Bell rings when garden gate opens?

Jun 17, 2010 19 Replies

My small city garden has a standard Victorian railing on the street, with the gate as part of the railing. A few days ago someone came in the garden and stole a (locked) bike.



This made me wonder if there is any simple way to make a bell ring when the gate is opened?



Also, is there a standard spring which will keep the gate closed?


Attach a bell to it.

You know - one of those bell shaped things - with the clanger bit swinging about inside.

er...and remain within earshot at all times? sat on the bike maybe?

Jim K

ISTR adam was rigging up something similar very recently - google on uk.d-i-y for "reed switch changeover" and see if it comes up if not ask Adam (ARWadsworth) for an update?

Cheers Jim K

One of these

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up to an appropriate alarm inside. Something like this might suit
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you'd have to check that it's reed switch operates as open circuit to activate, as that's how the alarm contact will probably work.

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yes micro-switch and a bell and a battery

yes micro-switch and a bell and a battery

Why two?

Siu

Yep.

I cannot finish the job as the lucky bastard has gone to South Africa to watch England.

Adam

If you can arrange a switch to close as the gate opens, connect it from battery/wallwart to bell via a big capacitor (eg 4700uF) so the bell only gets a pulse of power when the gate opens.

NT

Not till the semifinals.

Adam

We are not French after all. Adam

Not exactly the same, but I have an external PIR sensor on the garden path which wirelessly triggers a battery powered doorbell which I keep with me if I am in the garden, workshop, etc. That way I can hear visitors if I am out of range of the rather feeble doorbell. The PIR is wired up to an old wall-wart to save faffing around with batteries. eBay for PIR bell. Might be useful if you don't have convenient wiring runs to the gate (like me). But it can get triggered by birds occasionally

yes micro-switch and a bell and a battery

Because my gate bell played three blind mice and then I added another bell to play God Save the Queen. Then I used the timers for another project.

Fit a padlock or something similar to the gate, and a nelectric bell for bona fide callers.

If you do want a "gate-operated" bell, I'd suggest a reed switch and magnet rather than a microswitch from the point of view of weathering. Hamlin do enclosed-type reed switches (e.g 59065-020) and associated magnets; it should be trivial to knock up a suitable circuit (well, sub O-level) to ring a bell as you wish.

Yes. A standard torsion gate spring is easy to fit (and only a bit fiddlier to adjust!)

In message , Frank Erskine writes

Just think of the useful energy in that

Far too simple..

Crank connected to a hydraulic cylinder.. cylinder to a hydraulic motor.. output to a receiver. Pre pressurise the receiver to keep the gate closed. Connect genny to motor.. connect bell to genny.

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