Fiber Optic Spyhole?

[Robert Green]

Jay,

Get a Lucite rod from .25 to .75 inches in diameter and however long it needs to be to pass through the wall or door.

Cut one end at a 45 degree angle and polish with sandpaper. Insert into a hole between the garage and the stairwell. Position the angle cut end so that the flat faces the "viewing point" and it will pipe the light from the garage into the rod where it will be quite visible from the other side.

Or, you can try to local a cheap "ship's prism" somewhere:

-- Bobby G.

[Jay Hanig]

I tried the peephole and it's unsatisfactory. I'll take a look at what you've suggested.

Jay

[RicodJour]

Did you put a red reflector lens over it? The color will stand out a lot more. Use a kids bike reflector. I don't know where your lights are in relation to the door, and whether the lights have deflectors or are recessed so not much light is being thrown laterally, but you could try putting a mirror (concave is too much to ask) in the garage and bounce light onto the peephole. If that doesn't work, I think you might be looking at running some wiring. Or running a radio in the garage that's plugged in on the light circuit, and set up an intercom.

Hmmm....I just had a thought. Maybe you could go through the house electrical system, install an X-10 module or something like that, and have a remote switch upstairs. There are also wireless things for stuff like that, but I've never installed any such.

Oh, and I had one last question - do the doors in your garage have windows? I can look out my second floor window and see the light coming out of the garage windows even though I can't see the windows directly.

R

[Jay Hanig]

Nope, didn't try the red reflector but I did try stuffing some fiber optic rod from a rifle bore inspection light into the peephole. With all the lights off in the house except in the garage, the rod could be made out if I stared long enough into the stairwell. I believe adding a red lense over it will darken it to the point of absolute invisibility.

The lights are two 8' fluorescent tubes in each bay. They have the standard shop type fixture holding them in place with no cover or anything else over them.

Seeking out a four way switch with a pilot light is probably my next choice.

If you look at the top of the photo you can just make out the bottom of the rails to the deck above. There is a screened in porch directly in front of my bedroom and the rest of the house has a deck that extends its full length. That isn't going to work for me.

Like I said, I think I'm going to look for a pilot light switch. my second choice will be the radio idea and the third choice the ship's prism.

Jay

[Niner]

Many fancy options in this thread, but I think this points to a cheap way. Just extend the light circuit up from the basement to a single (new or existing) fixture in the 2nd floor. If that light is on, the basement light is on. If you just wire an outlet, you can stick something low power like a nightlight that won't waste a lot of power while you're working in the garage.

Henry