Driveway Alarms 101: How to Choose the Best Driveway Alert System for 2020

Driveway Alarms 101: How to Choose the Best Driveway Alert System for 2020

Do you ever lay awake at night wondering if that noise you heard is the wind blowing the leaves around outside your house or an intruder sneaking up to your window? Have you ever considered (or bought) a video doorbell to keep an eye on the front of your home? 

This is a great start, but your driveway can be a huge weak point in your home’s security ring. Having the best driveway alert system can help you rest easy at night knowing your home is protected.

Read on to learn more about the best driveway alert systems for your home.

What Is a Driveway Alarm?

When you’re trying to set up a home security system, it's important to remember that your system is only as strong as the weakest spots. You can have sensors on the windows and a video security doorbell on your front door. But how do you know if someone’s bringing their car up your driveway or creeping up to steal out of your car?

A driveway alert system can help you keep an eye on one of the biggest entrances to your home. You can also extend some systems to cover your mailbox as well, helping you keep an eye on potential mail thieves. You can also install driveway alarms on multiple homes to help you keep an eye on different locations as needed.

Advantages of a Driveway Alert System

One of the biggest advantages of a driveway alert system is you can keep an eye on anyone who might be trying to sneak into (or out of) your home. If you don’t have a closed-in garage, you can make sure no one steals out of your car without you knowing it. Some systems may even come equipped with automatic lights and an optional siren to scare off potential thieves.

Driveway alert systems can also give you a little more warning that someone is coming onto your property unauthorized before they hit the front door.

If someone tries to break into your home and you don’t discover it until they open a door or break a window, you’re going to be facing a confrontation where someone could get hurt. If you find out as soon as they cross your property line, you have time to call the police and go scare them off before they make it into the house.

Guardline

Guardline offers a system that can coat your entire property and make sure nothing bigger than a dog moves across your property without you knowing. The system can transmit a signal up to 500 feet, or there’s a ¼ mile version that you can upgrade to. The system can also expand up to sixteen sensors and unlimited receivers so you can provide as much security for your home as you want.

The Guardline system includes a passive infrared system that detects movement from large objects like people, cars, and large animals. It is weatherproof and can withstand temperatures between -4 and 140 degrees Fahrenheit. When something crosses within 40 feet of one of the sensors, you’ll receive a chime at your compact receiver back at the house.

Driveway Observer

The Driveway Observer system utilizes the same passive infrared system as Guardline, but it offers twice the signal range. The sensors have a detection range of 50 feet and can transmit from up to 1,000 feet away from the receiver. The green exterior also helps it to blend in with the foliage in your yard, making it harder to spot.

The system’s receiver has an LCD counter on the front that lets you know how many things it picks up on, which can be helpful for when you go out of town. The Receiver will also have relays on the back for accessories

The sensors are also made with a rugged, weatherproof material that can stand up to the elements. It has an external antenna that you can thank for the extended range, though it does make this model a little less sleek than some others.

Dakota Alert

The downside of passive infrared systems is that they work off of heat signatures, so they can pick up on things like deer and large dogs instead of just intruders. But if you’re only worried about unauthorized cars on your property, the Dakota Alert system can keep you covered. It uses a magnetic sensor to detect when metal, such as from a car, truck, or other vehicle, passes in front of it.

The Dakota offers a stunning ½ mile of potential coverage. Installation is also a cinch, requiring only that you bury a small PVC pipe with the magnetic probe in it parallel to your driveway. A 50-foot wire attaches the probe to a small transmitter box that you place nearby, and that box then beams the signal back to your home receiver. 

Mighty Mule

If you like the idea of the Dakota Alert system but don’t like the price tag, the Mighty Mule may be a good choice for you. It uses the same magnetic sensor that the Dakota does and can detect vehicles that pass within twelve feet of it. The biggest difference is that the Mighty Mule has a transmission range of just 400 feet.

The wire that runs from the probe to the transmitter box is also shorter, at 6 feet instead of the Dakota’s 50 feet. But for many home and business owners, these ranges are plenty to cover their main drive. There is also a slight delay between when the car passes your sensor and when you get the notification on your receiver.

Dakota Solar

If the idea of changing batteries on your driveway alert system makes you twitch, you may like the BBA-4000 Solar system. As its name suggests, this system runs off solar power and can recharge even when it’s cloudy or rainy. The sensors work much like a garage door sensor, so that when anything passes between the sensors and interrupt the beam, you get notified.

The BBA-4000 Solar system does protect against false alarms by producing multiple beams. The intruder must interrupt three beams at once before you get a notification. The receiver can connect to up to 12 different sensors, so you can put these things on just about every inch of your property. Transmission range is up 4000 feet and with the optional receiver the business or residence may be notified on their cell phone when connected by wifi and an NVR

Find the Best Driveway Alert System 

Having the best driveway alert system can help you keep your home safe from intruders. You can know the second anyone unauthorized steps onto your property so you can deal with the situation as needed. Take a look at which sensor style will work for you and choose your best system today.

If you’d like to take the next step to keep your home safe, come see us at Reliable Chimes and Security. We offer everything from security cameras and door chimes to mailbox alerts and wireless doorbells to help you keep your home secure. As a further incentive we offer a FREE simulated security and security sign ( while supplies last ).

 Shop our products today and keep intruders out of your home.

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