Re: Driveway Alert Sensors

[ddl@danlan.*com (Dan Lanciani)]

In article <11k3cnjp66rvi22@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>, kabowers@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx (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