How will a remote door bell get someone down the stairs quicker? A note by the door bell saying "be patient slow moving vehicle" maybe a better option

A remote doorbell would at least let me know that someone was at the door if I was in the garage or shed - and I can get from those a whole lot quicker than my wife can even get from the bed to the top of the stairs. Signs are not of much help, as couriers are under pressure to keep moving and can't hang around while she struggles to get sat up, then stood, then find a dressing gown, then "crawl" down the stairs - believe me, it is a very slow process!

Quote from: stevewalker on August 24, 2020, 04:24:36 PM
A remote repeat on the doorbell could well be useful and I have been considering one. However, it wouldn't have helped when I had to be at the shops on Saturday.

It might as you could have talked to the delivery man and asked him to leave it somewhere out of sight.

That sort of remote doorbell is something that I have been thinking of, but I haven't the time at the moment to make one - I won't buy one, as all but extremely expensive versions rely upon communicating via a remote server, leaving you with ongoing fees (in some cases), the possibility of the service being discontinued or downgraded, etc. One that communicates through my router directly to my phone or via a service running on my home server is what I need, but they are very pricey.

Quote from: stevewalker on August 24, 2020, 10:07:04 PM
That sort of remote doorbell is something that I have been thinking of, but I haven't the time at the moment to make one - I won't buy one, as all but extremely expensive versions rely upon communicating via a remote server, leaving you with ongoing fees (in some cases), the possibility of the service being discontinued or downgraded, etc. One that communicates through my router directly to my phone or via a service running on my home server is what I need, but they are very pricey.

Also criminals using them to identify wealthier houses that might be worth hitting.

How does a doorbell help criminals identify wealthy houses? Looking at RightMove seems far more straightforward. Or Google Maps. Or walking down the street.

I wasn't necessarily meaning one you can talk to people, just a wireless one, so you can hear it in the garage. There are dozens on Amazon for £10-£12. We've got one, and it is good I must say, you don't need to be under house arrest when you're expecting a parcel; easy enough to dash in from the garage.

Quote from: njee20 on August 25, 2020, 08:24:04 AM
I wasn't necessarily meaning one you can talk to people, just a wireless one, so you can hear it in the garage. There are dozens on Amazon for £10-£12. We've got one, and it is good I must say, you don't need to be under house arrest when you're expecting a parcel; easy enough to dash in from the garage.

Yes, we've got one of those and it works well   My sister has one of those Ring video doorbells and it works rather less well for her, wi-fi and network lag we assume.

If I'm expecting a parcel, however, my best friend is a CCTV camera viewable on my iPad.  I can see a van pull up and be halfway down the two flights of stairs from the man-cave before the doorbell rings.  Some couriers don't linger and this saves me chasing them down the street

@tutenkhamunsleeping just as a matter of interest, Steve. Which cctv camera do you have. Mine has been disconnected because the servers have been switched off. I don't need internet access, just like you I want to see who's arriving.

Quote from: Malc on August 25, 2020, 10:10:27 AM
just as a matter of interest, Steve. Which cctv camera do you have.

I couldn't tell you exactly without climbing up a ladder, but they're Hikvision HD examples.  The geek in me wanted 4k, but SWMBO doesn't share my enthusiasm for all things tech.  Picture is excellent, nevertheless.  The police have been full of praise  on the couple of occasions they've asked for footage of incidents in the road.

Just had my cat put down due to terminal health problems.
18 years old.
Doesn't get any easier no matter how many deaths one experiences. :'(

Quote from: NinOz on September 07, 2020, 04:11:34 AM
Doesn't get any easier no matter how many deaths one experiences. :'(

You're right. My heart goes out to you at this sad time.

So sorry to hear that, as you say, it does not get any easier.

I don't like cats much, but you have my sympathy for your loss.

So sorry to hear that. Having gone through it a few times I can sympathise

That sucks mate. I've a 17 yr old cat with health issues and I'm dreading the inevitable day.

I take solace from the fact that as a responsible caring cat owner, you enrich each other's lives, and I take comfort in having the honour of being their caretaker.