FYI... couple of things to note:
There is a great, CHEAP, hack for creating 40kHz light signals....it's a little cheaper than using a PIC and
basically relies on feedback for a 74HC04 (hex inverter). What's your email? I'll send you a pdf of the
circuit.
Also......all us GC's gotta share info a little more. I could totally have warned you that IR beacons don't
work by daylight. *in fact* they don't work by highways either...turns out the bouncing headlights oscillate
enough to confuse the cheap little receiver elements. I learned that one in Wonka.
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-Red
We were impressed by the Druid's survival. So much so...we opened ours up. One more hint I would love to
see passed on to anyone doing electronics in the Game...>POT ALL OF YOUR ELECTRONICS<. We found that
simply hot-melt-gluing and potting all of the components greatly increased the survival rate (and
moisture/shock survival) of our Overnightmare electronics. I would recommend that any team pursuing
electronics seriously consider encapsulation for survival.
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Great job, guys!
Final...those of you getting started...definitely take a look at the PIC processors and also a the ATMEL
processors. The dev tools and dev environments are CHEAP and easy. There are a lot of free PCB design
programs now, too. Additionally, burning PCBs in one's garage is nearly trivial if you've ever done
photography. The only catch to all this...electronics needs serious survival and torture tests prior to
use (and backup plans, too)!! I recommend a 30 minute soak in your freezer....pull it out and see if it
still works. Try some heat tests, too...and a few drop tests onto concrete.
thanks guys!!
-Red |