Misbehaving door chime.

[rodney]

I installed a battery operated wireless door chime.
Button next to front door
bell in the kitchen. (18 feet approx)

The thing will not shut up, no matter where I place it,
it rings about 5-6 times a day, randomly.

Any advice other than committing it to the garbage?

Thanks.

 

[F Murtz]

rodney wrote:

I installed a battery operated wireless door chime.
Button next to front door
bell in the kitchen. (18 feet approx)

The thing will not shut up, no matter where I place it,
it rings about 5-6 times a day, randomly.

Any advice other than committing it to the garbage?

Thanks.



some of these things have more than one channel in case next door has

the same unit. You could check and change if so. Also there are lots of
other things that set them off sometimes hard to figure out.

 

[John Tserkezis]

rodney wrote:

I installed a battery operated wireless door chime.
Button next to front door
bell in the kitchen. (18 feet approx)

The thing will not shut up, no matter where I place it,
it rings about 5-6 times a day, randomly.

Any advice other than committing it to the garbage?

You have a number of options.

First, a common issue with *wired* doorbells, is the cable acts as a
longwire antenna, meaning, someone in Brazil runs up their power tool, causes
a false trigger on your doorbell.
The fix involves a bit of knowhow, to place some caps (.1uF or so) in
critical areas to stop random spikes from getting through.

Before you effect this fix though, be *REALLY* sure if you want to do it.
We have a musical doorbell that used to have this trouble before I got fed up
and fixed it. Trouble is, after a decade or so, I'm *REALLY* sick of the
tunes. I curse the day I fixed it, every day.
This also might be the case with wireless doorbells too.

The second, for wireless doorbells, is to check if you have a neighbour who
has the same type, and pick a different channel (if you have that option).
If you've already been through that, you need to determine if it's the
discriminator that is not as discriminating as it should be. Though if that's
the case, you're pretty well stuffed unless you're happy to re-design.

Third option is to kick the arses of the neighbourhood kids who are ringing
your doorbell and running off. Though, you can easily tell if this is the
case by looking for burning paper bags on your doorstep.
--
Linux Registered User # 302622
<http://counter.li.org>

 

[Phil Allison]

"rodney"

I installed a battery operated wireless door chime.
Button next to front door
bell in the kitchen. (18 feet approx)

The thing will not shut up, no matter where I place it,
it rings about 5-6 times a day, randomly.

Any advice other than committing it to the garbage?

** Sure -

when you post a question like this - how about you provide a couple of
basic details.

Like the make and model & where you bought it etc.

A web link to the product is not too much to ask is it ????




.... Phil

 

[rodney]

Cheers F
it indeed has,
I'll read the instructions and change channels.
Thank you


"F Murtz" <haggisz@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:4a4493e9$1@dnews.tpgi.com.au...

rodney wrote:
I installed a battery operated wireless door chime.
Button next to front door
bell in the kitchen. (18 feet approx)

The thing will not shut up, no matter where I place it,
it rings about 5-6 times a day, randomly.

Any advice other than committing it to the garbage?

Thanks.



some of these things have more than one channel in case next door has the
same unit. You could check and change if so. Also there are lots of other
things that set them off sometimes hard to figure out.

 

[rodney]

Thanks John.
I'll change the channel on the morrow.

we are on a busy road,
with lots of traffic / mobile phones?
large power pylons couple hundred metres up the road?

No kids, we have large street frontage gates.


"John Tserkezis" <jt@techniciansyndrome.org.invalid> wrote in message
news:4a44a8ee$0$7111$afc38c87@news.optusnet.com.au...

rodney wrote:

I installed a battery operated wireless door chime.
Button next to front door
bell in the kitchen. (18 feet approx)

The thing will not shut up, no matter where I place it,
it rings about 5-6 times a day, randomly.

Any advice other than committing it to the garbage?

You have a number of options.

First, a common issue with *wired* doorbells, is the cable acts as a
longwire antenna, meaning, someone in Brazil runs up their power tool,
causes a false trigger on your doorbell.
The fix involves a bit of knowhow, to place some caps (.1uF or so) in
critical areas to stop random spikes from getting through.

Before you effect this fix though, be *REALLY* sure if you want to do it.
We have a musical doorbell that used to have this trouble before I got fed
up and fixed it. Trouble is, after a decade or so, I'm *REALLY* sick of
the tunes. I curse the day I fixed it, every day.
This also might be the case with wireless doorbells too.

The second, for wireless doorbells, is to check if you have a neighbour
who has the same type, and pick a different channel (if you have that
option).
If you've already been through that, you need to determine if it's the
discriminator that is not as discriminating as it should be. Though if
that's the case, you're pretty well stuffed unless you're happy to
re-design.

Third option is to kick the arses of the neighbourhood kids who are
ringing your doorbell and running off. Though, you can easily tell if
this is the case by looking for burning paper bags on your doorstep.
--
Linux Registered User # 302622
http://counter.li.org

 

[rodney]

No, nothing is too much to ask.
wrap your peepers around this lot
http://cjoint.com/data/gAosoVTZDJ.htm
http://cjoint.com/data/gAoukDBz1N.htm
http://cjoint.com/data/gAovyN5jqn.htm


"Phil Allison"

** Sure -
when you post a question like this - how about you provide a couple of
basic details.
Like the make and model & where you bought it etc.
A web link to the product is not too much to ask is it ????
... Phil

 

[John Tserkezis]

rodney wrote:

I'll change the channel on the morrow.

My sister did that on hers, and that fixed it. She was getting 3 or so a
day, and reached the point where she got creeped out by it.

I gave her a Stephen King series to watch, and I asked several weeks down
the track how far she was along. She said she got about half way before
giving it up.
Asking if she didn't like it, said no, the constant doorbell rings at night
with no-one at the door creeped her out too much.

we are on a busy road,
with lots of traffic / mobile phones?

Don't think so, on the problematic ones I've seen, phones were the norm, and
didn't appear to make a difference.

I don't think traffic would do it, my guess would be if old ignition systems
were doing it, it would be triggered by far more often than that.

large power pylons couple hundred metres up the road?

Again, I don't think so. Would likely cause continuous issues otherwise,
not just intermittent (albeit 5 times a day).

No kids, we have large street frontage gates.

That comment was a bit tongue in cheek, but you never know...
--
Linux Registered User # 302622
<http://counter.li.org>

 

[rodney]

Ah! good, John.
the benefit I have, is when you manually press the bell
it just goes "ding dong" or two sounds.

If it is tripped, it sings merrily, like those old mantle timepieces that
chime out the hour.
I woudn't arise from my flight pod in front of the computer screen
figuring if someone wants me they would ring again.


"John Tserkezis"

I'll change the channel on the morrow.

My sister did that on hers, and that fixed it. She was getting 3 or so a
day, and reached the point where she got creeped out by it.

 

[Phil Allison]

"rodney"

No, nothing is too much to ask.
wrap your peepers around this lot
http://cjoint.com/data/gAosoVTZDJ.htm
http://cjoint.com/data/gAoukDBz1N.htm
http://cjoint.com/data/gAovyN5jqn.htm

** Hmmmm - operates on 433.92 MHz.

Fraid you are in for a bumpy ride - pal.

Cos that frequecny is allocate to all kinds of RF stuff and some of it is
relatively high powered at 25 mW EIRP.





...... Phil

 

[rodney]

"Phil Allison"

** Hmmmm - operates on 433.92 MHz.

Fraid you are in for a bumpy ride - pal.

Kind of a metaphor on life, isn't it?
thanks for your assistance, I'll play with the channels
if no joy I'll commit it to landfill.

(thinking to myself)
I wonder why they have a licence to produce it, if it be so tenuous.
Fits in nicely, quality wise with Samsung fridges and Daewoo cars.

 

[terryc]

On Fri, 26 Jun 2009 17:12:52 +0800, rodney wrote:

The thing will not shut up, no matter where I place it, it rings about
5-6 times a day, randomly.

Fat spiders?
Perhaps birds are seeing th button as a spide/bug to eat?

Any advice other than committing it to the garbage?

More than likely channel conflict.

 

[John Tserkezis]

rodney wrote:

** Hmmmm - operates on 433.92 MHz.
Fraid you are in for a bumpy ride - pal.

Kind of a metaphor on life, isn't it?
thanks for your assistance, I'll play with the channels
if no joy I'll commit it to landfill.

(thinking to myself)
I wonder why they have a licence to produce it, if it be so tenuous.
Fits in nicely, quality wise with Samsung fridges and Daewoo cars.

They do. That range is a 'free for all' as long as you limit power,
transmission time, and of course only intend it for short range work. As long
as you comply with the licence conditions (the above being part of that), it's
free.

Problem is, since there is so much demand for short range work, and everyone
tries to keep costs down as far as they can, RF licence costs can amount to
quite a significant amount. Stands to reason everyone tries to use the
freebie one.

Sure, knowing this you could build a tight comprehensive coding system that
removes any chance of false triggers. And for security applications, they
certainly do that. However, since doorbells can't warrant this type of cost -
they don't.

Wireless does have it's applications, but even here, I veer towards wired
(for almost everything), simply because it's by far more reliable, faster and
cheaper than the wireless options.
--
Linux Registered User # 302622
<http://counter.li.org>

 

[mark krawczuk]

bull crap !! phil !



"Phil Allison" <phil_a@tpg.com.au> wrote in message
news:7ak3orF1vhds2U1@mid.individual.net...

"rodney"

No, nothing is too much to ask.
wrap your peepers around this lot
http://cjoint.com/data/gAosoVTZDJ.htm
http://cjoint.com/data/gAoukDBz1N.htm
http://cjoint.com/data/gAovyN5jqn.htm


** Hmmmm - operates on 433.92 MHz.

Fraid you are in for a bumpy ride - pal.

Cos that frequecny is allocate to all kinds of RF stuff and some of it
is relatively high powered at 25 mW EIRP.





..... Phil

 

[Phil Allison]

"mark krawczuk"

bull crap !! phil !

** See item #17 in schedule 1

http://www.comlaw.gov.au/ComLaw/Legislation/LegislativeInstrumentCompilation1.nsf/0/8668D2BF00399A1DCA257543007B8550/$file/RadcomLIPDClassLic2000.doc

The OPs problem could also be due to passing traffic using the UHF band for
two way coms - ie police, taxis CB etc.

Door bells using the band around 303 MHz are a far better bet - seeing as
the power level is 10uW.


...... Phil

** Hmmmm - operates on 433.92 MHz.

Fraid you are in for a bumpy ride - pal.

Cos that frequecny is allocate to all kinds of RF stuff and some of it
is relatively high powered at 25 mW EIRP.


..... Phil

 

[rodney]

"Phil Allison"
The OPs problem could also be due to passing traffic using the UHF band for

two way coms - ie police, taxis CB etc.

Heh HEY!
I have a taxi operator next door, with car in drive say 20 feet.

 

[TonyS]

rodney wrote:

I installed a battery operated wireless door chime.
Button next to front door
bell in the kitchen. (18 feet approx)

The thing will not shut up, no matter where I place it,
it rings about 5-6 times a day, randomly.

Any advice other than committing it to the garbage?

Thanks.

I had a case that relates to this.

One day my garage door wouldn't open any more by r/c.
I investigated, reset and even reprogrammed the receiver. No success.

Later that day I found that my wireless doorbell (AARLEC) didn't work either.
Checking this out I found that someone had pressed the button so hard that it
got stuck and operated constantly. That didn't trigger any more bell sounds though.

But it jammed the receiver of the garage door!

Freeing up the door bell button fixed both problems, of course.

The garage r/c never triggered the door bell. Nor would the door bell open the
garage door, they are coded. The question is, can some codes resemble the
other's close enough to trigger an action?

Have you ever noticed your neighbours' cars arrival trigger your doorbell? ;-)

Tony

 

[Phil Allison]

"rodney"

"Phil Allison"

The OPs problem could also be due to passing traffic using the UHF band
for
two way coms - ie police, taxis CB etc.


Heh HEY!
I have a taxi operator next door, with car in drive say 20 feet.

** Now the fuckwit tells us ...




..... Phil

 

[rodney]

"TonyS"

Have you ever noticed your neighbours' cars arrival trigger your doorbell?
;-)
Tony

No, but I'll be keeping an eye out.
We do have a "Blair witch" feel around here,
everybody's mobile phones go in and out of reception as well
We have put it down to the power pylons in the next street.

 

[John Tserkezis]

TonyS wrote:

The question is, can some codes
resemble the other's close enough to trigger an action?

It doesn't even need to do that. Akin to two radio stations transmitting at
the same time on the same channel, you don't get a good signal of either.

Exactly *how* they interfere with each other can vary, but the bottom line
is, one 'unwanted' transmission can corrupt a wanted transmission enough to
stop it from working.
--
Linux Registered User # 302622
<http://counter.li.org>