DIY Driveway Alarm
Driveways of most homes face the street and so anyone who wants to can come on them. You can discourage drivers from using your driveway by adding a Do-It-Yourself (DIY) driveway alarm that will light up the driveway when a car goes on it. You will need a solar-powered motion detector light -- bought a home and garden shop -- that by its nature will not require wiring. You will also need a few landscaping tools. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Solar-powered motion detector light
- Tape measure
- Pickaxe
- Broom
- Bath towel
- Soft mallet
- Phillips jeweler's screwdriver/Torx screwdriver
Instructions
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1
Place the solar-powered motion detector light to one side of the driveway, about 10 feet back from where the driveway ends and the street begins. Dig a hole half the length of the pole attached to the bottom of the motion detector light with a pickaxe.
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2
Place the pole at the bottom of the light into the hole. Aim the light's front-mounted sensor towards the other side of the driveway.
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3
Place a folded over bath towel on the top of the light. Pound the light into the hole with a soft mallet. Continue pounding until the light is about a 1/2 foot above the ground. Scatter the loose dirt from around the light using a broom.
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4
Open the side or back compartment lid on the solar powered motion detector light -- if there is a screw on the lid, remove the screw first using a Phillips jeweler's screwdriver or a Torx screwdriver, depending on the make of the light.
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5
Adjust the settings inside the control panel in the following manner -- keep in mind that the names for each setting will vary depending on the make, although they all do the same thing: rotate the "Sensitivity" knob fully counterclockwise so that a reaction to movement is immediate; turn the "Day/Dusk/All" knob to the time of day the solar powered motion detector light should begin to protect the driveway as an alarm (all day, all night or all the time); rotate the "Light duration" knob to how many seconds the light should stay on once it is illuminated (typically between 5 and 20 seconds).
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6
Close the lid and reattach the screw if there is one.
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Tips & Warnings
The LED light that a solar-powered motion detector light uses is built into the case in most models and you can not replace it by itself should it become damaged.
