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General Forums => The O' Club => Topic started by: Agent360 on April 24, 2011, 09:44:45 PM

Title: Barking dog alarm project
Post by: Agent360 on April 24, 2011, 09:44:45 PM
Hi Friends,

I am not much of an electronics buff. I understand the basics but I need a bit of help.

I want to build an alarm that is a barking/growling dog. The purpose is not home security.

My wife is into geocaching (http://www.geocaching.com/ (http://www.geocaching.com/)). We set up a night time geocache. You find it at night and it is supposed to be scary. I have already rigged a mechanical device that drops a scary mask. The cache is near a real pet cemetary. We have made a fake pet grave where the action happens.

I want to build a device that runs from a 12v power supply such as a motorcycle battery or a car battery. When the unsuspecting person triggers the event I want a dog to growlllllll and bark. I want it to be LOUD.

I found this on how to build one
http://kipkay.com/uncategorized/guard-dog-burglar-alarm/ (http://kipkay.com/uncategorized/guard-dog-burglar-alarm/)

This link shows how but it uses a doorbell as the trigger to make dogs bark. Problem is he is converting 120v (from the doorbell) to 12vdc which is what the sound module runs on.

I just want the whole thing to run on 12vdc. I plan to use a marine waterproof speaker and house it all in a water proof container. So when the person triggers the cache by either motion or trip wire (havent decided yet) they get loud growling and barking. The speaker and circuit box will be well hidden about 20 fee away. The point is to scare the crap out of them at night with scary dog sounds.

I need to know how to up the amps for the speaker so I can get volume and to make it all run off a car battery.

Any ideas.

Thanks
Agent360
Title: Re: Barking dog alarm project
Post by: jimson on April 24, 2011, 10:24:45 PM
All it takes is a little money.

I don't know how to get it all on 12 vdc but for remote 120 ac, a 12 Volt to 120 inverter would probably work.
http://www.amazon.com/Simran-DF1753-500-Inverter-Converts-Household/dp/B004UBMN0A

Then you could probably use a ready made option.
http://www.google.com/products/catalog?hl=en&q=rex+the+barking+dog+alarm&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.&um=1&ie=UTF-8&cid=14044072425567654793&sa=X&ei=L-e0TfaJJYiPtwft8NHnDg&ved=0CDEQ8wIwAg#

To justify the expense, when finished with this project, you can use the inverter when camping etc and the alarm for your own house or something.

Be sure to put some small reflectors in the brush that look like animal eyes when hit with a flashlight.
Title: Re: Barking dog alarm project
Post by: EskimoJoe on April 24, 2011, 11:28:32 PM
All fun and games until you shock somebody into a heart-attack...

Have fun while it lasts..
Title: Re: Barking dog alarm project
Post by: jimson on April 24, 2011, 11:45:58 PM
We set up a night time geocache. You find it at night and it is supposed to be scary.

I think he'll be fine. The folks involved know it's suppose to be scary, just like the patrons of haunted house displays, where actors come after you with chainsaws and such.

I've never been required to sign a "heart attack disclaimer" prior to going into one of those.
Title: Re: Barking dog alarm project
Post by: EskimoJoe on April 24, 2011, 11:47:31 PM
I was more appalled at the 'unsuspecting person' part.

When the unsuspecting person triggers the event I want a dog to growlllllll and bark. I want it to be LOUD.
Title: Re: Barking dog alarm project
Post by: jimson on April 24, 2011, 11:50:32 PM
Well, the way I read it, it's supposed to be like a scary treasure hunt. The unsuspecting person just doesn't know what form of scare it will be.

Title: Re: Barking dog alarm project
Post by: DREDIOCK on April 24, 2011, 11:54:30 PM
Dunno. Seems to me it would be a whole lot easier if you just got a real dog
Title: Re: Barking dog alarm project
Post by: jimson on April 25, 2011, 12:02:26 AM
A mean dog chained out there in the middle of the night might actually be a liability issue, besides I think this is suppose to be a fun, clever project.

I get it 360, good luck on the project.
Title: Re: Barking dog alarm project
Post by: Agent360 on April 25, 2011, 04:01:04 AM
LOL...get a real dog.

It all has to run on 12vdc. I need some hints on how to re work the circuit for that.

and yes I am trying to scare the holy crap out of "unsuspecting" visitors. If I can get one "i crapped on myself" finding this cache it will be worth any money i spend....heheheh
Title: Re: Barking dog alarm project
Post by: VonMessa on April 25, 2011, 05:01:17 AM
Anything to be an ass...

Try one of these      http://www.lowes.com/pd_77189-85538-LE-6140-A_0__?productId=1260279&Ntt=wireless+doorbell&pl=1&currentURL=%2Fpl__0__s%3FNtt%3Dwireless%2Bdoorbell (http://www.lowes.com/pd_77189-85538-LE-6140-A_0__?productId=1260279&Ntt=wireless+doorbell&pl=1&currentURL=%2Fpl__0__s%3FNtt%3Dwireless%2Bdoorbell)

Geocaching is a blast.  there are are a bunch out in the Pine Barrens in NJ that we find when we go wheeling.
Title: Re: Barking dog alarm project
Post by: morfiend on April 25, 2011, 08:20:28 AM
 Agent,

  Have you considered a motion detector as a trigger? There's also infrared beam triggers that go off if the light beam is interrupted.  You could get lucky and find either one of these things in a electronics surplus store.



      :salute
Title: Re: Barking dog alarm project
Post by: DREDIOCK on April 25, 2011, 09:03:29 AM
A mean dog chained out there in the middle of the night might actually be a liability issue, besides I think this is suppose to be a fun, clever project.

I get it 360, good luck on the project.

My chocolate lab would be perfect then. While my Golden Retriever was a protector. the lab is a caretaker.

Oh she'll bark. but get too close and she goes belly up and just wants her stomach scratched.
You stand a better chance of being bitten by a worm then my lab
Title: Re: Barking dog alarm project
Post by: DREDIOCK on April 25, 2011, 09:09:01 AM
Well, the way I read it, it's supposed to be like a scary treasure hunt. The unsuspecting person just doesn't know what form of scare it will be.



Here's a thought.
Haveta be done at night though to get the true effect.
Set the target to be at the grand canyon. About 6 feet off the edge of a cliff.

If that dont scare em. Nothing will  :D
Title: Re: Barking dog alarm project
Post by: jimson on April 25, 2011, 09:37:58 AM
It all has to run on 12vdc.

I'm sure it can be done, but if not, hooking an inverter to a car battery would probably give you a strong enough (for that) 120 outlet out in the middle of anywhere.
Title: Re: Barking dog alarm project
Post by: gyrene81 on April 25, 2011, 10:25:32 AM
have you considered looking at the battery powered wireless doorbells and a battery powered bullhorn?
Title: Re: Barking dog alarm project
Post by: Agent360 on April 25, 2011, 07:31:34 PM
Thanks for the replies

I want to custom build this. I could probably buy a real barking dog alarm for about 70 bucks but they run on 120vac and would still require modification.

The trigger has to be mechanical...it has to be tripped by picking up the ammo can. This is to prevent activation by wild animals..wind..falling leaves etc. I have lots of options for this.

Here are some pics to give you guys an idea of what I am trying to do.

This is the site in daytime.
The ammo can is the cache. by picking it up it triggers the demon head to fall out of a tree directly above them.
The white oval is where the trip pole is and the white line is the paracord extending away and connected to a tree to it is out of sight.
(http://dasmuppets.com/agent360/geocache/grave_2.jpg)

The cache at night
The ammo can goes on top of the grave at the cross where the circle is. You can see the black paracord that is attached to the can.
The white line shows the path of the cord.
When this can is picked up the demon drops and I want the dogs to growl and bark at the same time.
The battery and speaker will be hidden in the palmetto bush you see in the shadows..in the first pic you can see the bush better
(http://dasmuppets.com/agent360/geocache/grave_1.jpg)



This shows the mechanical trigger that sets the dropping demon head.
When the ammo can is picked up the pin pulls our releasing the caribbeaner and the head drops.
I will attache the barking dogs to this same device so when the pin is pulled it sets both off.
(http://dasmuppets.com/agent360/geocache/trigger.jpg)

Simple schematic not complete...this where I need the help.
How to power the speaker..I will ad a volume control here.
How to rig the power supply to the recording module. I want to use my own custom sound. This devide is 10 bucks at radio shack.
And of course the trigger...I think I can figure this out.
The main problem is the power supply to the whole thing.
(http://dasmuppets.com/agent360/geocache/schematic.jpg)