[Greenbuilding] Doorbell options

[Benjamin Pratt]

I would guess that a dog would be one of the most inefficient
doorbells one could find.  They may not use electricity, but they use
a lot of food and require constant maintenance.
Ben

On Wed, Jan 16, 2013 at 6:59 PM, RT <archilogic at yahoo.ca> wrote:
> On Wed, 16 Jan 2013 18:04:57 -0500, David Wentling <dpwentling at ymail.com>
> wrote:
>
>> Now they are looking at transformers and doorbells. We have had limited
>> success with wireless units. Interference or corrosion issues have been some
>> problems.
>>
>> Is there anyone on the list, that had good stories with alternatives?
>>
>> Any experience with rechargeable batteries?
>
>
> Around my neighbourhood, dogs seem to be the most reliable annunciators.
>
> In particular, it seems that Black Labs are the most effective in that they
> seem to have the ability to hear someone approaching from as far away as 500
> ft or more and seem to be able to distinguish between "regulars" who don't
> need to be announced ... and strangers, who elicit a response that is
> capable of waking the near-dead.
>
> And therein lies the problem with dogs as door annunciators. There are times
> when it's not convenient to have the Hounds of Hell unleashed at full
> volume.
>
> OTOH, my Malamute never barks and would be delighted to have people show up
> at the door -- more playthings for him.
>
> I used to utilise programmable wireless door chimes for an elderly person
> whose mobility had deteriorated to the point of needing assistance to get up
> and move around.
>
> Sending units were placed beside her favourite chair, by her bedside and in
> the bathrooms and receivers were placed throughout the house and out in the
> shop so that assistance could be summoned without fail.
>
> I tried several systems -- senders that used 3 volt lithium button
> batteries, 1.5 volt AAA batteries (I used NiMHs) and A23 12 volt batteries.
>
> The most reliable sending units were the ones utilising the 12 volt
> batteries. The ones using AAA and button batteries were so unreliable,
> unpredictable and quirky as to be useless.
>
> The problem though is that rechargeable A23-size 12 volt batteries and
> chargers aren't very common, if they exist at all.
>
> Perhaps for a doorbell system used as such, the sending units could be wired
> to a 12 volt car battery (which is rechargeable and for which photovoltaic
> trickle chargers are readily available ?
>
> --
> === * ===
> Rob Tom                                 AOD257
> Kanata, Ontario, Canada
>
> < A r c h i L o g i c  at  Y a h o o  dot  c a  >
> (manually winnow the chaff from my edress if you hit "reply")
>
>
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-- 


b e n j a m i n p r a t t

professor art+design
the university of wisconsin stout