Driveway Alarm

[Matt In Oklahoma]

Driveway Alarm


A relatively inexpensive system sold by harborfrieght, wallieworld or any hardware store usually for under 20 bucks. They are weather proof and give you an audible and visual alarm.

It's not a great alarm system like the one from JRH ENTERPRISES such as their

http://jrhenterprises.com/category.sc;jsessionid=E904009EE2F0E6D78EA1BAD2BB6F2E0F.qscstrfrnt01?categoryId=17

however it was something we had decided to install anyway. I just took it to the next level by camoing it and hiding it for OPSEC reasons. It doesnt have to be an expensive camo job either just keep it simple, break up the outline and use subdued matching terrain colors that the eye isnt drawn to. Don't try and be all contractor coolio using sand colors while it sits on a grey tree trunk.


They run on batteries so direct power isn't required. It can be defeated fairly easy so it shouldn't be a main source of your passive defenses just another level.
I won't show the final positions of them for obvious reasons and many will disapprove of this or dis it as a cheap failure waiting to happen. So be it and perhaps you are right, I'm no guru, for the rest may the seed be planted and maybe your ideas will sprout. Be safe, if nothing else the UPS guy won't sneak up on ya no more!

[1Admin]

Driveway type PIR alarms have their place, IMO.

The Chamerlain ones from Northern have worked well over the years.

The EARLY Radio Slack ones like the 49-425 Mini Motion detector alarm/chime worked well. In the long long ago in a deep dark swamp of Florida away... we used to use those around hides and RON camp sites. Later Radio Slack models we played with that were more money turned out to be crap IME.

Passive infrared (PIR) alarms of this nature are better for "point" security versus wide area security. I.e, like Matt said so the UPS guy won't sneak up on you. Gates, narrow openings, intersections, etc. They are subject to a lot of false alarms so it's usually a good idea to put them within view of OP's, the house, etc. You don't want to dispatch a patrol to the back 40 for 10 false alarms on a PIR detector that's too far out to observe around it. Pretty soon and with enough false alarms, it becomes a joke. Then you really get hit :) Similarly, you could set up your cameras to cover the areas near the PIR alarms. I "know" of someone that has done that with those and seismics and it seems to work well.

Camo them to match the environment as Matt has shown.

About 11 years ago the guys working the "ranch rescue" type ops down near/on the border used to buy 20 to 40 wireless seismic sets at a go from us. They came with some really neat ideas like connecting a small solar panel to the transmitter set so that they would not have to go out regularly to change batteries. Used rechargeable batteries and the small solar panel kept them trickled charged.

You can easily do the same with units like this. Mount the panel high up in a tree with a good south facing, cable it down to the PIR unit to have it recharge the batts in it. Similar to how people use the little 6volt panels on deer feeders.

Don't forget all these small units are PORTABLE. That was what we loved about our original Radio Slack ones, camo'ed and mounted in a crook of a tree, you could cover your back trail at a patrol stop, etc.

[610Alpha]

Awesome idea!! Thanks MIO for sharing and 1Admin for throwing out the power supply option from solar.

[Matt In Oklahoma]

Don't forget all these small units are PORTABLE. That was what we loved about our original Radio Slack ones, camo'ed and mounted in a crook of a tree, you could cover your back trail at a patrol stop, etc.

This unit weighs about one lb with batteries, the drawback would be the audible alarm IMO. The however is it doesn't have to be at your head to hear it, it comes with a low and a high setting so put it at the edge or you stop/camp area so if someone does start shooting at the sound it wont be directly at you.
I'm thinking about some of these to throw in the camper as well in an ammo can to protect them. Won't stop bullets but my chances are alot better if i'm moving out of the camper than sitting in there with bullets penetrating that 1/64inch of sheet metal and it will lemme know if them coyotes n coons come in to steal anything while i'm hunting.

[1Admin]

Keep in mind the wire to the on board siren can be clipped and connected to another noise maker or flashing light /warning type device.

[EX121]

I wonder if you could hook one of these up to the solar electric fence system to both keep the batteries charged and when triggered to turn on the electrical pulse?

[tech]

Sure, just use a latching relay circuit to energize the fence charger after an alarm.

[1Admin]

Awesome!~ Although not enough juice to really make it fun though :0

[EX121]

I figure it would give them enough of a suprise jolt to get a yelp out of them, and maybe deter the four legged varmits.

[tech]

...or the output could trigger an alarm on the video recorder. Just be mindful of current and voltage limits when figuring what's best for your particular setup.