Hows Project going now of yours Haxby?

[TEZARM]

What, it did'nt work. I tried replying to Haxby's old thread but interestingly enough it doesn't transfer it over to the new Forum, Huh?
Bugger it, Haxby I am just interested in how you are getting on with that project with your Ultrasonic Reversing Alarm as I am doing the same thing at the moment (We'll, considering it anyway). Haxby I would have just emailed you but the wacky email fuction on this forum won't work anymore? Technical, whats up with that at the moment?

 

[hax]

Hi Tezarm, I tried interfacing some waterproof sensors to the SRF004 ultrasonic sensor, and they just didn't work.

I could hear the tick tick tick sound when I held them up to my ear, but as many have assumed, I think that receiving the signals is the problem. It's just too weak a signal to go through the plastic.


I ended up getting a 4 sensor kit from ebay. Works well!

 

[TEZARM]

Yeh, those kits are so cheap now, it's probably the best way to go anyway I guess.
I am also curious as to how you got on with the switching between the front and rear sensors by using the relays that you talked about. Did it work successfully???

 

[Dippy]

The makers of the SRFxxx DO say that sealed u/s transducers won't work.

 

[hax]

I have not tried switching front and rear sensors with relays (yet), but I bet it would work.

The lead that came with my kit for each sensor is very long. It's close to 3m per sensor. So with a bit of luck, one could mount the receiver box centrally in the car and not have to extend any wires at all. But I doubt one or two extra metres of shielded wire would be any problem, if you did need to extend them.

I did pick up 4 extra sensors that may eventually find a home on the front bumper, but as my car is only one month old, it was painfull enough to drill 4 holes into the rear bumper, let alone 8 holes, all around.


By the way, painting the sensors is a bit of an issue. They say that only a light spray paint coat is recommended. Anything more and the sensors won't work.

Rain also affects their operation. When droplets fall on the sensors, they don't work till the droplets are gone.


Yes, the manual does state that sealed sensors won't work. But you know how it is, I had to try it for myself

 

[TEZARM]

Oh, right, you haven't done the relays part yet. When painting the sensors, did you block them back lightly first with 1000 grit wet and dry sandpaper to get better paint adhesion? This needs to be done because of the oil in plastic, but as you say, just one light coat of paint is all they say to use, this is usually impossible to do as the sensors are always black usually, but glad to see you have got it sorted out anyway.
Just out of curiosity and myself being a car lover, What kind of car did you buy?

 

[hax]

Hey Tezarm, it's a holden barina. The colour is a very dark blue, and I got some touch up paint from the holden dealer. I was not game enough to colour the sensor part of the ultrasonic sensors, so I painted just the bezels in the blue colour, leaving the center transducer black.

With the dark blue colour of the car, it looks very professional, but with a lighter colour car, it would not look as nice at all.

By the way I'm accepting nominations for the most off topic thread of the day.

 

[TEZARM]

Lol, yeh I am becoming an expert now for posting non-picaxe related stuff. Sorry guys, I just like cars ok. Hey Haxby I was going to buy a Ultrasonic kit aswell but than after a search on the net found a schematic for one so am going to make it myself. It's not using a picaxe but I am going to get a picaxe to switch between front and rear sensors instead and maybe add some pretty lights aswell which I will get the picaxe to control. If you want me to email you the diagram Haxby then pop me an email and I can do for ya no probs. It's really simple to make and simply uses a schmitt and decade counter.