wireless technology

[andrewsepha]

I'm a mechanical engineer, so I know little about electronics:-

Where would I sart looking for components to build a remotely operated mechanism (I want to be able to start a small battery operated device from another room inside a typical house)?

Thanks in advance for any responses.

Andrew

 

[zeitghost]

Where are you located?

 

[nbucska]

How many do you need? How much error rate can you allow?
Do you need stop, too, or only start ?

How much energy your battery operated device will need ?
How long on one battery/charge ?

 

[andrewsepha]

Sorry,

UK.

I wish to switch on a small battery (say 4.5V) operated dc motor, which will run continously until a timer switches it off. There will be negligible load on the motor.

 

[andrewsepha]

OK so I do need to be more specific.

the timer will stop the motor after about 5 minutes.

I'd like to build one of these mechanisms to start with.

 

[buzzp]

The first thing that comes to mind is a garage door opener. There are many circuits on the web for these. If this won't work you can get chips off the shelf (transmitter and receiver) for a real reasonable price. The freq and power they operate at do not require anything be done as far as the FCC goes (in US). Some of them do require the FCC be involved but you can get a set of chips where the FCC has given approval. Sorry don't recall any company names but should be fairly easy to find.
Is security an issue?

 

[zeitghost]

Since you're in the UK, look on the Maplin site.

It's full of weird & wonderful small electric motors and rf modules that you can use licence free.