HELP! Wireless Keyfinder Project

[Arya Ardent]

Hey there, I'm new here. I know this is kinda sudden but I need your help on my project because I have absolutely zero knowledge about electronics. Fortunately, I know how solder things well enough.

Okay, lets get into details now. What I want to build is a simple wireless key-finder. That should consist of two working circuit. The first one must be able to emit a signal for a set of distance. I need it to be compact, like the car key we usually use and it must have a single button to emit its signal. For the next part, the second circuit must be able to produce sound and shine intermittently. It must be able to receive the signal from the receiver and have a stop button. Also, it must be small that someone could use it as a key chain.

To make things clear, let me explain what will happen if my contraption brought to reality. If you ever lost your keys in a messy environment, with the push of a button, you can instantly find it because it produce noise and light( if the place is dark, just in case). Then, you pick your keys and push the stop button to end the noise.

There, I think that I had given enough explanation for my project. If you ever had any idea how to construct such device, do post the link in the comment section below. However, if you are clueless, like me, you can ask your expert friends to look at my project.

All in all, I know that I'm posting my project at the right place and I certainly confident that someone have the skills and creativity to help me. I will really really appreciate any kind of help from all of you.

 

[hevans1944]

Have you looked here?

 

[Arya Ardent]

Thanks a lot Mr Hevans, I really appreciate your help. However, I should have mentioned this earlier, but this is my science project for my school. You see, I'm a 16 year old student who is participating for the science fair. I thought my idea was cool but I have no clue how to build it. I was hoping that you will lend me a hand by teaching me how to do it. Anyways, the link that you post gave me the idea on how the receiver looks like. Thanks!

 

[hevans1944]

You get points in a science fair by presenting a unique way of looking at something. The judges are looking for creativity and understanding. A key fob locator would likely be a winner if you incorporated a GPS receiver in the fob and interrogated it with a Bluetooth transciever in the fob paired with a Bluetooth transceiver in a smart cell phone.

You can prototype this rig for demonstration purposes at the fair, but include pictures of how small a GPS receiver and Bluetooth transceiver can be for a production version. Everything will fit inside a key fob, along with a "coin cell" for power. Add a flashing LED or beeper if you wish, but having GPS co-ordinates displayed on your smartphone is really all you need to find the key fob, and probably impress the heck out of the judges.

Hop

 

[Colin Mitchell]

A key finder project is much more complex than you think.
You can buy it on eBay for $10.00.

Look at it. It is very complex. It has taken $1,000 to design. And the work of 3 brilliant electronics engineers and 3 months work.
I would not even start to design something as complex as this.

 

[hevans1944]

A key finder project is much more complex than you think.
You can buy it on eBay for $10.00.

Look at it. It is very complex. It has taken $1,000 to design. And the work of 3 brilliant electronics engineers and 3 months work.
I would not even start to design something as complex as this.

Did you find one that reports back its GPS co-ordinates to your smartphone for ten bucks? I would be interested. Also interested in a key fob that tells me where I left my smartphone.

 

[BobK]

A key finder project is much more complex than you think.
You can buy it on eBay for $10.00.

Look at it. It is very complex. It has taken $1,000 to design. And the work of 3 brilliant electronics engineers and 3 months work.
I would not even start to design something as complex as this.

Wow, where do you get brilliant engineers that work for $111 per month? I get more than that for an hour.

Bob

 

[hevans1944]

Wow, where do you get brilliant engineers that work for $111 per month? I get more than that for an hour.

Bob

China of course. Maybe other countries in that region of the world.

You charge more than $111 per hour for your services?! Yikes, no wonder you are a VIP Member! Maybe Ian should change that to VWVIP or VVIP.

 

[BobK]

Actually I got more than that as an employee, when stock and bonuses are included. But I am retired now.

And our engineers in China earned about $15 an hour, which is a lot more than $111 per month.

Bob

 

[Arya Ardent]

Wow! I didn't expect my thread getting so much response. Alright, since there are many people answering my question here, let me reply the messages, one person at a time.

To Mr Hop/Hevans: ( honestly, I got a bit confused here.)

First of all, let me say a big thank you because you had helped me from the start and I really like the idea of using GPS in my key fob. Can I ask for your help? I mean, can you suggest what component should I use, what is the schematic looks like, how to assemble the part, how to test it and the list goes on.

I know this is quiet painstaking thing to do. If this is too much for you, you can say no. Don't worry, I won't be mad at you if you decline my offer, no pressure here. Still, you are all I that I could rely on.

To Mr Mitchell:

Hey there, thank you for expressing your thoughts here. I will be needing your help too. Can you help me by explaining what is the complex part in my project so that I'm not daydreaming about it. You see, I'm still a newbie, a very naive one too. So, if you could help me, that would be awesome! You could say no if you can't. I'm cool with that.

To Mr Bob:

Thanks for your time here. Can you lend me a hand? You can collaborate with Mr Hop and pitch in if you want because you look like an expert to me. Of course, you are free to choose whether to help or not.

To everyone reading my thread:

Yes, all of you. Don't be shy. If you could help me, just post it on the comments below. I really appreciate all of the effort that you guys made and I'm going to need all the help that I could get. Till then.

Ardent