Transmission Completion Confirmation Tone

[LeapFrog]

Here is the start of my next project.

A Custom Transmission Completion Confirmation Tone A.k.A. Roger Beep

Here is the circuit board, salvaged from a goodwill bargain wireless doorbell system

I am going to be powering the device from the Transceiver using a 7805 regulator and a voltage divider as the device ran off 4.5 v via x3 C batteries.

It is pre-programmed with a short tone and a double doorbell style sound wich I have tweaked the resistance & "bent the circuit" to make it sound more like a real roger beep and not a door bell! I will post a video with the sound later.
The 7 tone westminister chime will not be used in this project LOL .

In repurposing this device I face a few challenges ahead due the to lack of an oscilloscope.
Firstly I need to determine what in the circuit "triggers" the tone sequence when the tx signal is detected by the lc oscillator circuit, namely what transistor "switches on" so I can tie in the relay that will be similar or identical to one pulled from this board.

In this photo you also see the back of the doorbell button module that will not be used in this project.

The receiver side of the sound board will be disabled and the original wireless system will be tossed aside, I don't want stray/foriegn RF inside the Radio Unit. I have it here just to trigger the tone sequence untill i tie-in a push button directly on the board for further testing untill the relay is in circuit.

I'm going to tie this all in so it works like a traditional roger beep.

All i have for tools are Digital Multi Meter & Freq. Counter
No scope to probe around with so I need to learn how to modify this circuit to activate the sequence with a momentary push button, thus cutting all the doorbell wireless stuff out of the picture.

My next challenge is injecting the signal into audio line.
The circuit board as configured is set to drive a .25 watt 8 Ohm speaker (heard quit loud notably)
I need the Line Level Audio Signal that carrires the tones to be injected not the speaker level signal that has been amplified to be heard through the speaker; i don't wan't to damage the transciever.

Any hints as to where i should look for the line level audio signal; this is a mV signal but not "huge" like 500mV? correct?

Any Tips, Ideas, Hints or Suggesyions Are welcome!
Thank You for Reading this, & please join me to make it a conversation!

 

[Captain Kilowatt]

Won't you be popular on the frequency. On a lighter note congrats on experimenting with something electronic. There should be more of it today.

 

[LeapFrog]

Won't you be popular on the frequency. On a lighter note congrats on experimenting with something electronic. There should be more of it today.

This is the most annoying and ridiculous sound byte the device will ever make while in operation:
When it's in the radio it will be switchable!

In another video when i make real progress I will show the extremely short two beep and one beep sounds this board will aslo make.

 

[fourstringburn]

I'll echo Captain Kilowatt about being popular on the frequency but mostly I'm impressed by your electronic resourcefulness.

I'm going to be rather frank here, I always referred to roger beeps as a "Tinker bell". Probably why people call them "Good Buddy" beeps also.

You are definitely creative and have electronic skills, couldn't you design and develop something more useful other than obnoxious toys the quite frankly a lot of people don't want to hear on the band???

By the way, what else have you created that might be of interest to us?

 

[LeapFrog]

FourStringBurn Thank You for the kind words Sir!
"I'll echo Captain Kilowatt" haha a little irony spotted while we are on the subject of tinker-bells!
warning: this post is winded and does not include much humor

More people should dive in head first and start messing about with real world things, too many people have tons of theory under the belt and in the mind but not much (if any) real world practice.
I'm going backwards sometimes but without direction/discipline how can one make progress without even trying?!

I'm thinking of something more advanced, much more advanced!
But at the same time i'm only a novice who is lacking an experienced mentor, if I plan to be a part of this industry & community I have to be resourcefull.
Out of fear of ridicule (& other concerns) on this public forum I will not explain everything about the idea, just the concept.

To learn various things I'm constatnly combing over the net & books, seemingly random youtube videos, searching the web more, finding forum threads, opening up a book, looking up terms, reading about what part a component plays in a specific circuit design, teaching myself (correctly?!) & attempting to put theory into practice all without a tutor : )
i'm finding confirmation of success through the lack of apparent failure, all while measuring without the proper equipment.

For instance if I had a scope and proper training
(as to not blow a channel out by probing a power point with the incorrect leads and settings)
I could determine where to grab my audio signal, at this point i'm using a multi-meter measuring voltages & it's a little difficult to "see" if the point i'm at is just d.c or signal by comparing mV readings and guessing.

If enthusiasts & ametuers can pickup the radio hobby, and are interested in mods
[& are handy enough]
to install various mods & perform simple repairs then they will be able to install my device, I still have to look up Federal Regulations Governing my idea, this may only ever exist as a prototype.

I need (want) to design and prototype a circuit wich will seemingly perform "smart" functions using analog circuitry, I still have a long way to go before circuit board design files and a bill of materials are released as they do not exist.

Basically I want to bring an "internet of things" to radio, to make them interact with the real world and control actual hardware. NO CLOUD INVOLVED unless they are actual clouds!
I imagine it could be created as a seperate unit that one would interface with an ametuer data transceiver setup, but that involves a more "delicate" digital circuit & incorporating a microcontroller, I have played with C programming a tad & arduinos but im not trying to build a surface mount over-the-top unrepairable (to most) tiny little device. I'm thinking long term on the design, I want it serviceable; moreso it needs to be reliable.

The hard part is the "security", creating an "encrypted" signal and demodulation by a reciever that will not be easily spoofed/fooled or "hacked" by an offending individual who wishes to play games with whatever the device is attatched to.
This design will use simplex no duplex, it needs to be easily addaptable

I foresee a future where most if not all manufacturers will hide the technical details of the product to a point where more & more "mom & pop" repair-service centers will disappear, thus forcing people to buy the latest model all while adding more e-waste to the landfills, I HATE to see a good product that can function after a simple repair get tossed in the trash.
Or a phone for example that costs over $500, at first it's trending & popular, it's great everybodies perceived value gores up & now they are more socially accepted with a higher status symbol then the performance will start to suck in 6 months, A "NEW" "BETTER" device will be released and your "old" & "dated" phone will slow to a crawl in 2 years due to mandatory "security updates" installing in the background. My point is that the phone really never broke, it only "broke" within someones percieved worth of it due to factors affected by the device manufacturer/media, they don't want the same device in operation for years because sales will suffer, & many people have been ingrained with a throw it away mentality and that kills me.
Read: planned obsolescence. I want to avoid that.

I am strong believer in "open-source-hardware"
A design released to the public with documentation & b.o.m.
Designed with through hole parts to be easily repaired, schematics, the works all for free. That's freedom baby!

On the flip side of that coin I believe in patents & intellectual property, If I make a product I don't want the competitor to copy everything and sell a cheap clone forcing me to drive my prices down, I would have to keep secrets and make errors in technical documents to through people off, this happens on purpose sometimes!

Ultimately.. Paradoxically I believe in total freedom of information
I.E. pay-to-access science journals of peer reviewed studies make me feel like an unallowable peasant Why must I pay to learn, ARRGH i regress..
I would pay an engineer to tutor me If I found one local, many concepts exist in electronics/science and to say I have a grasp on most would be far from the truth.

I always liked to tinker and learn, if I can save hundreds by rebuilding my carburetor and adjusting the valves on my old chevy then that's power to me.
Just like I could by a workman roger beep board for around 20$ shipped, or I can use some cheaper "junk" laying around and learn something in the process.

Sorry this went way-off topic, I feel I needed to vent a little, & in direct response to Captain Kilowatt about being popular on the frequency, for me that means having a CLEAN station with quality audio. I do not think highly of messing with someones communications platform, to bug/spam people and play noise toys on the air is not only asinine but would be a violation of Federal Law [that is not going to be me] I only run non-modified type accepted radios;
modfied CB's (anything beyond LED's) belong on a dummy load for experimentation
NOT on the air.
Again that's the law, & I 100% understand the disdain for noise toys & tinker bells.
This will be a learning exercise for me, not a lesson in how to become a nuisance.
I want to become a respectable HAM not a fool with toys. Thank You Gentlemen & 73's

 

[Robb]

Seems like a bit of overkill; doesn't it?
Roger beep circuits aren't that complicated.

 

[LeapFrog]

Very true, many sample circuits exist! None that produce the "star-trek" multi-tone in the video.

Really my goal is to learn, isolate the rf portion of the existing board, and discover how to trigger the sequence with a push button. To learn more about the what is happening when the oscillator "sees" the tx signal and what transistor is "switched" to begin the sound byte.

And just to have a unique sound no one has. Many average people may over look the radio portion of a non wifi device that claims to be wireless "old school", I see this exercise as a learning experience. No hot tips provided so I'm going to have to get the meter out and start recording voltages at various points while the unit is in standby and when it is triggered. I will find it, don't know when though laughing out loud!

 

[dave457]

FourStringBurn, here is a simple am monitor I found plans for, almost done.

Simple am monitor, plans found online. Not my original work that is for sure, just reusing someone's plans

Dude you uploaded more than the pix, delete it

 

[LeapFrog]

dave457: Dude you uploaded more than the pix, delete it

I'm not sure what happened, the post has been deleted. I will upload images to my profile for now on, no more off-site linking for pictures & the issue should be avoided.

I have saved the photo posted by Robb (Thank You Sir).

I think this thread should be deleted, i'm going to try and reach out to some people when i have a specific question or problem I need help with. This shot-gunned post is not yet usefull on the forum. [incomplete]

When I have the thing figured out I will consider posting a thread with the finished project and details of how I reached the goal.