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Wireless Alarm

Started by Billy April 16, 2022
I would like to cobble together components to make a wireless alarm

Motion sensor, transmitter, receiver all battery operated.
Range 1000 feet.
Run time six+ hours before recharge is needed.

For example,
    driveway sensor connected to doorbell button.
	ignore a transmitter in the driveway sensor.
       or
         enhance the transmitter in the driveway sensor for range.
         then use driveway sensor receiver and done.
    doorbell receiver has audio output.
This probably will not have the range but you get the idea I hope.

Suggestions for pieces of equipment please.
Thank you.

I just searched on "arduino wireless home security"
and got many hits.
Would any of those fill your need?
Many sensors can be attached to Arduino
products:
https://www.adafruit.com/category/35 

For the wireless link, I would skip Bluetooth (2.4GHz)
To get 1000ft, may need the VHF band (433MHz, etc) 
& suitable power & antenna: 
https://www.adafruit.com/category/112

regards, RS
On 4/16/2022 10:26 AM, Billy wrote:
> I would like to cobble together components to make a wireless alarm > > Motion sensor, transmitter, receiver all battery operated. > Range 1000 feet. > Run time six+ hours before recharge is needed. > > For example, > driveway sensor connected to doorbell button. > ignore a transmitter in the driveway sensor. > or > enhance the transmitter in the driveway sensor for range. > then use driveway sensor receiver and done. > doorbell receiver has audio output. > This probably will not have the range but you get the idea I hope.
Yeah, clear as mud! :> Is the "driveway sensor" the "motion sensor" mentioned earlier? Is the "doorbell button" an indication that you want the doorbell circuit to be actuated when <something> is sensed? (if so, you can steal power for the "receiver" that drives the doorbell button from the doorbell circuit)
> Suggestions for pieces of equipment please.
How frequently will "events" be signaled? (i.e., this has a bearing on what bands you can use) If this is an *alarm*, that suggests that it is *protecting* something (i.e., a failure would be a vulnerability). If it is just a wireless *indicator* of some event (motion detected in driveway), then you may be less concerned with it's failure (unless you consider activity in your driveway to be a potential threat). I.e., how resilient does your system have to be against interference (intentional and otherwise)? What is the RF environment in which it will be operating? What sort of monies and effort/time do you want to devote to it? Is it a "one off" or something you want to reproduce?
On Saturday, April 16, 2022 at 10:26:22 AM UTC-7, Billy wrote:
> I would like to cobble together components to make a wireless alarm > > Motion sensor, transmitter, receiver all battery operated. > Range 1000 feet. > Run time six+ hours before recharge is needed.
If money is no object, there's wireless cameras that can do the motion detection, and with a directional antenna, WiFi can beam their data to a home network. For driveway alarm and motion sensors, there's old-tech options at x10.com that might suit, at lower price points. Every squirrel, rabbit, or cat in the driveway will show up, of course... 1000 feet is an odd requirement; three football fields, really?
On 2022-04-16 19:26, Billy wrote:
> I would like to cobble together components to make a wireless alarm > > Motion sensor, transmitter, receiver all battery operated. > Range 1000 feet. > Run time six+ hours before recharge is needed.
Commercial units run for months (even two years) on 2 or 3 AA batteries. They only transmit when they trigger, or when there is a request from the base. -- Cheers, Carlos.
On Sunday, April 17, 2022 at 6:40:12 AM UTC-4, Carlos E.R. wrote:
> On 2022-04-16 19:26, Billy wrote: > > I would like to cobble together components to make a wireless alarm > > > > Motion sensor, transmitter, receiver all battery operated. > > Range 1000 feet. > > Run time six+ hours before recharge is needed. > Commercial units run for months (even two years) on 2 or 3 AA batteries. > They only transmit when they trigger, or when there is a request from > the base.
??? A receiver running 24/7 still uses significant power. Months is correct, but that's pretty inconvenient. Better would be solar powered, with a weeks long rechargeable battery. -- Rick C. - Get 1,000 miles of free Supercharging - Tesla referral code - https://ts.la/richard11209
Ricky <gnuarm.deletethisbit@gmail.com> wrote: 

> Carlos E.R. wrote: >> Billy wrote:
>> > I would like to cobble together components to make a wireless alarm >> > >> > Motion sensor, transmitter, receiver all battery operated. Range 1000 >> > feet. Run time six+ hours before recharge is needed.
>> Commercial units run for months (even two years) on 2 or 3 AA >> batteries. They only transmit when they trigger, or when there is a >> request from the base. > > ??? A receiver running 24/7 still uses significant power. Months is > correct, but that's pretty inconvenient. Better would be solar powered, > with a weeks long rechargeable battery.
I always thought receivers can be EXTREMELY low power. Something to do with the fact ultrasensitive antennas feed inputs with extremely low bias current? As far as wireless motion sensors go... I use a wireless motion sensor for security. Works great, in use for about 10 years. The 9 V alkaline battery in the motion sensor lasts for about 1.5 years. Because the receiver part of it is extremely low power AND a short detection pulse transmitted requires extremely little power? The sensor gets tripped at least a dozen times every day.
On 4/17/2022 3:37 AM, Carlos E.R. wrote:
> On 2022-04-16 19:26, Billy wrote: >> I would like to cobble together components to make a wireless alarm >> >> Motion sensor, transmitter, receiver all battery operated. >> Range 1000 feet. >> Run time six+ hours before recharge is needed. > > Commercial units run for months (even two years) on 2 or 3 AA batteries. They > only transmit when they trigger, or when there is a request from the base.
Then you're stuck with PIr detectors. And, all of the limitations (and false positives) that come with them. A neighbor has one to illuminate when his driveway is occupied. It comes on throughout the night as it gets confused by passing cars, wildlife, palm fronds falling from trees, etc. (why not just leave it *on*?) We had a light in the side yard that would essentially stay on continuously on windy nights as the branches of the orange tree waved in front of the sun-heated masonry wall that the sensor "saw".