wireless driveway motion alert/alarm

[RussMan]

I am considering buying a wireless unit for my driveway, and was curious if anyone could recommend a brand they like or for that matter one to avoid. My driveway distance to transmit would be approximately 500'. I see some in Northern Tool made by Chamberlain but don't know if they are value or junk. Any comments/recommendations welcome.

 

[beenthere]

I can't say if it is the same, but have a reasonably-priced system (< $100) from Radio Shack.

It is a wireless pedestrian & vehicle alert. I've had it installed with two motion sensors along the drive and one receiver in the house. I can attest that it works at 300', but not tried the 500'. Bought the system in 2004 and it only occasionally lets a car slip through. I have it wired to trigger my home doorbell system so not depending on just being close to the receiver when it sounds off.

It is a great feeling to have advanced warning when guests arrive, or un-invited traffic wanders in by surprise.

I built a box using parts from a motion-detector to accept the short signal from the driveway detector and trigger the light-timing circuit so it would turn on house lights for a brief time. Figured when we were gone, the inside lights coming on briefly would warn potential intruders/visitors that their presence might be known. The lightning strike took that box out and have not replaced it.

 

[nikdfish]

We've had reasonably good luck with the Chamberlain CWA2000. Radio Shack carries it for $90 or so, but you can find it online for less than $50. It claims a LOS max range of 1/2 mile, with a recommended max of 1000'. Ours is at about 200'. You can add up to a total of 4 detectors on one receiver, with each having a distinctive alert beep pattern. Receiver & detectors are paired by the user at setup so detectors can only link to a single receiver.

Amazon ratings for it average on the low side, apparently largely because of a perception that the receiver's alert volume is too low. For us it has been fine when set at the max. The receiver is AC powered, the detector uses 4 AA batteries which need replacement annually.

Since it is a PIR detection system, you can get false alerts from animals or something casting/removing a shadow periodically. It might also miss a vehicle that has not warmed up or cooled by rain. These have been pretty rare for us. It did lose it's link once after a power outage, but cycling the receiver off and on took care of the problem.


Nick

 

[DennisArrow]

Do a search for "Dakota Alert". I think you will find a LOT of information about wireless alarm systems, recommendations, and criticisms......For me, they are the only way to go........Good luck and God bless......Dennis

 

[beenthere]

That is another possibility and another option. A bit more expensive.
From the service I've received from the RS system, I can't see any improvement needed.

 

[sweettractors]

Do a search for "Dakota Alert". I think you will find a LOT of information about wireless alarm systems, recommendations, and criticisms......For me, they are the only way to go........Good luck and God bless......Dennis

Another vote for Dakota Alert. Been a satisfied user for 15 years. Ken Sweet

 

[SARG]

The X10 site below has tons of electronic stuff.

Driveway alerts starting at $20.




X10 Motion-Activated Driveway Sensor Starter Kit - Only $19.99! Order Today!

 

[zzvyb6]

I have a system made by Miltronics. Its a 1000'+ system. Sensors are battery bowered. Receivers are battery or 12v powered. A 2500' model is available.

I even have a receiver mounted in my golf cart. There is a jack for a 12v relay which I got from a car parts store. The relay fires a buzzer and a revolving light on the golf cart. No matter where I'm parked on the property, I know who's at the gate. I have another receiver in the house that the dogs have picked up on. They even know the difference between us and visitors !

 

[Pirate]

I've had Miltronics and almost every version of Dakota. I prefer Dakota and think their system offers the most features. One system provides from 4 different tunes. That being said, I had nothing but problems on the Dakota 3000 and 2500 systems. It turns out I have a frequency interference issue and those systems and Miltronics use the same frequency or close to it. I finally went with Dakota MURS. It does not offer the same features but if works flawlessly. I bought a separate chime unit to attach to the MURS relay output so I could have a real loud chime. I also had the rubber hose, buried magnetic probe, and motion.

 

[JRobyn]

My FIL is looking for one, but he's out in the woods, so does NOT want a PIR type. I see numerous mostly positive reviews for the Mighty Mule with a buried vehicle sensor so we are thinking about getting that one for him. My BIL has a Mighty Mule gate operator that uses (what I suspect is exactly) the same sensor very reliably, so the only question for me is the reliability/weather proofness/range of the transmitter. Sorry, I have no experience with this... yet.

- Jay

 

[Fanlo2300]

I recently installed a Dakota MURS, and it works perfectly !

The probe is 1/4 mile from the house.

Now I will monitor the battery life of the unit... (it gets COLD in Quebec...)

 

[amaxwell]

I don,t remember the brand,but I got mine from Tractor Supply. It has a burried sensor that picks up metal objects, not the infrared sensor that just picks up movment, including that of all animals.

amaxwell

 

[adjusterr]

I have a Dacotah with a buried metal sensor, works great, is about 100 yds from the house unit, in place two years +, replace sensor batts once a year. Best feature is it picks up only metal, not the herds of deer that choose to live at my place.

 

[Zick]

The X10 site below has tons of electronic stuff.

Driveway alerts starting at $20.




X10 Motion-Activated Driveway Sensor Starter Kit - Only $19.99! Order Today!

Sarg, do you have this system?
Curious about it because it's cheap and it should work with my ISY Insteon system if I decide to interconnect them.

 

[SARG]

Sarg, do you have this system?
Curious about it because it's cheap and it should work with my ISY Insteon system if I decide to interconnect them.

No.. I do not have such a system. (Chain link fence with gates instead) There was a post recently by someone here that installed their (X10) stuff to control lights and heaters in his recently constructed barn.

 

[Volfandt]

I don't have the wireless, I have a hard wired driveway alert, Vehicle Alert by Winland Electronics and it's a very reliable system. It uses a buried probe next to the driveway and the direct buried 3 conductor wire runs back to the control panel. A separate 12vdc P/S is all the hardware to it. A person won't set it off, but a person on a bicycle or a person carrying a shovel will as it detects metal passng through its flux lines.
The control unit, which can be surface mounted anywhere, has a very loud adjustable squeal. The duration and sensativity is adjustable. I can hear the squeal down in the basement from the control unit mounted upstairs in the hall. I've had it approx 15 yrs and have had to replace the P/S after a lightning hit this past spring.

re. X10. I also use X10 to turn my lights on/off. I tried the Eagle-eye but the batteries have to be changed quite frequently. I use an older CM11A to control the lights. It has a serial computer interface that allows for programming but a connection to the PC isn't necessary for basic on/off operation but is needed to run various scipt or Macro events.
It has built in daylight savings time adjustment and uses an algorithim to to turn the lights on based on DST settings.
It's also great for Christmas light control. The basic light units require incandesant lamps but since everything is going to those new mini floresent lamps the ampliance modules are used to turn them on/off. One thing thats nice about the incandescent lamps is that the lamps can be dimmed which extends the life fo the bulbs 2 or 3 fold.
That same lightning strike took out my controller and it's surprising how the Mrs wanted me to get everything back repaired * operational as shes grown very used to the automation and early warning

My driveway is only 100' but these probes are rated for pto 2500'. It also has an optional relay switch for activating lights etc when the sensor goes off but the squeal from the control panel is enough for us.
I prefer hardwired but thats just me.
Good luck

 

[jinman]

I've read that some metallic sensing alarms are so sensitive that they will pick up somebody walking by with change or keys in their pocket. I guess a cellphone might also give a false positive. I suspect you have to be right over the detector though.