Blue Sun Cry Baby "You have Actual Mail detector"
@ March 22, 2011
For years now i have wanted to "Hot-Wire" my Mail/Parcel Box, unfortunately most mail boxes in CH can only be found on the ground floor (strange but true) so you get absolutely no indication that your "Robotic parcel" has arrived in the morning ....and already its afternoon.....
Geirs post was an impulse to get me motivated..
I wanted a theme mailbox indicator - not just a boring led (as receiving mail should be an "Event") .....
.... so this is why the "Cry Baby" off the "FireFly" series became my challenge.
I wanted Cheap simple components - because as soon as the "Post Wo-Man" finds out then everyone will want one (just let me dream).
08Ms (picaxe) and RF link units fitted the bill perfectly..... so i drew up some quick schematics to work off.
Here is the RX .....postage stamp drawing.
I planned to Freeform the RX to make it as small as possible because it had to fit inside a special Blue Sun coffee container.
On the Left the RX RF link unit can be seen along with a Stunning UltraViolet LED....more about that later, i attached a piezo element so that it could "Cry Baby Cry"
Here is the RF Link TX unit .....
and the "Altoid Tin" sized circuit board.....
4xAAA rechargable batteries power the unit approx 4.8Volts (5.4Voltish full charge)
Active Rotational Display Unit (ARDU for short) with .......
Self explanatory ......... the Blue Combo means both letter and parcel has arrived (full house)
heres a close up ..... its just a Servo and Depron cylinder with a viewport window.
I overkilled on the number of slots....as i can put different labels to change the mood YAY
The sensors are simple reed switches ...
This type has both normally open & normally closed contacts.
The magnets are neo type (Extra Strong) ....temporary placed with insulation tape until i find the optimum position.
One for the Letterbox ....
and here is the Parcelbox reed switch.
Magnet left (under tape) and the reed switch top black/white thingy.
Nothing is complete without some Duct-Tape .....
.....and Yes its portable and has a theoretical 500ft range
@ Sun, 2011-03-27 02:21
Interesting project Gareth.
Interesting project Gareth. Having the parcel box seperate to the letter slot makes it much easier to determine what`s inside. I just hope the poor postman doesn`t jump to the wrong conclusion and dive for cover when he sees the door switches for the first time :)
@ Sun, 2011-03-27 14:18
My worst fear......
My worst fear is that the inquisitive post-person will pull the Antenna cable and frighten the 08M ...... ripping the guts out of my Altoid tin .....there again the post-person might take a like_ing to the altoids (reward for quick deliveries)
@ Mon, 2011-03-28 11:46
Put a little LCD screen
Put a little LCD screen inside the letter box that tells the postman a new joke every day when he opens it. He would probably go out of his way to deliver your mail early in the day!
@ Mon, 2011-03-28 22:45
Postman Joke No.1
@ Mon, 2011-03-28 19:04
Brilliant social hack!
And also very Garethable!
GO GARETH GO!
(searches for postcards to send to CH)
@ Mon, 2011-03-28 23:04
Extra Sociable ShoutBox
And to cap it all (just to be extra sociable) my "Actual post delivery" could appear live - all by its-self - in our very own Shoutbox.
Brainwave:- if a RFID chip is enclosed in the amazing sponsor parcels i am going to receive now , then an advertisement could be made to shout in the "ShoutBox". (food for thought)
@ Thu, 2011-03-24 21:49
Great to see that I inspired
Great to see that I inspired you to build this Gareth. As always your work is spectacular and you never chose the easy way out like LED indicators. This would make a great steampunk gadget if you built the receiver inside some wood and brass enclosure.
My father’s mailbox only has a top lid to worry about and that made my build easier. That also gave me the advantage of having the switch power up the system so the transmitter only draws current the few seconds that the lid is open. That means that my 9V transmitter battery would probably last for years.
Great stuff Gareth!
Now we just have to wait for CtC’s version.
@ Sun, 2011-03-27 14:14
Yes and CTC is lagging behind
Forgot to add ..... CTCs version could be linked to Walter - that would be quite fitting.
@ Sun, 2011-03-27 14:11
Roaming Robot lost out due to .....
Original plan was that it would start up a small robot to roam my office when mailbox shouted......... however practicality won.
The TX unit is reasonable low current ...... i just have to keep an eye on the battery consumption ....so far the batteries have held over a week .... (don't think i would match your year calculation though ;-) .... it seams to only take extra current during the RFTX (i thought these RF link units where permanently switched "ON"), neato to find this is not the case...
@ Thu, 2011-03-24 17:05
All mail boxes in China are
All mail boxes in China are also on the ground floor (in China ground floor = first floor). No postman wants to walk upstairs. Have you read Bukowski's Post Office?