I’m trying to set up a sensor for my metal mailbox.
If the sensor is inside the mailbox, the signal doesn’t make it back to my house.
I read about using an Aqara leak sensor since it can get wet and can be placed at the back and then wired to the sensors inside on the door.
Before installing it, I made a quick test and it takes 9 seconds for the detection to take place. Can the detection delay be changed?
If not, a door sensor would have a quicker response. Are there any sensors than can be wired to the magnetic open/close part (the brown pieces in my picture)
Not that I know of, but a 9 second delay for something non-critical like a mailbox isn’t too bad either.
You could try your luck with an Aqara door sensor which reports instantly. You’d either have to totally remove your brown magnetic sensor, or else hack the new door sensor to extend a couple of cables.
There’s a whole thread here about hacking the Aqara sensors, but I can’t send you a link because the forums are acting up right now.
In my mailbox I use cheap ts0203 door sensor, but I added a wire from the internal antenna to go to the outside of the mailbox (the sensor itself is inside)
Just remove the gray paint at the top and solder a wire to act as an antena. I have this setup working without a probem for over a year.
by delay, I mean the time the magnet needs to be away from the contact.
this means the mailbox door would need to be open for 9 seconds for the sensor to detect a changed state.
when mail is inserted, the door it open for only about a second
I’ve had good luck with this device on the outside and under two different metal mailboxes, at sub USD 10 price point I figure if I can get one or two rain years out of the device before replacement it is a good path. Getting a zigbee mesh network out to the street can be a challenge. However, once I got that figured, it has been solid. Crows and scrub jays landing on the mailbox can set it off so some tuning is needed:
I use two Aqara door/window contact sensors. One on the lid (mail arrived) and on on the mail access door (mailbox cleared). I wired external magnet contact switches to them (as you did for your leak sensor) and put the Aqara units in a waterproof project box outside of my metal mailbox. I actually use about 20m of buried outdoor rated two pair telephone cable to move the project box closer to the house where they get better zigbee reception. You wont have to do that if your leak sensor connects from outside your mailbox. Just mount the project box on the outside of your mailbox.
in this thread, I found a post showing the insides of the Aqara sensor.
I had one lying around and wired it to my magnetic sensors.
Next step is to connect to the mailbox and hope it reaches my Zigbee network.
I’m actually removing this system to wire it to my always powered garden monitor ESP32 (no replacing batteries every two years) so will take some pictures then.
