I have a mailbox that has an open slot that I would like to add a sensor to to detect new mail. As there is no flap that is opened when mail is posted, I don’t think I can use something like a reed sensor. I thought about using something kind of pressure sensor on the floor inside the mailbox, just sometimes large envelopes (or junk mail) is shoved in and doesn’t nesessarily rest on the inside.
Appreciate any ideas people might have for something that would work reliably.
I am planning the same thing and bought a switch like this. I haven’t installed it yet so can’t say how well it works. The plan is to position the spring such that letters will trigger it as they pass through the slot.
Oooh I like the look of that. Do you have a part number or link to where i could order one to play with?
Reviving quite an old thread here, sorry!
@sparkydave did you ever go through with implementing that solution? How’s it gone for you?
Sadly the parts are still in my shed… I was thinking about it again just last week so now that I’ve fixed up a bunch of other issues on my list I might get back to it soon. I’ll keep you posted when I do.
Thanks mate. Very interested.
Moving in a couple months where I’ll have a mailbox I can’t visually see from the house.
I only just saw this thread and this might be the solution I am looking for with my mailbox, the one with the slot in the front and the lock on the back for access to the inside that is built into the brick at the street access.
I would just need to get a Lora based door sensor and just change the trigger on it to that switch due to how far from my unit the mailbox is.
“Priceless ToolKit” has a LoRa solution that uses a motion sensor. It is battery operated, and the battery charge should last a long time.
I was looking at that but since we get spiders at times in there it would get set off a bit too much lol.
I had an idea to use a small lora capable camera mounded on the access hatch but the one I found was miss-listed as lora was not.
