I want to make a flood light on the side of my house come on when a circuit is broken.
I want to attach a low voltage wire to something in my front yard. When someone tries to remove that something from my yard (they'll have to cut the wire), I want my flood light be activated to scare them off. I can't imagine this is too difficult a job for someone that works in electronics. Can anyone tell me how to do this?
Thanks, William
"WilliamH" wrote in message news:n6idnTp0dcwszwPfRVn snipped-for-privacy@giganews.com...
Hi William, As is often the case people here read into the question before they answer. I am no different. I could just describe a circuit to do what you ask but feel compelled to but in. If someone cuts the wire to steel your object the light will make them run alright, but with your object. Why not just let the PIR floodlights come on when they get near the object? OK TOM, mind your own business! Someone steeling your statues William? Regards, Tom
The laziest way would be a long wire through all of the item to be protected and then wired to a relay coil. If the circuit is broken, the relay's coil would de-energize and the normally closed contact will close. The floodlight could be wired through the N.O. contact (in parallel to an existing switch) so the floodlights would come on when the wire's broken.
-- When you hear the toilet flush, and hear the words "uh oh", it\'s already too late. - by anonymous Mother in Austin, TX To reply, replace digi.mon with phreaker.net
William, look at this beautiful "Garden Dwarf".
-- ciao Ban Bordighera, Italy
My first reaction was the same as Tom's: sounds like your alarm might be activated a tad to late! But maybe the protected object is heavy and/or bulky enough to make the burglar reluctant to hang around very long in bright illumination?
Presumably though you have also considered inexpensive PIR-based security lights? A suitably located high power halogen lamp could be reliably triggered by a nearby potential villain. Most types are usually activated in darkness only, and for a presettable short duration, both features minimising wasted electricity consumption.
But assuming you still want exactly what you've specified, a simple approach such as the one Impmon suggested would do the job. Its circuit could look like this:
You could try it out initially with a battery (and a DC bulb for safety). But note my suggestion to use a mains-based DC supply ('wall wart'), as a battery would be constantly draining and therefore quite impractical.
Note also my warning about mains voltages, as I don't know your skill level.
BTW, if I was constructing this myself, I think I'd add a loud audible alarm in parallel with the outdoor lamp.
-- Terry Pinnell Hobbyist, West Sussex, UK
If I were doing it myself, I'd rig the circuit to trigger the Gattling gun.
Actually, if I were doing it for real, I'd get a dog.
I want to make a flood light on the side of my house come on when a
circuit is broken.
When someone tries to remove that something from my yard (they'll
have to cut the wire), I want my flood light be activated to scare
them off. I can't imagine this is too difficult a job for someone
that works in electronics. Can anyone tell me how to do this?
I just read through Tom's message and then went down to the rest of
the responses. I thank each of you for your responses and will let
you know how things go. I'm going to try an put something together
this weekend. I just rememberd last evening, my neighbor across the
steet has a degree in electronic engineering. He said he would help
me. He said he'd have a lot of fun doing it. I'll pass some of these
ideas by him as he said he'd think about it through the evening and
get back with me. Thanks again for all of the responses. I tried
posting this scenario on a couple of other forums and had very little
or no response.
William
The only suggestion I have to offer is to add a camera (preferably video) to the mix. If the light/sound show does not deter the theft, the camera can provide some info on the perp. You probably don't want the camera in line with light from either direction, one would get the perp running away, the other would get you a backlit silouhette. An oblique angle that covers some of the street would be best.
Good Luck, Tim
WilliamH wrote:
William: I think there's something screwed up with your methods of quoting...
-- Terry Pinnell Hobbyist, West Sussex, UK
My apologies. It was kind of confusing to me as well when I was
posting. I'm sure it was/is confusing to everyone else. I think I've
figured it out now.
I've come to the thread a little late, but I'm still not happy - If a $15.00 motion-detector security light doesn't deter the thief as he's walking up onto the property, why would a light that doesn't come on until he's already cut the trip wire scare him away?
Thanks, Rich
OK, no big deal!
Another puzzle. Not sure whether it's just some quirk with my Agent newsreader, or something you did when sending, but your message was neatly placed in the original thread, "Trip Wire", yet I see its Subject is not 'Re: "Trip Wire" as I'd have expected, but 'You're Correct Terry (screwed up methods of quoting)'
-- Terry Pinnell Hobbyist, West Sussex, UK
Agreed - I asked same question in my reply yesterday. No response yet.
-- Terry Pinnell Hobbyist, West Sussex, UK
First, you really do need to work out how to send posts, with correct quoting. That last one is better, but still incorrect. You have not quoted my last reply, and your Subject appears to be blank. These flaws in turn screw up subsequent responses from others. I've had to tailor this one so it makes some sense.
Do you check the appearance of your posts before you hit the Send key?
-------
OK, turning to the lights. Have you accepted the advice to buy a proximity security light? I couldn't see any explicit answer to that point. I'll assume so.
As you're still keen on the 'trip-wire' project, and you also want to add a siren, then the circuit I suggested could now provide power to
*that*, instead of to the lamp. IOW, you have two independent circuits:- A mains voltage security light, requiring fitting but no electronics or wiring.
- A siren operated when the wire is cut, as per the circuit I posted.
You will have to find and buy a siren or whatever audible alarm you want. It could be mains or DC operated. One simple option would be a
12V DC burglar alarm siren, as mounted outside my house, widely available at low cost. You will obviously then need a suitable 12V DC supply. Buy a 'wall-wart' or similar, specified to provide enough current for the siren (which will probably be around 500 mA to 1A, but you'll have to check.) The relay, which now just needs to switch one line, could then be a single pole type, with a 12V operating voltage specified.-- Terry Pinnell Hobbyist, West Sussex, UK
I got the same thing with Netscape.
-- Former professional electron wrangler. Michael A. Terrell Central Florida
--Simple solutions are best: rip up a sheet of 3/4" plywood into 6" x 8ft strips, then pound 16d nails thru it in a random pattern. Lay where needed; during the day turn 'em over and poke nails into lawn or whatever to make them safe. I did this after someone kept climbing over the 4ft tall steel fence in the alley beside my house. Only had to do it once. Lotsa blood on the street the next day, heh. In my old neighborhood the cops wouldn't patrol unless you paid them cash, and lots of it. Nails are cheap.
--
"Steamboat Ed" Haas : Just another fart in
Hacking the Trailing Edge! : the Elevator of Life...
http://www.nmpproducts.com/intro.htm
---Decks a-wash in a sea of words---
Not sure why my posts are still screwed up. I thought the last few were ok.
Makes sense to do the motion detector light on 120 volts and the siren on a separate 12 volt circuit. I'll post the results of my project on this site upon completion.
Thanks, William
Well, for example what did *this* one look like when you previewed it before hitting Send?
Here I see two flaws:
- The subject has been changed to 'Re: Thanks for the Advice', instead of 'Re: "Trip Wire"'. Happily though, my newsreader has included it within the Trip Wire thread.
- No quotes at all. That was possibly deliberate, and it's definitely better than the screwed up quotes you were sending before. But it is conventional and helpful to at least include some fragment that indicates to whom you are replying, and/or what aspect of a longish thread you are dealing with.
Look forward to seeing your finished project.
-- Terry Pinnell Hobbyist, West Sussex, UK
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