Detecting vehicles in one direction only. How to do it?

[telectrix]

2.00 a.m.... cordless angle grinder, speed camera. modify triggering.

 

[Mark42]

Job done!

As suggested, I fitted a Bircher 'Herkules' Doppler radar unit. It works brilliantly: solid discrimination between vehicles and people, with equally solid direction indication.

Not wanting to add to clutter, I fitted it on an existing utility pole at 3m up, on a small bracket to keep it away from the HV cables.





All parameters are settable in software. This device will do pretty well whatever you want it to, and is massively more reliable than PIRs.

As the Herkules' two volt-free relays give only a pulsed output on activation, it was necessary to fit a delay timer downstream in the home automation control panel, so it now acts like a standard PIR, with a selectable lights-on time after each activation.



I used a Radiospares Part No. 896-6813 Multi-function timer, which is very versatile, multi-voltage, and at £23 good value compared to branded alternatives.



So that the lights come on only after dark, the supply side of the multi-timer relay is fed by 24V from a dusk-to-dawn unit elsewhere in the installation.

The whole thing feeds into my lighting, heating and irrigation control panel in the kitchen.



This is a matrix: columns are inputs (Permanent-on, Timers, PIRs etc), rows are various garden lighting circuits. Any input may be assigned to any one or more outputs. There are no electronics, no touch-screens, nothing to go wrong for years!



Like I said before, it's not at all over-engineered.

 

[telectrix]

that's more over-engineered than Hitler's bunker.

 

[DPG]

That's completely over the top and unnecessary. What's the point?

But...... I love it!! That professionally made stainless panel is a work of art.

I approve!

Don't leave all your keys out in the open though - easy for thieves.

 

[Charlie_]

Nice , I like it!
Is the front plate connected to earth

 

[Mark42]

That's completely over the top and unnecessary. What's the point?
But...... I love it!! That professionally made stainless panel is a work of art.
I approve! ...

Ha Ha! Thank you for the kind comments

If anyone needs a custom control panel I recommend the suppliers I used: The Premier Engraving and Sign Co.

All you need is to draw the panel in any graphics app (I use an ancient version of CorelDraw), export to-scale as a .pdf or .eps then they do the rest, including telling you if anything doesn't quite work.

Nice , I like it!
Is the front plate connected to earth

That's not stainless steel, it's 'matt silver Traffolyte' in 3mm. So non-conductive on the back

And here, for your delectation and enjoyment, is another panel they made for me, this time for a Unimog camper I built last year.