Door mat bell

[osie]

Hi All

I have been searcing for a year without success for a way to acknowledge if someone has entered the reception area.

I have already a basic system that works well.  Its a pressure mat with a wireless door bell chime (cuckoo, cuckoo).

The problem is that if someone stays on the mat it cuckoos constantly...

So, ideally I would need a cutoff... or for it to ring again only after 30seconds.  Maybe a electronic addition to the plug?

Obviously shops have the same system but I am not sure what they do..

Any thoughts would be much appreciated.

Osie

[Théière]

[Théière]

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/MK120-Ir-Beam-Break-Detector-Pack-of-1-MK120-/281198742444?pt=UK_Toys_Creative_Educational_RL&hash=item4178c04bac

A couple of suitable plastic boxes and connect the buzzer to your current alarm signal. Being a beam it is thinner and mounted near the entry point is less likely to continue to chime, making sure the guests can hear it too will normally make them move out of the beam, exception is children who'll think it's great fun so mount it higher than a 5 year old!

[Chancer]

I am guessing that you arent able to create an electronic monostable circuit so whilst overkill the cheapest way would be to buy a basic cheap burglar alarm panel that has zones that can be configured to "chime".

That is what I used to do for shop owners etc or anyone that wanted to know when someone had entered the premises.

Pressure mats usually dont last for long as the foil breaks up creating false or continous activation, if you want to retain the pressure mat then you will need an alarm where the zones are compatible with or can be programmed to accept N/O detection devices (pressure mats).

I have been out of the game since 97 so cannot make a recommendation, we never used pressure mats or N/O devices even then so maybe there is no longer the facility, in which case you will need a PIR or beam break detector.

[Gluestick]

[quote user="Chancer"]

I am guessing that you arent able to create an electronic monostable circuit so whilst overkill the cheapest way would be to buy a basic cheap burglar alarm panel that has zones that can be configured to "chime".

That is what I used to do for shop owners etc or anyone that wanted to know when someone had entered the premises.

Pressure mats usually dont last for long as the foil breaks up creating false or continous activation, if you want to retain the pressure mat then you will need an alarm where the zones are compatible with or can be programmed to accept N/O detection devices (pressure mats).

I have been out of the game since 97 so cannot make a recommendation, we never used pressure mats or N/O devices even then so maybe there is no longer the facility, in which case you will need a PIR or beam break detector.

[/quote]

Simple one that, Chancer. 555 timer with a say, one second cut-off.

Or perhaps a simple solution:

See here:

[osie]

The infra red beam breaker sounds a great idea...

The ebay seller does not ship to France... everywhere else except France.

I figured to have it close to the floor so that anybody who does not want to trip it must jump.

I will try to find one sold in France.

[Pierre ZFP]

How about this from Amazon

http://www.amazon.co.uk/SODIAL-Wireless-Infrared-Doorbell-Chime--White/dp/B00KBPSKU6/ref=sr_1_4?s=diy&ie=UTF8&qid=1410447598&sr=1-4&keywords=infrared+alarm

[Gluestick]

[quote user="osie"]The infra red beam breaker sounds a great idea...

The ebay seller does not ship to France... everywhere else except France.

I figured to have it close to the floor so that anybody who does not want to trip it must jump.

I will try to find one sold in France.

[/quote]

Here

[osie]

I did see both of those but I would prefer it if it was connected to a wireless bell.

The idea being the person who enters is not bothered by a noise and I would hear it in another room.

I think also a thin beam would be better than a range to reduce the amount of rings.

[Gluestick]

[quote user="osie"]I did see both of those but I would prefer it if it was connected to a wireless bell.

The idea being the person who enters is not bothered by a noise and I would hear it in another room.

I think also a thin beam would be better than a range to reduce the amount of rings.

[/quote]

Most cheap "Proximity Detectors" (which is what they are called)  work on the basis of Passive Infra Red (IR). This simply means they detect a change in background IR, radiated by beings, i.e. people or animals.

Of course there are other ways of detecting people and movement. For example, Ultra Sound, Microwave and Laser detectors (as used in distance measuring tools) work on what is called Doppler Principle: same as RADAR. The device sends out a signal and it is bounced back when reflected by an object.

With a moving object, the speed the wave is moving is changed by the movement of the object (Doppler Effect) and the detector collects the speed measure the difference, by frequency.

If you stand by a fast moving train which sounds its horn, the horn appears to have changed frequency. It hasn't it is the soundwaves being effected by Doppler.

However, you can also use a beam of Ultra Violet Light (or indeed Laser or Microwave) which when broken (because someone has walked through the beam and prevented it falling on the receiver, the device sounds an alarm or notifies an alarm panel.

Not as cheap as PIR movement detectors, though!

Anyway, here is an example of Active (On all the time) IR beam.

This might do:

However, would need hooking up with perhaps something such as this:

See here

It would only sound when the active IR beam was broken and reset: unless, or course, your visitor continued standing in the beam!

[Théière]

[quote user="Gluestick"]

Anyway, here is an example of Active (On all the time) IR beam.

This might do:

However, would need hooking up with perhaps something such as this:

[/quote]

That's the Maplin version of the Ebay whatsit I posted, Sorry the person won't send to France Ossie, If you want one I don't mind sending it to you.  There are short range PIR's 10-12" sensor range so useful for a doorway rather than the standard 2-3metres + which would be even worse than you have now. Similar money too.

[osie]

Thanks to everybody for the new gained knowledge... The maplin thing looks good and I am sure over christmas there will be someone going back to blighty.

The reviews sound a bit ominous... it does not look like a plug in and play...  but a fun project over the winter months.

Thanks again

Osie

[osie]

The end result was that the maplin where I was did not have it and the guy in there suggested it was more of a hobby toy than something that would work properly.  In the end, and quite luckily, I found another mat from conrad.fr(code 1168581 - 62).  They didnt have them before. 

You can adjust the loudness of the bell and it seems to be a good product... with a good range.... So, all in all... I am sticking with the mat.