Beyond Driveways – Considerations for Putting Wireless Driveway Alarms to Work

Wireless driveway alarms may have been created to let you know when someone is coming up the driveway, but the technology has advanced to the point where driveway alerts serve many different purposes. Choosing the best driveway alarm system for your needs is a matter of identifying your needs and figuring out which of the many available options will best need them. These questions can help you figure out which features you need in driveway sensors and driveway alerts.

How Far Away from the Transmitter Do You Want the Receiver?

The transmitter is the part of the alarm system that you put in the driveway – or other area – you want to monitor. The receiver is the part that sounds an alert, and is usually inside your home or business. Each driveway alarm system has an effective transmission range, from as low as 75 feet to as much as 2 miles. The distances are generally calculated as “line of sight,” and any obstructions between the transmitter and receiver, including trees, buildings, hills and even the walls of the house, will reduce that range. It’s always better to overestimate the distance than to underestimate it.

What Do You Want to Detect?

The different types of driveway sensors are each best at detecting different types of objects in motion. If you only want to be alerted when a vehicle comes up a driveway, for example, a pressure hose might be your best option. If you want to detect any vehicles moving through or around a wider area, magnetic sensors give you more coverage and are extremely sensitive, but they’ll only detect metal masses. You won’t be bothered if a deer or cow wanders by the sensor. If, on the other hand, you want to detect any motion – pedestrian, animal or vehicle – through an area, a driveway alarm system with infrared sensors is the way to go. Within the infrared sector, you can choose between narrow beam detection – ideal if you want to know when someone or something passes a specific point on your driveway – and fan detection, which will detect any motion within a broad area.

How Many Areas Do You Want to Monitor?

Many wireless driveway receivers can accept input from multiple transmitters, so if you want to monitor several areas, choose one of those. The better quality ones can even distinguish between the transmitters and alert you with a different tone for each one so you know which area is being breached. There are even wireless driveway alarms that allow you to record your own voice alert so you don’t have to remember whether the door chime was for the driveway or the storeroom. The receiver will simply tell you in plain English (or whatever language you choose!)

You can learn about these and other important considerations from a supplier of alert systems like +Wireless Driveway Alarms Biz. Take the time to research a bit so you’re sure to find exactly the right driveway alert system for your needs.

Choosing Wireless Driveway Alarms for Your Property

If you live on a large property, monitoring the surrounding area is a major factor in your security needs. Unlike little suburban backyards, you really can’t put just put up an infrared security monitor to cover the whole property. +Wireless driveway alarms and other types of driveway alerts, on the other hand, can work with your current security setup to help you monitor remote areas of your property. How do you choose the best driveway alarm system for your needs? These considerations can help you make your decision.

Types of Driveway Alarms

There are three basic types of driveway alarms from which you can choose. The deciding factor between the different types of alarms is the type of sensing mechanism used by the system.

Infrared Motion Sensors

Driveway alarms with infrared motion sensors work like typical burglar alarms. The transmitters emit an infrared beam, and when something breaks that beam, they send a signal to a receiver, which sounds an alarm. They are most appropriate for use when you want to be alerted of any movement within the coverage range. In most cases, they can be programmed to ignore small animals, but will sound an alarm if a person on foot enters the area.

Magnetic Sensors

Magnetic sensors can cover much larger areas than most infrared driveway sensors. They will only alarm if they sense the movement of a large metal object, such as a car or truck. If you’re not worried about people or animals on your property and only want to be alerted if a car or truck approaches, these are the most reliable type of driveway alarms.

Pressure-Triggered Sensors

Remember back in the day when you drove over a hose at the gas station and it dinged a bell inside to let the service person know someone needed service? That’s the basic idea behind pressure-triggered sensors, though they’re considerably more sensitive these days. They may employ pressure plates or buried sensors to trigger the alarm when a vehicle passes over it. These are most appropriate for use in a driveway or inside a gate where a vehicle must drive over the pressure trigger in order to enter your property.

Other factors to consider when choosing wireless driveway alarms include the distance from the transmitter to the receiver, the type of terrain between transmitter and receiver, the type of notifications you want to receive, the degree of mobility you need for your alarm, and, of course, your budget.

Choosing the right wireless driveway alarm system is essential to getting the right level of security for your needs. If you’re not sure which type of alarm is right for your needs, talk to an expert in driveway alerts for help.

Outside-the-Box Uses for Wireless Driveway Alarms

Wireless driveway alarms are a popular choice for homes and businesses that require a little additional security. They can alert home residents when someone enters the property via a driveway or serve to alert businesses that a customer has driven onto the parking lot. As with anything else, however, there are ingenious people who have come up with outside-the-box ways to make driveway alerts serve their own purposes. These are some of the more creative ways that +Wireless Driveway Alarms Biz has seen customers use driveway sensors.

Know When Your Teen Driver Gets Home at Night

Whether you’re waiting up at night to find out when your teen driver gets home, or making sure that a loved one who works nights gets home safely, a wireless driveway alert can notify you that they’re home. Even better, your wireless driveway alarm can send a signal that turns on the outdoor lights so they can get from the car to the front door safely, and even light the door so they don’t have to fumble to get a key in the lock.

Set Up a Safety Alert to Keep Your Children Safe

While some driveway alarms will only signal if a large metal object passes, there are also much more sensitive driveway alerts that will go off when people and animals break their sensor beams. These more sensitive driveway alarms can warn you if your children wander outside the limits you’ve set. One family installed a wireless driveway alarm at the entrance to their outdoor swimming pool. Not only does it let them know if one of the children goes into the enclosure, it safeguards their pool – and the lives of neighborhood kids who might sneak in during the night.

Keep An Eye on Remote Buildings and Areas

While many driveway alarm systems will only detect motion within a very limited range – the width of the driveway – others are far more wide-ranging. Wireless driveway alarms with infrared motion sensors or magnetic driveway sensors can often detect any large metal objects or movements within a 50-100 foot area. These provide a great way to keep a remote eye on barns, outbuildings and warehouses that are located further away from the home or main worksite.

Wireless driveway alarms are very affordable, and many are easy to install yourself. Contact a supplier of driveway sensors and alarms to learn more about how a driveway alert can make your home or business more secure.

Benefits of Magnetic Alert Driveway Alarm Systems

If your main reason for installing a #driveway alarm system is to get an alert whenever a vehicle drives onto your property over the driveway, magnetic driveway alarm systems may be your best option. Unlike wireless driveway alarms which will trigger an alarm when people or large animals come into detection range, magnetic systems will only trigger when they sense large metal objects, such as cars, trucks or railway cars. They have a number of features that make them extremely useful in applications that include access control, security and analyzing traffic patterns. These are some of the benefits of using a magnetic driveway alarm system.

Reliability

Of all types of driveway sensors, magnetic sensors are the most reliable. They’re not affected by wireless signal interference or by weather conditions.

High Sensitivity

Most magnetic vehicle sensors operate by recognizing changes to the Earth’s magnetic field. The best driveway sensors can recognize even minute changes. This sensitivity allows them to be reliable even when there’s a long distance between the sensor and the item being sensed.

Eliminate False Alarms

As noted, magnetic driveway alarms only sense large metal objects. That virtually eliminates false alarms triggered by people, household pets and wildlife. You’ll only register cars, trucks and other vehicles.

Easy to Install

The magnetic probes can be buried near the driveway if you want an invisible system, or installed next to or near the driveway above ground if visibility is not an issue. They’re work just as well above or below grade.

Can Trigger Other Systems

Like other wireless driveway alarms, magnetic sensor systems can be used to trigger other systems. Many people use them to sound a chime or alarm to alert home or business owners that a vehicle has entered the driveway, but there are many other uses as well. Add a light kit to turn on lights when a vehicle approaches or turn on a security camera to give you a visual of the area. You can even use the magnetic sensor to trigger signs or activate gates or other equipment.

Wide Range

Depending on the model you choose, magnetic driveway sensors can detect vehicles over a range of as much as 1,000 feet.

Want to know more about how wireless driveway alarms can benefit your business or help you secure your home? Talk to expert security installers and get answers from users in the +Home Security Experts group on Google+.

Wireless Driveway Alarms Tips and Advice

Driveway alarms are a valuable addition for to your #home security system, but they also do so much more. Wireless driveway alarms – the most popular type on the home security market – make it easier to monitor your property, and are a good idea if the entrance to your driveway is some distance from your house. While they’re not a substitute for a complete home security system, they do provide an additional layer of protection and an early warning system to alert you when someone has entered your property via a driveway, gate, passageway or drive-thru lane. There are many different types of driveway alarm systems. The more you know, the easier it will be to choose the one that’s right for you.

Know Your Property

Before you choose a driveway alarm system, do a quick survey of your property. How far from your home will you place driveway sensors? How clear is the line of sight between the receiver and the driveway sensors? What is the weather like in your area? How much foot traffic – including wildlife – passes your driveway or enters it over the course of a day or night? All of those questions will help you determine the best type and model of driveway alarm system for your property.

Know What You Want

As noted, wireless driveway alarms are good for more than home security. Before you go shopping for a driveway alarm system, think about what you want it to actually do. Do you want to be alerted whenever someone sets foot on your property? Your best choice might be an infrared system that detects any motion. Do you only want to know when a vehicle approaches your property? A magnetic driveway sensor or pressure hose sensor will cut down on false alarms triggered by foot traffic. Keep in mind that with the proper accessories, your driveway alarm can serve as a trigger to do things like open your garage door, turn on the lights, raise and lower access gates or turn on security cameras. If your intent is to use the driveway alert as a trigger for anything other than a chime or buzzer, be sure you choose models that will work with your desired accessories.

Installation – DIY or Pro?

While some systems require a licensed contractor – particularly wired alarm systems – most wireless driveway alarms can be installed by a reasonably experienced DIY homeowner. If you’re planning to take on the installation yourself, check into the installation instructions and guidelines so that you choose a model for which you have the required skills and tools.

If you’re looking for more information about +wireless driveway alarms, check with a professional home security expert for tips and advice on choosing and installing the right driveway alarm system for your needs. 

How to Choose the Best Wireless Driveway Alarms

Wireless driveway alarms are an invaluable part of your home security system if any part of your driveway is not clearly visible from the house. In remote areas, intruders could be at your front door before you even know they’re on your property. A wireless driveway alert solves that problem by raising the alarm whenever it detects motion on your driveway or approach to your house.

Once you decide that a driveway alert is a good idea for you, you’ll have a few more decisions to make about the type and range of your wireless driveway alarm. +JWallace, home resources and maintenance coach, notes that #wireless driveway alarms are about the best option for protecting a larger property from intrusion – and they’re not that difficult to install if you have reasonable DIY skills. The trick is to decide what you want to know and then choose the system that gives you the features and flexibility you want.

Range

How far away will your wireless receiver be from the motion sensors for your driveway alarm system? A company like Driveway Alarm Products offers alarm systems with sensing ranges from 100 feet to up to 2 miles away from the receiver.

Weather Conditions

Some types of wireless driveway alarms will be affected by extreme weather conditions, especially ice and snow. For example, if you live in an area with heavy snowfall or ice, a pressure hose sensor may not be your best choice.

Site Conditions

Dense trees and/or transmitter towers nearby can interfere with transmissions from your wireless driveway alert. If those types of conditions might be an issue, talk to an experienced professional for advice and help to choose the right system for your property.

Visibility

In some cases, a visible alarm system can be a deterrent to intruders. In most cases, though, you may want to be able to hide the sensors for your driveway alarm to prevent people from bypassing it. There are many driveway alarm systems that give you the option to hide the sensors, including magnetic metal sensors and hoses that can be buried out of sight.

Number of Entrances/Exits

Are there multiple entrances to your property? Do you want to cover a wide swath of land? A wireless alarm system with infrared sensors might be your best choice. In many cases, you can install multiple sensors to send to the same receiver, which increases your coverage area considerably.

Wireless driveway alarms are a security essential if you live in a rural or remote area. It only takes a little research to decide on the best driveway security systems for your needs.

Four Good Reasons to Install Wireless Driveway Alarms

+Wireless driveway alarms may seem like overkill if you’ve already installed a home security system, but driveway alerts provide a measure of security that no other type of alarm can offer. Whether you’re trying to protect your family from intruders or just want a bit of advance notice before someone comes to call, there are some great reasons to install a wireless driveway alarm system on your property.

When You Want to Protect More than What’s In Your House

Your home security alarm system is great if everything you want to protect is inside your home, but why leave the rest of your property unprotected? A driveway alarm system will alert you whenever someone comes up the drive, whether they approach your house or not. Keep the contents of your garage and storage buildings safe and keep intruders out of your garden, deck and swimming pool.

Get Early Warning of Incoming Company

You know that not all company is welcome. Wireless driveway alarms give you some advance warning that the locusts are about to descend so you can prepare to meet them appropriately. Depending on the length of your driveway, you could have enough time to whisk the dishes off the table before mom shows up – because who wants to listen to her complain about your housekeeping skills – or hide so you can pretend you’re not home.

Differentiate Between Intruders and Passersby

Choose the alarm system that makes the most sense for your situation. Different types of sensors are best at detecting different types of intrusion. If your biggest concern is knowing when vehicles are approaching your house, for example, then a pressure hose driveway sensor may be all you need. If you want to know when large animals – including pedestrians – are creeping around your property, choose an infrared system. If you live in an area where ice and snow might disable a pressure hose, consider a metal probe wireless driveway alarm system.

Cover Multiple Entrances with Driveway Alarm Systems

You can install multiple detectors to each receiver, which allows you to cover more than one driveway or entrance with the same system. And since they cover from 600 to 2000 feet, you’ll know when someone is approaching well before they reach your front door.

Wireless Driveway Alarms Integrate with Existing Security Systems

If you’re working on an automated home security system, a wireless driveway alert can fit right into your existing system and serve as a trigger for other events. When the sensor detects intrusion, it can turn on surveillance cameras or security lights, send a signal to alert you by telephone or take advantage of any other capabilities inherent in your wireless security system.

Your home is not just your most financially valuable property – it’s the fortress that protects the things and people you most value in the world. Don’t leave them unprotected. Consider installing a wireless driveway alarm system to increase your family’s security.