That was actually my plan. I have a few really strong magnets I was thinking of.
So I now have a Visonic MCT-370 contact sensor on my mailbox door.
What rules do people use to get notified about the mailbox? How do you tell the difference between the carrier inserting the mail and you taking it out? (Or do you even bother)
It used to be the older USPS Grumman LLV made a certain engine noise, and we could always hear when it came up the road. The Ford E-Transit vans they are now using here make no noise, so I'm looking for a way to say we've got mail.
An Alexa routine and a notification to my phone
I use a skill "My Audio" that plays the old AOL clip "You've got mail." you can have Alexa speak whatever you want.
I just have a motion sensor in my mailbox. It works well enough for me. When mail arrives it flips a virtual switch to show the mail is in the mailbox on a dashboard. It also has Alexa announce that the mail arrived when the switch flips to mail. So I also keep track of the mailbox state with the mail switch.
When we get the mail, if the mail switch status is full, then it turns the mail switch off. So if the switch is off it turns it on, and if on it turns it off when we get the mail. Alexa also announces that "somebody got the mail" when it turns off.
When the switch is on, I also flash the light on a Third Reality night light every five minutes to indicate there is mail in the mailbox.
I was just setting that up, but Alexa set the type to "Temperature Sensor" even though it's description is "Generic Zigbee Contact Sensor". Grrr. I did only name it "Mailbox".
Update: I removed it from Alexa, renamed it to "Mailbox Door" and re-added it. It's still a Temperature Sensor.
You mean a virtual to mimic the contact? Yes. That's the next route.
(I also see you are using the "no temp" type... but I want the temp data from the sensor)
Just checking, I use the virtual contact with Alexa with the built in virtual contact driver.
And a second rule to close it at the end of the day.
I misspoke. It was the Zooz tilt sensors that are weak for garage duty in a freezing climate. The contact sensors have been good around the house, but i wouldn't want to use them outside in a cold climate. The Ecolink contact s have been fine, as well as their tilts. Sorry for the confusion.
I did just use the built-in Virtual Coact Sensor and the built-in Mirror app to mirror the state, rather than writing any rules.
I delay the closing so I can see if the mailbox has been opened on a dashboard.
Not yet today.
The motion sensor in the mailbox toggles the state of the “You’ve got mail” virtual switch. I also do the “You’ve got mail!” announcement when it toggles on.
If we ever put something in the mailbox, we tap the dashboard button that toggles it again. This isn’t common, though, as we rarely send any mail. Last time we put anything in the mailbox was early December.
But how do you know to reset it? Or how do you distinguish between the carrier opening it and you opening it later to retreive the mail?
Ah. That makes sense. I might do that, but I'd make a separate virtual contact to record that state. I like the fact that Alexa will announce every time our mailbox gets opened now.
It's a toggle. The announcement happens every other time there is motion. When it is opened for the carrier to put in mail, we get the announcement. When we open to retrieve mail, we don't.
On the rare occasion when we open it to put in outgoing mail, we just tap a button on the dashboard to toggle it again.
I found and use the old AOL announcement. Always makes me smile a little bit youve got mail mp3
Use built in notification app. Setting for only notify once per day.
I also have another rule to notify u if left open which mail carrier has on occasion.
Hello everyone,
My initial, easiest, and most concealable mailbox sensor was a motion sensor. However, in the summertime the bees quickly ruled this one out with all the false motion alerts :frowning.
After a lot of trial and error trying multiple other devices [motion with various sensitivity, open/close contact switches, etc.] I finally landed on the Ecolink Garage Tilt Sensor Plus at on the advice of someone on the forum having the same mailbox. For me it has worked perfectly.
Pictures:
So far no false alerts, excellent battery life [but it has only been 9 month]. Battery is rated for 5 years. It has alerted every time. I receive notifications by a simple rule trigger announcing mail to amazon echo(s) and to my phone.
The mailboxes are about 50' from the hubs. Some installation notes:
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I could not "hide" the tilt sensor on the underside of the lid like I wanted to. I suspect too much metal blocked the signal.
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The sensor would not reach if mount inside in the bottom. Again, I guess the signal was being blocked block by the surrounding metal.
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If mounted on the flat side the signal would not reach.
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When I was just about to give up on this one, I mounted it upside down as shown. I thought maybe the signal was being blocked from the bottom and metal door. Oddly enough, by mounting it upside down they have work perfectly every since.
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Don
If you wanted, you could spray paint it black.
I have it announce during daylight hours when the mail carrier is likely to deliver. This was prompted one stormy day when the mailbox door blew open and the motion sensor detected every raindrop.