DVR and Driveway Alarm

[dorough 0]

I have a Digital Watchdog VFlex with multiple alarm inputs available. I also have a driveway that I need to keep tabs on at night to know if anyone is entering the property. Motion detection with the cameras isn't reliable as variations in ambient light, bugs on the lens, etc. make for many false motion detections.

 

So I'd like to know if it's possible at all to use a cheap driveway alarm like the one list below to connect to the alarm inputs on the DVR. Would it work to use the speaker leads inside the receiver and connect them to the DVR's alarm input? If so, I could have the DVR send out a text message to let me know when the driveway alarm has detected a vehicle.

 

http://www.harborfreight.com/wireless-driveway-alert-system-93068.html

Wireless Driveway Alert System from Harbor Freight for $17.99

[vector18 1]

As long as the receiver for the alert has a relay output you definitely will be able to use your dvr

[dorough 0]

I successfully rigged the receiver with a relay to send a signal to my DVR. It worked ok at times but I had a lot of problems with range & reception; it was simply a cheap product to begin with. So if I were to shop online for such a driveway alarm with relay output, where would I begin to look and what are the product specs I'd be looking for?

[NorwayCCTV 0]

Does it have to be wireless or can you go with wired sensors? If the latter, there are some good solutions for your needs. Wireless always relay on batteries that suddenly die (esp. during cold nights).

[dorough 0]

Does it have to be wireless or can you go with wired sensors? If the latter, there are some good solutions for your needs. Wireless always relay on batteries that suddenly die (esp. during cold nights).

 

Because of the lay of the land, wireless is best. That keeps me from having to trench through an asphalt parking lot. The transmitter is best positioned on the other side of the parking lot because it faces back toward the building that houses the DVR, thus limiting false alarms that may be triggered by traffic out on the main road. I would consider a hard-wired transmitter if I could mount it directly on the building without getting those false alarms. From the building, the "hot zone" would be 30-50 feet away - that's where cars pass through the parking lot. Beyond that is the main road. Make sense?

[NorwayCCTV 0]

It makes sense and I think that I understand the layout.

Do you have access to power at a pole or similar point in the parking lot? Then you can hardwire a transmitter there and hardwire the receiver on the outside wall of the house. I am thinking of one of those 2-4 beam "electronic fence"-kits.

[dorough 0]

It makes sense and I think that I understand the layout.

Do you have access to power at a pole or similar point in the parking lot? Then you can hardwire a transmitter there and hardwire the receiver on the outside wall of the house. I am thinking of one of those 2-4 beam "electronic fence"-kits.

 

Currently, I do not have power in the area where I could put the transmitter, hence it is running on batteries now. There is a possibility that wiring may be run soon, but I have to disregard that hope for now. While the transmitter must run on battery, I can certainly place the receiver on the outside of the building, or at least extend the antenna wire and run it out through a window.

[ak357 0]

 

 

Currently, I do not have power in the area where I could put the transmitter, hence it is running on batteries now. There is a possibility that wiring may be run soon, but I have to disregard that hope for now. While the transmitter must run on battery, I can certainly place the receiver on the outside of the building, or at least extend the antenna wire and run it out through a window.

 

All you need Optex 2000 sensor

[NorwayCCTV 0]

Currently, I do not have power in the area where I could put the transmitter, hence it is running on batteries now. There is a possibility that wiring may be run soon, but I have to disregard that hope for now. While the transmitter must run on battery, I can certainly place the receiver on the outside of the building, or at least extend the antenna wire and run it out through a window.

I think that you maybe misunderstood my question a little bit. I was ref. to a different kind of sensor/transmitter. It is a two piece kit, where one is the transmitter and the other one is the receiver, with narrow IR beams between them. When the beams are broken (i.e. someone is walking or driving through the beams), the relay in the receiver is triggered. This can be connected to your DVR, your alarm system, whatever! It can be either N.O. or N.C. If you install it at least 4-5 feet above ground, you should be able to avoid detecting your neighbor's cats, dogs and smallest children.

 

Here is one that operates on batteries:

http://www.optexamerica.com/security-products/ax-100tfri

 

 

 

All you need Optex 2000 sensor

The risk of false alarms is too great with a normal PIR-sensor, IMHO.

Edited March 5, 2013 by Guest

[shockwave199 0]

I have the harbor freight one. Interesting that you got it rigged to a relay- pretty cool. The problem is wireless. Weather plays a huge role in this. Very humid nights will affect the performance. Dewy mornings, where the PIR face gets wet will affect performance. Extreme cold will affect performance. Daytime is when it works the best, I have found. Night time is less reliable. I have mine at approx 125' and it's not a clear line of site. Sometimes it's great, other times not so. For best results you should have a clear line of site. Try extending the wires to the receiver and put it somewhere that either shortens the distance to the PIR, or has a better line of site, or ideally both. Maybe a window ledge higher up or closer- or a perfect line of site. If you're stuck facing the PIR out there a certain way, than you'll have to move the receiver inside to the best position to make it more reliable. There are other brands of this type and they can be more expensive, but they still rely on wireless- and that makes it a crap shoot, quite literally. Good luck.

[Polaris 0]

I successfully rigged the receiver with a relay to send a signal to my DVR. It worked ok at times but I had a lot of problems with range & reception; it was simply a cheap product to begin with. So if I were to shop online for such a driveway alarm with relay output, where would I begin to look and what are the product specs I'd be looking for?

 

Dorough,

 

Would you mind sharing how you rigged the relay to the HF driveway sensor? I have one of those and was wondering if that could be done and used as an input to my DVR.

 

Thanks!!