[ILUG-Social] RE: [TechnoBabble] Wireless proximity device

[Geoff Moore]

The problem with having a wireless based thing is you need to use very
little power otherwise the batteries will be flat all the time (even if you
only transmit every once in a while), and if you're only transmitting very
low power then there are likely to be dead spots around your house.

Life's going to get complicated if you start having to put multiple
antenna/receivers around the place.

Now, you're probably going to be sensible enough to switch this thing off
when you leave the house and back on when you come home so as to get the
most out of the batteries, so why not simply have a toggling device (such
as.........a switch) adjacent to your front door that you set to "in" or
"out" depending on whether you're in or out!

If you're bothered about security then you could just put in a key operated
switch.

OK, it's not "Star Trek" but it'll work and it'll cost very little.

If you absolutely insisted on "applying technology" then you could hack
together some old car alarm parts and use the old 433MHz key fob or (as
Aidan suggested) you could use Dallas iButton. They actually make a range of
jewelry (erm....a ring and a watch I think) with iButton devices embedded
that you could use to set the thing on and off. Very James Bond I must say,
but TOTALLY over the top when all you probably need is a switch.

Good luck

Geoff Moore
====================================
Straight Forward Solutions Ltd
Maynooth Road, Prosperous,
Naas, Co.Kildare, Ireland
Phone : +353 (0)45 892739
Fax : +353 (0)45 893880
Mobile : +353 (0)86 8179683
email : geoffm at straight-forward.com
====================================

> -----Original Message-----
> From: technobabble-admin at redbrick.dcu.ie
> [mailto:technobabble-admin at redbrick.dcu.ie]On Behalf Of Kenn Humborg
> Sent: 18 May 2001 6:20 AM
> To: Technobabble
> Cc: social at linux.ie
> Subject: [TechnoBabble] Wireless proximity device
>
>
>
> I'd like to find a little battery-powered device that I
> could carry around in my pocket/coat/wallet that would
> let my home Linux box know when I'm in the house.
>
> (The "itch" is that I don't want my email downloaded from
> the ISP when I'm not there, only when I'm actually in the
> house.)
>
> Anyone know of any really low-power devices that might be
> suitable?  I'm not afraid of a bit of hardware/software
> hackery to get it working :-)
>
> Later,
> Kenn
>
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