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Thread: Some advice needed - door sensor teenager solution required

  1. #1
    Grand Master TheFlyingBanana's Avatar
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    Some advice needed - door sensor teenager solution required

    A brief scenario - I have a daughter who is now doing quite a bit of babysitting and later evenings out with her friends. I often work later into the evening in my den, which is seperate to the main house (ok, I watch Netflix too).

    What I would really like is a simple sensor system - perhaps two magnetic sensors that I can put on the front door, that when activated by returning teenager sounds a tone in my den or has a LED light indicator or somesuch so that I know she is home.

    This is prompted by an incident last night where I didn't realise she was back, and she in typical teenage fashion forgot to text me... then chucked a minor strop when I pointed this out.

    Does that make sense?

    The house has a full monitored alarm system, but I don't want to attempt to do anything with that or interfere with it in any way, so this has to be a simple standalone battery powered solution.

    Any suggestions?
    So clever my foot fell off.

  2. #2
    Ring video doorbell. You can set it up to notify you when motion is detected.

    you also then have the benefit that you can talk to her when she's unlocking the door telling her that she is unacceptably late home / has smudged lipstick from kissing too many boys / that her dinner is in the fridge etc...

  3. #3
    Might be a bit basic and relies on a teenager so may not work, but why not have a "doctor is in" type sign, as your daughter walks in she flips the sign to "in" that way as you walk past it you'll see.

    This will only work if:-

    1. She remembers to flip sign.
    2. You walk past sign on way to bed.

    This may not be the best plan.

  4. #4
    Grand Master VDG's Avatar
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    Track her over smartphone, there is an app for that ;)
    Fas est ab hoste doceri

  5. #5
    The Ring door bell is a good suggestion. Alternatively they also do a stick cam with similar features (motion activation etc).

  6. #6
    Craftsman
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    Does she have an iPhone?


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

  7. #7
    Master Wolfie's Avatar
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    I've got a skybell with a PIR - sends notification as soon as someone comes to the front door..

    Ta
    Ben

  8. #8
    Buy a cheap wireless doorbell, junk the push button and buy a simple breaker between door and jamb to replace the button.

    Door opens, bell rings (or any of 150 alternative sounds). Won't tell you it's your D of course...........

  9. #9
    Craftsman
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    Samsung SmartThings!
    We have recently bought the SAMSUNG SmartThings Multi Sensor. We have it on our front door and it pings me and my wife a notification when the door is opened or knocked on.
    It is incredibly useful and it just works.
    If you love your tech and get the philips hue lighting, you can set up a rule that the lights flash or change colour when the door opens.

  10. #10
    Master
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    Quote Originally Posted by VDG View Post
    Track her over smartphone, there is an app for that ;)
    Is the correct answer. If she has an iPhone, you just need her iTunes details*

    *Heard this from a friend

  11. #11
    Grand Master TheFlyingBanana's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by demonloop View Post
    Is the correct answer. If she has an iPhone, you just need her iTunes details*

    *Heard this from a friend

    The problem with this is that it relies upon her not running her iPhone power down to nothing, which is what usually seems to happen as a result of all that essential texting...

    Some helpful suggestions though chaps - please keep them coming.

    I guess I could fit a small external camera that links wirelessly to a little screen in my office? I'd just like everything to be battery powered if possible to avoid faffing about with power cables etc. Any suggestions around this very gratefully received also.
    So clever my foot fell off.

  12. #12
    Master
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    Why not use ifttt to send you an email when she is in the home location/connected to the home wifi? Avoids tracking her and any personal privacy dilemmas.

    I understand the battery issue but understand most teenagers will go straight to the charging cable as soon as they get home which covers the low battery situation

  13. #13
    We have a simple and cheap gadget with a battery powered wireless pir sensor you can simply mount above a door, and a plug-in bell unit that works over quite a range. Having a son with Down's syndrome and no sense of danger means you seek out all kinds of gadgets! Trouble is I can't remember where we got them...


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  14. #14
    Craftsman Falcata's Avatar
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    Would this idea work;

    Hyfive Driveway Motion Sensor Alarm Home Security Device Wireless Indoor Or Outdoor Alarm https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00LSJFJ..._Edcizb08E1AMP

  15. #15
    How about a Canary in the hall way? It will send you a push notification when it detects motion.

  16. #16
    Grand Master
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    Put a bell on her collar?
    ;)

  17. #17
    Do you happen to have Hive or similar? We have sensors that turn on/off lights when activated. If the sensor in the garage is activated after 10PM the house lights up like a christmas tree

    Not worked out how to get a sensor to trigger a swap from "in private browsing to buy my wife a gift" to "Netflix" on the screen when "working late in the den" though ;-)

  18. #18
    Quote Originally Posted by verv View Post
    Put a bell on her collar?
    ;)
    😂

  19. #19
    Craftsman
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    A cheap WiFi camera with motion detection linked to your mobile with alerts would do it.

  20. #20
    You could just the zone on your house alarm to chime when the door is opened. Assuming you have the alarm extended to the man cave you wide you get a nice chime to know the front door has been opened.

    I know you said you didn't want to mess with it but if you have the system already then a quick config change will do what you need for no outlay.

  21. #21
    Quote Originally Posted by Nigel306 View Post
    A cheap WiFi camera with motion detection linked to your mobile with alerts would do it.
    You just described either the ring video doorbell or their camera. Both will work on batteries also.

  22. #22
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    Quote Originally Posted by triumph coupe View Post
    You just described either the ring video doorbell or their camera. Both will work on batteries also.
    I just did a quick search on the Ring doorbell as I hadn't heard of it, Currys have it for £159, I wouldn't call that cheap.

  23. #23
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    Quote Originally Posted by Taylor View Post
    Samsung SmartThings!
    We have recently bought the SAMSUNG SmartThings Multi Sensor. We have it on our front door and it pings me and my wife a notification when the door is opened or knocked on.
    It is incredibly useful and it just works.
    If you love your tech and get the philips hue lighting, you can set up a rule that the lights flash or change colour when the door opens.
    +1 on this, I have it and its great, you will also benefit from a hub that si compatible with many other third party systems, like Philips Hue, Harmony remotes, Osram lightify and more,

  24. #24
    Craftsman
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    Quote Originally Posted by soundood View Post
    +1 on this, I have it and its great, you will also benefit from a hub that si compatible with many other third party systems, like Philips Hue, Harmony remotes, Osram lightify and more,
    All controlled using Alexa! It can get pricey.

    Sent from my SM-G950F using Tapatalk

  25. #25
    Craftsman
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    Do you have a fairly recent AppleTV? This sensor is Apple Home Kit enabled, and can pair with no additional hardware.

    https://www.amazon.com/Fibaro-Window.../dp/B01M9CQSB5

    There are other options, but this gets there with the least number of parts.

    It may be worth noting that a home alarm system with a wireless door sensor is a much more reliable solution, but that would come at added cost.
    Last edited by jcm3; 20th May 2017 at 17:03.

  26. #26

  27. #27
    Journeyman
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    Some great ideas but are we overthinking this? Perhaps tell her to knock on the door of your den and let you know that she's home safely, and if she hasn't/forgets, check her bedroom to see if she's back?

  28. #28

  29. #29
    Grand Master Andyg's Avatar
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    A simple solution would be a PIR near the front door, wired to a LED in your Man Cave. You can even buy a solar powered detector All you need to do is run a wire (these are about 3v DC) to the LED and them position it somewhere you can see it.

    Whoever does not know how to hit the nail on the head should be asked not to hit it at all.
    Friedrich Nietzsche


  30. #30
    Grand Master TheFlyingBanana's Avatar
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    Thank you all for some extremely helpful suggestions. There are a number of these that I am going to look at closely, and I am certain that my "problem" has been solved thanks to your advice.

    I'm probably going to try the simple PIR sensor first, but I am now also looking at Hive accessories (I do have Hive) and I rather like the look of the Samsung stuff too.
    So clever my foot fell off.

  31. #31
    Netatmo Welcome camera and tags would do this (alert to iPhone when door is open) or use just the Welcome looking at the door.

    Do you have a burgular alarm ? Mine chimes when the door is opened so maybe can have that programmed or upgraded accordingly.

  32. #32
    Cheap as chips, an under door mat pressure pad connected to bell in your office, daughter walks in, stands on mat, bell goes off. All for under £20 and battery powered.

  33. #33
    Master SeanST150's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by TheFlyingBanana View Post
    Thank you all for some extremely helpful suggestions. There are a number of these that I am going to look at closely, and I am certain that my "problem" has been solved thanks to your advice.

    I'm probably going to try the simple PIR sensor first, but I am now also looking at Hive accessories (I do have Hive) and I rather like the look of the Samsung stuff too.
    Hive do a door/window sensor. 2 magnets as you describe in your OP. If you're already running the Hive ecosystem it must be the simplest option.

  34. #34
    Master
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    Frame her for some sort of criminal offence for which the punishment would invole wearing a electronic tag, then hack the police computer that tracks the tags so you can follow where she is.*







    *May not be legal

  35. #35
    Craftsman r1ch's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by WestwardBound View Post
    Some great ideas but are we overthinking this? Perhaps tell her to knock on the door of your den and let you know that she's home safely, and if she hasn't/forgets, check her bedroom to see if she's back?
    I'm with you. As the Father of a teenage girl myself, I'm not personally in the camp that would look to technology to mitigate an interpersonal communication challenge.
    As you say though, some very inventive/interesting ideas offered up here to deploy a tech answer.

  36. #36
    Master dickbrowne's Avatar
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    Jack Russell.

    We have two and they compete to see which can be the loudest at letting us know that the front gate has opened.

    No batteries required and will be company when your daughter pops off to Uni in a few years - thank me then!

  37. #37
    I'm just setting up Google Wifi in my house and have discovered it supports IFTTT actions. You can configure it to send an email, text message or make a phone call when a particular device joins the network.

    IFTTT

    IFTTT (short for “If this, then that”) is a web service that lets you connect different websites, apps and Internet-connected devices. These connections are called applets, which use specific conditions to perform simple actions. For example, you can tell IFTTT:

    • If I come home, then tell Google Wifi to prioritise my phone.
    • If my daughter comes home, then send me an email, text, or phone call.
    • If the babysitter leaves the house, then text me.
    • If I come home, then turn on my Hue lights.

    The “if” part is called the trigger. The “then” part is the action.

    • Trigger + action = applet

    Think of IFTTT as an assistant, who automatically performs a series of very basic steps.



  38. #38
    Master mindforge's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Phil Lee View Post
    I'm just setting up Google Wifi in my house and have discovered it supports IFTTT actions. You can configure it to send an email, text message or make a phone call when a particular device joins the network.



    [/FONT][/COLOR]
    That's really interesting. Do you set it up in the app?

  39. #39
    Quote Originally Posted by mindforge View Post
    That's really interesting. Do you set it up in the app?
    You set it up in the IFTTT app.

  40. #40
    Master
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    All to complex and not using her triggers.
    Leave £10 on the table near the door.£10 gone, she's in.

  41. #41

  42. #42
    Quote Originally Posted by mindforge View Post
    That's really interesting. Do you set it up in the app?
    It takes a few minutes for this to become active but I can report it works perfectly now. I get a notification on my phone when my wife's iPhone disconnects from or connects to the wifi. This is great as I work in an office at the end of the garden.

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