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Author Topic: SOUND AND LIGHT SYSTEM  (Read 3472 times)

narrowboater

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SOUND AND LIGHT SYSTEM
« on: February 13, 2013, 12:17:13 pm »

Can anyone help me with a problem that needs an electronics wizard to probably solve. I have a broken model helicopter that has a terrific gun firing sound and flashing light system that I would like to fit into my model boat. The problem is the sound and light bit is built into the receiver and is controlled by a button on the transmitter. I have no idea what frequency the system works on (It's a Chinese model and probably an illegal frequency anyway!) and it does not appear to have the usual frequency crystal in either the transmitter or receiver. There is what appears to be a 'chip' of some sort in the receiver and I (in my ignorance!) assume it is that which controls the sound and lights. I could strap the helicopter transmitter to the boats transmitter but that would look silly, I want to be able to switch on the sound and lights from a normal boat transmitter. Does anyone have any idea how I could achieve my aims, I could send the receiver (and transmitter if necessary) to work on if necessary. Again, in my electronics ignorance, could the sound/light chip (if indeed that is what it is) be removed and connected to another circuit board that would switch on and off from the boats transmitter. Or, if the receiver frequency could be found, could that be changed to the boats frequency?
I am probably asking too much but if anyone has any ideas of either how to do it or who to contact I would be most grateful
Happy boating
Adrian
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Martin (Admin)

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Re: SOUND AND LIGHT SYSTEM
« Reply #1 on: February 13, 2013, 12:35:48 pm »

Hi Adrian,

Welcome to the Mayhem!
 'Shorkers and mash' in the mess hall today!

Couple of things....
1. does the receiver unit work with the heli motors and servo disconnected?
2. if so, what range do you get?
3. is there a possibility to mount the whole receiver in the boat with an independent battery?

NB. Very loud in the house, doesn't always translate well on the lake!

Martin   :-)
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narrowboater

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Re: SOUND AND LIGHT SYSTEM
« Reply #2 on: February 13, 2013, 01:00:45 pm »

Hi Martin,
Yes, the receiver/sound/lights work with everything else disconnected. The wires for the power and speaker are connected directly into the receiver.
The receiver has an unusually long aerial lead which was wrapped round and round the skids of the helicopter. I have not tried any range test but assume it will be more that 500 feet as that was as far as the helicopter got - before I crashed it
Yes, there is more that enough space to mount the receiver and separate battery in the boat (It's 4'10" long). The battery voltage is 7.2/7.5 Volts.
Yes, I understand about how load it sounds indoors and it may be that what I am trying to do is impossible/too expensive and I will have to invest in an 'Action Noisy Thing + Amp.
Adrian
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narrowboater

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Re: SOUND AND LIGHT SYSTEM
« Reply #3 on: February 13, 2013, 01:56:53 pm »

I was trying to send a couple of photos of the receiver and wiring but they are too big to send and I don't know how to reduce the Mb to Kb
Adrian
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Martin (Admin)

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Re: SOUND AND LIGHT SYSTEM
« Reply #4 on: February 13, 2013, 02:06:23 pm »

Sounds like all you need to do is mount the whole thing in the boat and jury rig the old Tx to the back of your boat TX and rig up an activation switch.

( Photos, see http://www.modelboatmayhem.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=23.msg403457#msg403457 )
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narrowboater

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Re: SOUND AND LIGHT SYSTEM
« Reply #5 on: February 13, 2013, 02:09:58 pm »

Think I have managed to re-size the pictures! Why do they have to be made so small?
Adrian
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Martin (Admin)

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Re: SOUND AND LIGHT SYSTEM
« Reply #6 on: February 13, 2013, 03:52:24 pm »

They fill up the server.....   {:-{

 But they display OK!   :-))
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narrowboater

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Re: SOUND AND LIGHT SYSTEM
« Reply #7 on: February 14, 2013, 10:05:59 am »

Hi Martin,
This is me probably being thick (easy for me to be!). I could probably do as you say but how would I activate the sound/light bit when it is on a different frequency from the boats trasmitter? If I just solder the aerial wire from the sound/light transmitter to the boats transmiter aerial it would still be on a different frequency wouldn't it? I don't really fancy having to have two aerials sticking up, but that may be the only thing I could do if I go down this route.
Adrian
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Martin (Admin)

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Re: SOUND AND LIGHT SYSTEM
« Reply #8 on: February 14, 2013, 10:44:22 am »


I was more thinking of 'bluetacking' the heli Tx on the back of your boat Tx ( and hoping no one notices!). As you won't be using it all the time, you can just activate it as and when required.


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colin

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Re: SOUND AND LIGHT SYSTEM
« Reply #9 on: February 14, 2013, 05:50:55 pm »

Could you mount the transmitter and the receiver in the boat and operate the switch on the transmitter via a servo connected to your main receiver / transmitter set up.


Colin
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narrowboater

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Re: SOUND AND LIGHT SYSTEM
« Reply #10 on: February 14, 2013, 08:57:13 pm »

I've managed to isolate the circuit board that is the transmitter power supply by desoldering the connections one by one and testing that the sound/lights still worked. They do so the next thing I am going to try is connecting the circuit board antenna wire to another transmitters aerial connection and see if there is any interference between the two frequencies. If it works ok then I'll connect the circuit board power supply leads to the other transmitters power leads. That leaves me with just the circuit board and the little sound/light button to make a little thin box for and stick it (somehow) to the back of the boats transmitter. Real Heath Robinson!!
I'll keep you posted
Adrian
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malcolmfrary

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Re: SOUND AND LIGHT SYSTEM
« Reply #11 on: February 15, 2013, 11:18:14 am »

If the sound/light controller is the small pcb to the right of picture#1, you will probably find that the red and black wires are power, and the yellow and white are control wires.  If the chip is similar to the ones hiding in talking/musical greeting cards, they probably just need a momentary connection to the ground (black, normally) wire to start their sequence.  If that is the case, a switcher will do the job of controlling.
If the buzzer/piezo sounder is what is being used for a speaker, the sound will likely be all but inaudible more than a few feet away in the great outdoors, and a full grown amplifier and speaker will be needed.  This will probably highlight any deficiencies in the sound quality.
For greeting card module suppliers - http://www.talkingproducts.com/recordable-sound-chips.html  as an example.  There are others.
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narrowboater

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Re: SOUND AND LIGHT SYSTEM
« Reply #12 on: February 15, 2013, 07:08:28 pm »

Hi Malcolm,
Thanks for your reply. No, the small pcb on the right of the picture 1 is just an extension panel which all the wires that control the lights are attached to. Every thing else is in/on the bigger pcb which is the receiver, power supply, sound generator and flasher unit, Which bit controls which I haven't the foggiest! If you have a read of my previous post you will see I have managed to isolate the pcb in the transmitter which controls the sound/lights via the transmitter aerial (You can just see the receiver aerial in pic 1). I haven't tried the rest from my post yet as 'She Who Must Be Obeyed' and I are away for the weekend.
Regards
Adrian
PS: Are you a 'Sandgrownun' like me?
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malcolmfrary

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Re: SOUND AND LIGHT SYSTEM
« Reply #13 on: February 16, 2013, 11:56:22 am »

Quote
PS: Are you a 'Sandgrownun' like me?
Not quite - I've only been here for the last 66 of my 67½ years.  Not quite a donkey walloper.
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