Search found 14 matches

by ShopRat
Wed Mar 01, 2017 10:11 am
Forum: General Discussion
Topic: How Many Cycles?
Replies: 10
Views: 5613

Re: How Many Cycles?

Len, I can guess where you're headed with this project now, but it beats doing real work :grin: so I'll post version 3 of your data table and crunch some numbers to see where it goes. ver. 3 Tank 0.27 Cu Ft / 2200 PSI Tank Data Temperature (STP): 70 deg F (at Standard Temperature & Pressure) Pro...
by ShopRat
Tue Feb 28, 2017 8:01 am
Forum: General Discussion
Topic: How Many Cycles?
Replies: 10
Views: 5613

Re: How Many Cycles?

Len, Sorry, I didn't recalculate anything on the tank. Wait! 40 cu.ft.? That can't be one-hand carry! Maybe 40 cu.ft. of "standard pressure" N? I admit, I was thinking 40 gal. (probably also wrong) and picturing the "chest-high" industrial tanks (similar to dad's Oxygen tank on a...
by ShopRat
Tue Feb 28, 2017 6:22 am
Forum: General Discussion
Topic: How Many Cycles?
Replies: 10
Views: 5613

Re: How Many Cycles?

Len, First, I calculated my previous "SWAG" by comparing 40 cu.in. per cycle fed from 40 cu.ft. tank. So, a simple ratio of inch to foot, cubed, gives 1728 cycles from one full tank @120 psi drained to zero (theoretical). Seat-of-the-pants engineering and the pressure differential makes me...
by ShopRat
Sat Feb 25, 2017 11:54 am
Forum: General Discussion
Topic: How Many Cycles?
Replies: 10
Views: 5613

Re: How Many Cycles?

I'm not an engineer, but this seems workable. First, how many cu.ft. at 120 psi equal 40 cu.ft. @2200 psi? (I don't know, but Nitrogen is quite compressible) Subtract 40 from that (tank still full of N @120 psi), then divide by 40 cu.in. and you should have a fairly close estimate. My quick SWAG is ...
by ShopRat
Fri Dec 09, 2016 6:41 am
Forum: General Discussion
Topic: Remote Control Light Dimmer
Replies: 4
Views: 7066

Re: Remote Control Light Dimmer

Thanks, Engineer. I don't think I'd seen UPB before. Yes, initial research suggests it's based on the same basic ideas as X10, but much more robust. Almost as if UPB came from an effort to "fix" problems with X10 :smile: . I recall looking through some X10 forums several months ago. A comm...
by ShopRat
Mon Dec 05, 2016 3:32 am
Forum: General Discussion
Topic: Remote Control Light Dimmer
Replies: 4
Views: 7066

Remote Control Light Dimmer

Here's a project that's been bouncing around my head for years (like a BB in a boxcar); remote control of a few theatre lights. Background; Many years ago, I was involved with community theatre (read "LOW budget"), often working with lighting. This is different than "special effects&q...
by ShopRat
Fri Nov 04, 2016 8:36 am
Forum: General Discussion
Topic: Junk or Repair CD Player?
Replies: 10
Views: 5472

Re: Junk or Repair CD Player?

I can sympathize on the white noise. Back when I spent several years on the "graveyard shift", I bought a clock/radio/noise generator (from the DAK catalog?) to help sleep during daylight. I have no idea what's currently available. Quick and cheap, you could try a small sheet of foam rubbe...
by ShopRat
Wed Aug 24, 2016 7:16 am
Forum: General Discussion
Topic: CID logger
Replies: 8
Views: 7093

Re: CID logger

Welcome back. Sorry I don't have any brilliant ideas. I suppose some CID units could be hackable to read the memory chip(s) and pass the data to a PC, but that would be more project than you want. I'd be interested in the device you describe. I've been manually logging my caller ID's to a spreadshee...
by ShopRat
Mon Mar 14, 2016 10:35 am
Forum: General Discussion
Topic: Call for a hack idea!
Replies: 4
Views: 2993

Re: Call for a hack idea!

Hi, Len, Yes, you followed my "quick fix" correctly. I'm guessing the Chinese didn't invent anything expensive. Also guessing there's a "black box" control behind the curtain. Who knows, maybe they got a deal on a shipload of the "black box" for my '80's JD lawn tractor...
by ShopRat
Sat Mar 12, 2016 11:31 am
Forum: General Discussion
Topic: Call for a hack idea!
Replies: 4
Views: 2993

Re: Call for a hack idea!

Would a "step start" be good enough? A small-value resistor switched in parallel to the rheostat could give a slow start speed, then open that switch to "jump" to the speed preset by the rheostat. That would still need the "on-off" switch, needing three actions to resta...
by ShopRat
Sat Mar 12, 2016 6:04 am
Forum: General Discussion
Topic: hot water heater monitor.
Replies: 23
Views: 11651

Re: hot water heater monitor.

I stand corrected :( . I must have been thinking of limiting voltage "in the water" with 115V elements. But then you'd have trouble getting enough energy into the water. When I get on the wrong track, I can take it a long way! Got me to wondering; is there another hole in the tank below th...
by ShopRat
Thu Mar 10, 2016 10:41 am
Forum: General Discussion
Topic: Thinking Back.
Replies: 1
Views: 1861

Re: Thinking Back.

Those headset systems sound like what we had in a community theater (repurposed church building) years ago. It had permanent wiring to strategic outlets (1/4" phone jacks with integral switch - plug in your headset to open the switch and put it "in circuit"). I thought they were all w...
by ShopRat
Thu Mar 10, 2016 9:47 am
Forum: General Discussion
Topic: hot water heater monitor.
Replies: 23
Views: 11651

Re: hot water heater monitor.

To detect a failed heater element, how about tracking thermostat "ON" time? It's been awhile since I worked on one (I currently have a tankless LP gas water heater), but I believe residential water heaters are effectively wired as two "shared neutral" 115V circuits within the hea...
by ShopRat
Wed Mar 09, 2016 7:09 am
Forum: General Discussion
Topic: hot water heater monitor.
Replies: 23
Views: 11651

Re: hot water heater monitor.

Long ago and far away, my brother milked 70+/- cows. He had given up replacing the lower heater element in the 80 gallon water heater because it would fail within a few weeks. (He generally kept a replacement on hand, also stocked by the local hardware store) Every month or three, one of us would dr...