Question about a drive way sensor

Billc · Nov 9, 2000

We are putting in a electric gate this weekend. We are also wanting to get some type of driveway sensor. Our drive is very long (1/4 mile). Most of the time our gate is open. I am looking for a device that will ring, beep, grown, etc. to let me know someone is coming up the drive. Often times I am back at the shop which is well behind our house. I keep having people stop by but I never hear them. Those that know me know to go on back to the shop. However, most people don't come on back 'cause they don't know there's a shop is out back.

The sensor will have to be battery powered with a solar charger. It will have to be wireless. Any ideas?

RobS · Nov 9, 2000

Check out smarthome.com. They have a driveway sensor that can be rigged to do about anything electrical with a "powerflash" interface to your house. It's X-10 technology which is simple to add. Hope this helps.

Rob

Billc · Nov 10, 2000

Thanks, Rob.

Bill Cook

heehaw · Nov 21, 2000

the 1/4 mile distance might be a problem; but i have a dakata-alert on my drive way; its a motion detector tied to a transmitter, the receiver is in the house..the detector and transmitter operate from a 9volt battery; i "think" the distance between the tx and rx is advertised as "up to" 1000ft; it works well in my case, but if i were doing it again, i'd get the model they have that has a sensor hose that goes across the drive, it wouldn't false as often. nothern hydraulics has a couple drive way alerts in their catalog too..hope this helps
heehaw

ejb · Nov 21, 2000

I have a great driveway sensor, I also have a long driveway and very often I am also out of sight and would like to know if someone is coming up the driveway, my driveway sensor only cost around $50 dollars, is black, stands on 4 legs, weighs about 65lbs, and makes really loud noises when ever someone/something comes near the house...I do have to feed him everyday though....and let him out in the morning./w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

scruffy · Nov 21, 2000

ejb, your driveway sensor sounds just about like mine. Although mine can be bribed, at least the UPS,FEDEX, and Mail drivers bribe her with part of their lunches, a donut, etc. Just proves that not everything is fool proof.

)

Billc · Nov 22, 2000

Heehaw,

I'd have to go with a sensor hose under the drive as well. With the amount of deer we have the driveway sensor would need a new battery every other day. And the receiver in the house would sound like a pin ball machine. I'd have to take up hunting again. Don't think the Red Head would like that too much.

Thanks for the info.

Bill Cook

heehaw · Nov 22, 2000

yep; 2:30AM this morning the dern thing went off; its "suppose" to require infrared heat and motion to activate, and its "suppose" to be immune to anything that weighs less than 60-70 pounds; well, my neighbors rooster sets it off, and if he weighed that much, i'd capture him and enter em in the state fair..my wifes white corolla doesn't set it off when its pretty cold outside..go figure??
heehaw

Billc · Nov 24, 2000

My Mom and Step-Dad had one on their drive way. It was high dollar. It was set off my magnetic fields. Animals would not set it off, but let a good lightning storm roll through and "ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding." You'd have to disconnect it.

Bill Cook

scruffy · Nov 24, 2000

One additional plus factor in the four footed variety of driveway sensor! They don't go off continuously for T-Storms! Course, They WILL go off continuously for almost anything else. Ours even thinks the private road crossing in front of the property is 'hers' to protect. She will bark at, chase, or stop anything coming up or down the road, just depends (to her I guess) on which method is most appropriate. She's better than a stock dog, when it comes to 'corralling' a truck out there on the road! Stays in the middle of the road until someone pays their 'dues' and gives her something to eat. Sorta embarrassing, you'd think we never feed her!

Corm · Nov 24, 2000

I just received some literature about driveway monitors from an outfit in South Dakota that looks very interesting. They were recommended by several folks around me. The name of the outfit is -

Dakota Alert, Inc.
PO Box 130, 112 W. Main
Elk Point, SD 57025
Phone - (605)-356-2772
FAX - (605)-356-2584

I have no affiliation at all with this outfit, just thought some of you might find the info useful.

Corm

heehaw · Nov 24, 2000

thats where i got the driveway alert i use; it works ok..but like i said, i'd opt for the one with the hose laying across the driveway if i had it to do again..kinda like the ole full service stations had one time..except this one transmits up to 1000 ft to a receiver..
heehaw

Billc · Nov 25, 2000

Crom, do they have a web sight?

Heehaw, you said the hose goes across the drive. Do they make one where the sensor across the driveway can be buried? In other words not seen if a stranger is coming up the drive?

Bill Cook

heehaw · Nov 27, 2000

i haven't seen one with a hose that you can bury; that would sense the metal, magnetic force, or something like that, like the sensors on traffic lights; i do know that Dakota alert was/is willing to set folks up as dealers; you have to send them a copy of your sales tax exemption; it saves @ 30% off the retail price of there stuff, a friend of mine did that, and i got one to test, to see how much effort we wanted to put into selling this type of sensor; well, for me it works great, i don't mind the neighbors rooster settin it off now an again, and i don't mind when it misses a vehicle once in a while, but i don't think the general public is that forgiving; so we haven't attempted to do any selling; i like the motion sensor because it catches folks walking down the drive too; the ideal situation would probably be to aim the unit at a wall of a barn or other building, where VERY little critter traffic was encountered, but would catch the driveway; i am toying with the idea of putting it overhead, and aimed down at the road, then the critters would have to walk down the middle of the drive to set it off; i wouldn't want to do without the sensor since i've gotten use to it; but i still need to tune the detection area to make it really useful..it operates from 1ea 9volt battery.
heehaw

Corm · Nov 30, 2000

Billc - They do not have a web site mentioned in their literature.

Corm

Billc · Nov 30, 2000

Thanks, Crom.

uppermich · Nov 30, 2000

I found them at http://www.dakotaalert.com/.

Ordered one to be a critter detector near my barn. I got two feeder pigs last weekend and they threw in some Bantam chicks with the deal. I've lost all my poultry to bobcat the last two years in a row. Some friends trapped one the first year, but there was another one that showed up last winter and cleaned me out again /w3tcompact/icons/frown.gif.

I've sealed up the chicken coop but am concerned that the pigs may be "sitting ducks" even in a pen in the barn. That didn't stop the bobcat when I had ducks in the pen. Hopefully, this will give me a chance to avert another massacre and do double duty as a driveway detector.

Pat (Techno-Tractor Mom)

Billc · Dec 4, 2000

Uppermich,

Thanks, great sight.

Bill Cook

heehaw · Dec 6, 2000

sure hope your critter alert works better than my driveway alert; twice in the last week, we had a knock on the door, and we didn't know anyone was anywhere around; but when they drove out, the alert went off..we have a one lane driveway, so they were the same distance from the sensor, entering and leaving...one was a one ton ford truck, the other was a chevy blazer..both big enough to be detected???
that dog is looking better every day.
heehaw

scruffy · Dec 6, 2000

Out of curiosity, were both vehicles rather high off the ground? Your sensor may be limited in its capacity to detect something over 12" off the ground for example. Just a thought.