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We've just returned from 3 weeks of, all but 3 nights, wildcamping abroad and I thoroughly tested an inexpensive wireless external IR system I rigged up to cover the area alongside the van. It worked perfectly ok with no false alarms and gave us more peace of mind in some of the spots we stayed for about £80 with no installation technicalities.
The system I used is a compact home wireless system which can be fitted with IR, vibration, door/window and other sensors and which you can buy individually to make up a custom system. The control panel (£40)works on 12v (via mains 12v adaptor for home) but I used it only on the battery backup of 4 rechargable AAA batteries which would last about 4/5 nights before recharging was required. It is very light and can be placed anywhere, has 4 channels and each channel can take 4 wireless sensors. You can set it on chime, alert or alarm settings. The chime and alert are not too loud but can clearly be heard from outside the van to warn snoopers away as well as alert ourselves, a bit less volume than a doorbell.
I bought 2 IR sensors complete with a black weatherproof polyurethane cover (£20 each) which camoflagues it perfectly when fitted on the wing mirror arms facing back. I opened them up and covered the usual red flashing led so as not to disclose their location. I also set the internal jumpers to low sensitivity which covers to about 1m behind our 7.4m van. It rained and was very windy but they weren't affected by the weather at all.
The covers have a small hole which cuts down the (horizontal and vertical) angle of coverage, "out of the box" it was spot on for adjusting close-in to the side of the van. If no-one is nearby you can angle them further out or if in an urban area angle them in and down so people passing behind the van will not set them off. I also used them to cover a satellite dish left outside. They come with a small ball and socket mounting arm which I stuck to the wing mirror arm with double sided tape, each night I'd pop the sensors into the socket - takes just a few seconds to fit.
You can get a good idea of the system from the photos below. I'd been interested in the "Sleeptight" system for some time but I think they must have closed down as their website is unavailable. I also remember reading on here about ideas for a similar system using a driveway alarm but this gives a lot more flexibility for just a little more money.
I'm not really paranoid about security, we don't have an alarm or extra locks, but have always felt that alerting ourselves to potential trouble and warning them away is a good starting point. The only time it worked in anger was a noisy drunk trying to catch his dog late one night who suddenly went quiet and disappeared when he came close enough to set it off.
We have an awning light with built in PIR, which we use when wilding. It only protects one side of the van however. This alarm system will be suitable for us when the van is parked on the drive. I also like the idea of adding extra security features.
A good find.
Thanks.
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