Driveway Alert Sensors

[keith bowers]

I am looking for a sensor to give me some warning when someone comes down my
driveway. The driveway is 1200' long, esentially straight; clear line of
sight. I would like to place the sensor 300 to 9oo feet up the drive.
Cutting up the driveway to bury a coil is not an option. I'm looking to
keep under $150 US.

This unit from Catch-a-Call looks interesting. Does anyone know anything
about it?
http://www.catchacallonline.com/reporter.html

--
Keith Bowers - Thomasville, NC

[Bill Stock]

"keith bowers" <kabowers@northstate.net> wrote in message
news:11k3cnjp66rvi22@corp.supernews.com...
>I am looking for a sensor to give me some warning when someone comes down
>my
> driveway. The driveway is 1200' long, esentially straight; clear line of
> sight. I would like to place the sensor 300 to 9oo feet up the drive.
> Cutting up the driveway to bury a coil is not an option. I'm looking to
> keep under $150 US.
>
> This unit from Catch-a-Call looks interesting. Does anyone know anything
> about it?
> http://www.catchacallonline.com/reporter.html
>
> --
> Keith Bowers - Thomasville, NC

Same creature:

http://www.smarthome.com/7317.HTML

$20 less. Never used one though, all my sensors are wired.

[Dan Lanciani]

In article <11k3cnjp66rvi22@corp.supernews.com>, kabowers@northstate.net (keith bowers) writes:
| I am looking for a sensor to give me some warning when someone comes down my
| driveway. The driveway is 1200' long, esentially straight; clear line of
| sight. I would like to place the sensor 300 to 9oo feet up the drive.
| Cutting up the driveway to bury a coil is not an option. I'm looking to
| keep under $150 US.
|
| This unit from Catch-a-Call looks interesting. Does anyone know anything
| about it?
| http://www.catchacallonline.com/reporter.html

I have a slightly older version (same transmitter; different receiver). It
works reasonably well, though it does false a bit. The case isn't really
water proof and I had some corrosion problems after a year. The receiver
did not allow you to de-register a device (or even to erase all memory) but
that may have been fixed in the new version.

Note that there is a similar wireless product that uses a magnetometer
instead of a passive IR detector. It did not work well at all for me.
Also, 1000 feet is very optimistic for either wireless device...

The hard-wired magnetometers work well even if burried to one side of the
driveway, i.e., without cutting. This is especially true when you have
a long driveway so you can set the sensitivity high without worrying about
passing cars in the street triggering the alert.

Dan Lanciani
ddl@danlan.*com

[Solo Rider]

"Dan Lanciani" <ddl@danlan.*com> wrote in message
news:1331617@news1.IPSWITCHS.CMM...
> In article <11k3cnjp66rvi22@corp.supernews.com>, kabowers@northstate.net
> (keith bowers) writes:
> | I am looking for a sensor to give me some warning when someone comes
> down my
> | driveway. The driveway is 1200' long, esentially straight; clear line of
> | sight. I would like to place the sensor 300 to 9oo feet up the drive.
> | Cutting up the driveway to bury a coil is not an option. I'm looking to
> | keep under $150 US.
> |
> | This unit from Catch-a-Call looks interesting. Does anyone know anything
> | about it?
> | http://www.catchacallonline.com/reporter.html
>
> I have a slightly older version (same transmitter; different receiver).
> It
> works reasonably well, though it does false a bit. The case isn't really
> water proof and I had some corrosion problems after a year. The receiver
> did not allow you to de-register a device (or even to erase all memory)
> but
> that may have been fixed in the new version.
>
> Note that there is a similar wireless product that uses a magnetometer
> instead of a passive IR detector. It did not work well at all for me.
> Also, 1000 feet is very optimistic for either wireless device...
>
> The hard-wired magnetometers work well even if burried to one side of the
> driveway, i.e., without cutting. This is especially true when you have
> a long driveway so you can set the sensitivity high without worrying about
> passing cars in the street triggering the alert.

I tried several wireless devices and none of them lasted or was all that
reliable. Finally settled on Cartell. Hard wired, but can detect from the
side of the driveway just fine. I got it at Worthington.

[L. M. Rappaport]

On Mon, 03 Oct 2005 18:38:42 -0400, keith bowers
<kabowers@northstate.net> wrote (with possible editing):

>I am looking for a sensor to give me some warning when someone comes down my
>driveway. The driveway is 1200' long, esentially straight; clear line of
>sight. I would like to place the sensor 300 to 9oo feet up the drive.
>Cutting up the driveway to bury a coil is not an option. I'm looking to
>keep under $150 US.
>
>This unit from Catch-a-Call looks interesting. Does anyone know anything
>about it?
>http://www.catchacallonline.com/reporter.html

If you are determined to use a wireless device, you will have to
change the antenna. Any form of dish or yagi will greatly improve
your chances.

I use three wired CarTels. Those things are fantastic - they always
work and never false. They don't have to be buried under the driveway
- putting one along side the driveway works well. The controllers are
exposed from -40 deg. F to +100 deg F and never seem to need
adjustment.
--

Larry
Email to rapp at lmr dot com

[keith bowers]

L. M. Rappaport wrote:

> On Mon, 03 Oct 2005 18:38:42 -0400, keith bowers
> <kabowers@northstate.net> wrote (with possible editing):
>
>>I am looking for a sensor to give me some warning when someone comes down
>>my driveway. The driveway is 1200' long, esentially straight; clear line
>>of sight. I would like to place the sensor 300 to 9oo feet up the drive.
>>Cutting up the driveway to bury a coil is not an option. I'm looking to
>>keep under $150 US.
>>
>>This unit from Catch-a-Call looks interesting. Does anyone know anything
>>about it?
>>http://www.catchacallonline.com/reporter.html
>
> If you are determined to use a wireless device, you will have to
> change the antenna. Any form of dish or yagi will greatly improve
> your chances.
>
> I use three wired CarTels. Those things are fantastic - they always
> work and never false. They don't have to be buried under the driveway
> - putting one along side the driveway works well. The controllers are
> exposed from -40 deg. F to +100 deg F and never seem to need
> adjustment.
> --
>
> Larry
> Email to rapp at lmr dot com
Thanks for the info. I will look into this one more deeply.
--
Keith Bowers - Thomasville, NC

[keith bowers]

Dan Lanciani wrote:

> In article <11k3cnjp66rvi22@corp.supernews.com>, kabowers@northstate.net
> (keith bowers) writes:
> | I am looking for a sensor to give me some warning when someone comes
> | down my driveway. The driveway is 1200' long, esentially straight; clear
> | line of sight. I would like to place the sensor 300 to 9oo feet up the
> | drive. Cutting up the driveway to bury a coil is not an option. I'm
> | looking to keep under $150 US.
> |
> | This unit from Catch-a-Call looks interesting. Does anyone know anything
> | about it?
> | http://www.catchacallonline.com/reporter.html
>
> I have a slightly older version (same transmitter; different receiver).
> It
> works reasonably well, though it does false a bit. The case isn't really
> water proof and I had some corrosion problems after a year. The receiver
> did not allow you to de-register a device (or even to erase all memory)
> but that may have been fixed in the new version.
>
> Note that there is a similar wireless product that uses a magnetometer
> instead of a passive IR detector. It did not work well at all for me.
> Also, 1000 feet is very optimistic for either wireless device...
>
> The hard-wired magnetometers work well even if burried to one side of the
> driveway, i.e., without cutting. This is especially true when you have
> a long driveway so you can set the sensitivity high without worrying about
> passing cars in the street triggering the alert.
>
> Dan Lanciani
> ddl@danlan.*com
So much for that one. I've had to replace too many coroded sensors the last
few years to buy anymore leakers. If it's going to be used outside it
doesn't cost much for the manufacturer to conformal coat the PCBs. Exxon
did it from the start of their electronic gas pump interfaces thirty-odd
years ago. The stuff lasted forever in horrible conditions.
--
Keith Bowers - Thomasville, NC

[Mick]

I know of one that is inserted under the driveway and detects changes in
the magnetic field. You dont have to cut up the drive as it can be
inserte from the side through an L shapped bit of conduit. Getting the
conduit in may mean a little digging on the side of the drive and using
some technique for digging the hole under the drive (but this is not new).

Once in it can be removed easily.

I dont remember the brand, but it was for the automation industry (not
home automation) and was not very expensive. A google search may reveal
something. I need to find the notes I had for it and if I do I will
post them here.

Mick

keith bowers wrote:
> I am looking for a sensor to give me some warning when someone comes down my
> driveway. The driveway is 1200' long, esentially straight; clear line of
> sight. I would like to place the sensor 300 to 9oo feet up the drive.
> Cutting up the driveway to bury a coil is not an option. I'm looking to
> keep under $150 US.
>
> This unit from Catch-a-Call looks interesting. Does anyone know anything
> about it?
> http://www.catchacallonline.com/reporter.html
>

[Mick]

Found it. It is made by Banner engneering and is called a M-Gage. THey
have intoduced a new version that fits in the width of a saw cut, so
this may be acceptable. Just grout over it once installed.

http://www.bannerengineering.com/products/photoelectrics/mgage.php

There are some pdf's on the site as well

Mick

Mick wrote:
> I know of one that is inserted under the driveway and detects changes in
> the magnetic field. You dont have to cut up the drive as it can be
> inserte from the side through an L shapped bit of conduit. Getting the
> conduit in may mean a little digging on the side of the drive and using
> some technique for digging the hole under the drive (but this is not new).
>
> Once in it can be removed easily.
>
> I dont remember the brand, but it was for the automation industry (not
> home automation) and was not very expensive. A google search may reveal
> something. I need to find the notes I had for it and if I do I will
> post them here.
>
> Mick
>
> keith bowers wrote:
>
>> I am looking for a sensor to give me some warning when someone comes
>> down my
>> driveway. The driveway is 1200' long, esentially straight; clear line of
>> sight. I would like to place the sensor 300 to 9oo feet up the drive.
>> Cutting up the driveway to bury a coil is not an option. I'm looking to
>> keep under $150 US.
>>
>> This unit from Catch-a-Call looks interesting. Does anyone know anything
>> about it?
>> http://www.catchacallonline.com/reporter.html
>>

[keith bowers]

Mick wrote:

> Found it. It is made by Banner engneering and is called a M-Gage. THey
> have intoduced a new version that fits in the width of a saw cut, so
> this may be acceptable. Just grout over it once installed.
>
> http://www.bannerengineering.com/products/photoelectrics/mgage.php
>
> There are some pdf's on the site as well
>
> Mick
>
> Mick wrote:
>> I know of one that is inserted under the driveway and detects changes in
>> the magnetic field. You dont have to cut up the drive as it can be
>> inserte from the side through an L shapped bit of conduit. Getting the
>> conduit in may mean a little digging on the side of the drive and using
>> some technique for digging the hole under the drive (but this is not
>> new).
>>
>> Once in it can be removed easily.
>>
>> I dont remember the brand, but it was for the automation industry (not
>> home automation) and was not very expensive. A google search may reveal
>> something. I need to find the notes I had for it and if I do I will
>> post them here.
>>
>> Mick
>>
>> keith bowers wrote:
>>
>>> I am looking for a sensor to give me some warning when someone comes
>>> down my
>>> driveway. The driveway is 1200' long, esentially straight; clear line of
>>> sight. I would like to place the sensor 300 to 9oo feet up the drive.
>>> Cutting up the driveway to bury a coil is not an option. I'm looking to
>>> keep under $150 US.
>>>
>>> This unit from Catch-a-Call looks interesting. Does anyone know anything
>>> about it?
>>> http://www.catchacallonline.com/reporter.html
>>>
Very interesting idea, but a bit too much strain in the budget for now (a
quick Google didn't find any US distributors; just Banner themselves).
The basic principal has all sorts of posibilities. I wonder if the Hitachi
compass module that Parallax is selling could be used to do the same thing.
--
Keith Bowers - Thomasville, NC

[Todd F]

Hello,

A friend that I subcontract for has used a unit made by Optex with good
results. He gets them at the local Locksmith supply house. When I Googled
for them I came up with this:
http://www.homesecuritystore.com/driveway_alarm.html?engine=adwords!276&keyword=%28driveway+alarm%29&match_type=

the Long Range System also looks interesting, uses vhf frequencies in the
151-154MHz range with 2 watts of power. Should be good for at least a mile
or better depending on terrain/obstructions. The WMA-3000 also looks good
for longer range.

Have never dealt with this vendor and have no hands on with any other than
the Optex my friend uses.

Good luck in your quest.

Todd

[L. M. Rappaport]

On Tue, 4 Oct 2005 22:26:33 -0500, "Todd F"
<toddrick3_14159@NOyahooSPAM.com> wrote (with possible editing):

....snip

>the Long Range System also looks interesting, uses vhf frequencies in the
>151-154MHz range with 2 watts of power. Should be good for at least a mile
>or better depending on terrain/obstructions. The WMA-3000 also looks good
>for longer range.

Todd, anything in this range at this power requires an FCC-issued
commercial license, at least in the United States.
--

Larry
Email to rapp at lmr dot com

[Todd F]

Larry, I beg to differ, the frequencies involved are part of a service
called Multi Use Radio Service. The FCC took 5 VHF frequencies (some of the
'color dot' frequencies) and turned them into a new CB band for voice and
data. 2watt power limit, 60 foot maximum antenna height. No license
required.

Check here: http://wireless.fcc.gov/services/personal/murs/

and here for general rules and regs:
http://wireless.fcc.gov/services/personal/murs/operations/

and here for technical requirements:
http://wireless.fcc.gov/services/personal/murs/operations/requirements.html

I discovered this a while back while looking into a new frequency assignment
and license for a client (I generally don't do 2 way radio work anymore but
the client is a friend, going to do a 4 frequency assignment on UHF, he owns
a construction company). Won't meet my friend's needs but useful to many
others.

Todd

[Dan Lanciani]

In article <0fl7k1513huc342h2ijnv7cjkdmg5filci@4ax.com>, nospam@invalid.org (L. M. Rappaport) writes:
| On Tue, 4 Oct 2005 22:26:33 -0500, "Todd F"
| <toddrick3_14159@NOyahooSPAM.com> wrote (with possible editing):
|
| ...snip
|
| >the Long Range System also looks interesting, uses vhf frequencies in the
| >151-154MHz range with 2 watts of power. Should be good for at least a mile
| >or better depending on terrain/obstructions. The WMA-3000 also looks good
| >for longer range.
|
| Todd, anything in this range at this power requires an FCC-issued
| commercial license, at least in the United States.

It looks like they are using MURS, a VHF service which allows up to 2 watts
and requires no license. You may recall that MURS was supposed to be a CB
service that offered some of the technical abilities of ham radio (including
in particular data transmission) without the commercial use restrictions and
license requirements (but with channelized frequencies). At first it appeared
that this would come to pass, and under the initial rules it would have been
permissible for an end user to combine an off-the-shelf MURS radio and a TAC
for simple data communications.

Unfortunately, certain groups lobbied the FCC to prohibit repeater operation
and to make vague restrictions on packet switching. The result appears to be
that manufacturers got a new license-free range in which they can build high-
power products while end users are pretty much constrained to voice unless
they buy such products.

Getting back to the product in question, it wasn't obvious that it provides
any kind of signal output other than the voice prompt. That could be a
problem.

Dan Lanciani
ddl@danlan.*com

[L. M. Rappaport]

On Wed, 5 Oct 2005 14:04:46 -0500, "Todd F"
<toddrick3_14159@NOyahooSPAM.com> wrote (with possible editing):

>Larry, I beg to differ, the frequencies involved are part of a service
>called Multi Use Radio Service. The FCC took 5 VHF frequencies (some of the
>'color dot' frequencies) and turned them into a new CB band for voice and
>data. 2watt power limit, 60 foot maximum antenna height. No license
>required.
>
>Check here: http://wireless.fcc.gov/services/personal/murs/
>
>and here for general rules and regs:
>http://wireless.fcc.gov/services/personal/murs/operations/
>
>and here for technical requirements:
>http://wireless.fcc.gov/services/personal/murs/operations/requirements.html
>
>I discovered this a while back while looking into a new frequency assignment
>and license for a client (I generally don't do 2 way radio work anymore but
>the client is a friend, going to do a 4 frequency assignment on UHF, he owns
>a construction company). Won't meet my friend's needs but useful to many
>others.
>
>Todd

By golly, you're right. I suppose I should have been paying better
attention! Thanks for the heads-up, I apologize.

Best,
--

Larry
Email to rapp at lmr dot com

[Mark Thomas]

I've had my eye on the solar powered one:

http://www.smarthomeusa.com/Shop/Motion/DesignTech-Drive-Mail/Item/33372/

It has a 12V output trigger for home automation systems. That's better
than nothing; many only have a light and chime. But the system supports
up to 16 sensors; why can't they just put out the code on four
terminals? Is it really that difficult to keep automators in mind?

[Dave Houston]

I'd be dubious of the claimed range. It uses 433MHz which is subject to FCC
Part 15 power limits.

"Mark Thomas" <mrt@thomaszone.com> wrote:

>I've had my eye on the solar powered one:
>
>http://www.smarthomeusa.com/Shop/Motion/DesignTech-Drive-Mail/Item/33372/
>
>It has a 12V output trigger for home automation systems. That's better
>than nothing; many only have a light and chime. But the system supports
>up to 16 sensors; why can't they just put out the code on four
>terminals? Is it really that difficult to keep automators in mind?

[Marc F Hult]

On 6 Oct 2005 12:40:35 -0700, "Mark Thomas" <mrt@thomaszone.com> wrote in
message <1128627635.014504.108670@g43g2000cwa.googlegroups. com>:

>I've had my eye on the solar powered one:
>
>http://www.smarthomeusa.com/Shop/Motion/DesignTech-Drive-Mail/Item/33372/
>
>It has a 12V output trigger for home automation systems. That's better
>than nothing; many only have a light and chime. But the system supports
>up to 16 sensors; why can't they just put out the code on four
>terminals? Is it really that difficult to keep automators in mind?

At least with the four-sensor version of the Cartell system, the sensors are
wired in series external to the controller. In other words, the signals are
OR'd and so there is no 1-of-16 ("put the code out on four terminals" ) data
to report.

If you want multiple, independent sensors, the least expensive route may be
the Cartell CP-2 self-contained unit
http://www.cartell.com/Products/cp-2.htm at $122 a pop from Worthington.

Alternatives ?

Marc
Marc_F_Hult
www.ECOntrol.org

[Steve Uhrig]

On Mon, 03 Oct 2005 18:38:42 -0400, keith bowers
<kabowers@northstate.net> wrote:

> I am looking for a sensor to give me some warning when someone comes down my
> driveway. The driveway is 1200' long, esentially straight; clear line of
> sight. I would like to place the sensor 300 to 9oo feet up the drive.
> Cutting up the driveway to bury a coil is not an option. I'm looking to
> keep under $150 US.

Hi Keith,

I also live in the country with a long driveway, and don't like
surprises.

I played with the various ones out there, built special antennas, and
none were reliable.

Then I discovered:

http://www.miltronics.com/driveway.php

It works precisely as advertised, zero range problems. Plug and play.

My receiver is mounted on the porch, and the receiver has a N.O. relay
which closes on trigger. I run that into an X10 transmit module to
inject a signal into the power line, beep the driveway beeper, turn on
all floodlights and start the video cameras in a scan sequence.

The only problem I have had is ants getting in and building nests,
causing false alarms. I solved this by cutting little pieces of No
Pest strips and tucking them around the battery. The electronics part
is sealed in silicone. The batt compartment has a door, and room for
some slivers of No Pest which I change every time I change the 9V
batt, which is about every year and a half.

Tech support is excellent and toll free.

I buy mine from www.shomer-tec.com but you probably can find other
sources. Shomer has been the cheapest and good service.

I think this may do your job. I'm running at least a thousand feet,
and in playing, the thing will trip the receiver in the barn, meaning
I have a significant fade margin.

Regards ... Steve

************************************************** *******************
Steve Uhrig, SWS Security, Maryland (USA)
Mfrs of electronic surveillance equip
mailto:Steve@swssec.com website http://www.swssec.com
tel +1+410-879-4035, fax +1+410-836-1190
"In God we trust, all others we monitor"
************************************************** *******************

[Mark Thomas]

Steve,

How about false alarms due to falling leaves? Deer? Small animals?
Heavy rain/snow? I'm not sure about an infrared beam solution.

[Steve Uhrig]

On 8 Oct 2005 16:07:56 -0700, "Mark Thomas" <mrt@thomaszone.com>
wrote:

> How about false alarms due to falling leaves? Deer? Small animals?
> Heavy rain/snow? I'm not sure about an infrared beam solution.

Deer trip it. I have it looking about 4 feet high across the driveway,
so nothing smaller does. Not that many deer cross my driveway, and
none during the season.

Takes a lot of intelligence to discriminate a deer from a man. Same
size, same weight. The IR is looking for a heat difference from
ambient moving from one zone to another (of I believe 16 zones).

Leaves and snow do not affect it.

Every spring for about 3 days, the sun is at an angle where it glares
off something and causes a few nuisance alarms a day from shining into
the thing.

But all I'm doing is turning on lights and starting some Pelco Spectra
cameras in a scan sequence, so no harm is done from a false. It rarely
falses. If someone is driving or walking in, they also hit other X10
hardwired motion sensors so I know if they're heading towards the
house, the shop or the barn.

Steve

************************************************** *******************
Steve Uhrig, SWS Security, Maryland (USA)
Mfrs of electronic surveillance equip
mailto:Steve@swssec.com website http://www.swssec.com
tel +1+410-879-4035, fax +1+410-836-1190
"In God we trust, all others we monitor"
************************************************** *******************