Radio Shack IR tester? What's the stuff?
DurrElec
which looks like a pen which has an IR detector at one end, a battery
inside, and a red/green LED at the top end of the "Pen" which changes
color according to whether IR light is present or not. They work great
and cost about $35. E-Mail me back if you need MCMs phone #'s, etc.
Robert McPherson
Durrett Electronics
1322 Durrett Lane
Louisville, KY 40213-2010
E-Mail: durr...@aol.com
Fax: (502) 367-7107
Voice: (502) 367-9324
Samuel M. Goldwasser
>
>Hi. Does anyone know what the Infrared-reactive square on the Radio Shack
>"Infrared Sensor" (Cat# 276-099, now-discontinued) is made of? I'm
>guessing it's
>some sort of phosphor, but I don't know exactly which. Or maybe I'm way
>off!
>
>More importantly, now that I can't get it from RS, where can one get more
>of this
>STUFF?
> Thanks for any possible help
Here is a simple electronic IR detector that I use for remote controls,
CD laseres, etc.
IR Detector Circuit:
-------------------
This IR Detector may be used for testing of IR remote controls, CD laser
diodes, and other low level IR emitters.
Component values are not critical. Purchase photodiode sensitive to near
IR - 750-900 um or salvage from optocoupler or photosensor. Dead
computer mice, not the furry kind, usually contain IR sensitive photodiodes.
For convenience, use a 9V battery for power. Even a weak one will work fine.
Construct so that LED does not illuminate the photodiode!
+9V ___/ ___
|---------+
| |
\ \
/ 3.3K / 500
\ \
/ /
| __|__
__|__ _\_/_ Visible LED
IR ----> _/_\_ |
PD | B |/ C
+-------| 2N3904
| |\ E
\ |
/ 10K _|_
\ -
/
_|_
-
> TK
>
> Thanks for any possible help
>
> TK
>
>
>
>Thanks!
Lou Altman
Hi. Does anyone know what the Infrared-reactive square on the Radio Shack
"Infrared Sensor" (Cat# 276-099, now-discontinued) is made of? I'm
guessing it's
some sort of phosphor, but I don't know exactly which. Or maybe I'm way
off!
More importantly, now that I can't get it from RS, where can one get more
of this
STUFF?
Thanks!
zap
>From: durr...@aol.com (DurrElec)
>Subject: Re: Radio Shack IR tester? What's the stuff?
>Date: 29 Jun 1995 07:28:25 -0400
I made a detector using a 9 volt battery, Ir photo transistor (cassette
housing tape sensor), red led and a couple of resistors. total cost $zero !!
all scrap from junker VCRs (execpt the 9 volt.)
zap
Richard Gutteling
> MCM Electronics sells these IR detector cards. They also sell a detector
> which looks like a pen which has an IR detector at one end, a battery
> inside, and a red/green LED at the top end of the "Pen" which changes
> color according to whether IR light is present or not. They work great
> and cost about $35. E-Mail me back if you need MCMs phone #'s, etc.
$35 ? Way too much! You can easily built an IR detector yourself for
less than $10. Only things you need are an SFH505 or SFH506 (approx.
$4.50), a transistor, a resistor and an LED. And -of course- a power
supply of 4.5-5.5 volts. Three AA's will do just fine.
With this, you will not only be able to determine whether there's some
IR light present, but also how much, so you're able to check the
strength of the batteries of your RC.
If enough people are interested in the schematics, I will add them to my
homepage.
Richard.
-------------------------- Standard Disclaimers ---------------------------
Richard Gutteling, Delft University of Technology, department of EE
E-mail: R.A.Gu...@ET.TUDelft.NL | http://morra.et.tudelft.nl/~richardg/
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Winston Zeddmore: Ray, when someone asks you if you're a god, you say YES!
(from: 'Ghostbusters')
Samuel M. Goldwasser
===========
IR Detector for testing IR remotes, CD laser diodes, and other low level
IR emitters. Purchase photodiode sensitive to near IR - 750-900 um or
salvage from photocoupler or photosensor (dead VCRs and floppy drives
make an excellent source). For convenience, use 9V battery
for power. Construct so that LED does not illuminate photodiode!
+9V
o
+---------|
| |
\ \
/ 3.3K / 500
\ \
/ /
| __|__
__|__ _\_/_ LED
DurrElec
the value of your time in rounding up the parts and putting them together.
It usually doesn't pay to build things yourself, unless you have lots of
free time or unless you make close to minimum wage in your regular work.
Otherwise, it's usually cheaper to buy something already made. Heathkits
are a prime example. You can buy a better product for less money and
already assembled. The only value of making things yourself is for the
educational value, or if you need something custom which is not mass
produced.
Samuel M. Goldwasser
>Its true that it doesn't cost much to build them yourself UNLESS you count
>the value of your time in rounding up the parts and putting them together.
> It usually doesn't pay to build things yourself, unless you have lots of
>free time or unless you make close to minimum wage in your regular work.
>Otherwise, it's usually cheaper to buy something already made. Heathkits
>are a prime example. You can buy a better product for less money and
>already assembled. The only value of making things yourself is for the
>educational value, or if you need something custom which is not mass
>produced.
This is where one must distinguish between the hobbiest and the
professional. For a repair shop, time is money so if there is a
backlog of stuff waiting for your golden hands, it doesn't pay to
save $10 if it takes a hour to build. Hobbiest time is measured
differently - in terms of enjoyment, satisfaction, education, escape
from real work, but not in dollars and cents.
--- sam
Lou Altman
>Okay, back to the original question, What is on the IR card that causes
>it to glow? How does it work? I don't need a schematic for an IR
>detector...
Thank you, David! That is/was the original question, folks. What's the
stuff on
the (temporarily discontinued) Radio Shack I.R. detector card? I posted it
to
this newsgroup because I thought other experimentors might have already
had the same question and found out.
I called Tandy headquarters a few days ago, and apparently the only guy
who
might know is "on vacation right now". He's the buyer for this particular
product
and knows who manufactures the card for R.S.! I'll call T-H.Q. again on
Wednesday or Thursday and hopefully he'll be back in town.
Lou.
Daniel W. McGrath
>$35 ? Way too much! You can easily built an IR detector yourself for
>less than $10. Only things you need are an SFH505 or SFH506 (approx.
>$4.50), a transistor, a resistor and an LED. And -of course- a power
>supply of 4.5-5.5 volts. Three AA's will do just fine.
>With this, you will not only be able to determine whether there's some
>IR light present, but also how much, so you're able to check the
>strength of the batteries of your RC.
>
>If enough people are interested in the schematics, I will add them to my
>homepage.
>
Agreed! Go to radio schack and pick up the little IR detector box and an
LED (don't forget to use your free battery card!). The IR unit is $3.95.
By no coincidence, I built an IR detector as a proect for tech school. It
was so small that my lab partner also put his proect on the same board and
used the same battery! (Multiplexed power sourcing). The only problem was
this: How do you market a combination IR detector/Mister Microphone? :)
David G. Schmidt
it to glow? How does it work? I don't need a schematic for an IR
spot size on the wall.