# Extremely Simple PIR Prop Trigger



## scarypapa (Jan 23, 2012)

Well, I have several props that only work with sound activation. This, of course is unacceptable to me because they either don't work or you have to shout at them or clap your hands in their face to get them to work. I have modified some of them to work with a step mat trigger but I wanted to try to use a PIR (passive infared) device to trigger these props. The problem is...I do not know anything about these PIR triggers and from the information I have read on most halloween websites it seems you have to be an electrical engineer to make these prop triggers or spend a lot of dollars for ready made ones. So I decided to try something and wonder of wonders...it worked great. I simply went to the local Harbor Freight (discount tool) store and purchased a driveway alert system. This is a two part system that has a sending unit and a receiving unit. When the PIR beam is triggered it sends a signal to the receiver to chime letting you know when someone comes in your driveway. It is ready to go out of the box. All you have to do is put in 3 C batteries and 1 9v battery. I just put the PIR sending unit where I wanted the prop to be triggered from and I hid the receiving unit in the prop right next to the sound sensor. This does not require any wirng or any modification of the prop at all. And the only electrical knowledge you need is to know how to install the batteries. The receiver has a "Hi" and a "low" setting. With the receiver set on 'Low" you can barely hear the chime. And with all the other noise and distractions in my haunted forest you don't notice it at all. I covered the back and sides of the receiver with closed cell foam and that made it even quieter. Yet it triggers every prop that I have tried it on. Best part...other than it worked...was that it only cost $13.00 on sale. I know this is not very sofisticated and I'm sure there are other better ways to set up a PIR trigger. But this worked so well in my haunted forest and it is just so simple I had to pass it along.

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## R. Lamb (Oct 11, 2011)

That sounds great! I too am "electrical engineer" challenged and may have to give this a try. How long does it run the props once it's triggered? Can the time be altered?


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## scarypapa (Jan 23, 2012)

R. Lamb, Thanks for the note. Once it triggers the prop will run its full program. If it says "Boo" it will say that and quit until the next time it is triggered. If it givers a dissertation it will do that until it is fininshed. The prop will work just as if it received the sound trigger from another source. I assume when you ask if the time can be altered you are talking about the time between triggers. Unfortunately as far as I know these out of the box driveway alerts cannot be set to a different interval other than trigger every time someone walks in front of the PIR. And if the prop is working when another person walks in front of the sending unit the chime will function. But this does not make the prop stop or continue another cycle. And the sound of the chime is barely audible with no other outiside noise and it is not noticeable at all outside in the haunted forest with the other sounds and distractions going on. It may not work for everyone and for every application but for me it is very affordable and surpriseingly effective.


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## RoxyBlue (Oct 6, 2008)

We've had the same problem with sound activated props - this is a simple solution, and has the added benefit of being highly portable.


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## scarypapa (Jan 23, 2012)

Yeah RoxyBlue, it really is a simple solution. It even passed the Wicked Grandma test. She walked in by the PIR when I was testing it on my Dracula in the Coffin prop and it scared her right out from under her hat. Seriously, she said that it was awsome so if it passes muster with her it"s good enough for the grandkids. She has a lot better hearing than I do and can hear a grandkid sneeze 100 yards away and she said she barely heard the first little ding of the chime. And this was in my barn with no other sounds or distractions going on and the prop was only about 3 feet away from her. Like I said, it won't work for everyone or every applicaton but I think it is pretty good for me.


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## hpropman (Jul 27, 2008)

Very Clever Bravo Sir!


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## evil_ol_man (Oct 23, 2012)

This is something I will havr to try. I've been wondering if I could use one of these to trigger props. Thanks for the Info.


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## scarypapa (Jan 23, 2012)

Thanks for the note Evil. Ok now, just a quick update. My very simply PIR triggers worked very well, extremely well, in fact much too well. I failed to realize that each of the driveway alerts that I purchased operated on the SAME FREQUENCY!! (Who Knew?) So when my pirate parrot that was perched on the rum keg in Pirate Cove was triggered and began to sing "What do we do with a drunken sailor?" of course my dracula rising from his coffin which was in the haunted graveyard about 100 yards away also decided to pop up and do his routine. And not to be outdone, my jumping spider located about 50 yards deeper in the grave yard also leaped from his web. As it turned out this was all very hilarious and really cracked everyone up. Since our haunt is set up in walking trails through 10 acres of woods and is for our family and friends it really didn't make much difference. But if this were a neighborhood haunt or a commercail venture some modification would be necessary. But for a cheap and easy PIR trigger I will be doing it again next year. They really did work well and the slight noise of the receiver pinging was not even noticeable.


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## Haunted girl (Sep 29, 2012)

I love this idea. I been looking into so many things like having my scarers bang things and stomp. But that can be hard of a person after 1hr. This will be so great . Thanks for the tip!


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## scarypapa (Jan 23, 2012)

You are most welcome Haunted Girl. Just remember these driveway alert systems all seem to work on the same frequency so if you are setting them up on more than one prop no matter which sensor is triggered alll the props that have receivers will activate. I think it is strancge that they do not have different frequencys. With them all on the same frequency if I have a driveway alert on my driveway and my neighbor has one as well his alert will sound if someone comes up my driveway. They have a range of up to 600 feet. Good luck.


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## craigfly06 (May 11, 2012)

This is a really great idea!!! I would have never thought of using something like that to work a prop. I have to get one and try it!! Thanks again.


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## Just Whisper (Jan 19, 2009)

Great idea. Thanks.


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## scarypapa (Jan 23, 2012)

Ok here is an update to this thread. Since I am obviously brain dead I did not realize until it was pointed out to me that if you look on the box that these driveway alerts are packaged in above the UPC code there is a channed designation. If you use this idea you can make it work on more than one prop by simply looking at the channel designation and buying alerts with different channel designations. Put different channel alerts at each prop and voila...instant PIR prop trigger. I checked back at our local Harbor Freight store and found that they had alerts with 4 different channel designations. Boy do I feel stupid. All I had to do was check the box.


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