"Trip Wire"

[Bob Monsen]

Tom Biasiwrote:

message 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

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[/quote:6719e5ad73]

Thanks for the response Tom.

Actually, someone is stealing solar lights from several of my
neighbors. I only found this out after purchasing some really
expensive ones. I don't want mine to be taken. I'm actually going to
anchor each light to the ground by a cable at the base of the light
(the lights are on 18 inch metal poles) attached to a piece of rebar
driven into the ground. On a first attempt, this will probably keep
the lights from being stolen. I'm sure they would bring wire cutters
the next time though. I want to sound an alarm and or light as the
light is pulled from the ground. I know this sounds elaborate, but
it's the principle at this point.

Thansk,
William

I wonder if you could build a tiny motion detector, that was powered by
the battery in the light? Any attempt to move it would cause the thing
to shriek for a few minutes. That way, the thief would be disuaded from
actually running with the item.

How cheap would it be to do this? I know it's pretty easy to build these
from an electret microphone and a few opamps, but there is probably a
ready-made solution out there you could just buy and wire in. Also, the
sensitivity would be an issue, I guess.

 

[WilliamH]

Terry Pinnellwrote

On Wed, 01 Jun 2005 19:28:33 -0500, WilliamH wrote

I want to make a flood light on the side of my house come on when
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'l
have to cut the wire), I want my flood light be activated to scar
them off. I can't imagine this is too difficult a job for someon
that works in electronics. Can anyone tell me how to do this

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 thie
as he's walking up onto the property, why would a light tha doesn'
come on until he's already cut the trip wire scare him away

Thanks
Ric

Agreed - I asked same question in my reply yesterday. No respons
yet

--
Terry Pinnel
Hobbyist, West Sussex, UK[/quote:59bd167cbc

You're probably correct regaring the light alone. That's why I want t
add the siren. The thief will have a flood light and siren to conten
with as well as the cable to cut. I hope the combination of the
will work. As the poles holding the lights are hollow, I've realize
I can slide the poles down onto a thicker piece of rebar, drill
hole through the base of the pole and the rebar, then stick a bol
through. I don't think a potential thief would take the time t
unbolt the lights. I prefer the "trip wire" as I want to scare th
crap out of the punks

Terry, I went to a couple/few hardware stores and had no luck findin
a relay. I looked online to purchase one as well, but found so many
I was't sure what I needed. Knowing what I'm trying to accomplish
can you make a suggestion as to what type to purchase (a link woul
be helpful). Do you need more specifics from me

In your wiring diagram, you mentioned LETHALITY unless you ar
appropriately skilled. I have better than average skills as I d
everything (nearly) I can do on my home myself. The things I d
usually take a long time, but the work is always top notch as it i
my stuff I'm working on and I always try to make things perfect. I'
not boasting. I believe most people can do a very good job on mos
things if they take their time. Enough of that. The point I'm tryin
to make is that I'm fairly confident I can get this done properly a
all of you have guided me to this point.

Thanks
Willia

 

[Michael A. Terrell]

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)'

I got the same thing with Netscape.

 

[Terry Pinnell]

You're probably correct regaring the light alone. That's why I want to
add the siren. The thief will have a flood light and siren to contend
with as well as the cable to cut. I hope the combination of the 3
will work. As the poles holding the lights are hollow, I've realized
I can slide the poles down onto a thicker piece of rebar, drill a
hole through the base of the pole and the rebar, then stick a bolt
through. I don't think a potential thief would take the time to
unbolt the lights. I prefer the "trip wire" as I want to scare the
crap out of the punks.

Terry, I went to a couple/few hardware stores and had no luck finding
a relay. I looked online to purchase one as well, but found so many,
I was't sure what I needed. Knowing what I'm trying to accomplish,
can you make a suggestion as to what type to purchase (a link would
be helpful). Do you need more specifics from me?

In your wiring diagram, you mentioned LETHALITY unless you are
appropriately skilled. I have better than average skills as I do
everything (nearly) I can do on my home myself. The things I do
usually take a long time, but the work is always top notch as it is
my stuff I'm working on and I always try to make things perfect. I'm
not boasting. I believe most people can do a very good job on most
things if they take their time. Enough of that. The point I'm trying
to make is that I'm fairly confident I can get this done properly as
all of you have guided me to this point.

Thanks,
William

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.

 

[Chris Berry]

Why not try some of these:
http://www.allproducts.com/manufacture6/quinnco/t22-095a.html
cb

 

[steamer]

--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.

 

[WilliamH]

Not sure why my posts are still screwed up. I thought the last fe
were ok

Makes sense to do the motion detector light on 120 volts and the sire
on a separate 12 volt circuit. I'll post the results of my project o
this site upon completion

Thanks
Willia

 

[Terry Pinnell]

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.