jstein Posted January 24, 2009 Share Posted January 24, 2009 What I am looking to do is start with some say plywood cut out in a tree attached to some string. I want to be able to apply power to a channel with a motor on it that will automatically lower the decorations. Then when it gets to a certain point will automatically stop say after like 3 seconds. And when I apply power again I want the decorations to retract back into the tree for say 3 seconds once again to go back to the same exact point. Does anyone know how to do this? I am trying to make something that I just have to send the command to turn the channel on and it automatically knows to either lower or raise and to know exactly how long without programming it every time. Thanks for your help! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
displaysinmotion_will Posted January 24, 2009 Share Posted January 24, 2009 if there is an exact point you want them to stop at you would need to use limit switches at each end, you would position these at the location you want this pieceto stop at. Im going to assume you are using a dc motor to do this so what you need to do is wire the UP circuit through the top limit switch so once it hits its mark it will stop the motor, then the same for going down wire the DOWN circuit through the bottom switchwhen i return to work at the park in march i will get a copy of a wire diagram of a similar device that we use on our electronic water games Attached files Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jstein Posted January 24, 2009 Author Share Posted January 24, 2009 Yes! Thanks so much, thats perfect! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DanCampbell Posted January 24, 2009 Share Posted January 24, 2009 Sounds like a project I built a long long time ago. I don't know if it'll help, but it also used limit switches.The project was a roll-up shade used as a door to my basement shop. String from the shade routed to a fishing reel, with the handle replaced by a large pulley from a tuner in an old radio. A belt ran from the pulley around the shafts of two small AC motors.Relays sent power to either the "up" or "down" motor. Carefully positioned mercury switches from old thermostats set the limits of travel, turning the up motor off and the down motor on when the door reached the top, and turning the down off when the door reached the bottom.Photocells on either side of the door triggered it to open.So did mom's vacuum.Good luck with your project! Edmund Scientific may be a good source for the moving parts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jstein Posted January 24, 2009 Author Share Posted January 24, 2009 I have an attachment that kinda shows what I am tryin to accomplish. *Note, by opening the picture in no way allows you to think I am an artist:D. It's not a great drawing, but I think it gets the point across. I was thinking of maybe puting the motor maybe on the on the ground. I will decide that once I get one and find out how heavy it is since there may be no way to mount it in the end.Edit: Well you don't get a choice, you have to look at the drawing:dude: Attached files Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DanCampbell Posted January 24, 2009 Share Posted January 24, 2009 Another idea... it's way overpowered, but how about an old garage door opener? Mount it vertically, cut the shaft to a convenient length, move the limit switches in to get the travel needed and attach the ornament lines to the shuttle (or whatever the part is called that attaches to the door). I've never had one apart so I don't know what you'd need circuit-wise, but that would get you a slow, linear motion.This assumes a screw-drive unit. Not sure what you'd run into with a belt driven opener. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anthony in Houston Posted January 24, 2009 Share Posted January 24, 2009 Just an FYI I do a lot of things in the trees for my display. Your idea is great but if the decoration you are going to raise and lower is light you will have a lot of friction to overcome on your line or what you will use to attach the decoration. Tree bark is very rough and unless you have a pulley at every location there is contact you may have problems. In my trees I raise (raise only) about 8 lbs of lights and cord and it is heavy due to friction between the bark and line.I have found that nylon will greatly reduce the friction.Hope this helps you!Anthony Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DanCampbell Posted January 24, 2009 Share Posted January 24, 2009 One more before I turn in. (I love contraptions!) You'd still need to work out how to implement limit switches, but a small electric winch might be good for the moving part.G'night and good luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bhays Posted January 25, 2009 Share Posted January 25, 2009 Another option is a dmx motor controller, that's what Charles Belcher uses to raise and lower his angel.http://www.bpesolutions.com/dmxproduct.html#anchor524991 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jstein Posted January 25, 2009 Author Share Posted January 25, 2009 So I like the idea of cntrolling the motor via DM, but my question is what kind of motor do you use to do that? If I am reading the manual right, the motor is powered using its own power supply and the board needs its own besides. Or is the board just like in the middle of the motor and its power supply like a light switch and a light bulb? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bhays Posted January 25, 2009 Share Posted January 25, 2009 jstein wrote: So I like the idea of cntrolling the motor via DM, but my question is what kind of motor do you use to do that? If I am reading the manual right, the motor is powered using its own power supply and the board needs its own besides. Or is the board just like in the middle of the motor and its power supply like a light switch and a light bulb?Any DC motor would work. The dmx board functions like a switch...You either need a reversing dc motor with three wires or you would have to use relays like old style power windows in cars. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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