OT: Does this exist?

[Charles Edmondson]

Jim Thompson wrote:

On Wed, 09 Mar 2005 15:22:36 GMT, "Michael A. Terrell"
mike.terrell@earthlink.net> wrote:


Jim Thompson wrote:

On Tue, 08 Mar 2005 20:26:33 -0700, "Richard H." <rh86@no.spam> wrote:


- put the garage lights on a motion sensor and do without the
bulb in the opener.

Motion sensor already there turning on fluorescent ceiling fixtures,
but it doesn't always trip on vehicles, just people.

...Jim Thompson


If the opener is out of warranty why not cut a small square hole in
it and snap in a square outlet like the ones used for an auxiliary power
outlet, then wire it to the lamp. I might have one around to take a
picture of, if needed.


Opener is brand new. I replaced my JUNK Genie screw drives with
LiftMaster belt drives... quiet as a church mouse ;-)

...Jim Thompson
Hi Jim,

Take it this is a single bulb model. Mine has two bulbs, for
redundancy, which comes in real handy when one burns out.

Haven't seen any extenders with pigtails. Would go with putting in the
screw in two prong plug, and putting in a separate lamp with your sense
leads available...

--
Charlie
--
Edmondson Engineering
Unique Solutions to Unusual Problems

 

[Jim Thompson]

On Wed, 09 Mar 2005 08:22:52 -0800, Charles Edmondson
<edmondson@ieee.org> wrote:

Jim Thompson wrote:
On Wed, 09 Mar 2005 15:22:36 GMT, "Michael A. Terrell"
mike.terrell@earthlink.net> wrote:


Jim Thompson wrote:

On Tue, 08 Mar 2005 20:26:33 -0700, "Richard H." <rh86@no.spam> wrote:


- put the garage lights on a motion sensor and do without the
bulb in the opener.

Motion sensor already there turning on fluorescent ceiling fixtures,
but it doesn't always trip on vehicles, just people.

...Jim Thompson


If the opener is out of warranty why not cut a small square hole in
it and snap in a square outlet like the ones used for an auxiliary power
outlet, then wire it to the lamp. I might have one around to take a
picture of, if needed.


Opener is brand new. I replaced my JUNK Genie screw drives with
LiftMaster belt drives... quiet as a church mouse ;-)

...Jim Thompson
Hi Jim,
Take it this is a single bulb model. Mine has two bulbs, for
redundancy, which comes in real handy when one burns out.

Haven't seen any extenders with pigtails. Would go with putting in the
screw in two prong plug, and putting in a separate lamp with your sense
leads available...

--
Charlie

It has a bulb on each end of the motor unit. With virtually no
clearance between cover and (40W) bulb :-(

Maybe I will examine the belt travel and see if I can't mount a leaf
switch somewhere.

...Jim Thompson
--
| James E.Thompson, P.E. | mens |
| Analog Innovations, Inc. | et |
| Analog/Mixed-Signal ASIC's and Discrete Systems | manus |
| Phoenix, Arizona Voice480)460-2350 | |
| E-mail Address at Website Fax480)460-2142 | Brass Rat |
| http://www.analog-innovations.com | 1962 |

I love to cook with wine. Sometimes I even put it in the food.

 

[Spehro Pefhany]

On Wed, 09 Mar 2005 09:34:38 -0700, the renowned Jim Thompson
<thegreatone@example.com> wrote:

O
It has a bulb on each end of the motor unit. With virtually no
clearance between cover and (40W) bulb :-(

If you don't mind losing one of the bulbs, you can get (or at least
used to be able to get) screw-in plug adapters that would surely fit.
You could power an external light from it (maybe just a
surface-mounted socket).

Maybe I will examine the belt travel and see if I can't mount a leaf
switch somewhere.

...Jim Thompson

Best regards,
Spehro Pefhany
--
"it's the network..." "The Journey is the reward"
speff@interlog.com Info for manufacturers: http://www.trexon.com
Embedded software/hardware/analog Info for designers: http://www.speff.com

 

[John Woodgate]

I read in sci.electronics.design that Jim Thompson
<thegreatone@example.com> wrote (in <p59u219ghnjpbkvkhvuaj83ivs0qfaa80p@
4ax.com&gt about 'OT: Does this exist?', on Wed, 9 Mar 2005:

It has a bulb on each end of the motor unit. With virtually no
clearance between cover and (40W) bulb :-(

For a truly innovative solution, replace the lamps with white LEDs. (;-)
--
Regards, John Woodgate, OOO - Own Opinions Only.
The good news is that nothing is compulsory.
The bad news is that everything is prohibited.
http://www.jmwa.demon.co.uk Also see http://www.isce.org.uk

 

[Carl D. Smith]

On Wed, 09 Mar 2005 08:24:55 -0700, Jim Thompson
<thegreatone@example.com> wrote:

Opener is brand new. I replaced my JUNK Genie screw drives with
LiftMaster belt drives... quiet as a church mouse ;-)

...Jim Thompson

Isn't it Genie that brags that screw drives are quiet?

And wasn't it you that replaced your garage door opener a while
back, maybe a year or two ago, and complained that it opened way
to fast?

 

Joerg wrote:

Can't you just current sense the input to the opener? A sense relay
with limiter, whatever, so when there is in excess of x milliamps the
parking guidance is on. Most openers consume little power when only
the receiver runs but there should be a marked jump when the light
bulb turns on. And, of course, another one when the motor cranks but
that can be limited out.

Regards, Joerg

But if the bulb is burned out it won't work. Better is to voltage
sense, so even if the bulb is bad the sensor indicates that the
opener was operated.

But even better is something independent of relying on the
opener, like an always on LED parking assist.

Ed

http://www.analogconsultants.com

 

In sci.electronics.design Jim Thompson <thegreatone@example.com> wrote:

Light bulb socket extender... very short length
Provides pig-tail out the side
Does such a thing exist?

I know you can get them in 12 V, for 1157 dual-filament (running light
and brake light) car tail light bulbs. These are sold at U-Haul as a
cheap and cheerful way of tapping your tail lights for a trailer. They
look exactly like regular 1157 bulbs, but with a couple of wires (in
some reasonably heat-resistant sleeving) coming out of the metal base
along with the glass envelope. The wires end in bullet connectors or
1/4" tabs, which then get connected to your trailer wiring.

I know your app is 120 V, but I thought I'd throw it out.

Another idea: you can get adapters for screwing a candelabra base bulb
into a "normal" sized socket. These typically stick up 1/8" or less
above the rim of the original socket. There might be enough meat in
the plastic to make a groove for tapping the center (hot) conductor.
Tapping the neutral should be easy with something like a short piece
of thin metal pinched between the last couple of bulb threads and the
socket.

How about adapting one of those voltage detector pen things. It's a
fat pen with a couple of AAAs in it, an LED in the translucent tip,
and a (FET with an open gate lead?). Put the tip near AC and the LED
comes on. Tap the LED for a logic level output. Have to replace
batteries though, unless you rig up some rechargeables.

Matt Roberds