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Visit the "Alarms and Security" department of your local Home depot (or similar) and look for a "basic" wireless system with magnetic door/window transmitter sensors and a matching wireless receiver. Install the sensor(s) in your shed, set the transmitting "address" code(s), and install the batteries. Next, install the receiver near your existing Home Security system and run wires (i.e., #20 or #22 twin-lead) from the wireless receiver's "Trigger Out" (or similar "alarm contact" relay) connection to your main system's "External Trigger" (or similar) input and connect the receiver to power. NOTE: some wireless alarm receivers DO NOT have the "Trigger Out" capability - try to get one that does. Ensure the receiver has battery backup power if the main AC power is lost!

Next, test the shed system: put your main system in "test" mode. Trip one of the shed sensors and verify the wireless receiver activates the "Trigger Out" contact, which should trigger your main alarm via the "External Trigger" input (unless the receiver DOES NOT have the "Trigger Out" capability). Reset the system and repeat for the other shed sensors, verifying each tripped sensor activates the alarm (main system via "Trigger Out" or the wireless receiver alone). When you're satisfied all is working, take your main system out of "test" mode so the shed will be monitored.

NOTE: make sure you DISABLE the shed system before purposefully going to the shed or you'll get a false alarm! Also, ensure you RE-ENABLE the shed system when it's otherwise unoccupied.

Look at wireless remote doorbells, such as you can find at local hardware stores. They can be really cheap. Just re-work the doorbell button to the shed door sensor and then tap off the receiver (may require a bit of interface electonics, such as an optoisolator) in the house and feed to your alarm system.

I have used the Wicked Devices 433Mhz system with Arduino controller when it is inconvenient to run a cable. The effective range is up to a couple of hundred feet. This unit has 4 channels that can be used and a lot of documentation & code is available on the internet.

The unit is also called Nanode Transmitter & Receiver . See www.wickeddevices.com for more information.

There are a couple ways you can go with this:

1. Contact your alarm company and find out if the security panel in your home directly supports wireless devices. Most modern ones do. They would install a wireless door contact in the shed and program it to the alarm panel. Some security systems already have wireless built in or they may need to add a wireless receiver.As a bonus, you could add on a wireless keyfob to arm/disarm your house from the driveway. This would cost more than a DIY solution but they should be able to match up the proper equipment to make the setup as reliable as possible.

2. For a more DIY approach, Linear has available a wireless transmitter & receiver that could be integrated into any security system regardless of age. “Linear D-24A” is the transmitter and “Linear D-67” is the receiver.

The transmitter uses a battery and would still need to be connected to a set of door contacts on the shed door. The receiver wires directly to your security panel to power and one zone. You would want to use a spare zone on the security panel, but keep in mind, the zone may still need to be programmed by your alarm company. And if your security panel dials out to a monitoring company, your alarm company will need to add that zone to your account so that activation of that zone would alert the proper authorities.

A simple cheap and dirty solution would be to use one of those wireless door bell setup’s that most hardware stores sell.

Place simple door (normally open) switches in parallel with the “door bell” switch mounted in the garden shed. Use a low current reed relay across the speaker output of the reciever in the house. Connect the normally open reed contacts to one of your alarm panel loops.

Wala, a cheap and dirty solution. You may need to add a latching relay of some sort.