Best, simple wireless delivery of remote sensor triggering

Thread Starter

Patrick Clark

Joined Apr 10, 2016
9
Hello all,

I'm putting together a sensor next to my driveway to detect when vehicles pull in to our house.

When the sensor is triggered I want the signal to be sent wirelessly into our house and into my workshop. The house is about 50' from the sensor, the workshop about 150' away.

I need nothing fancy, I just want a True/False 1/0 signal to trigger a audio file to play and maybe flash a LED.

Everything is sorted except for the best wireless solution to send just a basic, "yes, it's been triggered" signal.

Please keep in mind that I need to monitor the wireless signal in two locations.

Thanks!
 

Attachments

blocco a spirale

Joined Jun 18, 2008
1,546
There are wireless doorbells that claim to have greater ranges than 150'; Buy one with two receivers and hack into the transmitter push-button contacts.
 

Thread Starter

Patrick Clark

Joined Apr 10, 2016
9
There are wireless doorbells that claim to have greater ranges than 150'; Buy one with two receivers and hack into the transmitter push-button contacts.
I'll buy a set of the doorbells, I see them on eBay for around $11 for a transmitter and 2 receivers. If their range is as good as they claim those will work nicely.

I also checked out the RFM69HW, those look very capable and at around $5 each they would lend themselves to this project very nicely also, although they're overkill for something this simple. Still, at $5 each....

I'll probably buy the doorbell system first and if the range sucks I'll go with the RFM69's.

Thanks!
 

blocco a spirale

Joined Jun 18, 2008
1,546
There are quite a few doorbells that claim 100m range and you can improve things by fitting the transmitter in a waterproof box, attaching it to a a pole and running the wires up to it.
 

BReeves

Joined Nov 24, 2012
410
Not what you are asking but another option. I use a video camera mounted on my shop looking at my drive with a video motion detector that triggers a 555 that rings 3 door bells. One in my shop, one in the house and one in the office. The 555 gives me the delay needed for the bells to chime. Camera and motion sensor were bought surplus for very little. Everything but the camera is inside out of the weather and easy to get to.
 

Thread Starter

Patrick Clark

Joined Apr 10, 2016
9
Not what you are asking but another option. I use a video camera mounted on my shop looking at my drive with a video motion detector that triggers a 555 that rings 3 door bells. One in my shop, one in the house and one in the office. The 555 gives me the delay needed for the bells to chime. Camera and motion sensor were bought surplus for very little. Everything but the camera is inside out of the weather and easy to get to.
Interesting....I already have a Raspberry Pi running Motion software that I use to monitor a Foscam IP camera in my shop, it records video when motion is detected. I was already planning to add a camera to my carport, and point it at the door. Maybe I should add two cameras, and point the second one at the driveway and use it to record video and to trigger a chime in the house and shop.

That still leaves me needing a wireless connection for the trigger, but these dang RFM69s look so cool, and I'm a big Arduino nerd anyway, I may have to go that route, for the fun of it.

BReeves, do you have the 3 chimes hardwired? Also, what purpose does the 555 serve? I'm not clear on the need for the delay.

Thanks!
 

BReeves

Joined Nov 24, 2012
410
Sorry for taking so long, been busy waiting/watching Killdeer's hatch.
The door bell chimes I used are a ding-dong and it takes a little bit of time for them to finish the cycle. Normally a person pushing a button stays on the button long enough for the chime to complete the cycle. The motion sensor I used just provides a quick pulse when it triggers and it wasn't a long enough pulse for the chimes. I simply used a 555 to lengthen the pulse. The 555 operates a relay that supplies 24 VAC to the chimes. They are all hard wired in parallel.

When we were preparing this property I installed PVC conduit runs between the 3 buildings strictly for cat-5, phones and video cable. I pulled in two cat-5 cables, two RG-6 cables and two 8 conductor phone cables. Anytime I need a wire pair I just punch it down to a phone punch block on each end.
 

Thread Starter

Patrick Clark

Joined Apr 10, 2016
9
Aha, understood. I wish I had underground power and data between buildings and to points in the yard, but I guess that just means I'll have to be crafty and make the best of what I have! And 555's, man, those things have been around forever and are just as useful today as they ever were!
 
Top