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Antenna tower obstacle light flasher circuit?
- Thread starter Rabbit H
- Start date
Doktor Jones
- Joined Oct 5, 2011
- 75
Here's the updated parts list @ Mouser: http://www.mouser.com/ProjectManager/ProjectDetail.aspx?AccessID=ebc893c2c1 -- note that the SIP socket is a 6-position socket; the 3-position socket they had cost almost twice as much and could only be ordered in pairs. With the 6-position socket, just order two and cut them in half, and it only costs 1/4 as much!
Current price tag for parts is ~$35 with shipping. The current board @ 3"x1.5" is $22.50 (shipping is free). You may also want to price parts at DigiKey or another supplier just to make sure you're getting the best deal.
@crutschow if he doesn't have an oscilloscope, would an analog multimeter work in a pinch, or even hook up an LED to the output (with appropriate resistor)?
Current price tag for parts is ~$35 with shipping. The current board @ 3"x1.5" is $22.50 (shipping is free). You may also want to price parts at DigiKey or another supplier just to make sure you're getting the best deal.
@crutschow if he doesn't have an oscilloscope, would an analog multimeter work in a pinch, or even hook up an LED to the output (with appropriate resistor)?
Crutschow, I've got a Tektronix 453.
Doc, is the Mouser order ready to go or should I wait a little for any last minute changes? Per Crut's suggestion, I'm going to wait until I've put the circuit on the breadboard before ordering the PCBs. The Velleman light dimmer kit won't be here until sometime next week.
Harvey
Doc, is the Mouser order ready to go or should I wait a little for any last minute changes? Per Crut's suggestion, I'm going to wait until I've put the circuit on the breadboard before ordering the PCBs. The Velleman light dimmer kit won't be here until sometime next week.
Harvey
I would wait on the parts list for the PCB until you have breadboarded the circuit and it works to your satisfaction.
Some aren't but the better ones are.
I think most of the new, small, switching type wall power adapters have a regulated output.
The regulation sort of comes free with the switching chip inside the module.
The bigger, old style, linear ones with a heavy line transformer inside may not be regulated.
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Got the Velleman dimmer kit today. It'll be a day or two before I can start on it. I've built a few Velleman kits before and while they're not HeathKits, they're still pretty good.
I also ordered a breadboard this morning from All Electronics but it'll probably be close to next weekend before it arrives. (I suspect that it won't get sent out until this coming Monday.) It's not their most sophisticated breadboard but it'll allow me to proof Crutschow's modulator circuit. Besides, I didn't want to invest too much money in case this newfangled electricity-thing is just another short-lived fad like the automobile.
Harvey
I also ordered a breadboard this morning from All Electronics but it'll probably be close to next weekend before it arrives. (I suspect that it won't get sent out until this coming Monday.) It's not their most sophisticated breadboard but it'll allow me to proof Crutschow's modulator circuit. Besides, I didn't want to invest too much money in case this newfangled electricity-thing is just another short-lived fad like the automobile.
Harvey
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Did you order some jumper wires to go with it?
Otherwise it's kind of a pain to have to cut and strip all the jumper wires you need.
Yep, ordered two sets of 140 assorted lengths and colors of wires in each set. (They were cheap!) The good jumper$ have special "pin" ends whereas the ones I got are simply stripped and tinned so I figure that they'll have a shorter lifespan. This setup will let me proof your circuit before ordering the PCB's but later down the road, maybe I'll invest in a larger breadboard and the "better" jumper$.
Harvey
Harvey
I just ordered 1/3rd of the parts that Doktor Jones so thoughtfully put together for me at Mouser (per post #62). Unfortunately, the 10uF, 25v ceramic capacitors are backordered so if they don't come in soon, I might be able to get them locally. (Wal Mart should have 'em next to the Jiffy Pop, right?) This initial Mouser order and my inbound breadboard should get me started on proofing Crutschow's circuit. If all goes well, I'll order the rest of the parts from Mouser and get the PCBs in production.
Fun stuff!
THANKS FOR YOUR HELP, GUYS!!!
Harvey
) This initial Mouser order and my inbound breadboard should get me started on proofing Crutschow's circuit. If all goes well, I'll order the rest of the parts from Mouser and get the PCBs in production.Fun stuff!
THANKS FOR YOUR HELP, GUYS!!!
Harvey
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Doktor Jones
- Joined Oct 5, 2011
- 75
@Rabbit H these should be a sufficient replacement (and they have plenty in stock):
http://www.mouser.com/ProductDetail/TDK/FK26X7R1E106M/
They're 20% tolerance instead of 10%, but since the 10μF caps are just power filtering, it's not a big deal.
http://www.mouser.com/ProductDetail/TDK/FK26X7R1E106M/
They're 20% tolerance instead of 10%, but since the 10μF caps are just power filtering, it's not a big deal.
Update: The Mouser order has arrived. However, before I can proceed, I noticed that some of the components are packed in static-protective packets and it's been many years since I've worked with static-sensitive parts. Do you know of an on-line tutorial somewhere that I can review?
Thanks,
Harvey
Thanks,
Harvey
Ideally you should work with a grounded wrist-strap on a grounded work bench mat.
Since you likely don't have that, the idea is to keep everything at the same potential.
Leave the devices in their bags until you use them.
When you are ready to use them, touch the bag and the board at the same time to equalize any charges between them before you remove the part from the bag.
None of the parts should be unusually static sensitive so you should be okay.
Did you buy sockets for the ICs? That minimizes any problem when soldering the board.
What is the top of you workbench made of?
Bare wood is fairly good.
Since you likely don't have that, the idea is to keep everything at the same potential.
Leave the devices in their bags until you use them.
When you are ready to use them, touch the bag and the board at the same time to equalize any charges between them before you remove the part from the bag.
None of the parts should be unusually static sensitive so you should be okay.
Did you buy sockets for the ICs? That minimizes any problem when soldering the board.
What is the top of you workbench made of?
Bare wood is fairly good.
Nope, not the best.
Do you have a sheet of plywood you can put on top of the bench?
That would be better than the neoprene.
If you wanted to buy an anti-static mat such as one of these with a wrist strap, that would be the best, but it's probably not necessary for the circuit you are doing.
Mornin' Guys,
It's been a couple of weeks since my last post so I thought I'd pop in to let you know that my project is still alive! At this point, I believe I have everything on hand to breadboard and proof the circuit that Crutschow designed and Doktor Jones designed a board for. (THANKS, GUYS!!!)
Unfortunately, we're in the process of leaving the hot and dry summer season here in SE Texas and starting to enter our usual fall wet season so my wife has detoured me into wrapping up some lawn projects for the past few weeks while the ground is still dry and "dig-able". I expect to be wrapping them up today and my plan is to get back on my tower light project ASAP.
Believe me, I'm anxious to get back on my tower light mod!
Harvey
It's been a couple of weeks since my last post so I thought I'd pop in to let you know that my project is still alive! At this point, I believe I have everything on hand to breadboard and proof the circuit that Crutschow designed and Doktor Jones designed a board for. (THANKS, GUYS!!!)
Unfortunately, we're in the process of leaving the hot and dry summer season here in SE Texas and starting to enter our usual fall wet season so my wife has detoured me into wrapping up some lawn projects for the past few weeks while the ground is still dry and "dig-able". I expect to be wrapping them up today and my plan is to get back on my tower light project ASAP.
Believe me, I'm anxious to get back on my tower light mod!
Harvey
With this morning's temps in the mid 60s AND low humidity, I figured the unairconditioned shop in my hangar would be comfortable enough to play with 'lectricity. I got the Velleman K8064 dimmer kit built and tested. I used the dimmable-LED bulb that was suggested in post #5 and it dimmed just fine down to about half of full brightness but started strobing below that. (I used a good-quality HP bench power supply for the 0-12VDC control voltage.) However, when I used a 60W incandescent bulb, it dimmed all of the way down without any problems. I DO like the idea of using a dimmable-LED bulb but for the time being, I'll use the incandescent bulb until I can fix what's freaking out the LED.)
However, when I turned to assembling Crutschow's modulator circuit on my breadboard, I ran into a lot of questions. To remind you, the schematic was originally laid out in post #34 but modified in #37.
A. Then Dr Jones redrew Crutschow's schematic a little in post #46 and added the pin numbers for the LM324. (Thanks Doc!)
B. Then, Crutschow added a .1uf decoupling cap in post #51 but I'm not really sure where.
C. In post #53, Dr Jones proposed adding a 10-47uf electrolytic cap "next to the input (J_IN)" but a revised schematic was not included leaving me wondering what is meant by "next to".
D. In post #54, Crutschow approved Dr Jones 10-47 cap suggestion and added a .1uf cap from the junction of R6-U6 to ground. This I understood.
E. Dr Jones built a shopping cart for me at Mouser in post #46 (Thanks, Dr!) and then updated it in post #58, supposedly to include the revisions that y'all had been discussing. I ordered 1/3rd of the cart a couple of days later (22 Aug) so I could build one prototype. The revised parts list includes two (per board) .1uf, 50v ceramic caps (which I assume are the decoupling caps mentioned in B & D above), a 20-turn 100k trimpot (which I assume is the "Clip Level" pot) and a 10uf/25v ceramic cap. (Is this the "10-47uf" cap mentioned in "C" above?)
With all of these revisions, I'm having trouble visualizing the latest schematic in order to put it on the breadboard. I thought of using the images of the updated board (post #58) but then post #60 included an explanation about rerouting some traces that confused me.
Guys, I REALLY appreciate all of the help you've given me so far but I really don't have any idea what the revised, revised, revised schematic looks like now. Can you please help me figure it out?
Harvey
However, when I turned to assembling Crutschow's modulator circuit on my breadboard, I ran into a lot of questions. To remind you, the schematic was originally laid out in post #34 but modified in #37.
A. Then Dr Jones redrew Crutschow's schematic a little in post #46 and added the pin numbers for the LM324. (Thanks Doc!)
B. Then, Crutschow added a .1uf decoupling cap in post #51 but I'm not really sure where.
C. In post #53, Dr Jones proposed adding a 10-47uf electrolytic cap "next to the input (J_IN)" but a revised schematic was not included leaving me wondering what is meant by "next to".
D. In post #54, Crutschow approved Dr Jones 10-47 cap suggestion and added a .1uf cap from the junction of R6-U6 to ground. This I understood.
E. Dr Jones built a shopping cart for me at Mouser in post #46 (Thanks, Dr!) and then updated it in post #58, supposedly to include the revisions that y'all had been discussing. I ordered 1/3rd of the cart a couple of days later (22 Aug) so I could build one prototype. The revised parts list includes two (per board) .1uf, 50v ceramic caps (which I assume are the decoupling caps mentioned in B & D above), a 20-turn 100k trimpot (which I assume is the "Clip Level" pot) and a 10uf/25v ceramic cap. (Is this the "10-47uf" cap mentioned in "C" above?)
With all of these revisions, I'm having trouble visualizing the latest schematic in order to put it on the breadboard. I thought of using the images of the updated board (post #58) but then post #60 included an explanation about rerouting some traces that confused me.
Guys, I REALLY appreciate all of the help you've given me so far but I really don't have any idea what the revised, revised, revised schematic looks like now. Can you please help me figure it out?
Harvey
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