IR Relay Switch

[automizer]

Ok so I have had this idea and don't know where to take it. what I want is to be able to plug in say a light to a IR switch. The switch idea is that once the light is turned on it trips the relay to send an IR signal to a receiver that in turn turns on and outlet. So basically I want to be able to turn on a light and with no wires in between have another light turn on X number of feet away. I have seen one or 2 items that sort of fill this need but are only 12V I want 120V anyone have any ideas how I can go about making this?

[ViperTX]

The problem you'll have is that ambient light will also trigger the switch....look at your local hardware stores for the automatic light switch used outdoors....it uses a CdS (cadium sulfite cell to sense the light).....

[automizer]

ambient light will trigger an IR signal?

[smarbaga]

hello:
these people have what you need:
http://www.e-madeinchn.com/
yepper: its made in china

[CJL5585]

Originally Posted by automizer ambient light will trigger an IR signal?

You bet it will. IR signals require filters which are red in color, which pass the red infrared light, but do not pass the other colors of the spectrum.

How do you see the many different shades of color, if they are not part of the visible light spectrum?

Do a search for the BSR X-10 system, or better still, go to Radio Shack. What you described in your first post has existed for about 20+ years. They have remote light switches, thermometers, burglar alarm systems, cameras, all which work with this system.

[automizer]

thank you for the replies I was looking under the wrong application. Now I have a better idea for what I'm looking for. As for radio shack I wish I could go there Circuit City took it over a while back and now they don't sell anything worth buying

[Al_The_Man]

For Hobbiest circuits and parts, Future-Active Electronics would supply you better than Radio Shack, there is one in BC.
Al.

[NinerSevenTango]

I made an infrared heat detector circuit a few years ago.

If you're into designing your own, you can do it with an infrared led and detector and some fiber optic cable. Here's a few things I remember:

The plastic fiber optic cable is cheaper but it attenuates the signal at that wavelength so your length will be limited, but it's worth a try unless you can get glass fiber bundle real cheap. If your source is bright anyway, it will probably work.

For the detector you can use the cheap IR phototransistor and an op amp set up as a comparator, works well. The op amp can drive a transistor, the transistor can drive a relay. All pretty standard stuff.

Not only can ambient sunlight trigger your phototransistor, but so will artificial light, because both have a component of IR to them, and the phototransistors generally respond to a wider wavelength band than you might imagine. So if you wanted, you could point the fiber optic cable at your source light and just let that trigger your circuit. Especially if it's a standard tungsten filament light bulb. Caution: electrical noise nearby can also set the thing off, the things are really electromagetic field detectors, so clean power and good shielding should be there from the start.

Here's a little secret: If you want to trigger off infrared only, as I did, the undeveloped film you get back in your negatives from having pictures developed makes a low-tech, low cost hack for an infrared filter. Just glue a little piece of that blackened plastic over the end of the fiber optic cable, and your detector will now only respond to IR. If you put the circuit in a box, that is.

The other thing you could do, if you aren't after this whole thing as an electronics hobby, is that you could buy the 12 volt thing you found and have it drive a 12 volt relay!

Have fun!

--97T--