Dakota Alert Driveway Alarm Sensor - DCPA-4k Plus Driveway Alarms Wireless Outside Weatherproof Alert System, 1-Mile-Long Range Sensors, Receiver & Vehicle Detecting Probe Transmitter & 50' Wire

I've used a Dakota 2500 alert for years with a motion sensor. The motion sensor becomes less effective in the winter with cold, so I decided to upgrade to the DCPA-4K plus and use the in-ground electromagnetic sensor. It works great, simple to install with a little labor. As we have a gravel driveway, I chose to bury it in the middle. (A little drive testing beforehand showed I could avoid detection if I drove on the very edge of the driveway and the probe was at the edge of the driveway as the instructions suggest.)I like the product and would recommend it but here are a few downsides.-- It isn't a 'smart' device. All it does is chime, so you have to be in the same space as the receiver. No alerts to your phone or smart home device. NOTE! I solved this by attaching a Yolink Outdoor Contact Sensor to the built-in relay of the 4K Plus. (You need the PLUS version to get the relays) Now, not only does it chime, it can make an announcement on our Alexa devices and send me a text too.-- The box that houses the transmitter is WAY to big. It could be at least 1/2 the size that it is and be more discreet. Not sure why they chose such a large box.-- It is a little pricey but I'm happy to support a USA made product and one that I hope lasts for years.

The alarm was easy to install and it works well. The transmitter and receiver connected without issues. The detector and the transmitter have plenty of cable between them, so you can hide the transmitter farther away if needed. I have mine sitting close together and tucked the extra wire in a small irrigation box I bought just for this purpose.

This driveway alarm set was easy to setup. You pair the sensor to the receiver unit before you install/bury the sensor unit. During the setup you select the channel (up to 16) and the sound the receiver makes when the sensor detects a vehicle. My unit is a vehicle detecting unit, not a motion sensing one. The sensor does an excellent job of detecting vehicles and NOT detecting non-metallic things (like deer). We have a long driveway, so this is a great way for us to get a heads up that a vehicle is coming down the driveway (or leaving)! We are planning to get another sensor so we can get an earlier notice, and also determine direction (coming in or leaving).

I bought this product to place in my 1/4 mile gravel drive. It was easy to bury and run a line to a nearby pole. The cable length was good. It works extremely well and only picks up vehicles (as opposed to animals). Well worth the purchase. Annoyance? You must select the ring tone (from several options) before you connect the sensor to the receiver, which means to change it, you must go down the drive, pull out the battery (there is no cut switch for convenience), power it up, and reconnect the sensor to the receiver electronically in order to change the ring tone. With today's technology, I don't see why it could not be done from the unit inside the house without shutting down the driveway unit. But otherwise works well.

Motion detection systems that use video or IR beams result in too many false alarms. This device performs just as expected. The setup is easy but slightly cumbersome. I installed the system with a total of three receivers. If you don’t set them all at the same time you’ll have to do a lot of walking back and forth from your transmitter and receivers to get the job done. I lucked out and planed a head for my multi receiver setup. Mounting the transmitter and sensor is a breeze. The device seem rugged, it will have to survive the Arizona heat. My receivers are 200 to five hundred feet from the various receivers, all work perfectly. So far no issues. Overall, this Device works perfectly. Cons, it’s a very pricey system, I’d like to get another transmitter/sensor setup, but cost and setup are holding me back. For the price of the system, I would have expected integration with my WiFi System to send me phone notifications.UPDATE:The system had continued to function well through three months of 115 degree heat. It’s been an excellent security system. Then a big lightning storm came around and the transmitter stopped working reliably. But after a few calls to the company, a repair was arranged and within two weeks we had the system up and working again. Excellent company support.I have also interface this unit with my Samsung SmartThings system. So now when the driveway system is triggered, I get a text telling me someone has arrived or departed my property. Plus I have it setup so that SmartThings will turn on outside lights at night if the Dakota system triggers. I love this system’s function and flexibility.