Troy
USA
Asked
— Edited
[EDIT] In this thread, there may be broken links as time goes on. The purpose of the posts is to give members ideas to build on and be a repository for other people to add to as well. Happy building! Oh, let me add that I have no affliation to any seller or company. Always check out your suppliers before handing over your hard earned cash.
Well its new to me. I can see it now. "Dave, there seems to be an approaching storm. It's time to stop our soccer game and get inside"
eBay Link, Datasheet Link
Franklin Lightning Sensor provides early warning indication of lightning storm activity within a 40km range
- Provides distance estimation to the head of the storm
- Detects both cloud-to-ground and intra-cloud (cloud-to-cloud) ashes
- Intelligent algorithm provides for false disturber rejection
- Programmable detection levels enable threshold setting for optimal con gurability
- SPI and I2C interface is used for control and register reading
- Automatic antenna tuning
- Supply voltage range 2.4 to 5.5V
- Power-down, listening and active mode
Here is another one for motion detection for up to 20 meters. eek Microwave Doppler Radar Motion Sensor
Edit: see post #6 for better one.
UPDATE: Here is another lightning detector that popped up. eBay Link
Simpler is better even when you understand how to do stuff. It's also cheaper a lot of the time.
Example is a current monitor, simple circuit (which is explained in one of DJ's early posts but I can't seem to find it right now) but it's cheaper, easier and neater to throw in one of these breakout boards.
Even if the breakout board, fully wired circuit or whatever is a few bucks more expensive it works out cheaper in the long run with the time and effort saved and you know you are pretty much guaranteed to get something that works right off the bat.
Nice find Troy! ....and yes I agree...K.I.S.S
If you are interested in ultra sonic sensors you might want to check out.
http://www.maxbotix.com/Ultrasonic_Sensors.htm
They used one of these as a range finder with an analog input in the First Robotics FRC program a couple of years ago.
The interesting thing is they show the detection patterns for their sensors. They are not cheap but they have both sonar and motion detectors.
OK these aren't sensors but they're definately worth looking at!
I literally laughed when I thought of one of our bots using a couple of these to shoot bubbles out of the ears. Mini bubble machine module.
New link New link2 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5gL1w1XT7TsAnd this one seems like a good LED controller. I've seen them listed on Ebay. LED Magician
That bubble machine is cool. I may have a use for it. My big robot is going to be a steampunk dog, and I wanted to have a smokestack on the fake steam engine. I was thinking of using the liquid smoke and a heater coil like the garden railroad people use, but blowing bubbles out the stack would be funny.
Alan
You would need to modify the mini bubble machine somehow. It looks like only a 20sec burst from what I remember. Train smoke sounds good though. Be sure to get one large enough. I've seen them on Ebay but for smaller gauge trains mostly. They make smoke sticks that test cracks/gaps in the home for air leaks but I don't know the proper name for them.
It does look like it could be easily hacked to provide a larger reservoir if I want to go that route. Still going to investigate smoke, but on seeing this I thought I might want to be able to switch back and forth between smoke and bubbles depending on my mood.
Alan
I found this mini smoke generator on youtube for ya.