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PROJECT: radio trigers motor

Posted: Sun Apr 10, 2005 5:32 pm
by robertbnet
Hi,
I'm working on a project and am new to radio technology, so I got two questions....

1st) Where can i read up on the very basics, like a "For Dummies on Radio"? Would prefer web-based sources rather than books.

2nd) I need to create a system where a radio signal trigers an on/off switch... the on/off switch would trigger a very small motor. The smaller and lighter the receiver the better. the range would need to be around 300 ft.

Particulaly I'm having trouble finding a receiver meeting these requirements, any ideas?

Also, any ideas what parts would be needed to make the motor turn on and off with the incoming signal?

If anything is unclear ask.


Thanks,
Robert.

Posted: Sun Apr 10, 2005 7:17 pm
by k2hz
One simple, inexpensive and "off the shelf" solution would be to get a garage door opener receiver and transmitter. The receiver will give you a contact closure when the transmitter is activated. This may be able to directly operate a very small, low voltage DC motor or it can be used to drive a realy or control circuit that will be capable of switching the voltage and handle sufficient current to operate whatever size motor you want to control.

For something needing more control functions, "RC" systems used for radio controlled models are a possibility. Try a Google search on "radio control" for information.

Posted: Mon Apr 11, 2005 1:10 pm
by Two way repair man
Robert,

I do not know of any garage door openers that are capable of transmitting and receiving much beyond 60 feet. In most cases, a pair of two-way radios should be able to accomplish your goals. The receiver will have to provide a voltage change when it detects a signal. That voltage change can be used to turn on an FET transistor that could provide voltage to the DC motor. The transmitting radio would have to send a toned signal (CTCSS, DCS, two-tone, or DTMF to name a few), and the receiver would have to detect it to prevent false operation from someone on the same frequency.


Email me directly if you have any questions.

Regards,

Bill
email: bill@billscommsol.com
http://www.billscommsol.com

Posted: Tue May 03, 2005 6:06 pm
by VTLO910
Ever think of a minitor pager w/base... would work as long as you could generate the tones needed... could cost a bit more then you want to spend... but some fire stations hook up emergency lights in bunk rooms to go off when the pager goes off... there are also alerting systems out there that reset after a designated time...

How about radio controlled model aircraft equipment?

Posted: Thu May 05, 2005 6:46 am
by n9gik
Robert,

It seems evident you don't have a lot of experience with this stuff, so first and foremost I want to warn you to be carefull and think through anything before putting it in use.

What kind of failsafe mechanisms should this application have? You are wanting to start a motor at a distance. What happens if it does or does not start or stop? Getting a motor to start is no big deal. Getting it to do what you want and only what you want only when you want it to, THAT is the trick.

For instance something as simple as a garage door opener now includes devices to shut it down or reverse it if it hits something ... like a child. Make sure whatever you do is not just handy, it is safe.

OK, having gotten past all the warning stuff, how about model aircraft equipment? There are all kinds of really interesting gadgets for RC . Little bitty receivers with 6 channels weighing 1/2 an ounce. See http://www.centralhobbies.com/ for an example

Try starting with a look at a "How Stuff Works" article on RC stuff
http://www.howstuffworks.com/rc-toy.htm
It's really quite helpful.

I don't know what kind of licensing requirements there are. That should be a consideration as well.

I found the receivers by a quick Google search and took the first hit. There are a few jillion pages of info out there.

Central Hobbies claims to be one of the largest http://www.centralhobbies.com/index.htm

but so does Tower Hobbies which has a linkpage
http://www.towerhobbies.com/rcweb.html

Have fun, but be safe.

Re: PROJECT: radio trigers motor

Posted: Tue Feb 07, 2017 9:28 pm
by Grayhound6
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