By Allan R. Smith
Living on a homestead with a long driveway in the woods, we were looking for a good off grid long range wireless sensor for added security. The one thing we quickly found out is that is not east as we thought it would be.
We found the “Guardline Wireless Driveway Alarm” and thought we would test it out. To be clear, we purchased this product and Guardline did not send this to us for review.
When we received the box, It consists of two sensor units and a receiver unit with built-in speakers, along with some mounting gear.
The sensor units can be mounted at the edge of a driveway, porch or walkway area. The receiver can be free standing on a table or shelf if you so chose and when something breaks the infrared beam, the receiver will emit over a dozen of chimes, sound effects, and melodies of your choice, alerting you that something has entered your property.
The long-range receiver model is capable of being placed up to a quarter mile away from its sensors, but range is dependent on any walls, trees or other items that may block the signal.
Both receivers paired with no issues and you can pair multiple sensors for added security.
Set-Up and Use
Out of the box you will need to remove the back of the units to install batteries. However do note you will need several AA & AAA batteries and as they are easy to install into the sensor and receiver units with the included screwdriver, we did have one issue with a screw where by it had no threads of all things and so we closed the lib with three and it was still solid.
You will need four AA and four AAAA. Keep in mind that the batteries on the sensor unit are for backup if the power goes out. However the outside receiver units depending on weather may need to be replaced regularly. 
My recommendation is to have rechargeable batteries just in case.
The sensor and receiver are made of quality plastic and Guardline offers a lifetime warranty. Although we haven’t needed to use our warranty, I trust with their stellar reputation they will be there when needed. Using the instructions, it was easy to pair the sensor with the receivers and set the alarm tone.
Plugging the receiver in, I had to make a couple adjustments to the sensor using the tips in the instruction booklet and then the sensor worked flawlessly. Any time someone walked down the drive, It would set off the alert.
We have other WiFi based alarms around the house and just like those, there will be false alarms. We have Deer and Black Bear which will often set an alarm off, so this is to be expected.
It was cool to try different distances for the sensor, as well as around various objects like trees and plants. The results were excellent. They claim to have a 1/4 mile range on the sensors and with a mile plus driveway we were all about testing its limits. Much to my surprise it actually worked through the bushes and trees. However, where we found its limitation was of course, line of sight. Once it didn’t have a direct line to the receiver, it was done. But to Guardline’s product, no complaints as it worked as stated it would.
Different Settings
When you unpack and get ready to set up your system, it has factory settings which are ideal for most uses, but a small switchboard in the battery compartment allows you to adjust a variety of settings. For example, you can change the sensitivity of the sensor to pick up faster or slower moving objects and thats just for starters.
One thing I can do with our WiFi camera is adjust the range of motion distance and narrow the coverage to help prevent the cameras from picking up things up that you don’t want to be detected, such as side planters, etc. Well the good news is Guardline sensor works the same way.
Night Testing
At night, the sensor seemed to work just as effectively as it did during the day. Playing with the switch in the battery compartment for the light setting, I was able to change it so that the sensor would only be effective at night.
Worked great and the options for adjustment with the internal switches were cool.
Final Thoughts
The Guardline Wireless Driveway Alarm is fantastic option and a nice layer of extra security for your property.
Hook it up to multiple sensors for expanded coverage, or link it up with floodlights and other gear to enhance your security system.
Lastly, it would be great to see a built in solar charger on the sensors in the future.
Feel free to check them out @ www.guardlinesecurity.com
