Yup, this is exactly what I meant. If you can come up with a design that's feasible for production, Kickstarter would be a great way to raise the initial capital to get through regulatory testing and initial production runs.Originally Posted by schult
That's another reason to leave out the wireless feature for now, avoid needing FCC testing. Also, I believe if you buy an FCC approved wireless module, you don't need to do compliance testing on your product. A shot timer will never have enough volume to be worth rolling your own anyway.
Inclusion of wireless does affect which rules you have to worry about (intentional vs. unintentional radiators), but leaving it out or using an approved module doesn't avoid the overall problem. Pretty much all electronic devices (with a few exceptions that this product won't qualify for) have to undergo some kind of testing. I dug through the actual regulations for a while looking for ways to avoid it, and I didn't find any.
I kind of regret drawing any more attention to FCC testing -- it isn't worth worrying about if we never come up with a working design in the first place.
There's enough market for the existing manufacturers to roll their own devices. In any case, I know I can build a prototype for myself at a price I'm comfortable with, and I don't mind sharing my final design (assuming it works). Maybe someone else will figure out how to turn a profit on it. I honestly think it's possible within Todd's target price range, but I don't have the capital.
Here is where I am at so far:
I have a pushbutton to start the timer with an LED to show when it starts. Speaker will come later when I get most of the timing code debugged, this is for sanity reasons.
The microphone with amplifier is finished and working well.
I have enough code completed and debugged to start the timer on the press of the button, log the times when the sound exceeds a threshold, and spit the values out to display on a terminal. Lots more to go with the bluetooth interface and some other ideas that I have. Anybody here that has written apps for Androids?
So far the Arduino/ATmega microcontroller seems plenty fast for this application.
-Seconds Count. Misses Don't-
RE toughness-
What about filling the case with silicone once everything is in place? I recall a flashlight maker (Elzetta [sp?]) filling the space around the LED electronics with silicone, and the result was a seriously robust light.
Nobody is impressed by what you can't do. -THJ
So not only are there no reliable pistols available to purchase there are also no reliable timers. If this continues we will have to carry crossbows and record with slate and chalk. Isn't progress great
There are several different companies that use resin or epoxy filling to help 'shock proof' their electronics... Mallkoff devices are a popular one, there are also some amp manufacturers that do the same. However, it's not exactly realistic to do so until you have a pretty finalized design. Otherwise you just made your PCB impossible to access. From a customer service stand point you're also making your device unable to be repaired, so if the end user has an issue, replacement is the only option. Not necessarily a big issue on a LED module that has <$10 worth of parts in it, but a little more so on a timer that has $50 worth of components.
It would be interesting to know what the cost is on that sort of manufacturing process... the fact that we don't see it on more electronics may mean that it is cost prohibitive and/or labor intensive.
I train to be better than I was yesterday. -F2S
Nice. It sounds like you've done some testing at the range, is that correct?
I was referring to rolling your own bluetooth radio vs buying a module, not the whole device.
I've been involved with electronics manufacturing for more than a dozen years and I've never had a request for this type of "shock proofing". I'm not sure where I would go to ask questions, it's that unusual.
Seems to me that if the main concern is broken internal components when it's rattling around in a range bag, a better solution would be 1. a robust mechanical design, 2. a ruggedized shell (perhaps some rubber in key places) and 3. A simple padded zipper storage/travel case.
When you're using it at the range, is it commonly knocked to the ground or abused?
Also.... While we're designing stuff....
Why not add a belt loop and an ear plug system? Make it plugable into electronic ear-pro, or use silicone-type audio plugs under standard muffs.
This would eliminate the need for a speaker on a "personal-use-only" timer, or would be an added feature on a competition timer.
I'm not very familiar with the electronic design requirements of this thing, but I have a hard time believing you can't fit a full featured shot timer into an enclosure the size of a volt/amp meter. Hook it on your belt or maybe a Velcro holster and strap it to your arm or leg.
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