Remote Reset via RF on farm.

W

Wilhelm Lehmann

Guest
Hi,

I have an interesting problem, where the farmhouse is in a valey, and the
only way to communicate with the outside world is to make use of a relay
tower on the hill next to the house. (only about 2Km line of sight, but a
40+ minute drive by 4X4 to get to the tower)

About once a week the equipment "hangs", and needs a cold boot. That means
the long tedius offroad drive to simply switch off the quipment and back on.
I considered buying "watchdog" equipment, but there are so many different
things, I would need about 8 watchdog's for the UHF, VHF, Radyne Satelite
Modem, Linux Server, cisco router etc...

Is there not a way to modify the standard garage door remotes for longer
range, so I can transmit a pulse from the house to the tower, and it would
triger my "cold boot circuit" (a Pic controlled circuit cutting all power
and switching it back on in sequence except the linux server which doesn't
hang :) - this I monitor via RS232 just in case )

I bought a transmitter and receiver, connected it, and it works fine, but I
still have to drive to within 50 meters of the tower base to use it.

Basically just a RF pulse or code, that is read by something else that can
triger one 5V pin on my pic high or low.

All I basically want is a receiver that sits doing nothing, and when
receiving a signal (any type but example 5 pulses within 20 seconds) then
triger the relay. (obviously a matching transmitter) FM/AM I don't really
care as I will only transmit for a brief time when there is a failure. And
since it is on my property (very remote) I don't see any chance of
interfering with other equipment from the closest town about 160Km away.

Maybe someone has such a circuit of a tx/rx pair that will cover my range of
approx 2km.

Thanks in advance.

Wilhelm
wilhelm a t iseek dot co dot za
 
On Fri, 12 Aug 2005 15:47:08 +0100, in sci.electronics.design "Wilhelm
Lehmann" <wilhelm@iseek.co.za.i.dont.want.spam> wrote:

Hi,

I have an interesting problem, where the farmhouse is in a valey, and the
only way to communicate with the outside world is to make use of a relay
tower on the hill next to the house. (only about 2Km line of sight, but a
40+ minute drive by 4X4 to get to the tower)

About once a week the equipment "hangs", and needs a cold boot. That means
the long tedius offroad drive to simply switch off the quipment and back on.
I considered buying "watchdog" equipment, but there are so many different
things, I would need about 8 watchdog's for the UHF, VHF, Radyne Satelite
Modem, Linux Server, cisco router etc...

Is there not a way to modify the standard garage door remotes for longer
range, so I can transmit a pulse from the house to the tower, and it would
triger my "cold boot circuit" (a Pic controlled circuit cutting all power
and switching it back on in sequence except the linux server which doesn't
hang :) - this I monitor via RS232 just in case )

I bought a transmitter and receiver, connected it, and it works fine, but I
still have to drive to within 50 meters of the tower base to use it.

Basically just a RF pulse or code, that is read by something else that can
triger one 5V pin on my pic high or low.

All I basically want is a receiver that sits doing nothing, and when
receiving a signal (any type but example 5 pulses within 20 seconds) then
triger the relay. (obviously a matching transmitter) FM/AM I don't really
care as I will only transmit for a brief time when there is a failure. And
since it is on my property (very remote) I don't see any chance of
interfering with other equipment from the closest town about 160Km away.

Maybe someone has such a circuit of a tx/rx pair that will cover my range of
approx 2km.

Thanks in advance.

Wilhelm
wilhelm a t iseek dot co dot za


You can get this with high gain antenna, attached to normal low power
Click to expand...
thingummies. Since you are in a remote area, noise should not be a
problem

try these
http://helix.remco.tk/
very easy to build, if you use 2.4GHz stuff, and the Tx and Rx are
cheap
or for 433MHz etc google for Yagi


martin
 
Wilhelm Lehmann wrote:

About once a week the equipment "hangs", and needs a cold boot. That means
the long tedius offroad drive to simply switch off the quipment and back on.
I considered buying "watchdog" equipment, but there are so many different
things, I would need about 8 watchdog's for the UHF, VHF, Radyne Satelite
Modem, Linux Server, cisco router etc...

Is there not a way to modify the standard garage door remotes for longer
range, so I can transmit a pulse from the house to the tower, and it would
triger my "cold boot circuit" (a Pic controlled circuit cutting all power
and switching it back on in sequence except the linux server which doesn't
hang :) - this I monitor via RS232 just in case )
Click to expand...
You only need one watchdog - if you can make a pic restart everything
in response to a hypothetical signal a souped-up garage door remote,
you can just as easily make it restart everything in response to the
LACK of a keep-alive coming over one of your normal links - fail to
ping the linux box every 10 minutes and it fails to kick the pic, which
times out and restarts everything...
 
"Wilhelm Lehmann" <wilhelm@iseek.co.za.i.dont.want.spam> wrote in message
news:ddicpj$8n8$1@ctb-nnrp2.saix.net...
Hi,

I have an interesting problem, where the farmhouse is in a valey, and the
only way to communicate with the outside world is to make use of a relay
tower on the hill next to the house. (only about 2Km line of sight, but a
40+ minute drive by 4X4 to get to the tower)

About once a week the equipment "hangs", and needs a cold boot. That means
the long tedius offroad drive to simply switch off the quipment and back
on.
I considered buying "watchdog" equipment, but there are so many different
things, I would need about 8 watchdog's for the UHF, VHF, Radyne Satelite
Modem, Linux Server, cisco router etc...

Is there not a way to modify the standard garage door remotes for longer
range, so I can transmit a pulse from the house to the tower, and it would
triger my "cold boot circuit" (a Pic controlled circuit cutting all power
and switching it back on in sequence except the linux server which doesn't
hang :) - this I monitor via RS232 just in case )

I bought a transmitter and receiver, connected it, and it works fine, but
I
still have to drive to within 50 meters of the tower base to use it.

Basically just a RF pulse or code, that is read by something else that can
triger one 5V pin on my pic high or low.

All I basically want is a receiver that sits doing nothing, and when
receiving a signal (any type but example 5 pulses within 20 seconds) then
triger the relay. (obviously a matching transmitter) FM/AM I don't really
care as I will only transmit for a brief time when there is a failure. And
since it is on my property (very remote) I don't see any chance of
interfering with other equipment from the closest town about 160Km away.

Maybe someone has such a circuit of a tx/rx pair that will cover my range
of
approx 2km.
Click to expand...
How about a long string?

How about a 2km water pipe connected to a basin that drains slower than the
pipe can fill it, in which is a float switch?

Or a pneumatic hose?
 
If it has a phone there, you can get a secure modem that will reset
everything for you, modem also takes a password.
We used to reset RF equipment in Seattle from Austin Texas.
 
That is an interesting problem - and I can describe the solution I have for
something that is somewhat similar. I have a DSL modem in my basement that
likes to "lock up" once in a while (it's a known problem with the Westel
Wirespeed DSL modems...) and what it requires is to have the power cycled.
I thought about all sorts of neat things that I could do to cycle the power
remotely, etc...

....in the end, my solution was a $7 lamp timer, set so that there's no power
to the DSL modem from about 3-4 AM everyday, and powered at all other times.
Problem solved.

Would something like this work for you? Sure is cheap - you might need to
rig up some better relays (SSR or contactors) to handle all the loads you're
talking about - but if all that has to be done is cycle the power, this
might be a solution.

Low tech, I know...but it works!

TJL


"Wilhelm Lehmann" <wilhelm@iseek.co.za.i.dont.want.spam> wrote in message
news:ddicpj$8n8$1@ctb-nnrp2.saix.net...
Hi,

I have an interesting problem, where the farmhouse is in a valey, and the
only way to communicate with the outside world is to make use of a relay
tower on the hill next to the house. (only about 2Km line of sight, but a
40+ minute drive by 4X4 to get to the tower)

About once a week the equipment "hangs", and needs a cold boot. That means
the long tedius offroad drive to simply switch off the quipment and back
on.
I considered buying "watchdog" equipment, but there are so many different
things, I would need about 8 watchdog's for the UHF, VHF, Radyne Satelite
Modem, Linux Server, cisco router etc...

Is there not a way to modify the standard garage door remotes for longer
range, so I can transmit a pulse from the house to the tower, and it would
triger my "cold boot circuit" (a Pic controlled circuit cutting all power
and switching it back on in sequence except the linux server which doesn't
hang :) - this I monitor via RS232 just in case )

I bought a transmitter and receiver, connected it, and it works fine, but
I
still have to drive to within 50 meters of the tower base to use it.

Basically just a RF pulse or code, that is read by something else that can
triger one 5V pin on my pic high or low.

All I basically want is a receiver that sits doing nothing, and when
receiving a signal (any type but example 5 pulses within 20 seconds) then
triger the relay. (obviously a matching transmitter) FM/AM I don't really
care as I will only transmit for a brief time when there is a failure. And
since it is on my property (very remote) I don't see any chance of
interfering with other equipment from the closest town about 160Km away.

Maybe someone has such a circuit of a tx/rx pair that will cover my range
of
approx 2km.

Thanks in advance.

Wilhelm
wilhelm a t iseek dot co dot za
Click to expand...
 
Wilhelm Lehmann wrote:
Hi,

I have an interesting problem, where the farmhouse is in a valey, and the
only way to communicate with the outside world is to make use of a relay
tower on the hill next to the house. (only about 2Km line of sight, but a
40+ minute drive by 4X4 to get to the tower)

About once a week the equipment "hangs", and needs a cold boot. That means
the long tedius offroad drive to simply switch off the quipment and back on.
I considered buying "watchdog" equipment, but there are so many different
things, I would need about 8 watchdog's for the UHF, VHF, Radyne Satelite
Modem, Linux Server, cisco router etc...

Is there not a way to modify the standard garage door remotes for longer
range, so I can transmit a pulse from the house to the tower, and it would
triger my "cold boot circuit" (a Pic controlled circuit cutting all power
and switching it back on in sequence except the linux server which doesn't
hang :) - this I monitor via RS232 just in case )

I bought a transmitter and receiver, connected it, and it works fine, but I
still have to drive to within 50 meters of the tower base to use it.

Basically just a RF pulse or code, that is read by something else that can
triger one 5V pin on my pic high or low.

All I basically want is a receiver that sits doing nothing, and when
receiving a signal (any type but example 5 pulses within 20 seconds) then
triger the relay. (obviously a matching transmitter) FM/AM I don't really
care as I will only transmit for a brief time when there is a failure. And
since it is on my property (very remote) I don't see any chance of
interfering with other equipment from the closest town about 160Km away.

Maybe someone has such a circuit of a tx/rx pair that will cover my range of
approx 2km.

Thanks in advance.

Wilhelm
wilhelm a t iseek dot co dot za
Click to expand...
Up to 32km with this line- use 900MHz and high gain antenna, RS-232 for
simplest implementation.
http://www.maxstream.net/
There are others, run a search under: RF Modem .
 
Perhaps something like this might be a suitable basis for a system.

http://www.siliconchip.com.au/cms/A_104391/article.html

On Fri, 12 Aug 2005 15:47:08 +0100, "Wilhelm Lehmann"
<wilhelm@iseek.co.za.i.dont.want.spam> wrote:

Hi,

I have an interesting problem, where the farmhouse is in a valey, and the
only way to communicate with the outside world is to make use of a relay
tower on the hill next to the house. (only about 2Km line of sight, but a
40+ minute drive by 4X4 to get to the tower)

About once a week the equipment "hangs", and needs a cold boot. That means
the long tedius offroad drive to simply switch off the quipment and back on.
I considered buying "watchdog" equipment, but there are so many different
things, I would need about 8 watchdog's for the UHF, VHF, Radyne Satelite
Modem, Linux Server, cisco router etc...

SNIP
Click to expand...
 
Wilhelm Lehmann wrote:
All I basically want is a receiver that sits doing nothing, and when
receiving a signal (any type but example 5 pulses within 20 seconds) then
triger the relay. (obviously a matching transmitter) FM/AM I don't really
care as I will only transmit for a brief time when there is a failure. And
since it is on my property (very remote) I don't see any chance of
interfering with other equipment from the closest town about 160Km away.
Click to expand...
I'd be tempted to try using a laser pointer (fixed of course) to send a signal to the tower.
 
On Sat, 13 Aug 2005 10:51:14 GMT, richard mullens
<mullensdeletethis@ntlworld.com> wrote:

Wilhelm Lehmann wrote:
All I basically want is a receiver that sits doing nothing, and when
receiving a signal (any type but example 5 pulses within 20 seconds) then
triger the relay. (obviously a matching transmitter) FM/AM I don't really
care as I will only transmit for a brief time when there is a failure. And
since it is on my property (very remote) I don't see any chance of
interfering with other equipment from the closest town about 160Km away.
Click to expand...
A pair of PMR radios, operating on 446 MHz.
They use CTCSS tone squelch, and often have a call tune that can be
used for triggering.

Can be aquired for less than $30 a pair.

Tom
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Welcome to EDABoard.com

Sponsor

Back
Top