120 volt counting device?

Status
Not open for further replies.

ericsherman37

Senior Member
Location
Oregon Coast
Howdy!

I wasn't sure which category to throw this one in, so I hope this is a reasonable fit.

A local fish hatchery recently installed a new drum filter machine for their streambed. It came as a package with the filter motor, pump, some other stuff, and a small control panel. Their system is up and running just fine, but they called me out to look at the viability of installing a little counting device that records how many times the drum filter activates in a normal cycle.

The drum filter runs based on the action of a float, and operates for an adjustable period of time (I think they have it set at 30 seconds now).

There is already an hour meter installed in the panel which I suppose you could mathematically use to figure out how many 30-second intervals have occurred, but they said they want a simple counter that increments by a value of 1 each time the filter starts. That way they can walk in, glance at the counter, and walk out without having to crunch numbers.

I haven't put much thought into it yet, but I figured if I can find a counter that will increment by 1 each time a voltage is applied to it, then I can just tie it into the control wire that starts the filter motor. The controls are 120 VAC. Does anyone have any suggestions on where I could find a device like this?

Thanks!
 

dicklaxt

Senior Member
I am quite sure you are right in assuming that Redington Timer would work,most electromechanical timers use a simple pulsed voltage input.I am not sure if it would require the input voltage to be switched with a relay keeping the input clean or if you could just wire it in parallel with the motor,give em a call and let us know what and how this timer works.What is the pressbar on the front,it calls for a pushbutton reset but that is usually wired remote,,,,,,ow you got my curiosity going wide open.

dick
 

ericsherman37

Senior Member
Location
Oregon Coast
What is the pressbar on the front,it calls for a pushbutton reset but that is usually wired remote,,,,,,ow you got my curiosity going wide open.

dick

I have a feeling that the Redington counter I linked is on the extreme low-end of the technology scale. The pushbutton is probably the reset. I don't think there's anything involved with this one other than an input signal.
 

ericsherman37

Senior Member
Location
Oregon Coast
I am not sure if it would require the input voltage to be switched with a relay keeping the input clean or if you could just wire it in parallel with the motor

I fired them off an e-mail with this question. I strongly suspect that this device is so lo-fi that any old signal will work just fine to make it increment. But best to be sure :p

Thanks for the input!
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top