Clappy,
How does it work?
It's very simple. It's not wireless. Wireless means batteries...that wear out. 1 benefit of ours, is it's hardwired, with a battery backup, just like most home alarms. The signal from the pool is air pressure. A semi circular, plastic "tube" we call the sensor is attached to the wall of the pool at the average water line level. The sensor has a very low profile, which is one advantage over the competition. It doesn't stick out like a sore thumb and break easily. 1/4" vinyl tubing that is run through expansion joints, and such, connects the sensor to what we call the sensor box. This is typically mounted near the pool filtration equipment, but really can be mounted anywhere. Here is where the unit is connected to 110 power. (No power whatsoever at the pool, is another advantage) In the sensor box, is a PCB(printed circuit board) mounted pressure transducer, that detects the small changes in air pressure coming through the tube from the sensor. An object 15lbs or greater falling into the pool creates a distinctive wave, that compresses and decompresses the air in the sensor and tubing.
In the home is a control panel that is connected to the sensor box via a 4 conductor wire. On the control panel you can actually view the wave action on a LCD (liquid crystal display)screen. A needle on the display, moves up and down with the waves in the pool. Also on the display is adjustable alarm limits that you can set for whatever wave limits you want. Every pool is different, so it takes some adjusting to get it to alarm at 15 lbs from every area of the pool. For larger pools, an additional sensor can be easily added. The pressure transducer can have 2 inputs. The control panel also contains a 110 decibel alarm.
There are connectors on the control panel, NO (normally open) and NC (normally closed), for hook up to a home alarm system and an external alarm, or any other device one might want to hook up. We have one person that wants to have it call his cell phone, and then he can view his pool via camera over the internet. I thought that was pretty cool.
That's it in a nutshell. There are other technical features that I can't divuldge for obvious reasons. These basically, were solutions to a few stumbling blocks in the design and operation that had to be overcome.
We just signed on with a national distributor, who will distribute it (duh) to the pool dealers, maintenance guys, and contractors who will do most of the installs. Everyone gets a piece of the action, which is one reason it is so expensive for the retail public. I didn't like that part, because it shot the cost up dramatically, but it is the only feasible way for us to get it to market. One can buy it directly from a dealer and install it themselves, but the only savings is the install cost.
Baby magazine, huh? I hadn't thought of that. Just pool and trade magazines. Good idea. Thanks.
...back to building PC boards....
:o)
Ramblin |
