# Frugal alarm for sliding gate?



## Addy (Mar 12, 2010)

I'm trying to figure out an audible alarm for our gate at the back to at least alert us when someone breaks the lock (it's bolted shut, but there are ways around it if they are determined) comes in during the wee hours.

I am hoping to have the audible part in our house as to not disturb the neighbours every time we open the gate, although we don't use the gate very often as we park out front most of the time, so it wouldn't go off very often if we had to have the audible part outside.

I've read there are pool-gate alarms that alert you to when someone has opened the sliding driveway gate, which may work, but it appears the local (Winnipeg) pool companies do not stock these alarms and I am hoping to get something set up within a day or two.

Does anyone have any other suggestions for alarms that would work for a sliding driveway gate? I want it to sound when the gate is slide open, not just when a car or person walks through. I'm hoping to keep the cost under $100.


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## MoneyGal (Apr 24, 2009)

Dog.


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## Addy (Mar 12, 2010)

MoneyGal said:


> Dog.


I'm hoping to keep the cost under $100 though!


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## MoneyGal (Apr 24, 2009)

Neighbour's dog.


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## brad (May 22, 2009)

I wonder if the kind of wireless door-alarm devices that ADT uses are available in stores? I don't think they'd be very expensive, just not sure about the range if the gate is a distance from your home. Basically they have two parts, one on the frame and the other on the door itself; when the door is opened a signal is sent wirelessly. The batteries last a long time indoors (ours are running on four years now); not sure how they'd cope with a cold Canadian winter.

When I was in Vermont some kids broke into our barn and stole a bunch of my stuff; to monitor subsequent break-ins we used a baby monitor, but that meant we were woken in the middle of the night by racoons and other creatures meandering through the barn and making noise.


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## Addy (Mar 12, 2010)

I'm sending my husband around to various alarm and security places (my god there are a LOT of these type of stores in Winnipeg....!) and hopefully he will find something. Using google to locate stores that may be suitable are tough, some seem like they only sell to prisons etc! I'm hoping to find a mom and pop type small store. I wonder if locksmiths would have alarm systems like what I need? I'm looking for something like brad mentioned, the window or door type sensors that will go off when the door (or in our case, gate) is opened.


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## carverman (Nov 8, 2010)

Addy said:


> I'm trying to figure out an audible alarm for our gate at the back to at least alert us when someone breaks the lock (it's bolted shut, but there are ways around it if they are determined) comes in during the wee hours.
> Does anyone have any other suggestions for alarms that would work for a sliding driveway gate? I want it to sound when the gate is slide open, not just when a car or person walks through. I'm hoping to keep the cost under $100.


Most alarm companies use a magnet and a reed switch that is operated by
a magnet attached to the sliding part of a patio door and the reed switch
is fixed to the non-movable part. These switches are wired in series and
there is usually an alarm circuit board that detects an open loop vs
the closed loop (normal position).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reed_switch

Radio Shack used to sell these magnetic switches as pairs. There should be
local electronic stores that sell them and they are inexpensive.

Once mounted to the sliding gate, use economical JKT wire (commonly known
as Bell Wire) or some thin guage wire that the electrical supply shop or even
CTC sell. It all depends on how far the wire run is.

As as the alarm..a door bell transformer (available at H-D) and a door bell
buzzer should be sufficient. But the logic has to be reversed (or the switch
contact) so that the buzzer goes off if the gate is moved, and that would
require a closed circuit become activated... causing an open circuit.

The 18vac will not flow at that point through the switch, so the
open circuit needs to have a drop relay (sensing relay) that will "drop" when power is removed from it's coil, and that causes the door buzzer to activate.

All the above should be under $100.


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## Addy (Mar 12, 2010)

Perfect, thanks carverman. Luckily hubby is an electrician so he will probably know exactly what you're talking about (I get the drift, but not the complete picture).

Interestingly enough, online Rona.ca seems to have some audible motion type sensors, although I am afraid we may get the same annoyances as Brad did when cats, raccoons, birds etc go in our backyard at night...


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## brad (May 22, 2009)

Most of the better motion sensors have a "size" cutoff, so for example our home motion detector is not set off by a cat, but would be set off by a human.
The cheaper ones don't have that feature: our neighbours have motion-activated spotlights at the back of their house, which is near our bedroom, and in winter whenever there's blowing snow at night (which is only what, about 70% of all nights in winter), we're treated to a strobe show and I have to strap on a blindfold in order to get any sleep.


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## Addy (Mar 12, 2010)

He ended up going to Rona and picking up a few things to see what will work best. He bought some window-sensors that sense when the window is open. I'm hopeful these will work, but at the same time leary because the wind blows the gate around enough that I think it would cause the sensor to go off, but we'll try it for a few days and see how it goes.

He also brought home a siren with lights that goes off when the sensor is activated. Luckily the siren is optional, I want to stay on a friendly basis with my lovely neighbours!


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## hboy43 (May 10, 2009)

Addy said:


> I'm hopeful these will work, but at the same time leary because the wind blows the gate around enough that I think it would cause the sensor to go off, but we'll try it for a few days and see how it goes.


Maybe put the sensor on the hinge side of the gate to reduce wind issues, but then it may not go off until the gate is way open.

hboy43


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## carverman (Nov 8, 2010)

hboy43 said:


> Maybe put the sensor on the hinge side of the gate to reduce wind issues, but then it may not go off until the gate is way open.
> 
> hboy43


I have found that those infrared sensors are useless in some cases. They'
can get activated by warm breezes too. Nothing worse than having a siren
go off in the middle of the night because of a false alarm.

If it was my gate, I would go with the most mechanical way of setting up
an alarm. A contact, mechanical or magnetic that sends a voltage to
a alarm bell, or door buzzer inside the house. It may require a bit more
work to install, but there would be less false alarms triggered by catsm
or other critters in the night.


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## Addy (Mar 12, 2010)

These are magnetic sensors. And we don't want to bother with wiring as we're only in the house for another two months - we'll let our room mate (who bought our house) deal with anything permanent. So fast, easy and cheap is what I'm after here (as long as it works that is!)


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## kcowan (Jul 1, 2010)

The problem with wires is that they have to be hidden or encassed or a repeat trespasser will just pull them out. X10 makes a wireless system where the alarm could be in the house when the contact is broken. But hiding the sensor is still an issue.

Does not sound like quick and dirty will be very effective.


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## Addy (Mar 12, 2010)

Hahah hubby decided to heck with it, and cut a hole through the fence, fed gold-chain (not real gold I'm sure, just called that at home depot) through with a kick-butt lock. Hopefully that will at least slow them down and make some noise rattling the chains around if they try and get in our backyard now! We had a bolt in place but they were able to pull the sliding gate out and force the gate open (which ended up damaging the wood, pooh!)

The stuff from Rona seems okay, but I have a feeling it would be more of a pain than it's worth. You had to buy a telephone transmitter to make the system that Rona has work, and they don't stock the transmitter (WTF eh??). Hopefully we can bring the packages back even though we've opened them.

We'll let the new owner buy something more expensive and better if she wants.


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## carverman (Nov 8, 2010)

kcowan said:


> The problem with wires is that they have to be hidden or encassed or a repeat trespasser will just pull them out. Does not sound like quick and dirty will be very effective.


Repeat trespasser? That's a different matter entirely. I would still opt for
the simple solution..magnet and reed switch and some wire. If the trespasser
is on the outside of the gate, how is he going to disable the wires, if the
wires are hidden and the alarm goes off as soon as the gate is opened?

Obviously you don't want to mount the switch on the outside of the gate,
where it is visible to the intruder, but somewheres at the bottom on the inside,
and disguise it with mud etc, so it isn't apparent...camoflage in military terms.

To discourage any repeat offender, just have a cattle electric fence at
strategic points on the gate. Touching the wire won't kill them but
it will give them the message..and that is something that they can't
defeat, unless they come with rubber gloves and wire cutters and
not too many will think of that.


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## carverman (Nov 8, 2010)

Addy said:


> Hahah hubby decided to heck with it, and cut a hole through the fence, fed gold-chain (not real gold I'm sure, just called that at home depot) through with a kick-butt lock. Hopefully that will at least slow them down and make some noise rattling the chains around if they try and get in our backyard now! We had a bolt in place but they were able to pull the sliding gate out and force the gate open (which ended up damaging the wood, pooh!)


Chains and big hefty padlocks always work. 



> The stuff from Rona seems okay, but I have a feeling it would be more of a pain than it's worth. You had to buy a telephone transmitter to make the system that Rona has work, and they don't stock the transmitter (WTF eh??). Hopefully we can bring the packages back even though we've opened them.


Your problem calls for a simple solution..not a complicated one..and obviously
the simple solution has been applied.


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## OhGreatGuru (May 24, 2009)

Addy said:


> Hahah hubby decided to heck with it, and cut a hole through the fence, fed gold-chain (not real gold I'm sure, just called that at home depot) through with a kick-butt lock. ... We had a bolt in place but they were able to pull the sliding gate out and force the gate open (which ended up damaging the wood, pooh!)
> 
> ...


I was going to ask why do you need more than a lock? Anyone who is going to cut or break open a lock isn't going to be deterred by a flimsy electrical alarm switch. According to your original post the gate was locked - but now we hear it wasn't sturdy enough.


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## Addy (Mar 12, 2010)

OhGreatGuru said:


> I was going to ask why do you need more than a lock? Anyone who is going to cut or break open a lock isn't going to be deterred by a flimsy electrical alarm switch. According to your original post the gate was locked - but now we hear it wasn't sturdy enough.


I agree, although the audible alarm was to wake us up when the intruders entered the backyard. The "break ins" were happening at night, while we were at home sleeping.


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## marina628 (Dec 14, 2010)

In our old neighborhood there was a brief period of time where we all had eggs thrown on our homes and cars then it got to the point a couple had their windows beat out of the cars .My husband set up a video recorder in his truck and set his alarm to go out when the camera needed to be check .within two nights of him and the neighbor doing this we caught them on camera,it was the kid across the street and police were glad to take the video evidence a few of us had.If this is constant issue I would consider putting a stop to it by trying to catch them.


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## Cal (Jun 17, 2009)

MoneyGal said:


> Neighbour's dog.


Genius. LOL.


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## Addy (Mar 12, 2010)

We have some cameras that record to a PVR - they are buried in storage right now as we were weeding out our house contents to stage our home. Now it's sold we should contemplate getting them set up, even if it's just for six weeks until we move.

Last night they jumped the fence (6' fence min, 9' in most parts), took off my daughters trail a bike type attachment and took her dads bike (with a lock on it) and hucked it over the fence, breaking it. I woke up at 3:30 am to a noise but didn't see anything out of place 

They broke the bike but at least it's repairable. So cameras it will have to be as clearly these people (we think there are two) are bent on getting their hands on whatever they can.


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## brad (May 22, 2009)

Wow, those are some persistent criminals!

It's funny, when I donated some solar generators to a nonprofit in Afghanistan a few years back, I asked them about security, since the panels would be mounted on the roof; I was worried that someone would go up on the roof and try to steal or vandalize them. "Don't worry about that," was the reply. "Anyone who goes up on our roof is shot."


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## humble_pie (Jun 7, 2009)

addy i hope you can get those cameras set up tonight & you will find them in good working order. Othewise - onerous as it may seem - i would probably set up an all-night watch split between yourself, husband & the 3rd adult whom you usually call the roommate. 

my primary goal would be to get good pictures. Hopefully they are from the neighbourhood so you could recognize them immediately.

the concern i would have is that once they run out of yard items to steal or break, they will move on to the house itself.


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## OhGreatGuru (May 24, 2009)

Addy said:


> I agree, although the audible alarm was to wake us up when the intruders entered the backyard. The "break ins" were happening at night, while we were at home sleeping.


Too bad Canada signed the Land Mines Treaty.
And leg-hold traps are probably illegal inside city limits too.


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## marina628 (Dec 14, 2010)

i would watch Home alone and try to figure a way to rig that gate lol
big glob of crazy glue all over the latch comes to mind ,dig a trench in front of gate so they fall in lol.Dont you have motion detector lights?


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## brad (May 22, 2009)

When I lived in Vermont we had kids who'd come by and destroy a line of mailboxes (including ours) by swinging at them with baseball bats while driving 90 km/hour. I got tired of buying a new mailbox every week and was planning to do the standard trick of buying a small mailbox, putting it inside a big mailbox and filling the space in between them with cement. And then I read a news article where someone had done that and the drunk teenager who happened to hit that mailbox a few days later with a baseball bat had been a all-star pitcher who'd been scouted for the minor leagues and had a promising baseball career ahead of him -- until he swung at that cement-filled mailbox and shattered his pitching arm. He could never play baseball again. He sued the family who had rigged the mailbox -- and won.


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## Addy (Mar 12, 2010)

I've heard similar stories of people setting boobie traps. Even if you DON'T set one and someone in your yard (unknown to you) hurts themselves, they can sue you. Not sure how successful this is in Canada, but in the US it's not uncommon.

4:57 am, been up for a half hour now checking the yard.... hopefully the little buggers stay away tonight! We've locked up all we can, but I can see them coming back for anything at all possible they can sell for a hit.


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## humble_pie (Jun 7, 2009)

moving is challenging enough without this extra hassle, right.

what about installing bright perma lights over back yard at night. Never mind what the neighbours might say, you won't be there long. Or else motion-detecting lights. 

either of these would be a deterrence. You mentioned husband is handy at this, won't you please consider. Otherwise most of cmf forum will be up all night also, worrying about how addy's backyard is doing ...


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## canehdianman (Apr 7, 2009)

I imagine a shotgun blast of rock salt would probably deter them as well.

I definitely don't recommend you do it, but the thought of some punks screaming in agony for a while warms the heart


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## carverman (Nov 8, 2010)

Addy said:


> I've heard similar stories of people setting boobie traps. Even if you DON'T set one and someone in your yard (unknown to you) hurts themselves, they can sue you. Not sure how successful this is in Canada, but in the US it's not uncommon.


It is possible that the perpretrator can sue if if serious injury is sustained
today but not for trespassing. All you need to do is put up a no trespassing
sign to cover yourself. If the perp falls into an open well or whatever, they
do so at their own risk.

But setting a bear trap or shotgun, or anything that can cause severe and
permanent personal injury on purpose is not allowed .All the law allows (I believe) is " reasonable force" to hold the perp until the police arrive to take over. 



> .... hopefully the little buggers stay away tonight! We've locked up all we can, but I can see them coming back for anything at all possible they can sell for a hit.


What is the attraction..what are they specifically after?


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## Addy (Mar 12, 2010)

carverman said:


> What is the attraction..what are they specifically after?


Seems to be the bicycles. All three adults with two bikes plus the kidlings bicycles equals about 9 bikes plus three 8' long bicycle trailers. We lock them up, but it clearly doesn't stop them from trying. Plus lawn chairs, patio umbrella, lawn ornaments... whatever they can possibly steal and sell for enough to get a hit. Hubby locked the bbq to the deck as soon as we purchased it.

We're not in a terrible part of town, but we have two rental houses a few houses up from us and I have a feeling someone or someones there may be the culprits. But of course I could be totally of the mark.

I was hoping to get the pvr cameras hooked up; we tried digging out the cameras to record but there's so many boxes in storage right now, even with them marked it's going to take time to find them.


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## Elbyron (Apr 3, 2009)

I think MoneyGal had the right answer, there is no deterrent quite as effective as a large dog in the yard - although I like the electrified cattle fence idea, if only it wasn't so expensive. If you don't want to take the dog with you to the new location, you really just need to borrow one. Ask friends and family, co-workers, anybody you know or even post an ad on kijiji, and I'll bet someone will have a large dog they could loan you for a few months.
Or, look for a free (or cheap) dog on Kijiji and give it away again when you're done.


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