Any Tips For Driveway Gate, Maybe Also Electric?

[velvetfoot]

I was thinking about putting in a gate at the end of the driveway.
I haven't done this before.
Probably not something fancy with brick columns, etc, just metal or wood poles.
Not sure about gate construction.
Maybe electric.
How does one handle UPS deliveries, etc, with that.
Anyone with experience?
Pluses and minues?
Just ruminating.
Thanks.

 

[Cazimere]

I thought about that myself. Decided against it. Instead i put up a No Tresspassing sign on either side of the entrance to my road.
I also bought a 20" x 16" sign and put up that reads

KEEP OUT
PRIVATE DRIVEWAY

That has cut way down on the lookylous : )

 

[burntime]

How about a sign, "Nuclear test site, tests in progress!" You would either stop all the visitors or be flocked with them!

 

[d.n.f.]

Don't know nothing about gates, but most people out my way use solar with a battery. No wiring to deal with from the house. Small little 12" solar panel and a deep cell battery.

Have you priced out copper wiring lately? You might faint if you have to run it more than 20'.

 

[velvetfoot]

That's a very good point. It's 400' out to the end of the driveway. The house feed goes underground from a pole on the road. The meter is on the house. I wonder if it would be possible to move the meter out to the pole, put in some kind of fault protection to power out to the end of the road.

 

[zendiagrams]

I like my signs "Trespassers will be shot" and "Forget the dogs, beware of the owner"

 

[velvetfoot]

I've just read that the battery models can also charge up from a low voltage wire going to it, which should be cheaper.

 

[colebrookman]

http://www.mightymule.com/. Try this site for "do it yourself" gates. Seems to be very informative.
Ed

 

[Beanscoot]

A big problem with gates is the weight on the hinges and thus posts tends to make them sag in the middle. The best way to reinforce this is by having tall gateposts and a beam across the top to connect them. This could be made removable with a couple screws for when a tall vehicle needs to pass.

Metal gates are much more resistant to sagging over time than wood.

 

[tkirk22]

How about a sign, "Nuclear test site, tests in progress!" You would either stop all the visitors or be flocked with them!

or

WARNING: 21% Oxygen ahead. DO NOT ENTER


Farm stores like Tractor Supply have gates and the components at a reasonable price if you want the farm look.

As far as deliveries go, I have heard of people having drop off sheds with combination locks. I'd ask the UPS driver though. I'm sure they have been through this before.

 

[Dix]

Country Supply has a few options. Trust me, a remote controlled one is a blessing and a half !

http://www.horse.com/Horse-Fencing/Gates-Latches.html?page=2

A gate wheel would solve your sag problem, too

http://www.horse.com/Horse-Fencing/Gates-Latches/Gate-Wheel-BXB13.html

 

[Dix]

Oh, and some of those solar chargers can hold a charge for 1 week or more, and that's with running electric fencing for horses around a pasture, etc..

My posse runs solar chargers

 

[velvetfoot]

I just installed a Chamberlain 200D. I paid a little more than the following, but the price is good: http://www.amazon.com/Chamberlain-G...ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=hi&qid=1282698428&sr=8-2

I'm not finished yet, still have to bury wire, but I have it hooked up and it works! No battery (cost saving), 24 volts (more ooomph), 250 ft of 12 gauge wire (they say 250 is max).
Seems sturdy - aluminum frame. Separate control box. Am toying with idea of putting automatic lock on it.

How destroyed will it get if a person tries to push it open without a lock on it?


PS: Doesn't look like an automatic solenoid lock will be an option. Maybe something could be made up...

 

[EatenByLimestone]

If you electrified it they might not be inclined to push it open.

Matt

 

[btuser]

I've installed about a dozen auto gates, and worked on quite a few more. I've never done it for anyone other than very upscale residential and industrtial situations.

1.) do you already have a gate, and you're just trying to automate it?
2.) Are you keeping out cars, people or tanks with machine guns?

The gates I like the most are the little bar that comes up and down, stopping polite people from coming in. It won't stop someone walking but neither will a gate if they want to get there. They are counter-balanced so there is no need for large motors (or large current draws) and fast. You have a loop in front to notify the house there's somenone at the gate, a loop after the gate to close the gate behind them, a loop on the inside to open the gate when someone is driving out, a loop on the outside of the gate to close the gate when you leave, and a few safety eyes so the the gate doesn't come down on your car. You can also get sensors that will "see" your car coming so you don't have to enter a code.

You can do it all with IR sensors the ground loops are much better and more reliable. I've also retofitted a few gates with magnetic locks, but its tough to get these to work with automatic gates.

 

[velvetfoot]

There's a new farm type tube gate there. Very light.
I was poking around on it today and found that the motor is indeed a 24 volt d.c. motor.
I ordered a solenoid gate lock that's supposed to be good for 12 or 24 vdc.
My plan is to attach the motor power leads to the solenoid.
They seem to switch polarity with direction change but I've read that polarity doesn't matter on solenoids.
Another conern would be current draw I guess. I'm hoping for the best.

We're kinda in the country, a little, but I figure a gate would slow somebody down with a truck to take stuff if he had to stop and fool around with the gate; maybe he'll go down the road for an easier pigeon. The other thing is that the delivery guys turn their wheels and dig up the nice new asphalt.

 

[keydiver]

Kirk 22 must scuba dive!? Do have snow? How much? Will it jam up the gate on opening? Will you have to leave it open when snows? If i want to get on to your property a gate is not going to stop me. May want to look at an announcer or alarm that notifies you when someone is coming up the driveway.