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Re: [OM] Wireless releases - home brew?

Subject: Re: [OM] Wireless releases - home brew?
From: Frank van Lindert <lindertv@xxxxxxx>
Date: Mon, 05 Oct 1998 19:45:40 GMT
On Mon, 5 Oct 1998 09:36:27 -0500, "Ken Norton" <image66@xxxxxxx>
wrote:

>Anybody have any brilliant ideas for making wireless releases for our
>beloved OM's?  What I'm looking for is something that just plugs into the
>mini-plug of the winders.
>
>Ideally, this wireless release would be:
>1.  small.  Prefer each componant (transmitter and receiver) to be the size
>of a watch.
>2.  fast.  Garage door openers, although useful, are too slow to trigger.
>(my experience).
>3.  "programmable".  Ideally, I'd like 3 or 4 of them so I can control
>different cameras.
>4.  convertable.  Usable with either mini-plug (winder) or x-sync (flash).
>5.  semi-passive.  No battery drain.
>6.  Cheep.  Total cost of $5-10 per unit.
>7.  20m normal range, 200m with auxilliary directional antenneas.
>
>There are plenty of commercial solutions out there, but I'm in tightwad mode
>(3 females to feed/clothe) and would really like to come up with a nice
>home-brew solution that everybody here could use.
>
>Ken Norton
>
Hello Ken.

I have quite some experience on wireless releases for OM motor drive
or/and winder. I have tried a few different solutions, but none of
them meets all wishes of your list.
I used ready made Ricoh sets (small!, plugs without any modification
into your winder but NOT is not suited for motor drive) and Polaroid
Spectra units (rather big, and you will have to fix the proper plug
here).
More recently I have also used units made for use with alarm systems,
and stick to them now.
I can still recommend the quantum Radio slaves - but of course they
are expensive.
For long distance (up to a mile) I sometimes use a model airplane
remote control unit. Very small receiver, but relatively expensive.

Some comments on your wish list:
1. The transmitter is often small enough, but the receiver is always
rather big. One exception: The readymade Ricoh sets do have a small
receiver too. But they are only to be used with winders, not motor
drives (different polarity) and their reach is limited to about 10-15
meters.
2/3. Wireless is always fast enough (my experience) for remote shutter
release (within 200-300 milliseconds). Flash is a different matter...
for flash you will have to buy the expensive Quantum devices, I do not
know of any other which will work well.
4. The modern little devices used in alarm systems are often
programmable. But they, too, are not fast enough for flash.
5. The transmitter uses only energy when the trigger button is
pressed. Passive enough, I would say. But the receiver can't be
passive: it has to be 'ON' to receive the transmitter signals.
Consequently the receivers always use much energy. I always feed them
from lead gel cells (big!)
6. Cheapest is the alarm system module: typically $20 for a Tx/Rc
pair, but without plugs, cables, batteries, etcetera. I guess you will
always have to spend about $40-50 on parts per set, and still do a lot
of electronic work yourself (about 3 hours labor per set). 
I have sold home built devices for $100-150 during the last year, and
I didn't feel like making a lot of money there....
Polaroid Spectra remotes are between $40 and $75 used. Per country
they share one frequency...
7. The alarm system units will (in the open) reach about 60 meters.
Indoors 20-30 meters. No directional antennes will help here.

Hope these ideas help. If you want to know more, contact me privately.

Frank van Lindert
Utrecht NL


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