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Idaho

Mar 10, 2014
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Hi all! So new to the site and new to do it yourself elctronics too. Ive got a little project ive been working on. Im trying to make a very simple device. I need it to beep fairly loudly, loud enough to hear it from 40 or 50 feet away through wooded forest and i need to activate it with a press botton, like a clicker. I'll attatch it to the things i usually lose in the woods and when i return it will be easy to hunt down, gps pins are great but its still hard to come back and find them! :) So, click activation, little speaker and a battery that will last for 10 to 20 hours of nonstop beeping. I love tinkering so i would love to know how to make this myself but im also interested in finding someone that can mass produce these things. Any suggestions?

Chris
 

Arouse1973

Adam
Dec 18, 2013
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This isn't for trapping animals is it? What do you loose in the woods? When you say clicker what do you mean?
Adam
 

Idaho

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Actually trapping insects for disease testing. Little traps all over the place. There are a few other applications I have in mind but the device wouldnt change. Ideally the device would be the size of a large button and I would stick it to my stuff. The clicker, just an easy way to turn it on. Push on it and it clicks on. Simple, fully enclosed device that you slap on something and when the battery dies just peelit off and put on a new one. I want to produce a few thousand of them as a trial run.
 

Arouse1973

Adam
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So you set this thing of before you leave the woods then. What time duration between beeps would you need? What size constraints do you have if any? You could run it from a lithium primary cell like the LS17500.
 

Idaho

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Yeah click it and leave. 15 to 30 second intervals. I dont really care if it lasts forever or not. Other applications would use it over much shorter periods.
 

Idaho

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Size, no taller than a quarter inch and no wider than maybe a 2 inch circle. Weight needs to stay down to a few grams. No more than 7-10g
 

davenn

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Size, no taller than a quarter inch and no wider than maybe a 2 inch circle. Weight needs to stay down to a few grams. No more than 7-10g

I would seriously doubt that you would get a speaker/piezo that small that could be heard over that distance and the speaker or piezo is going to be all of that size limit without the battery and other electronics

cheers
Dave
 

Idaho

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Quite possible that it would be difficult to get that size. but even 20 or 25 feet out would help a lot. At that distance you can hear a twig snap so a high pitch beep doesnt seem that hard to get. But im no expert, thats why im here! ;)
 

davenn

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distance is not really the problem
your size limitation for the given size of the hardware is the main issue

D
 

Arouse1973

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Size, no taller than a quarter inch and no wider than maybe a 2 inch circle. Weight needs to stay down to a few grams. No more than 7-10g

Sorry not a chance with those dimensions. 6mm thick, say -3mm for plastic case thickness leaves 3mm. 1.6mm for standard PCB leaves 1.4mm for components, battery and sounder. I think you need to re-consider your sizes.
Cheers
Adam
 

Idaho

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Ok so i checked the dimenssions again and it could go up to 1/2 inch in height but absolutely no higher than that and spread out as much as 3 inches and no more than that. What do you think, little bit easier there? Thanks
 

davenn

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not really
its the depth that is the main issue you need probably at least 1 inch


Dave
 

Arouse1973

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jpanhalt

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I think a LiPo pack and a speaker, either piezo or like from a musical greeting card, will get you under 1/2". Then shrink wrap it will add only a few mils, probably less than 15.

In other words, forget the case.

John
 

davenn

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I think a LiPo pack and a speaker, either piezo or like from a musical greeting card, will get you under 1/2". Then shrink wrap it will add only a few mils, probably less than 15.

In other words, forget the case.

John

he's wanting to mass produce these ... 1000's presumably for sale
A case of some sort will probably be needed

if it was just a one or 2 off, for personal use you mite get away with shrink wrap etc

Dave
 

jpanhalt

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Shrink wrap is hardly an impediment to mass production. It is used very widely as a case for ESC's for models. An awful lot of receivers are also shrink wrapped. Here's an example of a whole line of speed controllers that uses shrink wrap: http://www.castlecreations.com/products/phoenix-edge-lite.html

It is light, saves space, and can be somewhat weather tight.. If one fills it with a polymer, then it is weather tight, but I don't think that is needed. One can also dip in liquid vinyl as an alternative for weather tightness.

Even if shrink wrap is not used n the final design, it is a simple solution for a prototype.

John
 
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KrisBlueNZ

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When you say "clicker", you mean something like a remote control for a TV set, right? And you need that to operate over the same distance that you want to be able to hear the beep, right?

Why do you want it to be disposable?

Why does it need to be so light?

Would it be better for the unit to just beep once every time you press the clicker?

What type of signal do you want the clicker to use? Original "clickers" used ultrasonic clicks, but remote controls normally use infra-red light so there must be a line of sight (or lots of reflective objects like walls). Another option would be radio, but that would increase the unit cost quite a bit.

You've given us some good background information, but a bit more could be useful as well.
 

Arouse1973

Adam
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he's wanting to mass produce these ... 1000's presumably for sale
A case of some sort will probably be needed

if it was just a one or 2 off, for personal use you mite get away with shrink wrap etc

Dave

I agree with Dave, because slightly weather proof could be the failure of the product. I assume in the woods is outside and will be open to all conditions. I have used many speed controllers when I used to race RC cars and fly helicopters. And yes John some come in heat shrink but I must admit even the cheaper ones I have used all had cases.

Just my opinion and you must do what is best for your product.

Adam
 

CDRIVE

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Actually, I started out being on the shrink wrap, polymer, potting side of the fence but even if the bat and circuit can be encapsulated or shrink wrapped the Piezo can't be.

Chris
 
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