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sonnaps
Aug 15, 2017, 2:26:14 PM8/15/17
to Wireless Sensor Tags
Let me start off with what I am trying to do as well as what I am working with as far as distances and materials...
I want to add a sensor to the door of my mailbox so that I get notified when the mailbox door is opened and closed, basically so I know if/when mail is delivered.
I have one new model tag manager as well as one rainproof wireless sensor tag pro with 8k memory. I have the tag mounted on the inside of a thick aluminum mailbox with velcro, on the back of the door of the mailbox. The mailbox door is hinged on the bottom and swings down when opened. The mailbox is mounted on a post and is about 100ft from the front of the house. The tag manger is located in a small storage room/closet on the 2nd floor at the front of the house. There is a window there that the tag manager sits in front of, a couple feet away from it. That window has a direct line of site to the mailbox with no trees or anything in the way. Also, I drilled a 1" hole in the back of the mailbox and put a plastic plug in the hole (I was hoping this would be enough to get an RF signal inside the box).
So far I am having no luck getting a signal inside that mailbox. What do you guys recommend I try? Should I try to move the tag manger somewhere down on the first floor? Is the fact that it's up on the second floor an issue. I could swear I read somewhere throughout all my Googling that the tag manager should be 5ft off the ground or something. The only reason it's upstairs in that storage room is that all my networking and smart home stuff is in there. I would have to run a CAT5 cable downstairs if I really want to move the tag manager down there. Also, the outer walls of the first floor are built out of concrete block, the house is a raised ranch. I figured I would get the best signal out of that window in the storage room.
I know nothing about radio frequencies so I am at a loss as far as my next step. Should I have drilled a hole in top of the mailbox instead of the back? Something about the angle from the second floor down 100ft away at ground level to the mailbox.
Also, I set the tag manager mode to narrow band but that really didn't make any difference. I still get out of range errors the second that mailbox door is closed. Even if the door is open it's kind of like a hit or miss that the tag has a connection. It's pretty sporadic but it does connect at least sometimes.
I want to add a sensor to the door of my mailbox so that I get notified when the mailbox door is opened and closed, basically so I know if/when mail is delivered.
I have one new model tag manager as well as one rainproof wireless sensor tag pro with 8k memory. I have the tag mounted on the inside of a thick aluminum mailbox with velcro, on the back of the door of the mailbox. The mailbox door is hinged on the bottom and swings down when opened. The mailbox is mounted on a post and is about 100ft from the front of the house. The tag manger is located in a small storage room/closet on the 2nd floor at the front of the house. There is a window there that the tag manager sits in front of, a couple feet away from it. That window has a direct line of site to the mailbox with no trees or anything in the way. Also, I drilled a 1" hole in the back of the mailbox and put a plastic plug in the hole (I was hoping this would be enough to get an RF signal inside the box).
So far I am having no luck getting a signal inside that mailbox. What do you guys recommend I try? Should I try to move the tag manger somewhere down on the first floor? Is the fact that it's up on the second floor an issue. I could swear I read somewhere throughout all my Googling that the tag manager should be 5ft off the ground or something. The only reason it's upstairs in that storage room is that all my networking and smart home stuff is in there. I would have to run a CAT5 cable downstairs if I really want to move the tag manager down there. Also, the outer walls of the first floor are built out of concrete block, the house is a raised ranch. I figured I would get the best signal out of that window in the storage room.
I know nothing about radio frequencies so I am at a loss as far as my next step. Should I have drilled a hole in top of the mailbox instead of the back? Something about the angle from the second floor down 100ft away at ground level to the mailbox.
Also, I set the tag manager mode to narrow band but that really didn't make any difference. I still get out of range errors the second that mailbox door is closed. Even if the door is open it's kind of like a hit or miss that the tag has a connection. It's pretty sporadic but it does connect at least sometimes.
T Jakab
Aug 16, 2017, 2:16:33 PM8/16/17
to Wireless Sensor Tags
It is more complex but I would consider a solution where the transmitter is outside of themailbox and inside there's only a sensor eg a microswitch. Or the lid moves the outside sensor through a lever or similar so that can be fitted outside at the back or bottom. IR sensors might be an option too.
Estera Petrisor
Sep 24, 2017, 3:25:37 PM9/24/17
to Wireless Sensor Tags
What about using the light sensor on a tag to determine if the mailbox has been opened? You already said that you drilled a hole in the back of the mailbox. Then have the tab mounted on the back so that the light sensor is in front of the hole.
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