OP, you'll have to give us feedback on if and how you'd like to proceed and what you need from us. We've proved it is doable and not terribly expensive, but it will require a bit of solder and work to "look" somewhat professional. Given your past comments, I gather you aren't too keen or interested in soldering something smaller than a copper plumbing pipe, but perhaps I've read them wrong.

The circuit is fairly straight-forward for someone with a little electronics background, but if you're not comfortable soldering, this will be a challenge. Also, as I stated at the beginning, this will need some attention to detail from an aesthetics point of view - selecting a box that doesn't appear too big, arranging the parts to take up a minimum of space while not interfering with the wireless signal, deciding to keep the remote outside the receiver boxes or adding buttons to the receiver and putting everything together, etc. I'm not trying to discourage you in the least from doing this yourself, I just want to warn you it will be more involved than throwing some wires together depending of course on how you want the final product to look. On the other hand, if we use shoe boxes for the enclosures . . .

 

You've been so helpful and into this project, it may be in both of your interests, to package a plug and play system for the OP.

I'm betting it would take 10% the time it would take to get it debugged thru posting alone.

 

You've been so helpful and into this project, it may be in both of your interests, to package a plug and play system for the OP.

You are too kind. I thought about offering to do this but didn't want to come across as car repairman "Well, sure, you could try to fix it yourself, but for only $$$ I could do it for you."

I have helped a handful of AAC members with similar projects from start to finish, but if they're not comfortable soldering or building a circuit, it usually doesn't bear fruit.

I'm betting it would take 10% the time it would take to get it debugged thru posting alone.

That is a good point. Of course, being a bit of perfectionist, I'm thinking about finding the right size enclosure, making sure it looks good, making sure it doesn't degrade the wireless signal, replacing the 5mm pre-built blinking LED's with larger 10mm and a 555 astable circuit so the LED's don't look tiny with respect to the enclosure, etc., etc. At some point of course, I have to shoot the engineer . . . but, you're right inwo, still less time to DIY than try to post every thought and challenge and solution secondhand.

In any event, I'll respect the OP's decision whether they want to do it themselves, have me do it for parts and a little labor, or just put it on the back burner.

 

I really appreciate the time and effort on this project as well. I haven't seen the forum rules on selling parts and projects and such and don't want to get anyone into trouble, but perhaps we could work something out.

I don't mind doing electrical soldering, have done some in the past, the latest working on a circuit board in the van that popped a solder joint and my current project that involves resoldering loose solder joints in an Antilock braking system module on my van. The biggest challenge is getting the module out from the underside, as undoubtedly the attachment screws are corroded.

Just an FYI on that can be found here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P_6Sk7-fm0I Poor quality video and dramatic music, but the consensus is that this is truly a common problem with these ABS modules. There's a bit of pontificating about companies that repair these too. It's a snap fix for all of you electronic-types.


Anyhow, what sort of coin are we talking about here in a "DIY package" vs. a completed project? LOL, I know about auto mechanics but not about electronics costs.

 

Anyhow, what sort of coin are we talking about here in a "DIY package" vs. a completed project? LOL, I know about auto mechanics but not about electronics costs.

Did I just paint a big "sucker" sign on my forehead?

 

You're safe.

We're all ego here.

No one will risk their reputation to beat you out of a buck.

As far as I know, there is no rule against payment for real world help.

Sometimes after participation in never ending thread, it saves time to just do it.

In this case elec_mech, is so close to a finished project, I'd say go for it, before you both lose interest!

 

Did I just paint a big "sucker" sign on my forehead?

Nope. First understand AAC is here to help people learn about electronics, first and foremost. Once in a great while someone will come and offer to pay someone to do a design or build a circuit exclusively for them. There is nothing against doing so, it's just not the purpose of the forum so it is rare. I have done this on occasion and even built a circuit for someone on a time crunch and only charged them for parts and shipping to help them out.

For this application, the circuit is open-source, meaning anyone who reads this thread and wants to build this themselves can. If you were to officially hire someone to design the circuit exclusively for you, you'd be talking about a lot of mullah. Another benefit of the forum.

I'll put together a parts list, post it here, then send you a private message (PM) via the forum with a labor cost. You can decide then if you'd like to move forward or hold off. No hard feelings either way. I really enjoy these types of projects and few things are as rewarding to me as knowing one's work, either design or assembly, is being actively used.

Allow me a week or so to experiment with a couple of ideas I have and to look for a suitable enclosure. Do you want the remote separate from the receiver or built-in? The former is less work, but you risk losing the remote if you don't mount it to the wall somehow (though you'll have three extra remotes anyway). The latter will require a slightly bigger enclosure, but keeps everything together.

 

Harder to become an vet than it is to become an doctor.

Do you know why?

 

Nope. First understand AAC is here to help people learn about electronics, first and foremost. Once in a great while someone will come and offer to pay someone to do a design or build a circuit exclusively for them. There is nothing against doing so, it's just not the purpose of the forum so it is rare. I have done this on occasion and even built a circuit for someone on a time crunch and only charged them for parts and shipping to help them out.

For this application, the circuit is open-source, meaning anyone who reads this thread and wants to build this themselves can. If you were to officially hire someone to design the circuit exclusively for you, you'd be talking about a lot of mullah. Another benefit of the forum.

I'll put together a parts list, post it here, then send you a private message (PM) via the forum with a labor cost. You can decide then if you'd like to move forward or hold off. No hard feelings either way. I really enjoy these types of projects and few things are as rewarding to me as knowing one's work, either design or assembly, is being actively used.

Allow me a week or so to experiment with a couple of ideas I have and to look for a suitable enclosure. Do you want the remote separate from the receiver or built-in? The former is less work, but you risk losing the remote if you don't mount it to the wall somehow (though you'll have three extra remotes anyway). The latter will require a slightly bigger enclosure, but keeps everything together.

Built in seems to make more sense for me. Losing it is bound to happen sooner or later if it's not attached somewhere.

 

Harder to become an vet than it is to become an doctor.

Do you know why?

Not sure that is true, but I can only speak from the veterinary side of things. Perhaps the perception is there since veterinarians have to learn about a number of different species; birds, cats, dogs, horses, cows are all physiologically different.

Interestingly, graduating veterinary school classes run approximately 80:20 women to men across the country. Not sure what this means or the impact on animal owners.

Just an aside for coffee talk.

 

from the veterinary side of things. Perhaps the perception is there since veterinarians have to learn about a number of different species; birds, cats, dogs, horses, cows are all physiologically

Yes! All those species to learn. Exactly my line of thought.

It takes 10-years to become an doctor in Australia.
There is the 5-years at University and then years working in an hospital.

Imterestingly, there are some doctors that would like to
See humans classified into groups of species

 

Yes! All those species to learn. Exactly my line of thought.

It takes 10-years to become an doctor in Australia.
There is the 5-years at University and then years working in an hospital.

Or longer in the USA

Imterestingly, there are some doctors that would like to
See humans classified into groups of species

I call BS. Name one.

John

 

I call BS. Name one.

I speak truth.
I think it is cRaZY too. People are not born with personality, knowledge or language.
But some doctors are trying to prove that we are.

'Born this way'

 

Built in seems to make more sense for me. Losing it is bound to happen sooner or later if it's not attached somewhere.

Another thought occurs to me . . . would you prefer one button per room station? In other words, all exam room stations would have one button corresponding to that room only. I think it would simplify operation, so someone in room 1 doesn't accidentally make a call for room 2 (or turn off a call for one of the other rooms). The only caveat I see is you have to be in that room to turn on or off the call, but since this is how the system should operate, I don't see that as a problem. Thoughts?

 

@elec_mech,

Just thinking... it might be convenient to be able to purposefully shut off a call from another room. A simple design decision for the enclosures would help minimize accidental calls/resets for another room. Place the other buttons to the side while making the call button for the current room physically larger. The other buttons could be arranged in the same pattern, so that there are three positions and the current room's place would be empty (am I clear?). My 2 cents...

 

Just thinking... it might be convenient to be able to purposefully shut off a call from another room. A simple design decision for the enclosures would help minimize accidental calls/resets for another room. Place the other buttons to the side while making the call button for the current room physically larger. The other buttons could be arranged in the same pattern, so that there are three positions and the current room's place would be empty (am I clear?). My 2 cents...

I'm not sure what you mean by the "current room's place would be empty", but I follow your design for making the in-room button larger than the other rooms. Excellent idea. We'll see how the OP would like to proceed.

 

Maybe a picture will help me express myself.

In the final design, there would be separation from the "Call" button, and the other two. Somehow, I see the other buttons being mounted on the side. I arranged them in this way, because the relative positions of the other buttons are the same, regardless of which room the call station is in.

 

Ah, I think the discrepancy is the operation. There is no call button, rather simply three buttons - A, B, C as you have labeled them representing room A, B, and C. Tentatively, there would be an LED above each button that would blink when that room needed assistance.

In applying your idea, I envision either a large button for the room the module is in and two smaller ones for the other room buttons or perhaps simply a different color for the button representing the room the module is in. The point of all this, for others we have lost, is to help the user quickly distinguish which button to push when calling for help instead of trying to remember which room number they are in.

I've thrown together a quick drawing showing djsfantasi's idea for multiple buttons distinguished by size and color and my own at the bottom showing a single button for each room. The button corresponds to the room the module is located in.

The question is, is there value for being able to turn on/off calls for help in a room other than where the help is needed?

 

I get it now. Nice diagrams.

 

No body here ever heard of illumra?
wireless switches that work great.
I use them for heavy equipment for example a huge snowblower that you drive into with a big loader.
4 of these mounted on anything you want will start the snowblower engine turn shuts raise or lower rev engine etc.
Never have to wire anything once installed