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Author Topic: Has Anyone Tried Tom's Oil Tank Level Indicator Idea?  (Read 3313 times)

Jollydodger

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Has Anyone Tried Tom's Oil Tank Level Indicator Idea?
« on: November 13, 2006, 09:39:35 AM »

Anyone ever try to incorporate Tom's Oil Tank Level Indicator Idea with AHP? If so could you explain how you connect the switch to a buzzer or light or whatever on the AHP end.

If you don't know what I am talking about the URL is:

http://www.laureanno.com/oillevel.html

Thanks.
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Charles Sullivan

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Re: Has Anyone Tried Tom's Oil Tank Level Indicator Idea?
« Reply #1 on: November 13, 2006, 11:36:05 AM »

Anyone ever try to incorporate Tom's Oil Tank Level Indicator Idea with AHP? If so could you explain how you connect the switch to a buzzer or light or whatever on the AHP end.

If you don't know what I am talking about the URL is:

http://www.laureanno.com/oillevel.html

Thanks.

Connect the reed switch to the contacts of an X-10 Powerflash module configured for contact closure and On/Off operation.  When the reed switch closes the Powerflash will send an X10 ON signal.   Create a macro in AHP to turn on an appliance module when it receives the ON signal.  Plug a night light into the appliance module for an alert indicator.  (If you should have a momentary interruption of AC power, an appliance module will maintain its previous state when the power resumes.)

If you're away from home for a while the oil level may drop low enough that the reed switch opens again  The Powerflash will send an X10 OFF signal which you should ignore, or at least NOT let it turn off the appliance module, else you're likely to miss the alert when you return home again.  Manually send an Off signal to turn off the appliance module when the tank is filled.

An alternative is to use a long enough magnet (or multiple magnets) so the reed switch will stay closed from the trigger oil level all the way down to a completely empty tank, or will send the signal at several levels between the trigger oil level and empty.

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Yesterday it worked.
Today it doesn't work.
X10 on Windows is like that.

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Jollydodger

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Re: Has Anyone Tried Tom's Oil Tank Level Indicator Idea?
« Reply #2 on: November 13, 2006, 12:36:38 PM »

Thank you, I had not seen that module but will look for it now that I know what it is called. Thanks for the other tips as well, makes good sense to me.
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