ;-)

So, without putting any significant extra load on the battery system
or replacing the bell etc, is there an existing solution that provides
positive feedback for a successful press of the doorbell or can anyone
think of something that could be made / done that would provide such?

Is a second cheap battery doorbell wired in parallel and mounted just
inside the front door too obvious?

Tim+


--
Please don't feed the trolls

On Tue, 13 Oct 2020 16:32:41 +0100 (BST), "Dave Liquorice"
wrote:

snip

Agreed, doesn't require any looking but could be missed [1] by the
current postie who regularly wears some Beat headphones. ;-)

Ours just used to have the van radio turned up...

Ah, only the Parcel Force use vans here, the std postie is on foot
with a trolley.

snip

I like it, because it's in series there is nothing going on when the
button isn't pressed. ;-)

Exactly, KISS...

(*) Magentic as I'm not sure how tolerant a piezo beeper would be
to
the back EMF from the ding-dong- solneoide.

Assuming there isn't a diode on there ATM, couldn't I fit such at the
bell end (oooh, Mrs) in any case?

Yeah that would work.

So I'm looking for as low as possible 'buzzer' of some sort

CPC SN36941 £0.32p ea inc VAT.
1 to 2 V range, 80dB, approx 2 kHz

Erm, I asked about similar on eBay and the seller confirmed that it
needed to be driven by some external electronics, eg it was just a
speaker?

All the descriptions seem confused ...

"Electromagnetic Buzzer, 1.5v, 80dB, 2kHz - MCKP12-G185B-3709"

and

"The MCKP12-G185B-3709 is a Transducer made of NORYL case and
through-hole mounting."

?

and maybe start with a pot to set the threshold (buzz vol V reliable
Ding-dong) and then replace it with a fixed resistor.

I'd measure the current drawn by the bell and apply Ohms/Kirchoffs
Laws in conjuction with the sounders spec.

Check.

[1] Couldn't I also have said but high efficiency LED in parallel with
the buzzer (possibly with it's own load resistor)?

Yeah I guess so.

One of the mini ones glued into the top corner could be right in the
eye line. ;-)

Cheers, T i m

On Tue, 13 Oct 2020 17:08:56 +0100, "Brian Gaff \(Sofa\)"
wrote:

The issue often is those who just hold their finger on the bell. The ting
noise would only sound when you took your finger off. I get this with my
door intercom.

It's how ours works as well but most people just seem to press it
'normally'.


Many years ago in Radio Constructor, somebody modified an ordinary door
knocker to operate a chime. It used a read switch and a magnet as I recall
and was probably far more complicated than you would want involving two
power supplies and a relay.

I was thinking there could be room for something driving a sounder,
powered by a cap that's charged by the main unit?

6V from the main bell / battery charges a cap via a resistor (and
diode) that keeps the current down so that it doesn't do the first
'ding' when you first hook it up.

Cap get's to 5.4V and has enough capacity to drive a 5V buzzer or
sounder for a second or so.

As you press the doorbell the supply line is shorted and rings the
bell (the 'ding' part) and at the same time something (op amp,
LMC555?) sees the supply voltage go lower than the cap voltage and
toggles it's output for half a second or so (monostable) driving the
buzzer?

Or to remove the 100uA parasitic load of the LMC555, a micro DIL
relay, triggered by the pushbutton from the cap supply that connects
the timer that is also latched on whilst the sounder sounds and then
releases itself?

Or something ... ? ;-)

Cheers, T i m

On Tue, 13 Oct 2020 17:38:29 +0100, williamwright
wrote:

On 13/10/2020 13:22, T i m wrote:
Our doorbell is a conventional 'Ding-dong' solenoid 6V battery powered
(4x C cell) type with a wired bell push.

So I could hear it in the garden it's near the back of the house and
so because of the double glazing, you often (depending on other
outside noise levels etc) can't hear it outside the front door.

If you were to use a transformer instead of batteries a thousand options
would appear as ways of solving your problem.

Understood.

Incidentally I was trying to test a doorbell that had a sounder a long
way from the bellpush. I dialed the house number on my phone, put the
house phone on the shelf next to the sounder, and took my mobile to the
bellpush. It appeared that the thing didn't work, which was inexplicable
because every part of the installation had been tested separately, so I
became vexed. Then someone came out of the house and said, "Will you
stop ringing that bloody doorbell?" It turned out that the house phone
had some sort of fast-acting limiter and was muting whenever the sounder
operated. When I put the house phone at the other side of the room
everything worked.

Hehe.

Or the wireless doorbells that coincided with your neighbours one. ;-)

Cheers, T i m

On Tue, 13 Oct 2020 17:43:10 +0100, Max Demian
wrote:

On 13/10/2020 13:22, T i m wrote:
Our doorbell is a conventional 'Ding-dong' solenoid 6V battery powered
(4x C cell) type with a wired bell push.

So I could hear it in the garden it's near the back of the house and
so because of the double glazing, you often (depending on other
outside noise levels etc) can't hear it outside the front door.

Some of the delivery drivers (and a couple in particular) *also*
either rap the letterbox or tap the glass (one quite 'energetically
that makes the dog think he was an aggressor and he tells him so when
I open the door). ;-)

So, without putting any significant extra load on the battery system
or replacing the bell etc, is there an existing solution that provides
positive feedback for a successful press of the doorbell or can anyone
think of something that could be made / done that would provide such?

Couldn't you replace the button with an illuminated one? The kind where
the light goes out when you press the button (because it's wired across
the contact). You could probably DIY (incandescent or LED).

I *could* but I think that would drain the batteries fairly quickly.
;-(

I could go mains powered but the existing solution works perfectly
well (on rechargeable batteries that probably self discharge as fast
as they are flattened by use) so the challenge was to see if I can
overcome the weakness with some clever solution. ;-)

Cheers, T i m

On 13 Oct 2020 17:08:22 GMT, Tim+ wrote:

Is a second cheap battery doorbell wired in parallel and mounted just
inside the front door too obvious?

Requires an additional wire to get it in parallel with the existing
bell. ISTR that running extra wires was not an option, though not
discounted in the orginal post.

--
Cheers
Dave.

On Tue, 13 Oct 2020 17:43:10 +0100, Max Demian wrote:

Couldn't you replace the button with an illuminated one? The kind where
the light goes out when you press the button (because it's wired across
the contact).

Not good for battery life even with a high effciency LED. It also
only indicates that the switch contacts made not that the ding-dong
ding-donged. Especially with an high effciency LED that'll light
quite brightly on only a mA or so.

--
Cheers
Dave.

On 13 Oct 2020 17:08:22 GMT, Tim+ wrote:

snip

So, without putting any significant extra load on the battery system
or replacing the bell etc, is there an existing solution that provides
positive feedback for a successful press of the doorbell or can anyone
think of something that could be made / done that would provide such?

Is a second cheap battery doorbell wired in parallel and mounted just
inside the front door too obvious?

It might have been ... depending on how I would wire it up?

Assuming it's the same model, would the idea be that the first unit
powers the second and both operate when you press the button?

Wouldn't they have to be in series to do that (one without the battery
circuit) and then they would both be working on half the voltage
(unless I replace the battery with a 12V one)?

If both were powered and commoned at the same bell push, wouldn't
there be the need for diodes on both 'lives' to the bell push so that
they didn't leak voltage back to each other (that would be fairly
doable).

Or have I miss something more obvious?

I guess a small relay (coil) in series with the first and actuating
the second could also work?

Cheers, T i m

On Tuesday, 13 October 2020 20:11:32 UTC+1, Dave Liquorice wrote:
Requires an additional wire to get it in parallel with the existing
bell. ISTR that running extra wires was not an option, though not
discounted in the orginal post.

Ding-dongs (which don't have an interrupter contact) should be able to be run in series as long as the bell voltages add up to the power supply voltage.

As long as you replace all the batteries at the same time, two similar ding-dongs with batteries in each would equal 8 cells in series with 2 chimes.

Trembler bells of similar type can be run in series provided that only one has interrupter contacts, which act for all the bells. The interrupter on all the other bells needs to be shorted.

Owain

On 13/10/2020 14:25:45, T i m wrote:
On Tue, 13 Oct 2020 13:33:21 +0100 (BST), "Dave Liquorice"
wrote:

On Tue, 13 Oct 2020 13:22:10 +0100, T i m wrote:

Maybe an audio 'repeater' in / behind the bell push (cellphone
speaker?) would be better than a LED, even if it was only a momentary
'Beep', as you pressed the button?

I think a beep when button pushed is a better indication that the
button has worked than a flashing LED.

Agreed, doesn't require any looking but could be missed [1] by the
current postie who regularly wears some Beat headphones. ;-)

How about a self resonating magnetic(*) beeper across a resistor in
series with the bell push? Resistor value "adjusted on test" to drop
enoough volts for the beeper but not to stop the ding-dong
ding-donging.

I like it, because it's in series there is nothing going on when the
button isn't pressed. ;-)

(*) Magentic as I'm not sure how tolerant a piezo beeper would be to
the back EMF from the ding-dong- solneoide.

Assuming there isn't a diode on there ATM, couldn't I fit such at the
bell end (oooh, Mrs) in any case?

So I'm looking for as low as possible 'buzzer' of some sort and maybe
start with a pot to set the threshold (buzz vol V reliable Ding-dong)
and then replace it with a fixed resistor.

Actually, ATM I have 4 x NiMh C's in there so am already dropping some
volts so could probably go back to 4 Alkaline if need be.

That implies 12V being available rather than the usual 6V.

Why not have a second Ding-Dong style bell by the front door and have
both in series? Preferably the same make/model so same load. If it's
unbalanced then add a modest 6V zener (or resistor) across the bell
taking up the volts.

T i m wrote:
On 13 Oct 2020 17:08:22 GMT, Tim+ wrote:

snip

So, without putting any significant extra load on the battery system
or replacing the bell etc, is there an existing solution that provides
positive feedback for a successful press of the doorbell or can anyone
think of something that could be made / done that would provide such?

Is a second cheap battery doorbell wired in parallel and mounted just
inside the front door too obvious?

It might have been ... depending on how I would wire it up?

Assuming it's the same model, would the idea be that the first unit
powers the second and both operate when you press the button?

Um no.


Wouldn't they have to be in series to do that (one without the battery
circuit) and then they would both be working on half the voltage
(unless I replace the battery with a 12V one)?

Two battery doorbells, wired €œin parallel€� to the same bell push.


If both were powered and commoned at the same bell push, wouldn't
there be the need for diodes on both 'lives' to the bell push so that
they didn't leak voltage back to each other (that would be fairly
doable).

Dont see why they should need that. Theyll both be open circuit until the
push is pressed.


Or have I miss something more obvious?

I guess a small relay (coil) in series with the first and actuating
the second could also work?


I think youre over-complicating things.

Tim+

--
Please don't feed the trolls

On 13 Oct 2020 21:23:11 GMT, Tim+ wrote:

snip

Assuming it's the same model, would the idea be that the first unit
powers the second and both operate when you press the button?

Um no.

Ok ...


Wouldn't they have to be in series to do that (one without the battery
circuit) and then they would both be working on half the voltage
(unless I replace the battery with a 12V one)?

Two battery doorbells, wired “in parallel” to the same bell push.

Yeah, I got that, but then both *batteries* would also be in parallel,
via the solenoid coils? Ok as long as they were the same make / model
/ condition *and* wired the same way round (+/- etc).


If both were powered and commoned at the same bell push, wouldn't
there be the need for diodes on both 'lives' to the bell push so that
they didn't leak voltage back to each other (that would be fairly
doable).

Don’t see why they should need that. They’ll both be open circuit until the
push is pressed.

Yeees, but they would both be in parallel battery wise, unless you had
a dual pole doorbell switch?


Or have I miss something more obvious?

I guess a small relay (coil) in series with the first and actuating
the second could also work?


I think you’re over-complicating things.

See above. ;-)

Cheers, T i m

On Tue, 13 Oct 2020 12:44:53 -0700 (PDT),
wrote:

On Tuesday, 13 October 2020 20:11:32 UTC+1, Dave Liquorice wrote:
Requires an additional wire to get it in parallel with the existing
bell. ISTR that running extra wires was not an option, though not
discounted in the orginal post.

Ding-dongs (which don't have an interrupter contact) should be able to be run in series as long as the bell voltages add up to the power supply voltage.

Understood.

As long as you replace all the batteries at the same time, two similar ding-dongs with batteries in each would equal 8 cells in series with 2 chimes.

Check.

Trembler bells of similar type can be run in series provided that only one has interrupter contacts, which act for all the bells. The interrupter on all the other bells needs to be shorted.

Noted (this isn't such).

Alternatively, I could rewire one unit to be just the bell (takes me
back to my BT and 706 days g) and replace the batteries in the main
unit with 3 x 18650's. ;-)

Cheers, T i m

On Tue, 13 Oct 2020 20:11:27 +0100 (BST), "Dave Liquorice"
wrote:

On 13 Oct 2020 17:08:22 GMT, Tim+ wrote:

Is a second cheap battery doorbell wired in parallel and mounted just
inside the front door too obvious?

Requires an additional wire to get it in parallel with the existing
bell. ISTR that running extra wires was not an option, though not
discounted in the orginal post.

That wasn't part of the original ideal but wouldn't be too difficult
to arrange etc (easier than running additional wires between door and
bell or running power to the main bell etc).

If I was to up the voltage on the main unit (3 x 18650's (and a small
BMS), nominally 12V) I could have a zener in series with the push
button and your idea of a buzzer across it? 3D print a couple of dummy
battery tubes and I could probably make it all plug and play (albeit
swerving the original plan a bit, but without having to mess with the
wiring or design anything)?

I think that would have the smallest component count (ignoring the
battery bit that would be easy), potentially the most predictable
results and the (white) buzzer right behind the bell push where they
would most likely hear it?

Cheers, T i m

T i m wrote:
Our doorbell is a conventional 'Ding-dong' solenoid 6V battery powered
(4x C cell) type with a wired bell push.

So I could hear it in the garden it's near the back of the house and
so because of the double glazing, you often (depending on other
outside noise levels etc) can't hear it outside the front door.

Some of the delivery drivers (and a couple in particular) *also*
either rap the letterbox or tap the glass (one quite 'energetically
that makes the dog think he was an aggressor and he tells him so when
I open the door). ;-)

So, without putting any significant extra load on the battery system
or replacing the bell etc, is there an existing solution that provides
positive feedback for a successful press of the doorbell or can anyone
think of something that could be made / done that would provide such?

Like, I'm thinking there must be 6V across the back of the bell push
and so there could be the source of some energy to charge a cap that
could then be use to momentarily illuminate or rapidly flash a LED
that could be fitted into the std bell push? Should be ok as long as
the quiescent current remained very very low?

Or I could fit a small box containing such electronics on the back of
the door frame behind the bell push if required (because you would
probably need more wires etc and I don't want to have to run any)

It's not a biggie but I know myself how any lack of feedback that the
bell has sounded can be frustrating and it must be even more so if you
have to press 100+ a day to earn a living. ;-(

Maybe an audio 'repeater' in / behind the bell push (cellphone
speaker?) would be better than a LED, even if it was only a momentary
'Beep', as you pressed the button?

Cheers, T i m



Assumed doorbell circuit. Arrows go to extension circuit.

------+------- solenoid -------+
| | +
\ x ----- 6V
\ ---
x | -
| |
------+------------------------+

+-------------
|
RLED (6-2)V / 10mA = 390 ohms 1/8th watt
| or larger
+-----+ Limits current while LED runs.
+ | | Limits charging current too though.
----- --- Use two resistors, one per diode, to adjust this.
1N4001 \ / ^
v / \ LED Yellow 2.0V LED
--- -----
| | +
+-----+
+ |
--- 2200uF (salt to taste, RLED*C tau)
--- C
|
+-------------

If the cap isn't recharging fast enough for taste
(LED doesn't work when nervous nelly does a drum
solo on the button)... This will allow the cap to
recover between staccato button presses, a little bit.
The lower limit on resistor value, is 1N4001 current
rating, and you can use a larger diode if desired.
I just happen to have a pack of 1n400x sitting around,
so it's the first number that comes to mind. They're
pretty cheap if not bought at Radio Shack.

+-------------
|
6.2 RCAP Limits diode current flow, use larger diode if desired...
Ohms | Recharges cap for next pulse, more quickly.
+-----+
| |
| RLED (6-2)V / 10mA = 390 ohms 1/8th watt
| | or larger
| | Limits current while LED runs.
+ | |
----- --- Diode prevents 5V from appearing
1N4001 \ / ^ across the reversed yellow LED. Only
v / \ LED Yellow 2V indicator LEDs allow a PIV like this.
--- ----- Power LEDs are less tolerant on PIV.
| | +
+-----+
+ |
--- 2200uF (salt to taste, RLED*C tau)
--- C Grab any old cap from the electrolytics box, and test :-)
| You'll be breadboarding this circuit before buildup.
+------------- to get the aesthetics right.

If you make the RLED a lower value, like say 220 ohm,
to get more current through the LED, then the cap
value rises to give the same time constant as before.

If you use back-to-back LEDs, then the button release
gets a bit of color too. You want LEDs with similar
Vf, so that the current flow levels aren't too much
different during charge/discharge of the cap. Yellow
and red would be good. Throwing blue into the circuit
less so (blue is used in white LEDs too). The cap will not
charge quickly enough if you do this (you would be using
the first circuit, not the second), so having two colors
to show, means the quick-button-pressers that play a drum
solo on the button, don't get good lighting on subsequent
tries.

The Vf actually follows Plancks constant, so the
forward voltage isn't as "arbitrary" as it looks here (table).
Blue, which is up the higher energy end of the band,
has the higher Vf. You would then predict infrared
LEDs, would be a lot lower Vf, without having to look
it up. If I was doing two colors, red and green or red and
yellow might be decent mixes. Blue and infrared would be
too far apart to share a single resistor value.

https://www.circuitbread.com/ee-faq/...different-leds

The only question then, is whether leakage in the switch,
or leakage in the capacitor, could lead to the batteries
discharging to nothing, one of the cells reverse bias,
juice ends up in the battery bay, eats the contacts
in the battery bay, and so on... You could make the
capacitor out of a large number of ceramics, but maybe the
leakage would still not be exactly zero. The "large" ceramics
I bought on sale, they're a bit leaky.

And doorbell switches are *the worst* switches on earth.
They really put the effort into making awful ones
(no precious metals on the contacts).

Anyway, you can have fun playing with the concept
and whip something up. If you don't like LEDs,
you could substitute something else, subject to the
available voltage and current. And also, whether
reverse PIV (0.7V via the 1N4001) is OK or not.
One of the reasons for me putting the 1N4001 in the
circuit, was as a PIV protection feature, so the
PIV (peak-inverse-volts) situation would not be quite as bad.

Paul

On Tue, 13 Oct 2020 20:34:04 -0400, Paul
wrote:

snip

Assumed doorbell circuit. Arrows go to extension circuit.

------+------- solenoid -------+
| | +
\ x ----- 6V
\ ---
x | -
| |
------+------------------------+

Spot on.

+-------------
|
RLED (6-2)V / 10mA = 390 ohms 1/8th watt
| or larger
+-----+ Limits current while LED runs.
+ | | Limits charging current too though.
----- --- Use two resistors, one per diode, to adjust this.
1N4001 \ / ^
v / \ LED Yellow 2.0V LED
--- -----
| | +
+-----+
+ |
--- 2200uF (salt to taste, RLED*C tau)
--- C
|
+-------------

Nice thinking Paul. The 'clever' thing about that (assuming they are
looking for the LED etc) is that it could all be in / just behind the
bell-push (that is on the uPVC door frame).

If the cap isn't recharging fast enough for taste
(LED doesn't work when nervous nelly does a drum
solo on the button)...

'Nervous Nelly' weg

This will allow the cap to
recover between staccato button presses, a little bit.

I'm not bothered about that / them Paul. TBF, most people generally
either press it once 'normally' (press - release) or go for the 'I'll
ring it longer' but then I just get the 'Ding ............. dong'. ;-)

The lower limit on resistor value, is 1N4001 current
rating, and you can use a larger diode if desired.

I might have to be careful that too small a resistor causes the
solenoid to hang or not allow the 'dong' if it doesn't release cleanly
as it's re-charging the cap?

I just happen to have a pack of 1n400x sitting around,
so it's the first number that comes to mind.

I have a roll of them as well. ;-)

They're
pretty cheap if not bought at Radio Shack.

Quite! Buying two diodes from RS was normally the same price as 100 at
my local electronics suppliers (all now long gone though). ;-(

+-------------
|
6.2 RCAP Limits diode current flow, use larger diode if desired...
Ohms | Recharges cap for next pulse, more quickly.
+-----+
| |
| RLED (6-2)V / 10mA = 390 ohms 1/8th watt
| | or larger
| | Limits current while LED runs.
+ | |
----- --- Diode prevents 5V from appearing
1N4001 \ / ^ across the reversed yellow LED. Only
v / \ LED Yellow 2V indicator LEDs allow a PIV like this.
--- ----- Power LEDs are less tolerant on PIV.
| | +
+-----+
+ |
--- 2200uF (salt to taste, RLED*C tau)
--- C Grab any old cap from the electrolytics box, and test :-)
| You'll be breadboarding this circuit before buildup.
+------------- to get the aesthetics right.

If you make the RLED a lower value, like say 220 ohm,
to get more current through the LED, then the cap
value rises to give the same time constant as before.

OK.

If you use back-to-back LEDs, then the button release
gets a bit of color too. You want LEDs with similar
Vf, so that the current flow levels aren't too much
different during charge/discharge of the cap. Yellow
and red would be good. Throwing blue into the circuit
less so (blue is used in white LEDs too). The cap will not
charge quickly enough if you do this (you would be using
the first circuit, not the second), so having two colors
to show, means the quick-button-pressers that play a drum
solo on the button, don't get good lighting on subsequent
tries.

Noted.

The Vf actually follows Plancks constant, so the
forward voltage isn't as "arbitrary" as it looks here (table).
Blue, which is up the higher energy end of the band,
has the higher Vf. You would then predict infrared
LEDs, would be a lot lower Vf, without having to look
it up. If I was doing two colors, red and green or red and
yellow might be decent mixes. Blue and infrared would be
too far apart to share a single resistor value.

Noted.

https://www.circuitbread.com/ee-faq/...different-leds

The only question then, is whether leakage in the switch,
or leakage in the capacitor, could lead to the batteries
discharging to nothing, one of the cells reverse bias,
juice ends up in the battery bay, eats the contacts
in the battery bay, and so on...

I don't think the switch would leak at all (unless it was wet)so it
would be down to the cap.

You could make the
capacitor out of a large number of ceramics, but maybe the
leakage would still not be exactly zero. The "large" ceramics
I bought on sale, they're a bit leaky.

I think it would all be a trade off between functionality (both
electronically and in RW outcome)and 'increased burden' on the system
/ batteries etc.

And doorbell switches are *the worst* switches on earth.

Agreed, certainly in refinement but then maybe they need to be like
that if they get wet / dirty?

They really put the effort into making awful ones
(no precious metals on the contacts).

;-)

Anyway, you can have fun playing with the concept
and whip something up.

Thanks ... and thanks very much for all your effort re diagrams and
explanations etc. You are very kind. ;-)

If you don't like LEDs,
you could substitute something else, subject to the
available voltage and current. And also, whether
reverse PIV (0.7V via the 1N4001) is OK or not.

I like relays and you can get some fairly small ones these days. They
are pretty durable and generally last for a fair few operations,
especially if driven and rated correctly.

I think I agree with some of the other replies suggesting an audio
confirmation might be more of a 'catch all' solution, re a small
mechanical buzzer mounted behind the bell-push on the inside of the
door frame. If I could get some charge in a cap to act as a remote PSU
and use your idea (probably with a second cap) to activate a small
relay that then self latches, powering the buzzer from the PSU cap?

I'd need to draw it out to see if / how it might work.

I will try the LED solution on the bench though after measuring the
current through the doorbell.

One of the reasons for me putting the 1N4001 in the
circuit, was as a PIV protection feature, so the
PIV (peak-inverse-volts) situation would not be quite as bad.

Yes, that was mentioned elsewhere etc. One advantage of the nasty /
crude bell-push is it's pretty resilient to such things. ;-)

Thanks again Paul.

Cheers, T i m

On Tue, 13 Oct 2020 22:46:27 +0100, T i m wrote:

Ding-dongs (which don't have an interrupter contact) should be
able to
be run in series as long as the bell voltages add up to the power
supply voltage.

Understood.

As long as you replace all the batteries at the same time, two
similar
ding-dongs with batteries in each would equal 8 cells in series
with 2
chimes.

Yeah, this seems the simplest solution. Two bell units with batteries
fitted in both everything series connected. The gotcha might be
getting a second ding-dong unit that presents a similar load to the
orginal but it's probably not that critical.

Alternatively, I could rewire one unit to be just the bell (takes me
back to my BT and 706 days g) and replace the batteries in the main
unit with 3 x 18650's. ;-)

Could do but you have to faff about making a holder for the
18650's...

--
Cheers
Dave.

On Wed, 14 Oct 2020 11:07:24 +0100 (BST), "Dave Liquorice"
wrote:

snip

Yeah, this seems the simplest solution. Two bell units with batteries
fitted in both everything series connected. The gotcha might be
getting a second ding-dong unit that presents a similar load to the
orginal but it's probably not that critical.

Assuming they haven't changed the design in the last 30 years ... ;-)

https://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Products/VE107.html

Alternatively, I could rewire one unit to be just the bell (takes me
back to my BT and 706 days g) and replace the batteries in the main
unit with 3 x 18650's. ;-)

Could do but you have to faff about making a holder for the
18650's...

Well, where it's fitted there is space behind (under the stairs) so it
could just be a hole though the back and a pack kept there.

However, finding space to mount and run wire to a second unit isn't
that easy, that's why I liked your mini mechanical buzzer idea (as
that could be mounted behind the bell push on the frame itself).

So maybe I could do both, find a suitable mechanical type buzzer and
up the voltage (giving more options on the buzzer), as at least that
would be easy in that I don't have to work out how I got the wire from
the bell to the push putton? ;-)

Cheers, T i m

On Tuesday, 13 October 2020 13:22:15 UTC+1, T i m wrote:
Our doorbell is a conventional 'Ding-dong' solenoid 6V battery powered
(4x C cell) type with a wired bell push.

So I could hear it in the garden it's near the back of the house and
so because of the double glazing, you often (depending on other
outside noise levels etc) can't hear it outside the front door.

Some of the delivery drivers (and a couple in particular) *also*
either rap the letterbox or tap the glass (one quite 'energetically
that makes the dog think he was an aggressor and he tells him so when
I open the door). ;-)

So, without putting any significant extra load on the battery system
or replacing the bell etc, is there an existing solution that provides
positive feedback for a successful press of the doorbell or can anyone
think of something that could be made / done that would provide such?

Like, I'm thinking there must be 6V across the back of the bell push
and so there could be the source of some energy to charge a cap that
could then be use to momentarily illuminate or rapidly flash a LED
that could be fitted into the std bell push? Should be ok as long as
the quiescent current remained very very low?

Or I could fit a small box containing such electronics on the back of
the door frame behind the bell push if required (because you would
probably need more wires etc and I don't want to have to run any)

It's not a biggie but I know myself how any lack of feedback that the
bell has sounded can be frustrating and it must be even more so if you
have to press 100+ a day to earn a living. ;-(

Maybe an audio 'repeater' in / behind the bell push (cellphone
speaker?) would be better than a LED, even if it was only a momentary
'Beep', as you pressed the button?

Cheers, T i m

the most obvious option is a sounder that can be heard at the door. If mounted close by, a piezo one would do. Change its operating f so it's neither annoying nor overly loud.


NT

On Tue, 13 Oct 2020 13:22:10 +0100, T i m wrote:


Our doorbell is a conventional 'Ding-dong' solenoid 6V battery powered
(4x C cell) type with a wired bell push.

So I could hear it in the garden it's near the back of the house and
so because of the double glazing, you often (depending on other
outside noise levels etc) can't hear it outside the front door.

Some of the delivery drivers (and a couple in particular) *also*
either rap the letterbox or tap the glass (one quite 'energetically
that makes the dog think he was an aggressor and he tells him so when
I open the door). ;-)

So, without putting any significant extra load on the battery system
or replacing the bell etc, is there an existing solution that provides
positive feedback for a successful press of the doorbell or can anyone
think of something that could be made / done that would provide such?

Like, I'm thinking there must be 6V across the back of the bell push
and so there could be the source of some energy to charge a cap that
could then be use to momentarily illuminate or rapidly flash a LED
that could be fitted into the std bell push? Should be ok as long as
the quiescent current remained very very low?

Or I could fit a small box containing such electronics on the back of
the door frame behind the bell push if required (because you would
probably need more wires etc and I don't want to have to run any)

It's not a biggie but I know myself how any lack of feedback that the
bell has sounded can be frustrating and it must be even more so if you
have to press 100+ a day to earn a living. ;-(

Maybe an audio 'repeater' in / behind the bell push (cellphone
speaker?) would be better than a LED, even if it was only a momentary
'Beep', as you pressed the button?

Cheers, T i m


You need to design and make a miniature dingdong mounted near the
door, dropping only 1V in series with the existing push. It only has
to be loud enough to be heard there so not much power needed.

You need a dingdong rather than a buzzer to make the caller realise
that keeping the button pressed is counter-productive.

I think the torrent of presses used by some callers is to make you
think they're not chancers, so worthy of having the door opened.
--
Dave W

On Sun, 18 Oct 2020 01:55:08 +0100, Dave W wrote:

You need to design and make a miniature dingdong mounted near the door,
dropping only 1V in series with the existing push. It only has to be
loud enough to be heard there so not much power needed.

You need a dingdong rather than a buzzer to make the caller realise that
keeping the button pressed is counter-productive.

My doorbell is entirely software, apart from the bell push. It has
debouncing code, also a delay before it works again. I need to increase
that.

It rings all the phones in the house (see previous posts) but I have the
same problem that it's not audible outside. I have the parts for a
'repeater' but haven't located a tuit yet.

The plan is to play something through a glass mounted speaker over the
door. I could vary this; two that seem good are Westminster chimes, and
"Time" from Pink Floyd.



--
My posts are my copyright and if @diy_forums or Home Owners' Hub
wish to copy them they can pay me £1 a message.
Use the BIG mirror service in the UK: http://www.mirrorservice.org
*lightning surge protection* - a w_tom conductor

On 18 Oct 2020 08:38:24 GMT, Bob Eager wrote:

I could vary this; two that seem good are Westminster chimes, and
"Time" from Pink Floyd.

"Time" I like that idea... hum...

--
Cheers
Dave.

On Sunday, 18 October 2020 09:38:28 UTC+1, Bob Eager wrote:
The plan is to play something through a glass mounted speaker over the
door. I could vary this; two that seem good are Westminster chimes, and
"Time" from Pink Floyd.

"Knocking on Heaven's door"

Get a midi file and play it with a chime voice.

Owain

On 18 Oct 2020 08:38:24 GMT, Bob Eager wrote:


On Sun, 18 Oct 2020 01:55:08 +0100, Dave W wrote:


You need to design and make a miniature dingdong mounted near the door,
dropping only 1V in series with the existing push. It only has to be
loud enough to be heard there so not much power needed.

You need a dingdong rather than a buzzer to make the caller realise that
keeping the button pressed is counter-productive.


My doorbell is entirely software, apart from the bell push. It has
debouncing code, also a delay before it works again. I need to increase
that.

It rings all the phones in the house (see previous posts) but I have the
same problem that it's not audible outside. I have the parts for a
'repeater' but haven't located a tuit yet.

The plan is to play something through a glass mounted speaker over the
door. I could vary this; two that seem good are Westminster chimes, and
"Time" from Pink Floyd.


The trouble with wireless and fancy electronic bells is that their
response is always the same, giving no indication of how desperate the
caller is.
--
Dave W

On Sun, 18 Oct 2020 18:52:38 +0100, Dave W wrote:

On 18 Oct 2020 08:38:24 GMT, Bob Eager wrote:

On Sun, 18 Oct 2020 01:55:08 +0100, Dave W wrote:

You need to design and make a miniature dingdong mounted near the
door, dropping only 1V in series with the existing push. It only has
to be loud enough to be heard there so not much power needed.

You need a dingdong rather than a buzzer to make the caller realise
that keeping the button pressed is counter-productive.

My doorbell is entirely software, apart from the bell push. It has
debouncing code, also a delay before it works again. I need to increase
that.

It rings all the phones in the house (see previous posts) but I have the
same problem that it's not audible outside. I have the parts for a
'repeater' but haven't located a tuit yet.

The plan is to play something through a glass mounted speaker over the
door. I could vary this; two that seem good are Westminster chimes, and
"Time" from Pink Floyd.

The trouble with wireless and fancy electronic bells is that their
response is always the same, giving no indication of how desperate the
caller is.

Hmmm. Currently the bell push is connected to a digital input on an
Arduino.

A different transducer, and the analogue input...



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