The mailbox phone alert sends you a text whenever you get mail. I remember anxiously checking my mail multiple times a day during the spring of my senior year of high school as I awaited letters back from colleges. Nervously, I would walk up to the mailbox. My heart would skip a beat as I opened it. Nothing inside. I would then go through the same process an hour later. I thought, if only there were a solution to this nerve wracking struggle of checking the mail all the time. I have come to the solution, but sadly I am two years late. Fortunately, this is still a super handy device that I enjoy using and now YOU can prevent future mail angst by making it for yourself.
This project is perfect for you if you’re anxious to get your mail, you have issues with mail theft, you like to be updated by phone on every aspect of your life, or you just want to make something cool.
The device uses a photoresistor to detect the light levels in the mailbox. When the light is above a certain threshold, the Arduino knows the mailbox is open. There is a red button on the front of the device that you press to arm it. After you press the button, the next time the mailbox is opened, presumably by the mailman, you will get a text. It will not send you a text again until you have armed it again. This ensures that you don’t get a text every time you open the mailbox. Every time you pick up your mail, arm the mailbox phone alert and enjoy instant mail notification.
Preliminary advice: Inform your mailman of your contraption so that he does not think you have a planted a bomb in your mailbox and use a non-metal mailbox for good cellular connection.
Step 1: What you need
[box color=”#985D00″ bg=”#FFF8CB” font=”verdana” fontsize=”14 ” radius=”20 ” border=”#985D12″ float=”right” head=”Major Components in Project” headbg=”#FFEB70″ headcolor=”#985D00″]
(x1) Arduino Uno (RadioShack #276-128)
(x1) GPRS/GSM Shield (RadioShack #276-246)
(x1) Prepaid SIM Card (RadioShack #17-8167)
(x1) CR1220 coin battery (RadioShack #23-793)
(x1) Photoresistor (RadioShack #276-1657)
(x1) Project Enclosure (RadioShack #270-1805)
(x1) SPST Pushbutton Switch (RadioShack #275-646)
(x1) Grid-style PC Board (RadioShack #276-149)
(x1) M-type power plug (RadioShack #274-1569)
(x1) 9 volt battery (RadioShack #23-1134)
(x1) 9 volt battery snap (RadioShack #270-324)
(x2) 10kOhm Resistor (RadioShack #271-1335)[/box]
Step 2: Set up GPRS/GSM Shield
Insert the coin cell battery into the holder on the bottom of the shield. Activate your SIM card by inserting it into an international phone or by calling the service provider. Slide the SIM card into the slot provided.
Step 3: Drill
Drill two holes about a 1/4″ apart on the front of your enclosure using a 1/16″ drill bit. You will thread the two wires of your photoresistor through these holes.
Drill a hole next to the two 1/16″ holes you just drilled using a 1/2″ drill bit for your pushbutton.
Insert the two wires of the photoresistor into the 1/16″ holes drilled on the front of the enclosure. Glue it in place.
Insert the pushbutton in the 1/2″ hole. Fasten it in place with its mounting nut.
Step 5: Power
Take apart the M-type power plug.
Feed the black cover through the wires on the battery snap connector.
Solder the red wire of the battery snap to the tip terminal on the plug and the back wire to the barrel terminal.
Fit the GPRS/GSM Shield on top the Arduino and plug the M-type connector into the Arduino.
Step 6: GPRS/GSM Antenna
Place the GPRS/GSM Shield which is now attached to the Arduino and the 9V battery inside the project enclosure.
You will screw the cellular antenna onto the gold connector on the left side of the GPRS/GSM shield (labeled in the first image above). However, you will need to drill a hole in the project enclosure in order for it to fit.
Make a mark where the antenna should go on the side of the enclosure.
Drill a hole where you have marked the enclosure using a 27/64″ drill bit.
Insert the antenna into the hole you just drilled and screw it onto the connector
For more detail: Mailbox Phone Alert
