Possible Smart Mailbox Idea

One more thought for when you set up the notification.

I have a multisensor on my mail slot (similar to the idea with the string, just that my slot opens towards the inside). I suggest you set it up to only send you notifications when the mail slot moves and the front door of your home is closed. This way you avoid the false positives when you take the magazines out of the mail slot that did not make it all the way down the slot.

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Yep. I use a similar rule:

If
Contact Sensor “Changes to” Open
And
If Front Door Contact “Did not change” in the last 2 minutes…
Then
Send Notification

I thought of doing this, but as you can see in the photo the opening is only about 2" tall. When the carrier delivers magazines, he folds the magazines around mail and shoves it in the door opening. When that occurs, the mail will not go down the inside chute so we need to go outside and pull the mail back out. Sometimes the carrier will push the mail in so far that it catches on the door flap (see photo). It we can’t get it out, we have to put an arm up from the inside to manipulate the mail until we can pull it all down the chute.

What might work is a miniature motion sensor attached to the flip-up door with a wire running to the bottom of the chute, We can tape the wire to the side of the galvanized chute.

This has been our challenge. Our street does not permit curb side mailboxes. Sometimes I think it might just be easier to move! Thanks for your input.

Are there miniature sensors for this small 2" x 8" brass door?

I wish our mailbox was that large. The door opening is only 2" x 8". If there is room for a contact sensor, normal mail would work, but magazines would definitely damage any sensor(unless it’s miniature).

Maybe we should just put a sign up telling the carrier to not put magazines through the mail slot. I will look at sensors including miniatures which can be integrated with a Z-Wave or ZigBee sensor. Thanks for your input.

The Visonics are mostly flat. I also saw someone using a flat magnet with it as well. Might work for you…

Does anyone have experience with Sensative Z-Wave Plus Strips Invisible Door Window Sensor? I read they cannot be used on metal, but I wonder if they mean metal that would interfere with the magnets in the strips. Since our flip-up door is brass and non-magnetic, this may not be an issue. It comes down to size.

Does anyone have experience using these strips? Thanks…

Although it’s small, it may be too large for my application. Almost anything attached to the brass flip-up door will get knocked off when the postal carrier stuffs mail and magazines through the small 2" x 8" opening.

Has anyone tried the sensitive strips?

Your wire comment gave me an idea. I could run some fish line from the flip-up door down to the bottom of the mail chute. The bottom cavity is about an inch below the inside door so a “false bottom” could contain a vibration sensor. For example, Vision Z-Wave Shock, Vibration & Glass Break Sensor ZS5101US

The fish line could be enclosed inside a “sleeve” and taped to the inside of the mail chute so mail wouldn’t disturb it. The sensor could be attached to a small spring.

CONCEPT

  1. The postal carrier opens the flip-up door.
  2. The fish line connected to the flip-up door is pulled upward which moves the sensor located in the bottom of the chute.
  3. The movement signals a SmartThings app to send a message or .wav file to an iPhone.
  4. After the sensor is moved by the string, a spring pulls the sensor back to its original position for the next mail delivery.

Thoughts?

This will probably work but I would be worried about mechanical issues over time.

How about using a contact switch somewhere on the mail slot mechanism and running a wire to a z-wave sensor or that allows to connect an external relay.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00MFRMFS6/ref=cm_sw_r_sms_c_api_00-zzbMVQ4QGA

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00HPIYJWU/ref=cm_sw_r_sms_c_api_24-zzb8DPP3EW

Great idea if it will fit. I’ll check it out when I get home tomorrow night. Thanks!

I’ve been thinking about this a bit more for the notification when the front door is open. Our main front door is solid oak and has a push button sensor in the door jam. The sensor is hard-wired to a Honeywell Vista 20p system. In addition to the main door, we have a security storm door which we keep locked even while we’re at home. With the main door usually open when we’re home, I’m not sure this idea can work. But, it is a great idea! Thanks

I’ve been thinking about this a bit more. Our main front door is solid oak and has a push button sensor in the door jam. The sensor is hard-wired to a Honeywell Vista 20p system. In addition to the main door, we have a security storm door which we keep locked even while we’re at home. With the main door usually open when we’re home, I’m not sure this idea can work. But, it is a great idea! Thanks

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Security system contacts are much smaller than the Zwave and zigbee ones. You could get a small contact and wire it into a battery powered contact. I have these in my windows and some doors. Thinking you could mount it in the corner and put the small magnet on the flap

The contact is less than 3/8 wide.

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The strips are just under 8" so it could mount there possibly, but without the “door” overlapping with a jam section I am not sure how reliably it would sense closure. The strip requires the magnet to be aligned next to the shorter, top side between a door/window and the jamb. Your mailbox flap sits outside of the “jamb” piece of the chute.

I like this idea as well and will pursue it. Thanks…

You’re right. This sensor won’t really work for this application. I should have looked into the details earlier. However, I now realize this strip will work in another area of our house. Thanks!

Here is a link to the item I posted a picture of. The magnet doesn’t have to be parellel to the sensor either. I have some perpendicular, so consider that with your installation. Unsure what’s behind the walls of your mailbox drop shoot but maybe you can drill into it with a 3/8 drill bit and install this sensor and run a wire to a Zwave xontact sensor for ST integration.

https://www.security.honeywell.com/hsc/products/intruder-detection-systems/sensor/contact/recess-mount/31261.html

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I like the idea if I figure out how to install it. Our house is a Tudor built in 1936 with stone on the exterior and thick plaster on the inside. The chute is angled so it’s mostly toward the exterior at the top, then slopes downward toward the interior. When opening the inside mail door, the inside wall to the chute appears to be about 3 inches thick. The whole wall is just over 12 inches thick. I’ll investigate if this will work. Great idea! Thanks.

I know it’s not exactly what you’re looking for, but if you are in the US, it looks like USPS is rolling out a notification service in selected areas.

https://informeddelivery.usps.com/box/pages/intro/start.action

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