Beam breaker or something else

[Kelvin]

I fitted a ‘Smart’ * parcel box recently and obviously it’s not smart enough so want to overcomplicate it by adding some automation. It has a slot for letters and a separate tray to put parcels in it. I was thinking that I could add a beam breaker of some description on the inside so that when something is delivered it tells me. Anyone used a beam breaker and can recommend it?  I’ll be using Home Assistant to manage it and have an SMLIGHT SLZB-06 ZigBee Ethernet adapter to connect it to. 
 

An alternative is to run BlueIris and connect the Reolink cameras to that (there is one above where the parcel box is) but that’s an extra level of complication. I might eventually do it but not right now before @Pocster suggests it. 

* I think they call it smart because it has a barcode on it that delivery folk can scan to let you know a thing has been delivered. However I can almost guarantee that not a single deliver person will ever scan it. 

[-rick-]

1 hour ago, Kelvin said:

* I think they call it smart because it has a barcode on it that delivery folk can scan to let you know a thing has been delivered. However I can almost guarantee that not a single deliver person will ever scan it. 

 

Send it back for false advertising and get one which is actually 'smart'?

[Kelvin]

Just now, -rick- said:

 

Send it back for false advertising and get one which is actually 'smart'?

I’ve bolted it to the ground now. It’s actually pretty good. 
 

Having thought about this a bit more adding a beam breaker will require a permanent power supply which is doable as I have power right beside the box. However before I go to the trouble of doing that I’ll use an existing PIR motion sensor I have and customise it so that it doesn’t detect motion when we retrieve something from the box and see how that works. 

[SteamyTea]

Surely something as simple as this can be battery powered.

 

https://docs.cirkitdesigner.com/component/cd63cd85-7594-4628-bc14-8d2f4d298a52/ir-beam-break-sensor

[Kelvin]

I considered that and looked at that very website but I still have to get it into HA. Anyway it’s up and running. I have several Philips Hue motion sensors in my stash of stuff. Handily they come with magnets so attaching it was easy. The SMLIGHT SLZB-06 ZigBee Ethernet adapter is POE and the post box is opposite a wall with some ethernet wall sockets. Quick proof of concept in HA and it works either by detecting motion of the parcel or light when the tray is opened. 
 

Also solved another annoying problem. There’s a gate right outside my office window that rattles back and forth in the wind. I’ve used one of the magnets from the Hue sensors to hold the gate striker against the latch. 

Edited 22 hours ago by Kelvin