Hi, we are a small volunteer fire department and have an area subject to flash floods. We would like a circuit attached to a water sensor and a 12v car battery that would activate a siren to warn home owners. Is there an Ardunio circuit for this? Any help would be appreciated.
Tony
tonywish:
Hi, we are a small volunteer fire department and have an area subject to flash floods. We would like a circuit attached to a water sensor and a 12v car battery that would activate a siren to warn home owners. Is there an Ardunio circuit for this? Any help would be appreciated.Tony
Let's think about what you are proposing.
You want something to detect water, but will be able to determine when a rain storm is or is not a flash flood. You certainly don't want the siren sounding every time it rains. How do you determine the difference?
Paul
Paul,
It is set up in a PVC pipe one foot above ground. It will only activate when the creek next to the pipe swells up.
Tony
tonywish:
Paul,It is set up in a PVC pipe one foot above ground. It will only activate when the creek next to the pipe swells up.
Tony
Then why do you include an Arduino????
A float switch connected between the battery and the siren is all you need.
Paul
True, however it is in a remote area with a lot of animals etc. We need to isolate our systemwith an enclosed battery and timed circuit.
tonywish:
True, however it is in a remote area with a lot of animals etc. We need to isolate our systemwith an enclosed battery and timed circuit.
If it's in a remote area, who would hear the siren? The animals?
Paul
Come on guys, it is a first responder, someone help this man out.
My expertise is not in this area or I would be happy to provide this info.
A float switch sounds like the solution.
I don't know, the float switch sounds best to me. If you hook it up to an Arduino or ESP you could send out emails or SMS instead of siren or in conjunction with a siren.
This does exactly what you want - and a lot more, and while the base unit sends a text message or flashes the strobe, it can be rewired to switch anything with the internal relay contacts.
FloodBucket
Added:
And - yes it has multiple (daily) timers and internal SLA battery (you need to keep charged)
Waterproof up to about 6-inches depth upright.
Holdoff delays to ignore splashes etc.
tonywish:
True, however it is in a remote area with a lot of animals etc. We need to isolate our systemwith an enclosed battery and timed circuit.
When you say 'isolate' do you just mean it needs to operate independant of a mains electrical connection ?
And the purpose of the 'timed circuit' is ?
Thank you so much for all of the answers guys, especially the schematic. It is exactly what I was looking for. Paul, rather than finding problems or issues with your answers a solution like the one given would have sufficed. Yes, remote area, however there are also remote people.
Thanks again for everyones help.
Tony
tonywish:
Thank you so much for all of the answers guys, especially the schematic. It is exactly what I was looking for. Paul, rather than finding problems or issues with your answers a solution like the one given would have sufficed. Yes, remote area, however there are also remote people.Thanks again for everyones help.
Tony
Look, I live in a remote part of Oregon with a volunteer fire group. Many areas around of us have flash floods. Most of the areas subject to flash floods would never hear a siren, nor do they have internet access, nor do they have cell phone access. And yes, people do live in such areas. So a siren or other auditory warning would be impossible. With the lack of information on your part, I could only imagine such a scenario around here. As such, I don't see any solution that is viable.
Paul
I’m guessing you missed REPLY 10
That product - and another (with 4 I/O channels) on the site home page do everything you need.
Battery backed, up to ten users - many trigger options.
Flash floods are typically not caused by rain over your head. it rains up the valley, then the runoff collects and you have some time before you are surprized by the flood waters.
that would mean the measurement is not at your door, but a mile away, up stream.
being used seldomly, it would seem a perfect fit for a LoRa, solar panel and battery.
and a series of sensor.
being LoRa and solar, it would also see that there is no reason you could not put a string of them along the wash and as they trip, you get indications.
I am thinking Arizona, no trees, line of sight, oh about 30 miles....
sun available daily,
but the OP would need to give some details.
if there was a flash flood 1 mile away, how many minutes warning would you have ?
And how would you build it to withstand impact from the boulders, logs, cars, etc that are part of the very first 10 meters of the wave ?
if the flood warning is for water that is 1 foot above the normal level, you could easily build a cement box with sensors inside. pretty much just a plastic coffee can with concrete around it and open for water to enter. From videos of flash floods, they are as simple as a gentle rise in water level to a wall of water that collects cars and carries them away.
This would seen like a very simple project
solar panel, battery, float switch and a siren at the simplest
two wires can detect water as shown and used and there are lots available at your local hardware store.
distance from the place you want to alarm is where the Arduino comes in.
a simple sensor can be connected to a LoRa or WiFi and each station up the line can alert the next station.
It would not be hard to burry half of a cement block (cinder block) and use the open section to hold the sensors.
screens to let water in and keep animals out.
When I was young and lived on the farm the local volunteer fire department had a siren that could be heard for up around a mile if the wind was not against you.
I like the lo-Ra idea above for the longer range if cellphone coverage is not available for text messages. You could build some small identical receivers for people to put in their homes or other places. Have a test function that maybe sends out a test a noon each day so you know the system is working. No need for a real time clock as long as the test is identified as a test - then from time to time someone could reset the time when it drifted too far off.
Alarms like this tend to be setup and then forgotten about until they either work or don't work and you get your feet wet - so a formal maintenance and testing program is very important I think.
Good luck - sounds interesting
then from time to time someone could reset the time when it drifted too far off.
Alarms like this tend to be setup and then forgotten about until they either work or don't work and you get your feet wet
While it seems OP is looking for something else...
The controllers which I linked use cell time to stay ‘on time’, and can be configured to send a system health message every day/period as needed"
Hi,
I agree with @lastchancename, I have made remote systems, that regularly transmits a status signal to prove the system is alive.
If range and cell phone is a problem, try Lora system.
It would be ideal for your application, long range, low power with right configuration.
Tom... 
