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Electronic Target Activators


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I used to be our clubs "remote-props expert", so I could send you some ideas on remote transmitters / receivers / activators if you like. :)

I work with low-voltage electronics (12-24v) , so I already had alot of stuff handy. Low voltage electronics are not going to be as reliable or powerful as pneumatics or mechanical weights & pulleys, but they are very easy to set up, cheap, and portable. They work best in indoor range environments.

I used to use Linear Wireless Transmitters and a small 12 volt 4 AH battery to power a cheap auto. car door lock solenoid to pull the pin out of a swinger or Drop Turner. We even triggered a small sliding target that came down a wire. Great fun!

For activators we used to employ all sort of stuff. Capacitive touch sensors, wooden prop-doors with a magnetic switch on them, small night-stand tables with a mag.switch inside the drawer with a small 9 volt battery powered transmitter, etc. I see no reason why you couldn't set up a small light beam, like found on household garage doors, or Stop-N-Rob convenience store entry doors.

Any further info, pics, or advice let me know.

Chris Keen

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This stage made use of an old racing game foot pedal asssembly I found where someone had set out for the trash.

This one has a small wireless transmitter hidden inside the drawer. There's a slight delay while the signal processor decides to send the trigger to the recv. then the swinger starts a swinging! :)

Edited by Chris Keen
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This stage had a magnetic door switch and upon opening the door started the drop turner.

BTW i acquired that door and frame, from behind Target World in Cinci. when they were remodeling & expanding from their smaller store front, to the new bigger one, and with their permission I might add. and fab'd up some triangular supports on either side.

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The possibilities are only limited by your imagination.:)

Oh and I almost forgot, electronic wireless transmitters make multiple releases a snap. Activate 1, 2, or 3 moving targets at once, or have 2 activators (either or) and 1 swinger.

Edited by Chris Keen
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This is a short video of a bunch of targets that activate from IR sensors as well as the reset from other targets. Paint can lids are on the IR sensors, first set are when broken by person, the second set is in the back ground and triggered by single swinger.

click for video

th_autotargets.jpg

On this stage the runner, turned moving cover, is triggered by a shock sensor normally used on car alarms. Nothing happens until the blast from the first shot. I also like this one on swingers and drop turners.

click for video

th_aug143.jpg

A larue style reset target

HPIM0419.jpg

an autoreset plate rack with power out during reset.

platerack2.jpg

and a pin wheel

pinwheel.jpg

Make a fun stage. Sorry about the video but click the photo and you can get the idea.

th_aug145.jpg

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Don't have a video of this one so you'll have to imagine a bit but. I took a section of thin aluminum and bent it back over and mounted a limit switch to it, similar to this photo.

IMAG0361.jpg

So when the shooter is ready they place their pistol on the "pad" and the TX Star below spins up to speed before the buzzer. At that point the star is already rotating but free to go back and forth once they knock a plate off.

powertxstar.jpg

With a change in design this same concept can and has been used on doors, toliet seats, foot boxes, seat belts and just about anything else that makes and breaks contact.

Really old chronographs used 4 foil sheets, 2 for start and 2 for stop, so a bullet making contact between the first two seperated sheets started the timer IC and contact made from passing through the 2nd set stopped the clock. Take a lot of reset time but...

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