(Note: See earlier thread under Income (General) on this topic.)

Yesterday I received the driveway alert system. Probably the hardest part of installing it was to find a screwdriver head small enough to removed the cover plate for the 9v battery on the transmitter.

Seems to work fine once I figure out what HI and LO meant. The receiver has a slide button for OFF, HI and LO. Instructions says these are volume settings. However, apparently they may also designate transmitter/receiver sensitivity. In the store the receiver worked fine on HI, since it was about at the extent of the range (up to 400'). However, in the mobile home, closer to the driveway entrance, it keep putting out false alerts. Still haven't figured out why. When I switched it to LO, these stopped and it only alerted to passing vehicles.

Cost was about $30 total from www.asseenontv.com. Manfacturer is Driveway Patrol with two addresses provided: One Telebrands Plaza, Fairfield, NJ 07004 and 12154 Montague Street, Pacoima, CA 91331. Unit is imported from China.

If I remember the TV ad correctly, they are sold at a national retail chain, but don't remember which one. I thought K-Mart, but at least the one in Dickson, TN didn't know what I was referring to. It may be part of K-Marts brilliant practice of advertising nationally with only selected local availability.

-- Ken S. in WC TN (scharabo@aol.com), May 02, 2002

Answers

We recently installed a driveway alert alarm, as we can't see the driveway from the house unless we enter a bedroom, and not at all from the barns or back garden. Our old dog went deaf - boy do I miss her barking to notify of someone's presence. We paid much more - wish I had seen this post first. We had to adjust the angle of the post the sensor was on a couple of times so that cats or dogs didn't set it off. Also, I think it has been set off a couple of times by a large blue jay, but that has been rare.

-- Dianne Wood (woodgoat@pacifier.com), May 02, 2002.

I think we bought the same unit as Diane, was aobut 300 Canadian so 190 USD?? Works great though went through a Canadian winter in one 9 volt batter and the type we have has a 1000 foot range. You can also add 3 more units to the receiver, but I'd buy a cheaper version first. We set up an intercom to ring everywhere when someone comes in. Not paranoid we have an on farm business and wanted an alert for when customers come in.

-- Ross (amulet@istar.ca), May 02, 2002.

Unit went off at about 2:30 this morning when it sensed the newspaper being thrown onto the driveway. A larger passing bird might set it off, as might a waving tree branch within the sensing zone.

-- Ken S. in WC TN (scharabo@aol.com), May 03, 2002.

Just a note saying after several days I am still very pleased with this Driveway Patrol unit. Tried putting it on high again and my ducks walking in the driveway set it off. Back to the low setting. Alerts me in plenty of time when a vehicle comes off the road.

I've written to Driveway Patrol asking if they wholesale the units, but rather doubt I will receive an answer. I suspect these were manufactured just for TV sales.

-- Ken S. in WC TN (scharabo@aol.com), May 05, 2002.