Good morning electronics people
I need some advice/help in designing/building a prototype
I need to build a device that acts as an alarm so when something is taken it contacts people via there mobile phones.
I install alot of cable throughout UK and with the theft of cable still on the increase i need a device that I can connect to a cable and when someone takes it, it sends a signal to piece of monitoring software which in turn contacts a series of mobile phones to alert of the theft.
Has this got to be designed and built from scratch or are there components you can buy and bolt together to get a finished and working product.

These units would have to be self powered as they are in remote locations so a battery unit and a sending unit would be required

Thanks in advance for any suggestions or advice

Mike

 

Come on guys, any ideas/advice on this subject?
I didnt think it would have you brain boxes stumpded

Mike

 

We are not stumped. We just know from your question that our efforts are better spent telling you to check the bottom right corner of your computer screen to see what time it is rather than explaining to you how to build a grandfather clock.

There are some ebooks on the links above to get you started. Once you read those, you will realize what cfunctional blocks you will need. Then you will build some prototypes of each block and we can point you in the right direction if needed. After that, you will start straining those blocks together to make your device.

That said, we are not a contract system design house for people with ideas and no skills or, worse yet, no motivation to learn the skills. If we want to interact with people like that, we would spend more time with the sales and marketing people at our workplace instead of tutoring people interested in learning the art and science of electronics.

 

I know there are panels that will call the fire department when a fire alarm is triggered. You could use the same panel and probably be able to contact several numbers. I just don't know where you would get one.
Also, Make: Electronics has an article to have your dryer send a twitter when the drying cycle is finished. I believe that it uses a wireless internet connection to post the message. Just have the phones you want to alert follow the twitter feed.

 

You could use a GSM autodialler to contact your mobile, you would just need to put a detection circuit to trigger it, prob like a pir or motion detector.

 

Mike there are quite a few trail cameras that will silently take day and night pictures of interlopers, and send them to your GSM phone while the crimes are in progress.

The Chasing Game website offers comprehensive reviews of just about all the major brands of trail-cameras currently available, and the guys on the forum of that website are very helpful when it comes to choosing a make and model.

 

We are not stumped. We just know from your question that our efforts are better spent telling you to check the bottom right corner of your computer screen to see what time it is rather than explaining to you how to build a grandfather clock.

There are some ebooks on the links above to get you started. Once you read those, you will realize what cfunctional blocks you will need. Then you will build some prototypes of each block and we can point you in the right direction if needed. After that, you will start straining those blocks together to make your device.

That said, we are not a contract system design house for people with ideas and no skills or, worse yet, no motivation to learn the skills. If we want to interact with people like that, we would spend more time with the sales and marketing people at our workplace instead of tutoring people interested in learning the art and science of electronics.

As a Senior Member to this site your response wasnt exactly welcoming
If I had wanted a "contract system design house" I would have engaged with one. as for no ideas or skills unless you know me your not entitled to comment on my capabilities
I can just imagine that where you work the sales and marketing people just love you!!

LDC3

I know there are panels that will call the fire department when a fire alarm is triggered. You could use the same panel and probably be able to contact several numbers. I just don't know where you would get one.
Also, Make: Electronics has an article to have your dryer send a twitter when the drying cycle is finished. I believe that it uses a wireless internet connection to post the message. Just have the phones you want to alert follow the twitter feed.

Thanks for your response

Dodgydave

You could use a GSM autodialler to contact your mobile, you would just need to put a detection circuit to trigger it, prob like a pir or motion detector.

Thanks so much, your response was brilliant and I have been in contact with 2 companies that supply GSM auto dialers and have been looking at the current they draw on standby mode as to what kind of battery supply i require

Monster_catfish

Mike there are quite a few trail cameras that will silently take day and night pictures of interlopers, and send them to your GSM phone while the crimes are in progress.

The Chasing Game website offers comprehensive reviews of just about all the major brands of trail-cameras currently available, and the guys on the forum of that website are very helpful when it comes to choosing a make and model.

I have also been incontact with a CCTV (wireless) company to look at whether my idea for cable alarms is more feasible that CCTV. They have also run through how their system works.

I have just placed an order for the following:
http://www.controlfreqgsm.com/GSM_Alarm_Dialler_-_Basic_-_Weatherproof/p163033_6218735.aspx

My initial thoughts are to wire this up to the cable and use this as the trigger system. the cable I install is a 300mm copper XLPE (high voltage) as this has a 50mm copper screen, therefore I am looking at using the conductor (center core) and the screen to make a circuit, join both together at the other end.

Thanks guys for pointing me in the right direction. Once I have completed this I will quickly post a couple of photos (as long as it works )

Mike