400 ft. Driveway Alarm FAQ's

What kind of sound does the receiver make when it detects motion?
The receiver has a peizo-electric buzzer that signals at about 55 Db

How long will the alarm go off once it detects motion?
The Receiver will buzz for one second at a time when motion is detected. This cycles every 5-8 seconds as the transmitter detects motion again. Usually, a person walking past the sensor will set it off two or three times, depending on how long they are in its field of view which is 90-degrees.

Can I attach a louder alarm?
The receiver has a relay that can be used to switch-on other devices, bells, buzzers, or any other external sounding devices. The receiver's relay can handle up to 20 volts at 10 amps and closes for about 2 seconds at a time.

Is the Reporter Driveway alarm battery operated?
The Sensor uses 4 AA Batteries. The Receiver can also plug into a wall outlet with a Power Adapter; it has a 9V battery backup.

Can the Reporter be used outside when it is really hot or cold?
The temperature range is from -45 degrees to +125 degrees, though the Infra-Red sensor will work differently at different temperatures. When it's cold outside, the sensor actually works better. When it's hot out, the sensor doesn't detect as much contrast in infra-red, though it still works fine since objects are hotter and easier to detect.

How many Sensors can be taught to one Receiver, and how do I know which one is alerting me?
Each Receiver can learn the codes for up to four Sensors. It will signal once for the first sensor that is taught to it, and likewise, beep twice, three times, and four times for the second, third, and fourth sensors, respectively.

How many Receivers can I have picking up the same Sensors?
With the Reporter system you can have as many Receivers picking up the same four Sensors as you like. This gives you the ability to have multiple Receivers around your house or property to alert you.

Is the Sensor Waterproof?
The Reporter’s Sensor is waterproof; it also comes with a rain, snow, and sun shield that easily snaps on the top of the sensor for added protection against the elements.

What is the range of the sensor and does it sense out in a straight beam?
The sensor’s range is about 20-30 feet and cones out 90 degrees from the sensor. This gives the Reporter a much larger field to see objects in motion, unlike a straight beam which can only detect motion if the beam is broken.

Can I set it so the Reporter detects small animals?
In general, small, fast moving animals are much harder for infra-red motion detectors to detect. While it COULD pick them up, it wouldn't be 100% effective unless they moved by the sensor fairly slowly and you had it mounted less then one foot off the ground.

Does the sensor module of your Reporter system contain an RF transmitter and, if so, what is the carrier frequency?
The transmitter uses a radio transmitter circuit to send a signal to the Receiver. The transmitter sends an 18 digit code at 315MHz at about one mili-watt.