I’ve been looking on the ‘Net for the right alarm system, but so far I’ve been unsuccessful.
I run a tree farm. When I’m on the back 40, I can’t know if a drop in visitor comes into the yard.
There are two entrances: One to the house -> trail to the pot yard, one a drive-in route directly to the pot yard.
I want to monitor both entrances.
The ideal system:
1. Does NOT alarm for someone exiting the property.
2. Rings a bell at the house.
3. Simultaneously phones me.
4. Keeps phoneing me until I answer, OR until the incident is acknowledged on the base station. The key here is that it dosn’t shut up until told to shut up, AND it uses multiple notification system at the same time.
5. Tells me which entrance was used.
6. I would prefer that the transmission from the alarm installation to the house be wireless
7. I would prefer NOT to have to carry a special receiving unit, since I already carry a phone.
So far all the systems I’ve looked at can do 2 and 6, and none of the others. Pointers?
Replies
They're all doable, but not with your standard Radio Shack parts. You'd have to work with an alarm company, and it's going to be expensive.
I think you're in for some compromise, unless you're willing to re-mortgage the place.
There are everything from robust DIY systems that will take lots of effort on your part (but could save some cash), to off-the-shelf systems by alarm companies (as Dan said), but it won't come cheap.
A good buddy of mine runs a nursery/landscape business and tells horror stories about constant breakins. WTF? I would have never guessed. There must be a brotherhood of common thinking among thieves.
I wish you success.
breakins
It's all so trivial. NONE of the features are hard to implement.
Entrance vs exit is done by having two sensors: If A triggers before B, they're coming in. If B triggers before A, they're going out.
Alamrs with a magnetometer sensor and radio link to the house with a receiver in the house are cheap. $150-300 bucks.
Having it notify until acknowledged is basically just reprogramming.
Having it phone is basically adding a modem chip (cents not dollars) and a bit more programming.
It should be an off the shelf item for under $500.
Sigh. Arduino plus soldering iron.
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We've not had a problem with theft. Two border collies raise lots of noise with visitors. But if I'm in the field, the dogs are with me, and I don't hear someone come in.
Uh, if it's so trivial why don't you do it?
I was thinking the same thing upon reading the thread.
Doug
>>>Uh, if it's so trivial why
>>>Uh, if it's so trivial why don't you do it?
Prolly 'cause there's a good chance he'd get leapfrogged, at least if he made a business venture out of it.
I think we'll see some new products emerge in this area in the near future.