DIY Security Systems
Driveway alarms are effective and affordable ways to keep your family and home safe. If you are a homeowner and want to protect your property or keep tabs on the younger drivers, a driveway alarm will notify you if a vehicle passes the sensor. Nowadays, people try several kinds of tactics to protect their households, and knowing how to make a driveway alarm is the most efficient and budget-friendly way to do so. Read on to know more about driveway alarms and how they keep up with home safety.
What is a Driveway Alarm?
If you’re thinking of learning how to make a driveway alarm, you must know first its fundamentals starting with what are driver alarms and what can it do to help you. Having a driveway alarm will guarantee that you won’t be surprised again by visitors or trespassers. This alarm features a monitor that that sends out alert messages when a vehicle enters the driveway. When the sensor is triggered, the receiver beeps or flashes a light.
Two Types of Detection
Other driveway alarms detect any kind of movement, including that of people, vehicles, and animals. If you want to be notified or alerted to all actions/movements in your driveway, choose an alarm system that uses infrared motion detectors or break beam sensors. The other one is an alarm that detects movement vehicles only. This will help eliminate false alarms for people or animals who are passing by. They use a metal sensing or probes that detect movements of large metal objects like cars.
Easy Steps on How to Make a Driveway Alarm
If you’re planning to install one, here are some easy steps on how to make a driveway alarm.
Step 1
The very first step on how to make a driveway alarms system is to dig a post hole about 24 inches deep for your 4×4 green treated post to be located near the foot and the side of your driveway.
Step 2
Fill the bottom of the post hole with some rough gravel. Using a carpenter’s level, set the post into the hole and square it up. Stake the post in its upright position and nail the stakes with double-headed nails.
Step 3
Mix a bag of cement and fill the hole surrounding the post. Tamp the wet concrete using a piece of lumber to spread it equally and compact it. Let it dry overnight.
Step 4
Remove the stakes and cut the post down to two or three feet in height using a circular saw. Install a metal or plastic post cap on top of it.
Step 5
Place 4 AA batteries in the motion-detecting transmitter head unit and place it on the post, below the post cap. The head should be pointed opposite the driveway entrance and somewhat downward. Secure the transmitter head to the post.
Step 6
Connect the receiver unit to the system to an electrical outlet in the room where you desire to monitor the driveway movements.
Step 7
Ask help from your family or friend, to go out to the driveway and assist you in tuning the transmitter, while you remain indoors near the receiver or vice versa. Modify the motion-detector sensor, so it only makes the receiver produce a “chime” sound when a huge object crosses the driveway—not when somebody drives or walks by in the street.
Step 8
Set the chime sound that you want to hear. These devices are capable of performing a mixture of traditional chimes and tunes.
Step 9
Test the system with the use of a garage door remote control system or those of your neighbors. Set the receiver to one among the 32 possible codes so garage door openers within the vicinity will not set the chime off.
Conclusion
Driver sensors are a smart way to monitor people who enter and exits your property. If you have a long winding road or just a short one leading to your garage, these devices are simple to install and are budget-friendly for short and long ones. Before learning how to make a driveway alarm or purchasing a security defense for your home, make sure to consider some factors like budget, the area of your house, the other types of security you need. Find out more about Driveway Alarms.