Unpowered
speaker
120 VAC
NO
NC
Program
buttons NO NC
Lamp Pump
Pushbutton trigger
C
Keybanger
C
C
Music
source
E
F
relays that make or break according to the
programmed instructions. The Nerve Center
doesn’t provide AC power; it merely switches
it on or off. That means that to control power
to the pump and light, you’ll need to break into
one conductor on each extension cord so they
connect to the Nerve Center relays (Figure C)
as shown in the schematic (Figure D).
5. ADD A PUSHBUTTON
Wire the pushbutton switch between the keybanger’s NO (normally open) and Common
trigger contacts (Figure F).
6. ANIMATE!
Select the Scene Control command and
press the pushbutton to trigger your animated sequence. Want to make changes? Just
tweak the program for best effect, then sit
back and enjoy the show.
4. RECORD YOUR SEQUENCE
This is the fun part. Select the Action Control
command on the LED display. The music
recorded to the device in Step 2 begins to play.
Use the 2 programming buttons on the
front of the controller to bring your fountain
to life. When you depress the button corresponding to the pump, the pump will run.
Releasing the button will turn it off. The
light control button works similarly. You can
sequence your entire show just by pressing
and releasing the 2 buttons on the front panel
(Figure E). The fountain spray and light work
independently, so you can devise all sorts
of routines.
The applications for keybangers are limited only by your imagination. By replacing
the pushbutton with a sensor (motion, heat,
humidity, temperature, etc.) you can use
the keybanger to automate any number of
household systems. If you come up with a
good application for a keybanger, head over
to makeprojects.com and share it with the
readers of MAKE. ;
William Gurstelle is a contributing editor of MAKE. Visit
williamgurstelle.com for more information on this and other
maker-friendly projects.
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