5 Things to Know Before Buying Fence Sensors

This website and its content is copyright of RBtec Perimeter Security Systems©. All rights reserved.
You may not, except with our express written permission, distribute, copy or commercially exploit the content. Nor may you transmit it or store it in any other website or other form of electronic retrieval system. This information is provided for the purpose of initial evaluation of RBtec’s products and services. In keeping with RBtec’s policy of continuous development, RBtec reserves the right to alter these specifications without notice.

For more information, please visit Raycom.

The back of my property borders a public alley and I’ve had multiple people climb over my 10’ fence and break into my house by smashing my back windows. Unfortunately, the city will not allow me to build a fence that is higher than 10’ or put razor wire on top of my fence. However, the shop that built my fence suggested that I get laser motion detectors to mount on the top of the fence. They think I can get good detectors that won’t react to pigeons but will catch humans climbing over the fence.

I’m using a QolSys IQ panel 2, so something that works with that panel would be ideal. However, anything wired should be okay. There’s low-voltage conduit out to my back fence, so I could presumably use some kind of wired-to-wireless adapter like the external terminals of an RE101.

Can anyone suggest specific products I should look into? Thanks.

However, the shop that built my fence suggested that I get laser motion detectors to mount on the top of the fence. They think I can get good detectors that won’t react to pigeons but will catch humans climbing over the fence.

One word of caution here: a laser detector must be firmly attached and immobile. The beam must be aligned correctly. Depending on the fence material, it’s probably very easy to get false alarms from non-invasive activity. Yes, birds will likely set something like that off regularly.

There are no wireless 319.5 beam detectors.

If you are looking for specialty outdoor sensors, look at Optex products. Here is a possible option for what you are describing. You would need to wire that to a wireless transmitter like the Hardwire 16, Hardwire 8, RE101, or S-Line Extended sensor.

I would suggest considering instead an outdoor motion detector to capture activity within the fenced area, as I am concerned the alternative will result in a great many false alarms.

I would suggest considering instead an outdoor motion detector to capture activity within the fenced area, as I am concerned the alternative will result in a great many false alarms.

Thanks for the suggestion on the Optex, although now I’m concerned about birds. I thought about an outdoor motion detector (any suggestions on a good one that integrates easily with IQ panel2?), but the problem is that the trash service has a key to get in my back gate, and I’d rather not have them disable the alarm–in fact I’m not sure how I would do that.

I do have a liftmaster exterior roll-up gate, which I was planning to put on myQ anyway. Instead of a physical key, I could give the trash service a door code to lift the gate. I know alarm.com has integration with myQ. A sensible policy might be to bypass the outdoor motion sensor while the gate is open, but is that possible with the IQ panel 2?

Alternatively, would it be crazy to add a wired sensor to the roll-up gate and wire the normally-open gate sensor in parallel with a normally-closed outdoor motion sensor, so that if either there is no motion or the gate is open the circuit is closed. The idea would be to create a “compound” sensor that only trips the alarm if the motion sensor is tripped while the roll-up gate is closed. If so, any suggestions for an appropriate sensor that could be applied to an exterior roll-up gate?

For more Fence Sensorsinformation, please contact us. We will provide professional answers.

If I do go with a beam sensor, does anyone have experience with HTZSAFE products? They show up in a lot of reviews but the reviews seem a little scammy. I’m wondering if I placed something like this horizontally right behind the top of my back fence, would that be a good way to catch someone climbing over? (I have fences on 3 sides, but people are getting over the back fence, so I could mount this at 9.5 feet along the two side fences.)

Thanks.

A sensible policy might be to bypass the outdoor motion sensor while the gate is open, but is that possible with the IQ panel 2?

Not automatically with wireless sensors no, but–

Alternatively, would it be crazy to add a wired sensor to the roll-up gate and wire the normally-open gate sensor in parallel with a normally-closed outdoor motion sensor, so that if either there is no motion or the gate is open the circuit is closed.

–this actually sounds like a rather elegant solution if you expect activity and do not want to disarm the alarm. It would physically bypass the motion detector while the door is open, but you would need to be sure they don’t close the door after entering for some reason.

You would want to use an Outdoor wired motion detector. Again I would look at Optex models for that.

does anyone have experience with HTZSAFE products?

I have not used any products by that company. I couldn’t provide commentary or suggestions for them, unfortunately. The linked product would just be a stand-alone transmitter/receiver combo that wouldn’t integrate with the IQ Panel 2 unless the receiver station had an output contact closure.

Alternatively, would it be crazy to add a wired sensor to the roll-up gate and wire the normally-open gate sensor in parallel with a normally-closed outdoor motion sensor, so that if either there is no motion or the gate is open the circuit is closed.

–this actually sounds like a rather elegant solution if you expect activity and do not want to disarm the alarm. It would physically bypass the motion detector while the door is open, but you would need to be sure they don’t close the door after entering for some reason.

Indeed, there’s no way the trash service should ever be closing the gate while still inside, so it would be a bonus to set off the alarm if this happens. (It might mean someone socially-engineered their way onto my property while trash was being picked up.) I think I will try to do this, and look into optex outdoor motion sensors.

Do you have any suggestions for the outdoor gate sensor? I’m actually having trouble finding a suitable “wired outdoor magnetic alarm sensor.” Are those the wrong search terms? Most of the search results appear not actually to be outdoor rated.

Thanks for all of your help. It’s super appreciated.

The company is the world’s best RF970 fiber optic fence security system supplier. We are your one-stop shop for all needs. Our staff are highly-specialized and will help you find the product you need.