"Kinetic door bell"

[Another John]

I'm planning to get a Byron plug-in wireless kinetic door bell to replace the battery powered bellpush wireless set that we've had for a few years. Any comments from those with experience?

The problem with the battery-driven one is that the bell push is extremely unreliable - some days it works, some days not. It's on the porch which faces directly south; thus, it's exposed to the extremes of weather. I've replaced the battery 3 or 4 times in its life (and the battery holder seems pretty flimsy to me), and I have sealed the bell-push with various gunges round the edges every now and again to try and keep out damp -- but after a period of solid functionality, it always becomes unreliable again.

One thing that bugs me about the kinetic one is: the bell-push travel seems tiny (I've tried it through the packaging): how can such a tiny movement generate enough [whatever]. And how long will _this_ one last, I wonder?

Cheers John

[JohnP]

People tend to press the button through the circuit board!

[Max Demian]

Maybe it's really piezoelectric rather than kinetic.

[Harry Bloomfield, Esq.]

Another John brought next idea :

So the problem is a poor quality bell push button?

Why not track down a better quality push button, which is waterproof and connect it in parallel with the existing one?

I have two remote controls for my roller shutter garage door, one in the house, other in the car. The buttons of which became iffy after a few years and I could never lay my hand on them. I simply wired a centre off, up / down switch to each and fixed the switches one in the car, one in the house.

[Dave Plowman (News]

Lots of these sort of things use 'tactile' switches. My car remote control does. And they all seem relatively short lived. Luckily replacements are very cheap. Even although there are variations. I bought an assortment box from Ebay which covers most.

BTW, a new remote for my car costs over £400 from a dealer including coding. I suppose no option if you'd lost it. Bought a new case for my iffy one and replaced the push buttons for about £20 (from Ebay). Good as new.

[newshound]

I've done that too, very easy.

[Jethro_uk]

If they are pizeo, surely there's quite a high voltage to be dealt with ?

[JohnP]

.

If people don't see or hear an immediate response then they press harder on the button.

[JohnP]

?

,,and more prone to damp?

[JohnP]

Was thinking about doorbells yesterday after going to someone's house and resorting to knocking on the window when the door wasn't answered. "Aw, it hasn't worked for a year or so" Wasn the pathetic response.

I decided I would like one of thos olde worlde pull handles outside - but when pulled it would sound a very loud "Rat a Tat Tat" from a speaker near the door pull. the thought amused me.

[Jethro_uk]

Fair point - not great for more exposed applications. Not that would be a bar to some tatflingers.

[Owain Lastname]

My experience is that my Friedland Facet 30-year-old bell and push is still working perfectly on 7-year-old batteries from the pound shop.

The man who fitted the new front door tried to give me a free wireless bell after he mis-routed the bell wire to the inside of the front door, not the outside, and had to redo all his plastic trim.

Owain

[Dave Plowman (News]

Not quite sure why they'd be 'pizeo'?

[Dave Liquorice]

Mistake. It's very difficult to seal anything just with "sealant". Getting a reliable water vapour proof bond between the selant and substrate is next to imposible. Atmospheric pressure variations force water vapour in. It then condenses and can't fully get out again.

'cause it gets wet... Unless an enclosure is designed to seal, ie have a complete, compressable, gasket of some sort between suitable surfaces its far better to accept that water will get in and give it some means to get out, ie at or near the lowest point. Doesn't need to be very big 1 mm maybe 1.5 and sheltered from direct, wind blown, rain if possible.

Few examples. Exterior "water proof" mains socket, with the cover clipped down and no plug/cable in place, would end up very wet inside. Drilled small hole hidden up a recess at the bottom of the cover. No longer gets wet inside. Rear light cluster had condensation in it, drilled small hole at the bottom on the back of the unit. Took a couple of weeks to clear but now doesn't steam up at all.

Probably piezo electric but relatively gently flexing the crystal rather than high stress/sudden release of a high voltage piezo igniter.

[Reentrant]

We've had this "Innoo" for two years and it's still working perfectly.

[Jethro_uk]

*Shrug*

I saw an array of IoT crap at IBM a while back. "Kinetic" switches etc. They were pizeo powered. Meaning you could stick them anywhere with no need for wiring.

[Chris Green]

I think part of the point of that comment was that it's "Piezo" not "Pizeo".

I'm not sure anyway if the electricity generating technology in these 'kinetic' door bell switches is Piezo. Take a look at

presumably uses the same method, they certainly don't sat piezo specifically.

[Jethro_uk]

Oh, dear :(

"sat" piezo ? I though you pressed them, not put them in chairs ?

[Dave Plowman (News]

Ah - right. Didn't think of that. But wouldn't the push button move the crystal mechanically to generate the power rather than being a switch?

[PeterC]

My KE 'button' sends the signal upon realease, so it looks as if the push generates energy both ways. It's hinged at the top so that there isn't a joint or crack there (not really a hinge, that I can see, perhaps summat else?). It has a rating of IP(?)5 (can't remember the first figure). It came with two plug-in sounders; I've split them upstairs and downstairs, in rooms away fom the party wall and can hear them from all over the house. One drawback is lack of portability - one in my pocket when I'm in the garden...