'Tis the Season' for remote controls

[Lornie McCullough]

This is the season (the expanded Christmas Shopping/Decorating Season) when the borgs stock the remote controls used to control holiday lighting. These are the very same remote controls that we can use to control shop-made air-filtration systems. The same remote controls we can use to control contactor/relay systems for our cyclone dust-collectors or air-compressors (even when they are located outside the shop (for noise control)).

I bought three units today for less than ten dollars each.

I bought all three to match the channel frequency of the remote controll I use for my cyclone dust-collector (the remotes can be a,b,c,d, etc....) in order to place the control fobs nearer the machines/work stations that require dust collection. (I bought all c channel so they would all control the one unit that controls the relay that powers the cyclone.)

Until today, I had only one fob unit for my dust-collector, and found myself retracing my steps in the shop to find where I had last used it or set it down. Or I would find myself making 'just one or two cuts' without using the dust-collector.

Now I am never more than two steps away from a permanently located fob; usually closer.

[Thomas Hotchkin]

Thanks for the heads up. Tom

[Alan Lightstone]

Where did you get them?

[Roy Harding]

Hmmm ... I just wear the one fob I have on my shop apron's strap. It's ALWAYS where I'm at.

Perhaps I've been doing it wrong?

[Kevin Jenness]

I used a remote starter on my dust collector for a while. Once I returned from a multi day trip to find my dust collector running, probably from a passing motorist adjusting his sun visor and hitting his garage door opener on the same frequency. Now I have a magnetic starter centrally located, no more than six steps from any machine.

[Ben Martin]

I used a remote starter on my dust collector for a while. Once I returned from a multi day trip to find my dust collector running, probably from a passing motorist adjusting his sun visor and hitting his garage door opener on the same frequency. Now I have a magnetic starter centrally located, no more than six steps from any machine.

Man, your shop must be tiny!

Ben..key fob on apron wearer...

[Kevin Jenness]

Not really- 24'x30' in the machine room. And I always know where the switch is.

[Roy Harding]

My shop is 25 X 50 - the dust collector is located in a room outside of the shop (along with the air compressor), and I've never had a problem with starting/stopping it from anywhere in the shop.

However - my shop is in a rural area, with no nearby neighbours - I hadn't thought of the garage door opener thing.

Edited to add: After thinking about this for a bit, I have to ask: How does having multiple fobs in strategic locations around the shop stop the garage door opener thing?

[Duane Meadows]

(I bought all c channel so they would all control the one unit that controls the relay that powers the cyclone.)

Now as long as your next door neighbor doesn't buy a c channel for his/her Christmas lights, you'll be fine!

[Lornie McCullough]

Where did you get them?

Home Depot, in the seasonal isle, next to all the holiday lights, bulbs, fake trees, etc. My store had two dozen or more.... because they are so commonly used for holiday lighting. In the off-season, I saw only 5 units in stock, and couldn't buy multiple c-frequency channels.

I could (or you could, or we all could) control this switch using the lighting circuit, which would prevent any accidental start-up when the lights were off. I have never had an accidental start-up, but I am aware of the possiblilty.

Edited to add: After thinking about this for a bit, I have to ask: How does having multiple fobs in strategic locations around the shop stop the garage door opener thing?

It doesn't, does it? But putting it on the lighting circuit would. When you were out of the shop, at least. Otherwise: dueling remotes.

Lornie

ps Roy.... you are not doing it wrong!

[Andrew Pitonyak]

I bought three from Lowes a year or three ago. The first one keeps on working so I have not used the other two. It was hard to resist at what ever ridiculously low price they were.