Simple cheap alarm design.

[rox]

Patrick,
You ideas are hilarious. I start out reading about the alarm system, I can visualize the system locked inside the pump house and imagine a thief get blasted by the siren, yup that sounds good. Then you move onto the dog and cat automated sprinkler systm both uber creative and at the same time hysterical especailly your description of the guy with the leash and for the grand finali the ultra sound dog barking correction device. The first item made me smile but the final two had me laughing outloud. Especially the part about the hellicopters. There should be some type of TBN awards, you know like the acadamy awards or Tony awards, there should be something like that at TBN. I would nominate this post. It's so darned funny, but at the same time we are all nodding our heads, saying, "Yup that would work'

 

[TrippleT]

You need one item to finish the job with LOL

 

[patrick_g]

You need one item to finish the job with LOL

Nah, I think being knocked down, spun around and nearly having your shoulder dislocated and pulled down the street by your own dog is more fitting than being shot and more legal. This was in California and they have laws about shooting people, even when willfully allowing their animals to create a "nuisance" on another's property. For Pete's sake man, whacking a trespassing cat is a felony in California.

Now if you meant shooting an animal not the owner... I think my problem was with the owner not the animal. I would only shoot the animal if it were not possible to deal with (give appropriate feedback to) the owner or there was an emergency situation such as the dog were attacking stock (ranching now not living in urban environment.)

I do have suppressed scoped weapons that with subsonic rounds are quieter than a hiccup should the need arise.

(Before anyone goes ballistic and calls the authorities... All my stuff is legal and registered with the proper agencies and authorities.)

Pat

 

[Soundguy]

Hey pat.. I love the soft thup-thup -thup of subsonic9 in a supressed M11.. reminds me of a bird flying by.. Addd a felt lined brass catcher to the open bolt and you don't even have to worry about the jingle-jingle..

soundguy

 

[patrick_g]

Hey pat.. I love the soft thup-thup -thup of subsonic9 in a supressed M11.. reminds me of a bird flying by.. Addd a felt lined brass catcher to the open bolt and you don't even have to worry about the jingle-jingle..

soundguy

I was just recently reading in a forum I came across while looking for info on suppressors for 6.5 mm rifle. It was a discussion on handloads and handloading techniques for subsonic .308 rifle rounds. Those guys are into quiet shooting. One post had a picture of a feral hog that was hit with a subsonic .308. In one side of the neck and out the other nearly severing the spine. Shooter said the loudest part of the event was the bullet hitting the pig. Of course most of the shooting that group does is with sups installed.

I'm in the analysis phase of selecting a 6.5mm target rifle. So many variations... 284, 55 Swede, .260 Win, Creedmoor, Lapua to name a few. I'm thinking not 6.5x284 (short barrel life at high vel) and not .260 Win but maybe a 6.5 x55 Lapua or 6.5 Creedmoor in an AR15 configuration. There are production rifles shooting half min of angle which is not bad for a semi-auto. Low recoil, maybe half of a .308 so you get a fast follow up shot.

Yes there are brass catching accessories for these so you don't scatter it all over.

There are advantages to firing suppressed rifles beyond not making a lot of noise. You actually get better groups because of more consistent exit of the projectile from the barrel as regards the effects of turbulent gasses AND in the sort of rifle I'm looking for you get another 50FPS or so velocity as the suppressor acts a bit like a barrel extension, albeit not much, still more is more.

One of the questions I have been asking candidates for sheriff has been their take on the 2nd amendment in general and in specific approving suppressors for private citizens. So far it has been like a recording. Strong support for 2nd amendment being applicable to the individual and approving ALL legal use of firearms and accessories by anyone who meets the Federal requirements.

Pat

 

[rebb]

Pat,

do you know how to tell when a politician's fabricating the truth? his/her lips move.

they'll say anything to get their face in the feed trough....imo
rebb

 

[patrick_g]

Pat,

do you know how to tell when a politician's fabricating the truth? his/her lips move.

they'll say anything to get their face in the feed trough....imo
rebb

I understand what you mean. If you are not careful how you ask the question you give away a clue as to your personal stand on the issue which may cause the candidate to "customize" their response. I am a trained analyst and know how to ask questions. Open ended questions with no possible yes or no answer are the most revealing, usually, although politicos are slippery and will talk for a while without answering the question. Works for them in press conferences but doesn't so squat with me because I can bluntly repeat the question and point out which part went unanswered, still without giving away my personal position.

It does make some of them a bit ill at ease because they don't know what to say to please me. Isn't perfect but it is the best thing I can do if the candidate has no historical records on their position. Guys running for reelection have past baggage to give away some info but first timers have to be treated a bit more creatively.

Pat

 

[Soundguy]

Good luck on the rifle choice.

I agree about sheriff's info.. when ours is up for election i ask the same questions.. IE.. will they sign form 4 transfers.. etc.

soundguy

I was just recently reading in a forum I came across while looking for info on suppressors for 6.5 mm rifle. It was a discussion on handloads and handloading techniques for subsonic .308 rifle rounds. Those guys are into quiet shooting. One post had a picture of a feral hog that was hit with a subsonic .308. In one side of the neck and out the other nearly severing the spine. Shooter said the loudest part of the event was the bullet hitting the pig. Of course most of the shooting that group does is with sups installed.

I'm in the analysis phase of selecting a 6.5mm target rifle. So many variations... 284, 55 Swede, .260 Win, Creedmoor, Lapua to name a few. I'm thinking not 6.5x284 (short barrel life at high vel) and not .260 Win but maybe a 6.5 x55 Lapua or 6.5 Creedmoor in an AR15 configuration. There are production rifles shooting half min of angle which is not bad for a semi-auto. Low recoil, maybe half of a .308 so you get a fast follow up shot.

Yes there are brass catching accessories for these so you don't scatter it all over.

There are advantages to firing suppressed rifles beyond not making a lot of noise. You actually get better groups because of more consistent exit of the projectile from the barrel as regards the effects of turbulent gasses AND in the sort of rifle I'm looking for you get another 50FPS or so velocity as the suppressor acts a bit like a barrel extension, albeit not much, still more is more.

One of the questions I have been asking candidates for sheriff has been their take on the 2nd amendment in general and in specific approving suppressors for private citizens. So far it has been like a recording. Strong support for 2nd amendment being applicable to the individual and approving ALL legal use of firearms and accessories by anyone who meets the Federal requirements.

Pat

 

[patrick_g]

To incorporate a series switch, (N.C.) normally closed to allow alarm to set, to cover the garage door is just adding yet another switch to the series daisy chain of switches. The difficulty lies with setting the alarm with the garage door closed. You would have to set the alarm from outside the bld. This will require the controls of the alarm to be accessed from outside the garage or... you need a delay to allow you to exit the alarmed space's perimeter before the alarm is set and ready to be triggered if any switch is opened.

Another consideration is how do you enter the alarmed space without setting off the alarm? Again, the alarm controls can be accessible from outside the alarmed space such as in a locked box on the wall but that is a vulnerability which perhaps would be too easily taken advantage of by a BAD GUY. Even if inside the locked box there were 10 switches in random up and down status with only one of them controlling the system and the others just there to confuse the enemy, you still risk having a BAD GUY exploit the box as a weakness.

A workable solution for each of the two difficulties listed above is in both instances the use of a delay circuit, a timer. The alarm system user needs to decide what duration of delay is sufficient for him to gain entry to the alarmed space and go to the "secret switch location" and disarm the timer prior to it going off but not make the time so long that the bad guy has ample time to try to find and disable the alarm.

Egress alarm delay (departing):

How long will it take (plus a safety margin) to go from the location where you set the alarm to exit the garage and close the door? This is NOT a really critical thing. If you give yourself two minutes then the alarm is not active until after two minutes. You have to go from the alarm control location to the car, get in the car, drive out, and get the door completely closed within 2 min. Not hard, if the car starts right up.

Some users like to wait near the siren location until after the alarm has had time to arm to be sure the alarm does not sound just to be sure (or whatever.) This is prudent and a reason why you don't want a 5min delay as you sit waiting tapping your foot cussing your decision to choose 5 min.

Was that 3 min? Should I want another 15 seconds or what? You can buy LED indicators that have all the circuitry built in to be a flashing light with no other components needed. One of these located where you can see it and hopefully the bad guy too from outside the house can be wired in so it comes on when the alarm goes active after the delay timer sets the alarm on your departure. They are cheap, work fine, and last a long time. A good idea. You can use several of them mounted in different locations because if the flashing red LED is seen by a prospective bad guy he may just go away.

Ingress alarm delay (arriving):

You want to pick an ingress delay time that will allow you to access the SECRET SWITCH to turn off the alarm before the siren goes off. A secret switch location that is not inside a closet or behind a partition or otherwise out of sight to your companions will be a secret only until you arrive home with a non-family member with you in the car (or likewise your significant other and her friends or... A closet with a hidden switch or other clandestine arrangement is a good idea. You only have to hide the switch well enough to make it likely to not be found before the time out lets the siren go off. After the siren goes off the "secret switch" will not silence it.

I'm attaching a sketch to this post but will continue with another post to talk about it.

Pat

 

[patrick_g]

OK, here we go...

If I screw this up then we'll let a pro like the Sound Guy or Gemini correct it.

I suggest you print out a copy of the drawing and then use this post to understand it.

At the top of the drawing is the garage switch which is closed when the garage door is closed. This switch is in series with all the other daisy chained sensors for the other doors, windows, etc. In parallel across that switch is a set of relay contacts which when the relay is energized short out the garage switch so it makes no difference to the alarm system if the garage door is open.

The 12 volt DC relay coil is energized when you press the momentary contact push button switch (door bell switch cheap from Lowe's) In the drawing to the left of the push button is another set of contacts on the same (only) regular relay on the drawing. These are called holding contacts and are electrically and mechanically the same as the other contacts but are called holding contacts because of the way they are used. When the relay is energized by pushing the button the holding contacts close and provide a path for current through the relay coil so the relay stays energized after you let up on the push button.

Between the + 12 VDC and relay coil there is an arrow pointing at a component. Where it says +12 VDC in a box is a repeat of the place the arrow points where I drew it more clearly. That component is the N.C. contacts of a thermal delay relay which when opened up after the delay time de-energizes the relay coil. When the relay de-energizes the garage door is no longer "spoofed" and is ready to trigger the alarm if the door is subsequently opened.

Note the long arrow labeled Thermal delay heater. It points at the heater portion of the thermal delay relay. As soon as up press the push button to enable the alarm to be set with the garage door open the relay energizes and current flows through the heater of the thermal delay relay. After 120 seconds (if you choose a 12NC120 thermal delay relay) the thermal delay relay N.C. contacts open up and interrupts the coil current of the regular relay. So, 2 min after pressing the push button the garage door switch needs to be closed (garage door needs to be shut) or the alarm goes off.

Sounds good but I am not hitting on all 8 cylinders and see I made a mistake. No biggy. You need yet another set of relay contacts on the regular relay. These are N.O. contacts. One side goes to +12VDC and the other side goes to the thermal delay relay heater. The other side of the thermal delay heater goes to ground (negative, circuit common)

The little oops I drew in would starve the thermal delay heater for current because its supply would be coming through the relay coil. OOPS! Just dray a wire where the heater was originally drawn and hook up a set of contacts like I described above.

Again, if there is any problem with the circuit, my warranty agent, Sound Guy, will take care of it and if further assistance is required he will elicit help from Gemini.

Oh yeah... where do you wire in the flashing 12 volt LED thingies...

Probably several OK ways, here is one...

Yet another set of contacts on the regular relay are used. This time N.C. rather than N.O. wire the LED's (observing polarity) to +12VDC then to the N.C contacts and then to ground. When the regular relay de-energizes at the end of the time out period the LED's will be energized. Any 12 VDC indicator light coild be used but flashing red LED's are sexy and the flashing will probably seem more intimidating to the bad guy. If I didn't loose count the regular relay is a 3 pole relay with double throw (i.e. both N.C and N. O. contacts)

You can probably buy the relay at Radio Shack, one of the nations preeminent cell phone boutiques and toy stores.

Digikey, Mouser, et all have a web presence and will ship to you by UPS. At price of gas and with my attitude re RS I'd just buy over the web.

OK all you electronic mavens and technological pundits, go for it. I know the circuitry is ancient technology but it is bullet proof and will not fail from a lightening strike or GEMP from a near miss by thermonuclear weapon. (with the exception of the LED's.

Pat