I need one of these, as my 18 month toddler is becoming a major escape artist and our 6 year old keeps forgetting to lock the gate.

There are stair gates around with alarms, and several patents for gates using reed relays as the sensors. However, there are no retrofit kits around. Ithere are any I'll buy 3!

The retrofit needs to be easily fitted using simple stuff like plastic straps.

From a functional point of view it needs the following:

1. It needs an Alarm mode and an Reminder mode.

2. In Alarm mode it needs to make a loud noise for a few seconds when the gate is opened.

3. In Reminder mode, it needs to issue a soft "tick" when the gate is open to remind the user to shut the gate.

Nice-to have additions would be:

A. An alert if the child is touching or hanging around the gate

B. An alert to indicate that someone is passing thru the gate even when the alarm is off

C. Some kind of no-noise wireless signalling system of alarms and alerts if the parents have other children asleep at the time.
-- tonywells, Jun 25 2003

Stairgate SG1
-- 2 fries shy of a happy meal, Jun 25 2003


Even if there are no retrofit kits about, this seems a bit of a "me-too" if you can get stairgates with alarms.
-- DrCurry, Jun 25 2003


Me Too? Exactly. Well, at the risk of saying the same thing differently. I have 3 stair gates and no alarms. So I need a stair gate retrofit. They don't seem available, so I have to invent one here.
-- tonywells, Jun 25 2003


The heck with gates. I used one with my first kid but with my next two I just let them fall down the steps. They learn after the first two or three times.
Here's my impersonation of my oldest son.
!bonk!
"Waaaaa!"
!bonk!bonk!bonk!
"Waaaaa!"
!bonk!
"Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa"

-- shazam, Jun 25 2003


What, no sharpened Punji sticks at the bottom?
-- 2 fries shy of a happy meal, Jun 25 2003


Attach a travel door alarm to the gate. With plastic straps, if you must.
-- Cedar Park, Jun 25 2003



random, halfbakery