[BC] Silence Sensor

[Glen Kippel]

That seems like a roundabout way to solve a problem.  Yes, I build things
that have no commercial equivalent, but anyone can make a silence sensor if
they have an amplifier with a bridging-impedance input; rectify and filter
the output using an appropriate RC network, and use the resulting voltage to
control the base of a transistor that in turn controls a relay.  You can use
a buzzer, bell, Sonalert, steam whistle or whatever for an alarm.  Tie it to
a status input on your remote control, even.  It's not that hard.  Just a
little time-consuming.

On 3/28/07, WFIFeng at aol.com <WFIFeng at aol.com> wrote:
>
>
> In a message dated 03/28/2007 7:11:45 PM Eastern Daylight Time,
> amstereoexp at yahoo.com writes:
>
> > As someone who was programming in BASIC long before I was old enough to
> >  handle a soldering iron, my idea of "building" my own silence sensor
> would
> >  be to use a old computer with an audio input, such as the Macintosh LC
> >  that I got for $2.00 at a flea market.  With a few lines of code, you
> >  could have it beeping its speaker or triggering a line on its serial
> port,
> >  or anything else you want it to do when the DJ falls asleep.
>
> That's great! Did the thing actually *work*, though?
>
> I started programming BASIC on the Radio Shack TRS80 Model 1 back in the
> late
> 70's! You weren't even born yet, were ya? ;) Did the Mac give you access
> to
> the audio port in BASIC?
>
> That's pretty cool if they did! I wrote a rudimentary automation system in
> BASIC on a Commodore 128D that started a pair of cassette decks recording
> from
> satellite at pre-programmed times. It saved our bacon quite often! :) It
> was
> replaced by a REAL automation system after about 2 years.
>
> Although to most of us with extensive Electronics knowledge, building a
> silence sensor from parts would not be a terrible challenge, justifying
> spendin
> g
> the time/expense would be difficult. As I suggested earlier, unless one
> wanted
> to do it as a hobby project, it just wouldn't be worth the effort when
> there
> are already many built and tested units available for very reasonable
> prices.
>
> Tho I must admit, Kevin, your $2 Mac sounds like quite the bargain! ;)
>
> Willie...
> **************************************
> See what's free at http://www.aol.com.
> _______________________________________________
>
> The BROADCAST [BC] list is sponsored by SystemsStore On-Line Sales
> Cable-Connectors-Blocks-Racks-Wire Management-Test Gear-Tools and More!
> www.SystemsStore.com       Tel: 407-656-3719    Sales at SystemsStore.com
>
>