Re: Driveway Alert Sensors

[keith bowers <kabowers@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Dan Lanciani wrote:

> 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
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