The Wireless Doorbell
Posted: Tuesday, May 20, 2008
by Mark Taylor
The Doorbell
The Wireless Doorbell is yet another extension of modern society's focus on function and electronics. The Wireless Doorbell's ability to be applied without any installation and its increasing signal strength make it a valuable for purchase for many consumers.
It can be used in homes, apartments and even RVs or mobile homes. Since it does not require any wires, it is especially valuable to people who live in leased homes and apartments. It can be taken with the purchaser when they move to another place and easy to take out because of no wiring.
Models can vary in price with the cheapest models costing about $15 to $20 and the most expensive ones going up to $150. The more expensive naturally tend to either have more additional features and/or have unique decorative designs. Regardless, of this price range, a good functional wireless doorbell can be purchased for roughly $50 to $80.
Range
Wireless Doorbells vary in range with most items extending out to 75 to 150 feet. Although, you can now purchase longer range wireless units that can extend out to 300 feet. Also, you can buy multiple bell receivers which will allow you to place the bell receivers in different parts and floors of the house.
Energy Source
Wireless doorbells come into two varieties for their energy source: battery-operated and plug-ins. The Battery-operated ones will vary somewhat with some weaker models using Triple A batteries and the stronger models using D batteries. The main feature to look for in this area is battery life. We recommend going with a unit requiring D batteries as these will tend to last longer.
For plug-ins, as the name suggests, the bell receiver is plugged into a wall socket. These can be useful if you do not want to fool with batteries as some can even double as night lights. However, these have less functionality as they take up outlet spaces and may not be ideally suited around the house for maximum noise distribution.
Sounds and Chimes:
The options in this area are endless. There are types that you your basic sounds like Westminster , Dong, or Ding Dong and then there are others that offer a lot more. Some types will play a list of over 50 songs and some will even let you record a message or play your favorite song in a CD quality recording. This can be an especially intriguing option around the holidays as there are a number of different holiday songs. At the very least, this feature will be a good conversation piece. Also, for those who already have a wireless doorbell, you can even purchase add ons that provide more chimes or sounds. Regardless, of the option chosen most devices offer 12 or 13 basic chimes. Whether you want to go beyond this list will depend a lot on your personality and personal taste.
Amplifiers or Sound Extenders:
There are several units that offer plug-ins or additional bell receivers which allow the sound to be extended throughout the house. This is particularly useful in large homes and out of the way areas of the house like basements and attics.
Portability:
This is one of wireless doorbells main advantages over wired systems. The bell receiver can be placed anywhere in the house and then moved again. There are even some models that work well outside and some that can even be placed on a belt clip and carried with you throughout the home.
Limitations:
Sometimes wireless doorbells will go off unexpectedly due to conflict with car alarms and garage door openers. The cheaper models are especially susceptible to this whereas the more expensive versions have a number of frequency jammers to help eliminate this issue.
Another limitation may be the wireless signal itself. Some people feel uncomfortable about additional signals being sent through the airways of your home. It is currently unclear whether wireless signals pose a health risk; however, it is something to consider. The good news is that a wireless doorbells signal is a lot weaker than other wireless signals and so its impact for possible radiation will be a lot less significant than a cell phone or a wireless network home computer.
As you can see the wireless doorbell has a lot of unique features that make it more than just an alternative to the wired doorbell.
Mark Taylor is a handyman and avid follower of the doorbell industry. To get more tips and advice on wired and wireless doorbells, click here: http://www.thedoorbell.net or
ht tp://www.thedoorbell.net
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Top-level comments on this article: (4 total)I'll need to give this a try, my in home unit isn't working and has been replaced twice.
this page was not useful to me
Not sure what the Anonymous guy is talking about. I found this information very helpful. Funny how it was an anonymous comment.
I'm with you Jack. This article works for me. It was interesting and informative.
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