Modify door chime - help please

Thread Starter

oceanstu

Joined Feb 28, 2023
12
Hi hope this is the right place to ask a question.

Background
I have a blind friend who has a boat on a swing mooring. He uses a remote doorbell to get the direction when in his rowboat but the problem is the chime only goes for 8s and he is having trouble rowing and pressing the button at the same time. Has lost remotes etc.

Requirement
I want to modify a wireless door chime circuit to ring for say 3-5 minutes. It could chime every 30s or constantly doesn't really matter. Although battery may run down quicker if it chimes constantly.

Hardware
Hpm d641 series long range wireless door chime
(Photos to follow)

Question
Any help in how to modify the circuit board would be greatly appreciated.

I don't know heaps about electronics but capable of soldering in resistors or buying a breadboard off eBay.com.au and what else I need. Have read about a 555 timer but don't really know where to start with that or what to buy..

Thanks in advance!
 

crutschow

Joined Mar 14, 2008
34,280
Without a schematic of the circuit (which is probably impossible to find) it's not likely possible to know how to modify the circuit.
Perhaps easier would be to add a circuit to automatically activate the remote control every few seconds.
Can you post a picture of its insides?
 

Externet

Joined Nov 29, 2005
2,200
Welcome.
It is wireless. Red/black are battery supply, green/yellow are output to speaker, grey antenna.
Find the data sheet/application notes for the integrated circuit and tell/show it to us.
Left components group seem receiver, right ones set the IC function.
 

Thread Starter

oceanstu

Joined Feb 28, 2023
12
I'm surprised it has what looks like salt corrosion on the back of the circuit board as this is a brand new unit (the last one got dropped in the water!).
 

Alec_t

Joined Sep 17, 2013
14,280
It's unlikely, but the chime components, particularly the sounder driver stage, might not be rated for continuous operation, so could overheat. Perhaps that's why there's only 8s runtime?
 

MisterBill2

Joined Jan 23, 2018
18,167
Here we have another instance of asking for help with a possible solution for a sort of undefined problem.
So for starters please verify that the problem is enabling a sound making device to allow a blind person to find a boat dock.
Then the first question is about why not have a device that the user switches on prior to starting out, that generates a suitable sound at appropriate intervals and loudness, and does not need a remote control? If a device used a somewhat bigger battery it could beep a Sonalert type beeper and a simple timer for a beep every 15 seconds. A package like that could deliver beeps for many hours if needed.
 

Thread Starter

oceanstu

Joined Feb 28, 2023
12
Here we have another instance of asking for help with a possible solution for a sort of undefined problem.
So for starters please verify that the problem is enabling a sound making device to allow a blind person to find a boat dock.
Then the first question is about why not have a device that the user switches on prior to starting out, that generates a suitable sound at appropriate intervals and loudness, and does not need a remote control? If a device used a somewhat bigger battery it could beep a Sonalert type beeper and a simple timer for a beep every 15 seconds. A package like that could deliver beeps for many hours if needed.
It needs a remote control as John (who is blind) is rowing from the riverbank out to his boat. Ie the remote is with John and the boat needs to make the noise
 

MisterBill2

Joined Jan 23, 2018
18,167
OK, that is a bit different . If the boat that is anchored has a battery to power the lights or whatever then the same scheme could work. A piezo sounding device set to produce a short sound every 15 seconds could keep it up for a very many days, or even weeks. And if a daylight sensor is added then it can last even longer. And the whole system will cost much less than a remote operated door chime. Another option would be to have a remote receiver switch on the beeper system, and it would stay on until it was switched off.
 

Thread Starter

oceanstu

Joined Feb 28, 2023
12
OK, that is a bit different . If the boat that is anchored has a battery to power the lights or whatever then the same scheme could work. A piezo sounding device set to produce a short sound every 15 seconds could keep it up for a very many days, or even weeks. And if a daylight sensor is added then it can last even longer. And the whole system will cost much less than a remote operated door chime. Another option would be to have a remote receiver switch on the beeper system, and it would stay on until it was switched off.
That's a good idea but it needs the remote receiver switch. Because the moorings area is very quiet at night and there are houses around. John only goes out to the boat about twice a week. It would only need to go for about 5 minutes - the time it takes to row out to the boat.
 

djsfantasi

Joined Apr 11, 2010
9,156
How about a Rube Goldberg solution? Use a remote control that he can activate and place in his pocket to mechanically activate the wireless remote on the boat. A 4 or 2 channel remote control with fob could activate a microprocessor (Nano?) that cycles an RC servo to press the wireless remote on for 8 seconds and then off for a few seconds.

Seriously, you could skip the wireless doorbell and drive a piezo alarm directly from the microprocessor. The linked remote control is waterproof. There are other cheaper units that aren’t. Search for “2 channel wireless remote control” (or “4 channel wireless remote control”).
 

MisterBill2

Joined Jan 23, 2018
18,167
The remote can simply switch on the sounder and then the other channel could switch it off. And the transmitter can safely stay in a pocket while rowing. And now an idea comes to mind with no electronics at all: A wind chime, perhaps operated by waves, unless the lake is tiny and always calm. a thing like that could easily be assembled and might be found acceptable as it would tell others of the state of the waves..
 

Thread Starter

oceanstu

Joined Feb 28, 2023
12
Great minds.. He has wind chimes already but he only goes out to the boat when its calm.. and often gets lost going round in circles and has to be rescued.

Thanks for the help. Have ordered the on/off receiver unit and will see if i can get a piezo buzzer out of an old toy or appliance. Let you know how i go.

Cheers
 

MisterBill2

Joined Jan 23, 2018
18,167
Great minds.. He has wind chimes already but he only goes out to the boat when its calm.. and often gets lost going round in circles and has to be rescued.

Thanks for the help. Have ordered the on/off receiver unit and will see if i can get a piezo buzzer out of an old toy or appliance. Let you know how i go.

Cheers
Piezo byzers are often found in discarded microwave ovens. And some smoke alarms.
 
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