Congratulations, Rob! Those of us who used RCT have been "free of the wire" since we started with RCT. It has an automatic noteswitcher. When I used SAT, I was very happy with the thumbswitch arrangement. I never used the foot switch, because I thought it would be a pain, just like you've found it to be. Once, again, your genius is to be congratulated! Ray T. Bentley, RPT Alton, IL ----- Original Message ----- From: Robert Goodale <rrg@nevada.edu> To: PTG <pianotech@ptg.org> Sent: Tuesday, August 01, 2000 11:15 AM Subject: freedom from the wire > ANNOUNCEMENT! > > I have just successfully completed an invention that has plagued piano > technicians your years, (oh, I can just hear the applause already... ). > > As an SAT II user I have shared the frustration with countless others on > dealing with the dreaded foot pedal. Always dragging the tangled mess > out, untwisting it, then winding it back up, and so on. Then every > couple of years the wire shorts out internally and you have to break out > out the soldering iron and replace it. Have you had enough of the wire? > > For some time now I've been thinking about how to eliminate the dreaded > wire- a wireless remote switch if you will. I began exhaustive > research on the subject over six months ago. I chose not to discuss > this publicly until I had a working model. I soon discovered that > building such a device is much more involved than I originally > conceived. It sounds simple enough-- a single channel uni-directional > transmitter/receiver. I sought out for companies that made such units. > Hours of web searches, phone calls and visits to local suppliers with > only marginal results. Pre assembled remote modules are generally too > expensive and over the counter units are bulky and impractical largely > because they are built for commercial applications. I even looked into > key chain remotes for auto alarms. The transmitters are perfect-- very > small and cheep. The receivers, however, are integrated into other > systems and are very expensive. The same story with remotes for garage > door openers and no one wants to sell you just the remote components- > and if they did again it would be too expensive. > > The solution turned out to be relatively simple one although I did spend > considerable time experimenting and making the necessary modifications. > Having already done it now I imagine that I could build another one in > about a tenth the time. The solution stems from your local Radio Shack > store- a wireless doorbell chime, (stock #63-874). It costs only > $19.99. > > You are required to remove the circuit boards from both the button unit > and the bell unit to install in a new chassis, (You could use the button > as it is if you want to get creative and find a way to attach it to your > tuning hammer but it is slightly bulky for that). The ringer part of > the receiver must be disabled, (unless you want it to go "bong" overtime > you change notes). I installed the transmitter inside a new small > chassis box, (available at any electronics supplier), along with a > heavy-duty switch that has a feel similar to the wired foot pedal. I > also added a second on/off switch and an LED which lights up when the > unit is transmitting. With the heavy switch and the battery the weight > of the unit is perfect. > > The receiver is also installed in it's own compact chassis box. Some > significant analyzing of the circuit was required to trace the output of > the RF receiver before it goes to the ringer circuit. Sure enough once > located, (off one end of a particular resistor), there is a clear and > simple on/off binary logic output. From here I have a 6" cable leading > from the chassis box to plug into the SAT. I again included an on/off > switch and an LED that lights up whenever the unit is receiving. My > first intention was to install the receiver directly inside the SAT > unit. There is in fact barely enough room for it to fit. Unfortunately > my experimentation revealed that there is too much RF interference from > the CPU which prevents the receiver from working properly. An RF shield > around the receiver would prevent this but at the same time it would > block off the signal from the transmitter. Nevertheless the external > unit is relatively small and can be stuck on the outside with velcro. > It can then simply be removed for storage in your tool kit when you are > done. > > both units feature a three channel encoder and I mounted the circuit > boards in a position so that the slide selector switch is accessible > through a slot in the side of the chassis box. If you are tuning in a > customers home and discover that Ms. Jones' garage door is on the same > channel you can simply change the channel- POOF! problem solved. > > I spent a considerable amount of money going through the trial and error > experimentation process but at this point knowing what I'm doing I could > probably build the system for around $45.00. > > Well that's my show and tell for today. Now more wires for this cowboy! > > > > Rob Goodale, RPT > Las Vegas, NV > > > >
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