The house gate is some distance from the house. I've got power down
there (and Cat5 to the house) and I want to add a box which shouts
"please close the gate" a short time after the gate is opened, that
flashes a strobe while the gate is open and, ideally, signals the house
if the gate is still open after a period. In days gone by I might have
designed something from scratch to do what I wanted but these days I'd
rather just buy something that I can adapt. I've found the "chatterbox"
from Hoyles but would prefer something cheaper - any ideas?

On 04/10/2023 21:11, nothanks@aolbin.com wrote:
> The house gate is some distance from the house. I've got power down
> there (and Cat5 to the house) and I want to add a box which shouts
> "please close the gate" a short time after the gate is opened, that
> flashes a strobe while the gate is open and, ideally, signals the house
> if the gate is still open after a period. In days gone by I might have
> designed something from scratch to do what I wanted but these days I'd
> rather just buy something that I can adapt. I've found the "chatterbox"
> from Hoyles but would prefer something cheaper - any ideas?

An Arduino nano (and most other cheap dev boards) has enough flash rom
for a sentence of digitised speech. It can flash your strobe and all
that stuff as well. I used one for a speaking alarm:

https://wiki.diyfaq.org.uk/index.php/Mains_power_restored_alarm,_non_contact#Need_words

(your's would want more amplification and a bigger speaker no doubt!)

--
Cheers,

John.

/=================================================================\
| Internode Ltd - http://www.internode.co.uk |
|-----------------------------------------------------------------|
| John Rumm - john(at)internode(dot)co(dot)uk |
\=================================================================/

Its a pity that those attention vehicle reversing things could not have
their messagescustomised.
Brian

--

--:
This newsgroup posting comes to you directly from...
The Sofa of Brian Gaff...
briang1@blueyonder.co.uk
Blind user, so no pictures please
Note this Signature is meaningless.!
<nothanks@aolbin.com> wrote in message
news:ko5v6kF5jkjU1@mid.individual.net...
> The house gate is some distance from the house. I've got power down there
> (and Cat5 to the house) and I want to add a box which shouts "please close
> the gate" a short time after the gate is opened, that flashes a strobe
> while the gate is open and, ideally, signals the house if the gate is
> still open after a period. In days gone by I might have designed something
> from scratch to do what I wanted but these days I'd rather just buy
> something that I can adapt. I've found the "chatterbox" from Hoyles but
> would prefer something cheaper - any ideas?

On 05/10/2023 00:42, John Rumm wrote:
> On 04/10/2023 21:11, nothanks@aolbin.com wrote:
>> The house gate is some distance from the house. I've got power down
>> there (and Cat5 to the house) and I want to add a box which shouts
>> "please close the gate" a short time after the gate is opened, that
>> flashes a strobe while the gate is open and, ideally, signals the
>> house if the gate is still open after a period. In days gone by I
>> might have designed something from scratch to do what I wanted but
>> these days I'd rather just buy something that I can adapt. I've found
>> the "chatterbox" from Hoyles but would prefer something cheaper - any
>> ideas?
>
> An Arduino nano (and most other cheap dev boards) has enough flash rom
> for a sentence of digitised speech. It can flash your strobe and all
> that stuff as well. I used one for a speaking alarm:
>
> https://wiki.diyfaq.org.uk/index.php/Mains_power_restored_alarm,_non_contact#Need_words
>
> (your's would want more amplification and a bigger speaker no doubt!)
>

Other cheap dev board with 8MB flash
https://shop.pimoroni.com/products/tiny-2040?variant=39560012267603

User programmable talking switch (up to 30 seconds) that maybe could be
modified
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/224970718913?

As for a visual indicator I found the flashing LEDs to be extremely
bright so maybe consider those in place of a strobe light. The LEDs have
in integral IC that flashes the LED at 1 to 1.5Hz

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7f8jgvvJe-Q

--
mailto : news {at} admac {dot} myzen {dot} co {dot} uk

On 05/10/2023 11:29, alan_m wrote:
> On 05/10/2023 00:42, John Rumm wrote:
>> On 04/10/2023 21:11, nothanks@aolbin.com wrote:
>>> The house gate is some distance from the house. I've got power down
>>> there (and Cat5 to the house) and I want to add a box which shouts
>>> "please close the gate" a short time after the gate is opened, that
>>> flashes a strobe while the gate is open and, ideally, signals the
>>> house if the gate is still open after a period. In days gone by I
>>> might have designed something from scratch to do what I wanted but
>>> these days I'd rather just buy something that I can adapt. I've found
>>> the "chatterbox" from Hoyles but would prefer something cheaper - any
>>> ideas?
>>
>> An Arduino nano (and most other cheap dev boards) has enough flash rom
>> for a sentence of digitised speech. It can flash your strobe and all
>> that stuff as well. I used one for a speaking alarm:
>>
>> https://wiki.diyfaq.org.uk/index.php/Mains_power_restored_alarm,_non_contact#Need_words
>>
>> (your's would want more amplification and a bigger speaker no doubt!)
>>
>
> Other cheap dev board with 8MB flash
> https://shop.pimoroni.com/products/tiny-2040?variant=39560012267603
>
> User programmable talking switch (up to 30 seconds) that maybe could be
> modified
> https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/224970718913?
>
>
> As for a visual indicator I found the flashing LEDs to be extremely
> bright so maybe consider those in place of a strobe light. The LEDs have
> in integral IC that flashes the LED at 1 to 1.5Hz
>
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7f8jgvvJe-Q
>
Thanks!

The buttons in that first link looked promising but gave me an idea for
a better search, which came up with:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Talking-Products-Module-Battery-Crafts/dp/B07CPX9N8N/.

Re the strobe: I've realised that I have one of the cheapie LED torches
that garages sell for pennies and I can re-purpose the array in that to
do what's needed.

On 05/10/2023 00:42, John Rumm wrote:
> On 04/10/2023 21:11, nothanks@aolbin.com wrote:
>> The house gate is some distance from the house. I've got power down
>> there (and Cat5 to the house) and I want to add a box which shouts
>> "please close the gate" a short time after the gate is opened, that
>> flashes a strobe while the gate is open and, ideally, signals the
>> house if the gate is still open after a period. In days gone by I
>> might have designed something from scratch to do what I wanted but
>> these days I'd rather just buy something that I can adapt. I've found
>> the "chatterbox" from Hoyles but would prefer something cheaper - any
>> ideas?
>
> An Arduino nano (and most other cheap dev boards) has enough flash rom
> for a sentence of digitised speech. It can flash your strobe and all
> that stuff as well. I used one for a speaking alarm:
>
> https://wiki.diyfaq.org.uk/index.php/Mains_power_restored_alarm,_non_contact#Need_words
>
> (your's would want more amplification and a bigger speaker no doubt!)
>
That looks like a fun project but these days I don't want to go down to
that level if I can avoid it ... too many jobs on the list already.

Alan_m's response has led to a simpler solution, I think.

On Wed, 4 Oct 2023 21:11:01 +0100, nothanks@aolbin.com wrote:
>The house gate is some distance from the house. I've got power down
>there (and Cat5 to the house) and I want to add a box which shouts
>"please close the gate" a short time after the gate is opened, that
>flashes a strobe while the gate is open and, ideally, signals the house
>if the gate is still open after a period. In days gone by I might have
>designed something from scratch to do what I wanted but these days I'd
>rather just buy something that I can adapt. I've found the "chatterbox"
>from Hoyles but would prefer something cheaper - any ideas?
How about an old-fashioned spring?
--
Dave W

On 05/10/2023 20:58, Dave W wrote:
> On Wed, 4 Oct 2023 21:11:01 +0100, nothanks@aolbin.com wrote:
>
>> The house gate is some distance from the house. I've got power down
>> there (and Cat5 to the house) and I want to add a box which shouts
>> "please close the gate" a short time after the gate is opened, that
>> flashes a strobe while the gate is open and, ideally, signals the house
>> if the gate is still open after a period. In days gone by I might have
>> designed something from scratch to do what I wanted but these days I'd
>> rather just buy something that I can adapt. I've found the "chatterbox"
>>from Hoyles but would prefer something cheaper - any ideas?
>
> How about an old-fashioned spring?
Double gates on a drive entrance. I think people would complain about
both sides of their cars being scraped ;-)

On Thu, 5 Oct 2023 21:53:58 +0100, nothanks@aolbin.com wrote:
>On 05/10/2023 20:58, Dave W wrote:
>> On Wed, 4 Oct 2023 21:11:01 +0100, nothanks@aolbin.com wrote:
>>
>>> The house gate is some distance from the house. I've got power down
>>> there (and Cat5 to the house) and I want to add a box which shouts
>>> "please close the gate" a short time after the gate is opened, that
>>> flashes a strobe while the gate is open and, ideally, signals the house
>>> if the gate is still open after a period. In days gone by I might have
>>> designed something from scratch to do what I wanted but these days I'd
>>> rather just buy something that I can adapt. I've found the "chatterbox"
>>>from Hoyles but would prefer something cheaper - any ideas?
>>
>> How about an old-fashioned spring?
>Double gates on a drive entrance. I think people would complain about
>both sides of their cars being scraped ;-)
Oh I see. So the motorist has to get out to open both gates, drive
through, get out to close them again, then drive on out of earshot of
your announcement. Unless the driver has a key to the gates, any
driver could drive through. In which case you need an automatic
gate-opener and closer depending on the car's presence. This would
also deal with drivers who hear your English shout but don't
understand it.
--
Dave W

On 09/10/2023 12:58, Dave W wrote:
> On Thu, 5 Oct 2023 21:53:58 +0100, nothanks@aolbin.com wrote:
>
>> On 05/10/2023 20:58, Dave W wrote:
>>> On Wed, 4 Oct 2023 21:11:01 +0100, nothanks@aolbin.com wrote:
>>>
>>>> The house gate is some distance from the house. I've got power down
>>>> there (and Cat5 to the house) and I want to add a box which shouts
>>>> "please close the gate" a short time after the gate is opened, that
>>>> flashes a strobe while the gate is open and, ideally, signals the house
>>>> if the gate is still open after a period. In days gone by I might have
>>>> designed something from scratch to do what I wanted but these days I'd
>>>> rather just buy something that I can adapt. I've found the "chatterbox"
>>> >from Hoyles but would prefer something cheaper - any ideas?
>>>
>>> How about an old-fashioned spring?
>> Double gates on a drive entrance. I think people would complain about
>> both sides of their cars being scraped ;-)
>
> Oh I see. So the motorist has to get out to open both gates, drive
> through, get out to close them again,
which is what most visitors have done for the last few years
then drive on out of earshot of
> your announcement.
A message will play shortly after they start opening the gates and
continue until the gates are closed (disabled from, say, 21:00 to 08:00)
Unless the driver has a key to the gates, any
> driver could drive through. In which case you need an automatic
> gate-opener and closer depending on the car's presence. This would
> also deal with drivers who hear your English shout but don't
> understand it.
A gate opener is on the job list, hence digging-in the power and Cat5.
Unfortunately the job list seems to be growing, rather than shortening -
currently replacing kitchen worktops, making kitchen cabs and
refurbishing some windows.