Just had a buglar alarm fitted and as part of the package got a dummy box got the back of the house. I decided to have it mounted on the garage above the door. I am now wondering if I can find a way of fitting a couple of flashing LEDs in it to make it look real. Any ideas on readily avalable stuff that could do this - fed of a wall wart perhaps?
You used to be able to get LED flashing ICs. Probably still can. From memory, they would run for an awfully long time on a single battery. So that might be something to look for, especially as you could get a very big battery in a dummy alarm box.
If you want a "wig-wag" effect off the shelf, then something like this
Any tea leaf worth their salt will know what colour/flash pattern/position the LEDs are in a real box...
Pretty sure the box makers will have a dummy LED kit that'll match a real box. LEDs take SFA these days a couple of C or D cells will probably last their shelf life.
This is a URL with the canonical foolproof low current simple LED flasher. If you can use a soldering iron you should be able to make one. CMOS 555 timer IC and an LED.
It should last a very long while battery powered provided that you make it flash say once every 5-10s with 1/10s on. There is a really cunning circuit to do this with discrete components and even lower current.
You will likely find that "flashing LEDs" sold at Maplins etc flash too fast and use too much power to be battery powered.
Andy Burns wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@brightview.co.uk:
Thanks.
In article , DerbyBorn writes
Burglars can spot those a mile off (they look subtly different to the non-dummy boxes). You'd be wise to fit the real thing, even if it's empty save for a battery and flashing LED.
I suspect it depends on the model. The dummy boxes on my alarm system are identical to the master box with all internal mouldings apart from not having the siren, electronics and float charge battery inside.
The only difference is if you dismantle a decoy box it won't go off.
Their main purpose is to make sure that no matter which side you approach the house you will see a monitored alarm box.
Mike Tomlinson wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@jasper.org.uk:
The box is identical to the real one - not looked inside yet. Without a light it is obviously a fake.
I want it so imply that the garage is also on the alarm circuit.
Wireless or hard wired? A wired bell box is only about £25 and you can feed that off a wall wart.
Flashing LEDs will make it look false.
Bill
The ones around here that are real enough to go off several times a year all have multi-coloured flashing LEDs
There are usually plenty available on eBay - not just a couple of flashing LEDs that go in and out of sync but 'proper' alternating flashers. The one I got came with a sealed battery which claimed a 10 year life...
That was 5 years ago and it's still flashing... but not in my alarm box because I never got round to fitting it!
Mathew
I've just replaced my old bell box with a new Honeywell AG6 box complete with strobe and loud sounder - and its got two flashing red leds!
I've also have dummy bell box at the back of the house - with two flashing red leds.
Arduino. Will also allow you to do a diy alarm circuit in, say, the garage door.
The ones round here that are false all have flashing LEDs.
Bill
"dennis@home" wrote in news:532345c7$0 $49441$c3e8da3$ snipped-for-privacy@news.astraweb.com:
Mmmm! I might add a detector into the wireless house setup - but the house bell is hardwired to the control box.
Try acetek.co.uk they manufacture the twin alternating type run from 2 AA batteries and last 3 years or so.
If you'd said "we" instead of "they" that would have sounded less devious.
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