Wireless for mailbox sensor?

RandyKnight

Active Member
So I'm feeling a bit lazy today and am trying to come up with away to avoid having to bury a Cat5 all the way to my mailbox. Wondering if a wireless Motion Sensor is the way to go? The mailbox is a good 200' + from the location of the Elk so that is a consideration.

Thoughts? Besides "don't be lazy" ;)
 
I usa a DS10 in my mailbox which is about 150 feet away. I tried the motion detector and it did not have the range that the DS10 had. I even have a metal mailbox.

This is assuming you are using x-10. As to an alarm system motion sensor, someone else will have to chime in.
 
I use a Caddx wireless mini switch at the mailbox which is like 50' from my Elk, but 200' should not be a problem, especially with the Elk RF receiver (and if you need to put multiple ones and have one closer). The fixed part is in the box near the front and is hardly visible and the magnet it in the lid of the door. It works fine.
 
You can get an NX-650 on ebay for about $10 sometimes if you are patient. Then use a mini contact (about $2.00 if you shop around). Since its only for the mail I would not be concerned about buying off ebay since its not a burg function (unless someone is stealing your mail). I have gotten NX-650's as low as $6.50 on eBAY BRAND NEW and used them for non critical aplications and never had a problem.

I am not only lazy I am cheap to ;)
 
If you are planning on getting the Elk wireless receiver, try to pick up the 'crystal' version, not the 'SAW" version (I was told that 2 versions are available for the sensors, couldn't confirm this for the keyfobs). SAW should work fine in most cases, but the crystal ones seem to be the better choice for use with the Elk wireless receiver.
 
I have a similar mailbox issue but my mailbox is probably 500ft away. I could put an antenna on my roof to a better line on it. Will any of these tx/rx'ers go 500ish feet?
 
I use something similar to this (the old mail alert system from Radio Shack) and I wired a powerflash into the speaker. It's been in service for 4 or 5 years. It even works through my brick mailbox that's ~ 160 feet from the house.
 
hucker said:
I have a similar mailbox issue but my mailbox is probably 500ft away. I could put an antenna on my roof to a better line on it. Will any of these tx/rx'ers go 500ish feet?
The Caddx stuff is rated to right around 500 feet. The Elk receiver is a bit more sensistive I think. The nice think about the Elk receiver is you can put one or more on the bus, so you can locate one as close as possible to the mailbox.
 
Anyone in cold climates find that one battery technology works best for this? Was it lithiums that were OK?
 
I think most manufacturers RF devices work further than they claim. 500 ft line of sight is not that far and would probably work fine with almost anyones product.
 
I looked around, and couldn't find the answer, even at the GE website.

Are the external contacts typical normally-closed? Can you just wire in other wired sensors such as door switches and motion detectors?

Why do manufacturers like to keep things like this secret? It is frustrating to us Noobs.
 
Anyone in cold climates find that one battery technology works best for this? Was it lithiums that were OK?

I found the lithiums to be good in cold weather. But they are much more expensive. Here's a quote form aaabattery.info, online, that I found in a Google search:

Another important difference between the alkaline AAA battery and the lithium AAA battery is that the lithium AAA battery is much more resilient to cold. Alkaline batteries will often loose capacity as the temperature drops, but lithium batteries can work effortlessly even when the temperature drops below zero. The storage and operating temperature range for a high quality lithium AAA battery goes from -40° C to + 60° C. This is equal to -40° F and +140° F. This has made the lithium AAA battery very popular in devices that must be able to endure cold weather, such a small flashlight that will be used outdoor during the winter. You can also use the lithium AAA battery in refrigerated areas.
 
I wasn't aware that they sold Lithium AAA batteries. Do these require a new charger, or can I use an existing NiHM one ? I had a DS10A in my mailbox, with regular alkaline batteries. Once it gets cold, it dies after a few weeks, so I gave up on that idea for now.
 
I wasn't aware that they sold Lithium AAA batteries. Do these require a new charger, or can I use an existing NiHM one ? I had a DS10A in my mailbox, with regular alkaline batteries. Once it gets cold, it dies after a few weeks, so I gave up on that idea for now.

These types of lithium batteries are not rechargeable.

Brian
 
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