IoT Mailbox Guard for Home Assistant. Defends Against Parcel Thefts!

🎁Three lucky subscribers will get MailBox Guard for free!🎁
Hi guys, The Mailbox Guard is a compact and energy-efficient device equipped with an infrared motion detector and the option to connect a reed switch. It's suitable for use as a mailbox sensor or a general-purpose motion detector. Engineered to transmit signals upon detecting motion or door opening, it provides the convenience of receiving notifications directly on your phone, including Home Assistant integration, MQTT, WhatsApp, and an offline option. With the flexibility to separate the charger component, this sensor offers adaptable usage. It comes in various gateway versions. Explore pre-assembled solutions on my website. Don't forget to subscribe for more exciting projects!
Sponsor of this video #
$5 off for New Users - pcbway.com/g/q...
🛒 My Shop: www.pricelesst...
🗂️ Project Page on GitHub: github.com/Pri...
If the product is currently out of stock, don't worry! You can place a pre-order, and I'll make sure to ship your order within 15-20 days "This time is for assembling a new batch". Your patience is greatly appreciated, and we're working hard to get the product to you as soon as possible.
Products used in this video - affiliate links #
Mini Hot Plate s.click.aliexp...
⚠️ Mini Hot Plate Requires "Power Delivery (PD) Charger" ⚠️
Pogo Pin Clamp Fixture s.click.aliexp...
UNIProg Programmer www.pricelesst...
Mailbox Guard www.pricelesst...
Gateway on Aliexpress s.click.aliexp...
Gateway on official lilygo Shop www.lilygo.cc/...
Battery Li-Ion 14500 800mA s.click.aliexp...
Battery Li-Ion 14500 1200mA --
My Equipment #
Soldering Station AIXUN T420D s.click.aliexp...
Soldering Station AIXUN T3A - s.click.aliexp...
Soldering Station AIXUN T3B - s.click.aliexp...
Soldering Hot Air + Soldering Iron - s.click.aliexp...
Soldering Hot Plate - s.click.aliexp...
Mini Hot Plate s.click.aliexp...
Reflow oven T-962A+ - s.click.aliexp...
PCB Holder - s.click.aliexp...
PCB Cleaning Brush - s.click.aliexp...
Tweezer - s.click.aliexp...
Soldering Silicone Mat - s.click.aliexp...
Solder Paste - s.click.aliexp...
Soldering Wire - s.click.aliexp...
Flux - s.click.aliexp...
Syringe Handle - s.click.aliexp...
Smart SMD Tweezer - s.click.aliexp...
Transistor Tester LCR-T7 - s.click.aliexp...
Multimeter - s.click.aliexp...
Power profiling - www.nordicsemi...
#homeassistant #smarthome

[@TheKunalsan]

Audibly gasped when he nonchalantly introduced his pick n place machine 😮

[@PricelessToolkit]

Yes, I saved money for 6 years to buy PNP. If you are interested in PNPs take a look at "OpenPnP" it open-source

[@TheKunalsan]

@@PricelessToolkitI'm a while away from needing one but it sounds interesting I'll check it out!

[@supremeleader5516]

Exactly, my mind was blown

[@ygreq]

Your modular design skills are out of this world

[@PricelessToolkit]

wow, thank you very much for the good words!

[@grubFX]

It always amazes me how you come up with such cool ideas for projects and manage to turn them into real, well-designed and -built products. Keep up the good work!

[@PricelessToolkit]

Thank you very much!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@PricelessToolkit]

🎁Three lucky subscribers will get a free MailBox Guard!🎁 Just remember to like and subscribe for a chance to win, and your profile must be public and with contact information so I can contact you. Thanks for your support!!!

[@garygilbreath2218]

Cool project! My mother-in-law is always asking us if the mail has arrived and this would be a great way for us to be able to tell her without having to trek out to the mailbox.

[@PricelessToolkit]

Thanks, I'm glad that my project will help you.

[@delboytrotter7902]

Fantastic, and well explained 😀 I especially like the fact that it integrates with Home Assistant

[@PricelessToolkit]

Glad you like it!

[@JeffKeeney-z4y]

One of the best tutorials I have seen with a project with so many options!

[@PricelessToolkit]

I'm glad you liked it

[@makanimike]

I've just recently started thinking about a nice solution for this use case. I really love this one

[@PricelessToolkit]

Glad you like it!

[@erwinkooi6669]

Very interesting and some lessons on how to lower the power consumption of battery powered devices. I assume the lora is a point-to-point with the keys triggering what message is sent. (I have separate boxes for letters and parcels.)

[@PricelessToolkit]

Thanks, it sends the same key for PIR/Reed Switch

[@egomatthisum]

Just stumbled across your channel, watched a few vids and have to say: great projects

[@PricelessToolkit]

Thank you!

[@sygad1]

Damn........you're not messing around with this, properly impressed with your skills

[@PricelessToolkit]

Thank you!

[@GuidoAmbar]

I've just been recommended your video while making a similar project. I will check your board because it's almost exactly what I need. I'm making a vibration sensor to put in the seat post of my bicycle to detect if someone is trying to steal or damage it. I keep the bike outside my apartment but don't want to trigger loud alarms because of my neighbors. So I need a normal beep in the bike and a notification for me to check for the bike (I can see it from my window). I guess that many people may have similar use cases.

[@PricelessToolkit]

seems you have a very interesting project, check out this gyro "LIS3DHTR".

[@renjithstalin]

This is awesome,I have been using zigbee door sensors with extendeed reed switch, but was not that reliable because of the range. Good Job &Thanks!

[@PricelessToolkit]

Thanks, Yes, the LoRa range is greater.

[@glidbjoerg1]

Wow! Impressive. I can't imagine the amount of hours spent on this project

[@PricelessToolkit]

thanks!

[@gabrielcwik146]

It would be nice to build next evolution of the Mailbox notificator.

[@thorbjrnhellehaven5766]

I love this project! My mailbox is slightly away from my home. It's not far, but enough to be anoying to go there to check an empty mailbox.

[@PricelessToolkit]

ThanksI, glad you like the project and I totally understand you.

[@gunnarstrand]

Awesome, just what I need so I dont have to go down six floors to check the mailbox. With a baby on the way I need to save as much energy as possible. 😄

[@PricelessToolkit]

Glad I could help!

[@u076894]

Excellent project! Some well thought-out design considerations.

[@PricelessToolkit]

Thanks!

[@Chimel31]

Kind of a half-assed project if it does not open and read the letter to you. 😄 Very neat, open and useful circuit that does its one job perfectly, integrating into all kinds of home automation or standalone. I like the presentation of the tools used too, subscribed from France. I'll have to check out the other videos of this channel for more awesomeness, so I don't have to stay, live and sleep near the chicken coop every single day to open and close the trap doors! 😄

[@PricelessToolkit]

😆 Merci beaucoup! by the way, I am from France too 😉.

[@MM-321]

Love your channel and your projects. They are unique and very interesting

[@PricelessToolkit]

Thank you so much!

[@this-already-takes-to-long]

"Priceless" educational and beautiful content, I love it!

[@PricelessToolkit]

Much appreciated!

[@dseipel2]

Awesome project! It is very neat seeing this verson next to your Arduino one. Keep on improving!!

[@PricelessToolkit]

Thanks, will do!

[@MarkGhali]

Love your videos! Having a Sensor like this would be amazingly useful

[@PricelessToolkit]

Glad you like them!

[@TheCelticbeast]

Brilliant. Just what I need.

[@Bengizmo]

Loving these projects!

[@dant1677]

Super cool project! Well beyond my skills to make, but hopefully can order one or more of your products eventually

[@PricelessToolkit]

Thanks, Try to assemble it yourself, if you need help, I will help in any way I can.

[@Evgen-Evgen-Evgen]

So cool project! Glad to find so creative youtuber) Wish you good luck and more and more subscribers!

[@PricelessToolkit]

Thank you so much!!!!!

[@robertkalinowski6770]

Amazing! So complete and professional. And open-source. Awesome!

[@PricelessToolkit]

Wow, thanks!

[@DonParlor]

Wonderful project! I hope I'll be selected for the 3 freebies! :)

[@bartmulder6995]

I first learned about LoRa one day ago, was blown away with the technology. Then I thought: this would be great for a mailbox sensor. Googled it and voilà! Such an elegant design, love it! Nerds should Google the video about how LoRa works (chirp modulation), fascinating!

[@PricelessToolkit]

when I first checked the range 2 years ago I couldn't believe it

[@georgestheking1]

Nice project and perfect design. Only take care if the battery stay outside. Most battery does not life a lot under the weather outside.

[@PricelessToolkit]

Thanks. Last winter there are days -10C - 12C, and the battery survived, plus different countries and different weather, It's out of my control.

For several years, this concept has lingered in my thoughts. I had considered integrating a weight sensor, but hesitated due to the potential battery consumption it might entail. Also, range apprehensions were a concern that deterred me from taking action. Nevertheless, the current setup appears to have allayed these apprehensions. This could potentially be the solution I've been seeking for quite some time. Exceptional work!

[@PricelessToolkit]

Thank you very much! I'm glad it will be useful to you.

[@stephanohnjec]

Great! This is exactly what i was searching for. Well done!

[@PricelessToolkit]

Enjoy!

[@brian2687]

Been waiting for this for a long time! Thanks

[@PricelessToolkit]

More to come!

[@freakbyte]

Very cool project and the range is very impressive! On a completely unrelated note: I just started watching a year old video of you and your english vocabulary and accent is so much better today. Really cool to listen to the difference from just a year ago, great job!

[@PricelessToolkit]

Thanks. Indeed, there is a slight difference in my accent in real life, but it's not very pronounced. In this video, the voice isn't actually mine. I used AI to clone my voice, So it's a text-to-speech "My Voice" technology. I'm relieved isn't too noticeable. 😊

[@bobbypatel2824]

I was looking for simple solution but this is more sophisticated i found.. Good work

[@PricelessToolkit]

Glad it helped

[@dronefilmsgermany]

This project is priceless

[@PricelessToolkit]

@@dronefilmsgermany :)) thanks!!

[@ProtonovaR54]

Dude, this is amazing! I love how you explained the power efficiency features and range consideration. Adding MQTT puts the cherry on top lol. Ty so much for sharing.

[@PricelessToolkit]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@PCBWay]

This is really Impressive! 👍👍

[@PricelessToolkit]

Thank you very much!

[@missko1962]

My best experience so far of buying from a small company, everything from the webshop to shipping time, packaging and quality of the product 5 stars (Now I'm just waiting for my LoRa module and see if I manage to configure everything 😀

[@PricelessToolkit]

Wow! Thank you very much!!!!

[@christianbusch3631]

The result of someone knowing his business :) Thanks for sharing, I have to get one for my mailbox.

[@PricelessToolkit]

Thanks!!!

[@xerxel69]

This guy is on the next level. Amazing!!

[@PricelessToolkit]

Thank you very match! 🤗

[@aleksandarbogdanovic8459]

You created the very good project! Love it! 🤗

[@PricelessToolkit]

Thank you! more cool projects coming soon.

[@stevegardner4854]

Very nice, Seem like when I don't check mail its full, and when waiting there's nothing. Love this project. Thanks for sharing 👍

[@PricelessToolkit]

So true! Thanks

[@MartinStoyanov96]

Another great and detailed project. Amazing battery life and communication options ! 👍

[@PricelessToolkit]

Thank you very match!

[@kjetiltotland5107]

Love your project. Finally an innovating way to make your mailbox smart.

[@PricelessToolkit]

Thank you

[@lhovo]

Nice. Always on the look out for the next sensor to add to my smart home

[@PricelessToolkit]

Thanks!! You did the right thing by subscribing. I have many incoming projects for you.

[@Thezarnold16]

Great project, I will have to look into making one for my new house!

[@PricelessToolkit]

Thanks, You should!

[@HoldingHeavy08]

Awesome project thank you! I hope to learn how to make these for my new house

[@PricelessToolkit]

No! Thank YOU! Good luck!

[@wjn777]

Great project, very cool design and very useful. Thanks for sharing!

[@PricelessToolkit]

Thank you very much!

[@jantepas7511]

This was I was waiting for. Small, efficiently, flexible and clever. Thanks! I now use a microswitch with a joule led. This works a long time, but not on long distance.

[@PricelessToolkit]

You're welcome!

[@mattmusi7323]

Excellent! Always on the lookout for well done LoRa projects.

[@PricelessToolkit]

Thank you! Cheers!

[@PureElectrified]

Brilliant, I already have a power cable pulled to the mailbox, but with this solution there would be no more need for that!

[@PricelessToolkit]

Thanks. If you pulled a cable, then your mailbox is close to you, you could use door sensors RF/Zigbee.

[@scottcondie1363]

Excellent design! I like the thought put into the layout for different configurations and thanks for the suggestion on the solder heat plate. This reminds me I really should finish my ESPNOW mailbox sensor, it uses a reed switch and power latch also but is esp8266 and 2xAA powered. It's very much a prototype and is weatherproofed through a ziplock bag

[@PricelessToolkit]

Glad you like it!

[@missko1962]

Nice projekt!👍

[@zatar80]

Woaw ! I was looking for something like this for a really long time ! thanks !

[@PricelessToolkit]

Glad I could help!

[@harrybmortoniii263]

I am going to give this project a try after my wife completes her chemo treatments. My projects are on hold until she gets better.

[@PricelessToolkit]

I'm sending my best wishes for your wife's swift recovery.

[@harrybmortoniii263]

@@PricelessToolkit Thank You so much! It has been rough going. I was scheduled to have surgery and then we found out about her cancer. I called my Doctor to cancel my procedure since as far as I am concerned she comes first! When she is completely healed then my back can be fixed. This Nov 1 will be together for 50 years.

[@PricelessToolkit]

I'm sure! everything will go very smoothly. 50 years together, it's worth a lot!

[@sdfhjklhsfdjdsflhkds]

Nice! This has been an unsolved problem for me for some time. With Home Assistant integration, I will certainly give this a hard look!

[@PricelessToolkit]

You're welcome!

[@hans-jurgenfigge727]

A really impressive project! Thoughtful design and carefully selected components. The various communication options are also very good, although I would probably choose the MQTT variant to integrate it into my smart home. Compliments!

[@PricelessToolkit]

Thank you very much! One of the commenters asked why I did not do MQTT autodiscovery for HA, If I find a free evening, I’ll add this function.

[@GaryRobas]

Excellent project - well done!

[@PricelessToolkit]

Many thanks!

[@bin1busch]

i need that years ago, and i bought a door entrance ringer, as in small shops. When you open the door, the IR sensor detects movement and RINGS the bell. I put the sensor module into the box and the receiver on the plug in my home. Everytime now when a letter disturbed the lights inside the mailbox i get a ring, but THIS is very small and PERFECT

[@PricelessToolkit]

Thanks for sharing

[@MrJonbot81]

I was think if trying to make something like this. I am glad it is already done.

[@PricelessToolkit]

Enjoy

[@umeku]

Whoa, this project is seriously awesome! You've got serious skills! Keep rocking and sharing more - can't wait to see what else you come up with!🔥

[@PricelessToolkit]

Thanks a ton!

[@jeremyyounger5442]

Really well designed

[@PricelessToolkit]

Thanks!!

[@budster5]

This is a very impressive project. I plan on ding this for my next DIY project. 👍

[@PricelessToolkit]

Thank you, have fun!

[@garethds]

Great project! I have been looking for something to prevent mail theft. Keep up the great work

[@PricelessToolkit]

Thanks

[@gonzalomorales3443]

Nice design , and well explained .Thanks for share.

[@PricelessToolkit]

Welcome 😊

[@DIYtechie]

Really well designed. I especially like the possibility for the onboard read switch 👌🏻 If only I had your abilities 😊 Having used different mail box sensors for a few years, the best option in mu experience (which gives fewest false positives and negatives) are read switches. Especially when the mailbox is outdoor and subject to bugs and temp changes. I use one read switch for the small latch and another for the big latch. That way I dont get notifications when I empty the mailbox and I never have to manually reset the mail status. When the small latch opens, set mail status to true and when big latch opens, set status to false. Consequently, I would love to see a version of your sensor with one built-in read switch and one external read switch (and no PIR). Keep up the good work! 🙏🏻👍🏻

[@PricelessToolkit]

Thank you! By the way, in France, the postman has the keys for the big door.

[@DIYtechie]

@@PricelessToolkit Ahh, I see. Then it would also be difficult to change the lock. I use a fingerprint lock for my mailbox, so I never have to bring keys, but that would not work for different postmen 😊

[@evandrozs]

Really cool project. Very nice usage of Microchip Attiny uC.

[@PricelessToolkit]

Thank you very much!

[@Bardum22]

this channel is amazing I love your content is so professional and well made

[@PricelessToolkit]

Thank you so much!

[@tuiastro]

Thank you for sharing this inspiring project. Your skills and presentation is exceptional !! ❤

[@PricelessToolkit]

Thank you so much!

[@tuiastro]

@@PricelessToolkit I wonder you would do a project on BLE application like proximity detection, alarm, etc. It would be fun to learn about the technology: Nordic's Nrf51 and other alternatives such as low-cost tags/watches.

[@PricelessToolkit]

I don't have enough skills to program Nrf51 😉

[@tuiastro]

@@PricelessToolkit I think the Nrf51 would be overkilled. 😅 Apple designed a sophisicated iBeacon messaging system, but no mass adoption has ever happened. Google terminated its Eddystone in 2018. While ESP32 has added new features like BLE 5.0 and Zigbee recently. A cheap blutooth tag or remote control costs less than $1. Every mobile phone has bluetooth. I came across ESPresence which seems to be a lot simpler than the Nordic's 😀

[@emanuelw3610]

Great project, I hope it is soon available for ordering in your shop.

[@PricelessToolkit]

Thanks, I hope so too!

[@pierrickguillaume418]

Very nice work on power comsumtion. I'll be honnest I didn't understood much exept you worked hard at it. Good work

[@PricelessToolkit]

Thanks, If you need help just ask!

[@PhG1961]

Awesome video! Great ingenuity!

[@PricelessToolkit]

Glad you liked it!

[@rodneycrosslin4405]

This is pretty awesome..I found your channel on accident and now I'm here to stay

[@PricelessToolkit]

Thank you and welcome! 🤗

[@tomschmidt381]

Interesting project. I built a simpler version a couple of years ago based on a on/off KEY fob and was able to mount the receiver at the road side of our driveway and repurposed the old telephone cabling now that we have fiber internet.

[@PricelessToolkit]

Thanks! Nice 👍

[@davidgekler]

Very cool. I appreciated you Low Current circuit tuning!

[@PricelessToolkit]

Glad you liked it!

[@CaseyNyx]

Great video and a wonderful idea for a mailbox sensor

[@PricelessToolkit]

Thanks!

[@krzysiej--9229]

Dude, I've been thinking about mailbox sensor for a while and looked up multiple designs but this one is brilliant.

[@PricelessToolkit]

Thank you very match!

[@caspix]

Great job! These look amazing

[@PricelessToolkit]

Thank you! Cheers!

[@viet.pham.7]

slowly getting addicted to this channel, great job! Your builds are so well done, hoping to try one of them in the future!

[@PricelessToolkit]

Glad you like them! Awesome!!

[@aaronag7876]

Outstanding video. Well documented and lots of really helpful Information on energy consumption. Thank you

[@PricelessToolkit]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@esamwise]

This is so cool, you’ve done a great job making this compact and usable. Building a mailbox sensor like this was actually the reason why I got into home automation in the first place. I struggled with signal as I lived in an apartment and the mailroom was in a solid concrete room, eventually I moved and it wasn’t a problem. Your videos are really interesting, keep up the great work!

[@PricelessToolkit]

Thank you very match.👍

[@MrDead1975]

awesome project. just what I'm looking for

[@PricelessToolkit]

Glad I could help

[@A___Way]

Super video, deffinetly want. This for my summer cottage. Post box several hundred meters away. Dull walk if postbox empty :-)

[@PricelessToolkit]

Thank you! but walking is good for health :)

[@340dave]

That is really slick. A 'must have'..

[@PricelessToolkit]

Thank you!

[@danbrown586]

Nicely done, compact, long range. Not the easiest to build for someone who doesn't have a pick-and-place machine, but that's always a trade-off with SMT.

[@PricelessToolkit]

Thanks, you only need pair of tweezers, I didn't choose small components on purpose so that people could assemble them easily. if i choose 0402 size It could be done 2 times smaller.

[@DonONeill]

I just got into home automation and a mailbox sensor was going to be my next project. Nice work!

[@PricelessToolkit]

Good luck!

[@gteichigt]

Sehr schöne Kompakte Lösung , Vielen Dank dafür!

[@PricelessToolkit]

Ich bin froh, dass es dir gefällt

[@billstackpole5774]

Thats a great idea! Thanks for the fun video and clear instruction!

[@PricelessToolkit]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@TheNinsaa]

That is a very neat project, and i was looking for something like that, since our Mailbox is a good bit off on the estate. Do be careful with publishing your location though. You can see Latitude and longitude in the url in the last segment of the video, so i hope this is only a rough location.

[@PricelessToolkit]

Thank you, If you have any difficulties with assembly in the future, do not hesitate to ask!. Yes, of course the location is shifted

[@ddjazz]

Great project , keep em coming

[@PricelessToolkit]

Thanks, will do!

[@highjinx68]

This is really good, I'm loving the IoT projects. breathes life into my desire to tinker more

[@PricelessToolkit]

Thanks, IoT is the same for me, gives a lot of opportunities for tinkerers.

[@charleswheatcroft]

I love your commentary and the board looks great. I wish I had more understanding of these things but I am confident I could integrate that into my home setup with my basic skills 😅

[@PricelessToolkit]

You can do it!

[@LyallJohnson]

How awesome. This would certainly be useful

[@PricelessToolkit]

Glad you think so!

[@mzaifkhan]

Cool project and really appreciating the effort to accommodate different batteries and make it power efficient! LoRa seems like a pretty good solution for apartments. Now I've another automation added to my list of things to do.

[@PricelessToolkit]

Thank you!

[@dimitris99880]

Nice! Greetings from Greece!

[@PricelessToolkit]

Hey, thanks! I love Greece! but car traffic.. omg

[@justme7128]

Cool project! Nice and informative video with clear voice. Keep up the good work!

[@PricelessToolkit]

Thank you very much!

[@Reza1984_]

Awesome work, wasn't expecting a 2 km range!

[@PricelessToolkit]

Me neither! in my opinion, the location of the buildings plays a big role "direct the signal in the right direction"

[@mohammadhh5113]

There are so many different for such use case other than mailbox guard, nice and neat project

[@PricelessToolkit]

Glad you like it!