Homesteading Harbor Freight Driveway Alarm Review

[@user-vk5ws8if4n]

Could you cover up the red light and it still work, So someone couldn't see it?

[@CollegeHillFarm]

Yes. I put a piece of gorilla tape on mine!

[@johnjones9642]

I got one in my shed. Works great. The price is 16$ now at harbor freight 😮

[@CollegeHillFarm]

I was very pleased with mine

[@322doug]

I bought one of these and it worked great for a short time, but now when it alerts ....it des not stop, you trigger it once and it keeps sounding off non stop until you turn it off. Anyone have any suggestions to fix?

[@CollegeHillFarm]

The battery is low. It does this any time the battery gets low.

[@322doug]

@@CollegeHillFarm ok ill double check the batteries... ty very much.

[@yukonjack.]

Thank's, but the way these actually work is the SENSOR will pick up movement ONLY up to 30+feet away at up to a 40-degree angle. Now the distance between the sensor and the receiver can be up to 400 feet away. Didn't want people to believe that the sensor would pick up movement from those long distances just to clarify. ✌

[@thomasatwood6769]

Have one I give it five ❇️❇️❇️❇️❇️👍

[@TiredOldMann]

Good video. I use painters tape to adjust the detection zone. And I seal any outdoor unit .

[@user-vk5ws8if4n]

How did you seal it?

[@TiredOldMann]

@@user-vk5ws8if4n Hot glue

[@johnkapel2128]

I mounted one of these units inside my toilet bowl. When my wife takes a big power dump, the alarm goes off and I remind her to stop eating so damn much food. The $15 that I spent on this unit saves me about $300 a year on just food alone that my wife no longer eats. Also, I liked your video, it was well put together to let people know how these units work. Keep up the good work!

[@davidsoom1551]

Don't tell the WOKE people about what you are doing. LOL

[@chodkowski01]

At harbor freight they are $8 on sale. They have numbers for 3 different frequencies. I buy all mine with the same frequency because I only have a 50’ radius to monitor. I sometimes leave an alarm outside to let someone know we see you and are watching.

[@CHARLIEFOXTROT-qe7mz]

These things in 2024 are absoluteTRASH!!!

[@CollegeHillFarm]

Mine worked for about 4 yrs

[@knites09]

Thanks for the great review 👍

[@HamiltonvilleFarm]

Good job on the review and mount👍🏻

[@michaelohara4421]

Are these alarms really water tight?

[@CollegeHillFarm]

Mine functioned good for 4 yrs. Then I had to replace it.

[@rogerd4559]

4 batteries in the receiver? Mine looks exactly like that in size and shape and it only takes 3 C" cells

[@girl600podcast]

They never die. 24/7 outside for 7-10 years. Got a few. Plastidip em different colors.

[@rogerd4559]

I solved that false alarm problem by building a small window around the sensor window it couldn't see down at the bunny wabbits, squirrels, cats and couldn't see up in the sky at crows and jays hawks pterodactyls but at a level of a human body or car window. this cut out alot of false alarms up to 90% also you may want to seal it up with silicone to make it water proof

[@girl600podcast]

Great idea

[@garyzehr4445]

Hi Joel, looks like a good piece of equipment to have. I can see a lot of plus to having it including to keep the lowlife dirtbags out of your stuff. I've had a lot of tools and metal stolen from my sheds and shop so I put in alarms and motion sensor lights. A lot of stuff stopped disappearing but 2 of my neighbor's went to jail also. Guess we'll know more when they get out! Thanks for the video and review.

[@girl600podcast]

U can use AA batteries 🔋 in a fat body case or just position AAs. Power cords are available. Dollar Tree has/had 2 9 volts for a dollar.

[@adamnitro3377]

If you take that sensor unit apart you will see that the sides are covered on the inside and only a 1 inch wide strip is open in the middle. I think if you just turn it sideways it will alleviate the problem with animals low to the ground like that.

[@CollegeHillFarm]

no it doesn't

[@Windyhillfarm71]

I love your videos

[@morethantheeyesees]

Just limit the downward view with a piece of black electrical tape partially covering the lower part of the lens. Do the same if you want to limit the upward view. Personally I would try a piece on both upper and lower and leave just a slit and try that first

[@CollegeHillFarm]

That works fine if you want to put it on a post in such a way as anyone can see it on approach. I wanted it to be on the backside of the post to anyone approaching. That is why I built the box.

[@mitch5077]

Mine gives false alarms by a twig or blade of grass moving. Doesn't matter the remedy. Even a glare from my window that shows a tree moving. Wish it was a little better with a sensitivity control

[@CollegeHillFarm]

The cover made a big difference. Sometimes a bird or squirrel sets it off. If I let the grass get tall around it sometimes. But a quick mow and that is fixed.

[@mitch5077]

@@CollegeHillFarm I'll give it a shot. I'm also playing with cheap security cameras from Walmart $19.88 and really surprised the clarity of the video. There meant for indoors, but put them outside under my Carport.

[@rogerd4559]

yes they need a sensitivity control as I have seen them very sensitive and very unresponsive

[@Andy-df5fj]

I have two of these setups on different channels about 50 ft from each other and pointed in different directions. They generally don't trigger unless something is there, but on some nights they are both simultaneously triggered and when I look back at my camera footage, there is nothing there, not even wind. Does anyone have any idea what could be triggering them both at the same time?

[@CollegeHillFarm]

I have done the same thing - Moth and butterflies flying close will set them off. Doesn't have to be big ones either. They just have to get close. In the winter mine seldom ever goes off but in the summer, especially during the day, bugs set it off.

[@worddunlap]

RRF spiked or also known known as electromagnetic interference.

[@rogerd4559]

I suspect other driveway detectors in the area may be setting yours off

[@rogerd4559]

Mine go off some tomes when seemably nothing around when I opened them up they were full of ants

[@Dr.Pepperdave]

We cant always see everything. Animals sense things we cant see sometimes.

[@LazySleestack]

You should set up a sign that says you have a camera set up. And maybe even get a camera and set it up

[@rogerd4559]

I put "horse blinders" on mine so it could only see side to side

[@CollegeHillFarm]

that's what the box is

[@chodkowski01]

I buy them on sale for $8. I keep mine about 4’ high so animals don’t trip it off. I have them all around the house. Sometimes I leave a monitor to sound outside sometimes and that scares anything away. People trespassing run from the alarm.

[@johnmitchell8925]

I had mine about 350 feet at the entrance to my driveway it works for about 3 weeks before the battery in the sensor go's dead,so I had to move the sensor much closer to the house which kinda defeats the purpose of early detection. I'm now looking at solar powered units but of course lots more money

[@do7hemath937]

I purchased a solar powered motion detector light and it sucked. Solar powered items need alot of day light & they warn in the instructions that they don't work well in the freezing temperatures of winter time.

[@dustyrhodes6798]

The one thing that I need from them is for the receiver to work with Alexa.

[@rogerd4559]

you want to keep the ants from setting it off too

[@jameskniskern2261]

That right there is a dang nice hammered dulcimer.

[@CollegeHillFarm]

Not many people know what they are. Been cleaning, restringing, and tuning

[@freezerfreezer9097]

I got one and can't use it... my neighbor and I both bought one at the same time... there are no freq changes on ours.. they are the same freq so mine is worthless because she has a lot of foot traffic and vehicles up and down her road..so mine stays shut off

[@CollegeHillFarm]

Yes - you can go and buy one with a different channel. There are I think 4 different channel models. Now that you know your neighbors channel you could buy a different one.

[@mitch5077]

You can mod the frequencies inside the units, just moving a solder jumper next to the IC chip

[@rogerd4559]

@@mitch5077 exactly! I was just going to say that its a bit tricky and if you get it wrong you will render the one you have, useless

[@whyme2818]

beware of jamming remotes that will silence it or make it close to being silent with a weird hum tone.

[@CollegeHillFarm]

Very few have such tech. Most of the folks that would come up your driveway are smash and grabbers and pay very little attention.

[@rogerd4559]

@@CollegeHillFarm ive experienced jamming remotes from an unlikely source. the corrupt cops in the neighborhood

[@chodkowski01]

People don’t even know you have these. I paint mine black and put electrical tape over the red light. The alarm receiver is about 50’ away.

[@zanenelson7916]

But it's not going to pick up waving a stick in front of it or rolling a basketball past it since it works off of heat detection.

[@CollegeHillFarm]

It is strictly a motion sensor. No heat detection. If the weeds grow up and the wind blows it goes off.

[@bmaverick2871]

The Harbor Freight Driveway Alarm also works well with chicken coops at night. If you have anything at night looking for a chicken dinner, these work GREAT. Likewise when up in the deer stand, place them in deer routes. On the receiver, cut the speaker wire, and twist wire in a headphone jack. Wish these things were not white. These can be spotted easily. EZ to paint and fix as the price for them with 20% off coupon is a steal. Also, the in-laws have one setup as a pool monitor. If kids get past the pool gate, the alarm will go off.

[@CollegeHillFarm]

Those are great ideas

[@rogerd4559]

I always camo paint mine

[@girl600podcast]

Plastidip it. Peels off u desire.

[@whyme2818]

I've been through dozens of these all cuz both my brothers wanted to jack me for everything I own that's valuable and all my whole life work that's worth millions. which already taken all of it and are selling it behind my back.but they've swapped them out with old nonworking sensors that I put away cuz they were broken. or stole the good batteries and swapped them out with old dead batteries. matter what every time I leave they switch them. I even caught my brother swapping them and also caught him controlling them with a car alarm remote to silence it when he walked in front of it.

[@CollegeHillFarm]

yeah they don't help much with home grown rogues.

[@Confederatemule]

Well, I wouldn't consider your video entertaining, but, I would consider it informative. Thanks for sharing your review.

[@rogerd4559]

you should read the directions it plainly tells you to place it so the intruder has to pass by it at 90 degrees is the best performance

[@CollegeHillFarm]

Let's see the video you have done?

[@westcharlotte5386]

interesting.

[@Havilah_Springs]

What a piece of crap!!!!! Just bought mine (3 hours ago) and the only way it will activate is if you hit / thump the sensor. I will be returning mine tomorrow!!!!!

[@teahill1914]

Camo paint them

[@bestamerica]

' why this man use a cap on the head... i have one driveway patrol system... i did put 3 white LED lights in the alarm... cut off remove 3 red low LED lights... how come american company dont make it their own wireless parking driveway patrol system... america can do that... dont need depend on china

[@rogerd4559]

we have become far too lazy First alert was one american company making these they just stopped. it was the best and most sensitive alarm. Now I have one just like it but its only good for a 2 foot pir range. Utter garbage

[@homeprojects1830]

why not use duct tape directly on the sensor instead of making a shield/case?

[@CollegeHillFarm]

It comes off in the weather. Also it impedes the sensor where the wood allows every thing in but just blocks down low. Finally, the box can be mounted behind a pole to people coming up the driveway. Otherwise it would have to be mounted in plane sight.

[@thomastidewater]

Great video! Thanks! (Although the 1st half should have been in fast motion! ) :)

[@CollegeHillFarm]

My problem is there ain't nothing fast about me!

[@rogerd4559]

you spend 24 hours building a birdhouse around it when you could have taken some cardboard and made "blinders"around its window, glued them on with shoe goo then water proofed the cardboard with silicon in 3 hours

[@CollegeHillFarm]

The box took 20 minutes not 24 hours. Cardboard will erode in the weather.

[@rogerd4559]

you were not listening I said coat the cardboard with silicone or GoopII exterior use. it lasted me 2 years so far. probably last longer then that unpainted wood. you need not build a birdhouse around the motion sensors as it makes for a very hard time taking them apart and changing the battery's

[@CollegeHillFarm]

Using the cable ties makes it super simple. You don't have to take the box apart.