SCR info needed for sound activated light Morse Code

[Vin Collins]

I need to transform audio morse code into flashing light morse code.

My goal is to drive a light bulb to flash morse code from an audio speaker
level source output. (cassette player).

My grasp of the use of SCR's is very limited, but I was thinking of using a
12.6v
filament transformer in series with an SCR and a light bulb, then use the
audio output (external speaker) from a small cassette player to drive the
gate of the SCR. I am assuming the gate will detect the audio and drive the
scr junction into conduction to light the bulb visually displaying the dots
and dashes as flashing light.
What general use SCR available at Radio Shack might work in this
application.

Any help appreciated.

thanks,

Vin Collins

 

[John Fields]

I need to transform audio morse code into flashing light morse code.

My goal is to drive a light bulb to flash morse code from an audio speaker
level source output. (cassette player).

My grasp of the use of SCR's is very limited, but I was thinking of using a
12.6v
filament transformer in series with an SCR and a light bulb, then use the
audio output (external speaker) from a small cassette player to drive the
gate of the SCR. I am assuming the gate will detect the audio and drive the
scr junction into conduction to light the bulb visually displaying the dots
and dashes as flashing light.
What general use SCR available at Radio Shack might work in this
application.

---
Excellent description of what you want to do, and I can't see any
reason why it won't work, but I'd go for a TRIAC instead of an SCR
in order to get both halves of the 60Hz to drive the lamp.

Unfortunately, I can't help you with what RS has in stock, since a
search for "TRIAC" on their site goes basically nowhere.

The good news is you should be able to use pretty much any TRIAC you
can find as long as it can handle the lamp current and your cassette
player can supply the current to turn it on.

The bad news is...
Oh, wait... there isn't any bad news.

Your filament transformer will provide isolation from the mains, and
as long as your cassette player's got the guts and the TRIAC can be
fired in all four quadrants, you're home, free.

 

[Ken Taylor]

I need to transform audio morse code into flashing light morse code.

My goal is to drive a light bulb to flash morse code from an audio speaker
level source output. (cassette player).

My grasp of the use of SCR's is very limited, but I was thinking of using a
12.6v
filament transformer in series with an SCR and a light bulb, then use the
audio output (external speaker) from a small cassette player to drive the
gate of the SCR. I am assuming the gate will detect the audio and drive the
scr junction into conduction to light the bulb visually displaying the dots
and dashes as flashing light.
What general use SCR available at Radio Shack might work in this
application.

Any help appreciated.

thanks,

Vin Collins

Look for a VOX circuit, normally used for such functions as operating a
transmitter PTT upon audio being present. Use it's output instead to
drive a relay (solid-state or not) and then a light bulb.

Here's a starter, but by no means the only circuit around:
http://www.rason.org/Projects/basicvox/basicvox.htm

Cheers.

Ken

 

[David Harmon]

On Wed, 22 Feb 2006 16:29:42 -0600 in sci.electronics.basics, John

Excellent description of what you want to do, and I can't see any
reason why it won't work, but I'd go for a TRIAC instead of an SCR
in order to get both halves of the 60Hz to drive the lamp.

Unfortunately, I can't help you with what RS has in stock, since a
search for "TRIAC" on their site goes basically nowhere.

Radio Shack has some Solid State Relay modules that I'd prefer for
the isolation.

 

[John Fields]

Look for a VOX circuit, normally used for such functions as operating a
transmitter PTT upon audio being present. Use it's output instead to
drive a relay (solid-state or not) and then a light bulb.

Here's a starter, but by no means the only circuit around:
http://www.rason.org/Projects/basicvox/basicvox.htm

 

[John Fields]

On Wed, 22 Feb 2006 16:29:42 -0600 in sci.electronics.basics, John


Radio Shack has some Solid State Relay modules that I'd prefer for
the isolation.

---
Since he'll be using a filament transformer to drive the lamp he'll
already have adequate isolation from the mains, plus there's (maybe)
the issue of driving the relay with AC.

In any case, I went to their site and couldn't find any solid-state
relays. Got a link?

 

[Anno Siegel]

Even if it didn't, if the audible signal is anywhere near typical
morse speed, the eye won't be able to follow. Optical morse signalling
is *much* slower than acoustic.

Anno

 

[Vin Collins]

John,

Thanks for your input, I was fairly certain I could do it this way. I looked
into VOX ckts and comparators etc,,,
Sometimes really simple ckts are best, and for a simplton such as myself
simple is about the only way to go.

BTW: This project is so I can prepare for a US Coast Guard flashing light
exam. Flashing light requirement for the exam is around 6 WPM.

Thanks again,

Vin Collins

 

[St. John Smythe]

I need to transform audio morse code into flashing light morse code.

My goal is to drive a light bulb to flash morse code from an audio speaker
level source output. (cassette player).

If you were able to use an LED as the flasher, things could become
*much* less complicated...

 

[David Harmon]

On Thu, 23 Feb 2006 06:35:51 -0600 in sci.electronics.basics, John

Since he'll be using a filament transformer to drive the lamp he'll
already have adequate isolation from the mains, plus there's (maybe)
the issue of driving the relay with AC.

You're right.

In any case, I went to their site and couldn't find any solid-state
relays. Got a link?

I saw them in bubble packs hanging from a hook. But maybe that was
too far in the past. I couldn't find links to the triacs or SCRs
either.

 

[Chris]

John,

Thanks for your input, I was fairly certain I could do it this way. I looked
into VOX ckts and comparators etc,,,
Sometimes really simple ckts are best, and for a simplton such as myself
simple is about the only way to go.

BTW: This project is so I can prepare for a US Coast Guard flashing light
exam. Flashing light requirement for the exam is around 6 WPM.

Thanks again,

Vin Collins

Hi, Vin. I happened to stop by the local Radio Shack, and found out
some bad news. Yet once again, Shack management is alienating
hobbyists, this time by reducing the variety of components in their
drawers (only available at some stores). SCRs are long gone, and the
last triac (276-1000, 400V/6A) has recently been obsoleted, and can't
be reordered.

Without having more information on your cassette recorder and speaker,
you have to make some assumptions. Personally, I would like to get a
somewhat higher voltage at the gate of the SCR or triac in the circuit
Mr. Fields is talking about (they won't always reliably trigger with
less than 2V at the gate), so I'd add a couple more components to give
you something like this (view in fixed font or M$ Notepad):

|
| 12.6VAC .-. 12.6VAC .-.
| o-----( X )------. o-----( X )------.
| '-' | '-' |
| Lamp | Lamp |
| | |
| | SCR | Triac
| 0.1uF V S4006 0.1uF _|_ Q4006
| || ___ - || ___ V_A
| o-||-o-|___|-o--/| o-||-o-|___|-o-//|
| Sig In|| | 10 | | Sig In|| | 10 | |
| - .-. | - .-. |
| 1N4001^ 100| | | 1N4001^ 100| | |
| | | | | | | | |
| | '-' | o o '-' |
| | | | | | |
| Com o----o------ o---' Com o----'------oo---'
|
(created by AACircuit v1.28.5 beta 02/06/05 www.tech-chat.de)

Tie the red speaker wire to Sig In, and one of the transformer
secondary leads to 12.6VAC. Tie the other end of the 12.6VAC
transformer secondary to COM, along with the black speaker wire, and
you should be OK. With the SCR or triac shown, you should have no
problem using a 12V bulb of up to 12 watts or so.

You can substitute just about any triac which has conduction in all
four quadrants for the one above. If you need something now, you just
might want to wander over to the local radio/TV repair shop, and see if
they've got a NTE/SK/ECG equivalent to the SCR or Triac you want. You
should still be able to get the other components at Radio Shack.

You're right -- KISS (Keep It Safe and Simple) is the way to go here.
Remember that, unless you're using an AC-to-AC wall wart, you should
fuse the mains input to the transformer just in case.

Good luck on the exam
Chris

 

[Chris]

<snip>
|
| 12.6VAC .-. 12.6VAC .-.
| o-----( X )------. o-----( X )------.
| '-' | '-' |
| Lamp | Lamp |
| | |
| | SCR | Triac
| 0.1uF V S4006 0.1uF _|_ Q4006
| || ___ - || ___ V_A
| o-||-o-|___|-o--/| o-||-o-|___|-o-//|
| Sig In|| | 10 | | Sig In|| | 10 | |
| - .-. | - .-. |
| 1N4001^ 100| | | 1N4001^ 100| | |
| | | | | | | | |
| | '-' | o o '-' |
| | | | | | |
| Com o----o------ o---' Com o----'------oo---'
|
(created by AACircuit v1.28.5 beta 02/06/05 www.tech-chat.de)
<snip>

Sorry -- try it again, this time with a 10uF electrolytic in place of
the 0.1uF cap:

|
| 12.6VAC .-. 12.6VAC .-.
| o-----( X )------. o-----( X )------.
| '-' | '-' |
| Lamp | Lamp |
| | |
| | SCR | Triac
| 10uF V S4006 10uF _|_ Q4006
| ||+ ___ - ||+ ___ V_A
| o-||-o-|___|-o--/| o-||-o-|___|-o-//|
| Sig In|| | 10 | | Sig In|| | 10 | |
| - .-. | - .-. |
| 1N4001^ 100| | | 1N4001^ 100| | |
| | | | | | | | |
| | '-' | o o '-' |
| | | | | | |
| Com o----o------ o---' Com o----'------oo---'
|
(created by AACircuit v1.28.5 beta 02/06/05 www.tech-chat.de)

Chris

 

[Skipp from the radiowrench sonic page]

Hi Vin,

: My goal is to drive a light bulb to flash morse code from
: an audio speaker level source output. (cassette player).

We used to do this quite a bit (way back when). The circuit
takes speaker level audio and fires and AC Lamp. It is/was
called a "color organ' circuit.

: My grasp of the use of SCR's is very limited, but I was
: thinking of using a 12.6v filament transformer in series with
: an SCR and a light bulb, then use the audio output (external
: speaker) from a small cassette player to drive the gate of the
: SCR.

First let me tell you I've built the circuit way back when in
the 1970's. The SCR will cause a pop noise in the audio when
the scr switches on. Way back when we were never able to get
the pop noise out of using the color organ circuit with an AM
Radio speaker audio driving it. FM Radio was pretty much ok.

So you'd want to try and use an SCR or Triac Type of device
with an AC waveform zero cross detection/switching circuit.
You can actually find newer scr/triacdevices, which switch
only on the ac line voltage zero cross point.

: I am assuming the gate will detect the audio and drive the
: scr junction into conduction to light the bulb visually
: displaying the dots and dashes as flashing light.

The color organ circuits I built had frequency ranges for each
of the 3 scrs, one bass, one mid-range and the last for high
frequency audio. If you're using it for CW notes, the mid
range audio filter & gate driver circuit would be set up to
best respond and detect about 750Hz audio.

: What general use SCR available at Radio Shack might work in
: this application.
: Any help appreciated.
: thanks,
: Vin Collins

Pretty much any scr they sell if you plan to use only a 12 volt
transformer.

I took a quick peek over on Ebay to see if anyone had vintage
color organ kits for sale. There is a guy selling what looks
like the same 3 channel circuit I built back in the 70's from
a magazine. One seller is Hobbytron so I went to see if they
also sold on the web.

I'm sure if you search google for color organ circuits, you'll
find some example circuits. I located hobbytron.com ... they
seem to sell kits, which might be just what you want.

They had a 3 channel color organ kit for about $29 When I
searched "color organ" on their main home page I saw they also
have a single channel color organ kit for $9.95 The single
channel kit has the parts and pc board to get going if you'd
like to go that direction.

Good luck,

cheers,
skipp
www.radiowrench.com/sonic