Ducati Sporting Club UK > General > Idle Chat > Techy, electrical type question - IR transmitter

[antonye]

So why not buy the cheapest remote off ebay and a stack of batteries?

[domski]

Would a TV remote be powerful enough to trigger it at 100mph, 20 yards away?

I know nothing about IR, but assume that you may need something more than a TV remote?!?!?!

[antonye]

Depends on the remote, but most will do 20 yards just about - try your own remote from the TV and see how far away you can get before it doesn't work ... you might be surprised!

The lap timer's eye is just looking for an IR beam, simple as that. A tv remote actually encodes some pulses into it (think morse code) but a lap timer isn't that picky, from what I understand - as long as it sees something it will trigger.

You could make your own out of some parts from RS or Maplins, and it would probably cost you less than a fiver. All you'd need is a small box, an IR LED, a resistor, a battery connector, maybe a switch to be really posh and some soldering skills!

[antonye]

Here you go -
http://www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?...ia=ir&doy=23m6

[domski]

Originally Posted by antonye

Here you go -
http://www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?...ia=ir&doy=23m6

Kewl

Thanks

[domski]

Is the 'beam' emmitted from the top of an LED, or just like a normal light bulb (in all directions)?

[domski]

Found this too http://www.xs4all.nl/~sbp/knowledge/ir/ir.htm

[domski]

Would it make any difference if you had 10 LEDs as opposed to 1? or is that like a false economy?

I suppose you could splay them in an arc so that the beam covers a bigger area?

Thanks for the help Ant

[andys 900ss]

Hi,

Saw a guy with a makeshift unit on wednesday.

Build a bank of about 10 infra-red leds (maplins) on the side of a box with a large alarm/bike battery in, put in correct resistors or regulator to lower the current for them and a switch. Should do the trick.

Andy

[domski]

Cool. I'm up for trying this, but don't know what parts to buy.

Can someone link me to the correct resistor(s) to go with 5 of these?

Will a 9v square battery do the trick? or will I need 4 AA's - I don't know how it works with amps and volts etc.

If someone can give me a detailed shopping list, I'll buy it all on www.maplin.co.uk and have a go at it.

Thanks everyone. Really appreciate it.

Thinking about rigging it up in something like a Coke can or something, so that when Chass is on pit wall, he's not holding a beacon Sneaky eh