Chamberlain RWA-300R Wireless Alert System
by THE REPORTER
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Our Price: $159.00 Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Buy Used: from $74.99 (click here) Category: Tools See more product details |
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Tools and Hardware Reviews of Chamberlain RWA-300R Wireless Alert System
Customer Review: Disappointed in Chamberlain Driveway alarm
Summary: 1 Stars
I purchased a Chamberlain Reporter driveway alarm for my daughter and son-in-law for Christmas. They live back a 150yard lane and would appreciate knowing when someone is coming up their lane. The Reporter would not sense movement from 5 feet away when we were trying to set it up in the house. I was very disappointed. My Mother-in Law has one and it works great. I thought that maybe we just were unlucky and received a defective unit. Amazon was very good at making an exchange. We received the 2nd unit and it was just as worthless. I thought maybe we were doing something wrong, but the instructions are pretty simple. The unit just plain wouldn't work properly. I wasn't going to try again with another so I returned the unit to Amazon. I must commened Amazon because there were no hassles in making the exchange and return. They even provided shipping labels, so it ended up there was no loss. Just the frustration of not having a reliable unit. I plan to try an X10 unit instead.
I have had good luck with amazon purcahses up until now. I don't feel Amazon should be faulted for the poor quality of this product.
Customer Review: BEEP!
Summary: 5 Stars
I bought this little booger thinking it'd tell me when someone was in my driveway. I stuck the sensor under a bush and put the receiver in my bedroom at the back of the house, thinking I'd move the sensor if the leaves made it go off and move the receiver if the sensor couldn't send the signal that far. So far I've had to move neither. This crazy thing can shoot a signal all the way up my 70' drive, through several walls and brick, then all the way to my back bedroom with no problems. Not only that, but it'll sit in the bushes and never go off till a leg breaks it's field of view. I've had zero false alarms. I don't know how it does it. People and cars are all it seems to see. Perfect!
As for the Beep! sound, it's not really very loud. In fact I'd like a volume to turn it up so I can hear it from the bedroom when I'm in the living room, and there is a MUTE switch if you want it to be quiet.
As for Cons, the only thing I thought was annoying was the initial piecing together of the unit, which comes mostly disassembled. Read the instructions and you should be OK though.
Customer Review: My tools are safe
Summary: 5 Stars
I have my work truk loaded with expensive tools,after a few failed theft attempts, my small air compressor had been lifted out of the truck untill the chain grew tight and was left hanging out of the truck bed. I purchased this unit and it has worked perfectly for 5 yrs now. Also its nice to know when the mail has arrived and when UPS or Fed Ex has left a package. The first time the alarm went off I grabbed my pellet rifle which looks quite real with a scope and confronted a car full of druggies, one was lifting up the tarp covering my tools, with a gun pointed at them they left in a big hurry with engine roaring and tires squeeling, I thought they wer going to crash going around the first turn. They havnt been back. It was great feeling of satisfaction seeing the wide eyed fear in their faces. Now with some cameras and an extra reporter the neighborhood drug addicts go elsewhere. I paid $69 each for mine. I also have a home on a small tropical island in the Philippines, my chickens have all been stolen and som clothes hanging on the line. Will be buying a few more.Customer Review: At last, one that works! But not for long....
Summary: 5 Stars
We previously bought a driveway alarm at Lowes, labeled GE but made in China. The package said "works to 400 feet." After opening the box, the directions said, "works to 200 feet." In testing it, I found it would transmit the 100 feet I needed, but would only trigger on metal objects as large as my 40-foot steel garage building. Since we have few of those coming up our driveway, it was essentially useless.
Then I saw "The Reporter" here at Amazon, and decided to try it. To my amazement I found that it was made here in America! And not only that, it works very well. I now have it mounted about 300 feet down the driveway, and it has not missed any vehicle. $8 cheaper than the GE unit, and far superior. And made in the USA. What more could you ask?
Added 12/4/06: The original lasted two weeks. Amazon sent a replacement, which arrived with no AC adapter. The manufacturer sent that. Then the second one lasted three days. Amazon refunded my money. Now I am again looking for a good quality wireless driveway alarm....
-dan z-
Customer Review: Seldom worked
Summary: 1 Stars
We own a small used car lot, and needed to be alerted to the presence of customers. I installed the sensor according to the directions; approx 42" off the ground and expected it to sense across a 25' wide driveway. The signal only needed to go about 70' to the receiver. Sadly, it seldom alerted - even when massive things like the UPS truck drove in. The few random alerts we got were often due to light reflecting off passing car traffic on the road; and it DID alert to humans walking directly in front of it.
For 2 months, I tried every conceivable thing to convince it to work consistently, to no avail. Finally I called Chamberlain's customer service department, and after a few minutes, they said they'd send me a new sensor. Well, THAT one was consistent - it didn't work at all.
Thanks goodness for Amazon's return policy - the Chamberlain unit is going back - replaced by the Dakota wireless system, which is a LOT more expensive, but works consistently and allows you to adjust the alert tone and volume.