Trigger Scene with Remote from 200-500ft Away

Community Playground General Discussions
1

I would like to have a scene that detects when I come home (either automatically or via remote), but I would like it to be triggered from 200-500ft while driving up to the house.

  • The Proximity Fence app for Android would be ideal and easy, but I don’t have a data plan on my phone.

  • I’ve thought about the Dakota Alert driveway sensor which can send a signal up to 1/2 mile (likely less, but that’s fine) and there are plenty of DIY tutorials to make the Dakota Alert receiver send a Z-Wave signal when tripped. However, I need the system to know it’s me, not a visitor, delivery person etc. I’ve thought about placing the Dakota Alert motion sensor in (or under) my car, but I’m unsure if it would transmit effectively (coming back into range, metal/glass interference, etc).

Unfortunately, my garage door remote only works when ~ 50ft away.

Any ideas for a remote trigger from a long distance?

2

Wow, who doesn’t have a data plan. ;D

So does your property extend out to the 200-500ft mark where you want to be triggered?

Do you have wifi that maybe you can extend out that far and use a ping sensor for auto detection?

3

Haha, $0.10 a minute plan! When I’m not at the office or the house (or someplace with Wi-Fi), I really don’t need (or want) it. My phone bill for the year is about $75.

My driveway is ~50ft so it would be triggered while on the public road.

I noticed the Dakota Alert UT-2500 can function as a push-button remote. I might give that a try. If it works, I could essentially replace my garage door opener with it (using a Z-Wave trigger to open the door) while extending its range by a factor of 10.

4

[quote=“jvan, post:3, topic:189595”]Haha, $0.10 a minute plan! When I’m not at the office or the house (or someplace with Wi-Fi), I really don’t need (or want) it. My phone bill for the year is about $75.

My driveway is ~50ft so it would be triggered while on the public road.

I noticed the Dakota Alert UT-2500 can function as a push-button remote. I might give that a try. If it works, I could essentially replace my garage door opener with it (using a Z-Wave trigger to open the door) while extending its range by a factor of 10.[/quote]

If you want a manual push button and the Dakota isn’t long enough you might look into a long range remote like.

http://www.rfcontrolsystem.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=173&products_id=1324&zenid=pnno3a39udu0koivgh62qfkoo2

You could just wire it to a z-wave door/window sensor.

EDIT: Youtube video in action.

5

You could train a pigeon to fly home and release it prior to getting home.
Then simply put a motion sensor near his cage.

6

[quote=“Jamr, post:5, topic:189595”]You could train a pigeon to fly home and release it prior to getting home.
Then simply put a motion sensor near his cage.[/quote]

Carrier pigeons are so pre-wireless data connection.