Author Topic: 300ft distance remote display voltmeter?  (Read 590 times)

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Offline K5_489Topic starter

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300ft distance remote display voltmeter?
« on: August 06, 2024, 06:34:55 pm »
Does such a beast exist already on the market?  Using it for work, so I'd rather have polished gear than something I hacked together at home if possible. 

I do a lot of security beam work, where alignments are typically performed by looking for highest voltage on test points.  Problem is the test points are often only on the RX end, and the TX end is often 200+ feet away. 

The usual procedure is to use two techs, with one screaming to the other...I've been doing it by propping up a cell phone in front of the voltmeter, then Skype'ing myself on another phone that I carry to the other end. Works well enough, but sometimes I have to carry a table/ladder/something else to prop these things up on, and I'm hoping to simplify my life. 

I know about the Fluke 233, thinking along that idea, but 33 foot is not nearly enough distance. 
 

Offline TimFox

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Re: 300ft distance remote display voltmeter?
« Reply #1 on: August 06, 2024, 06:46:42 pm »
What are your typical min and max values, and required resolution?
In similar applications (before retirement), I often used an analog voltmeter with a “recorder” analog output at the test point, driving a long cable to a remote voltmeter (analog or digital).
 

Offline coromonadalix

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Re: 300ft distance remote display voltmeter?
« Reply #2 on: August 06, 2024, 06:50:39 pm »
an arduino as a voltmeter   with xbees  ??       you can create a mesh network,  and use them as repeaters  etc ...

some of them are powerful enough ?
 

Offline K5_489Topic starter

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Re: 300ft distance remote display voltmeter?
« Reply #3 on: August 07, 2024, 03:02:37 am »
What are your typical min and max values, and required resolution?
In similar applications (before retirement), I often used an analog voltmeter with a “recorder” analog output at the test point, driving a long cable to a remote voltmeter (analog or digital).

For this particular application, I'm typically running 1.50-4.00 volts DC. Hundredths of a volt resolution is plenty for this.  Running out tenths gets 90% of the way, and going down in to the hundredths is that last bit of fine tuning I like to be able to call the job "done right".

In general, running to 20V DC would be good for some other projects, ideally up to 120V AC/DC, but it's not an absolute requirement. 

Before realizing I could Skype myself,  I had been using a long spool of CAT5 cable that I rigged up to be able to plug in to my Fluke 77, which worked well enough, but not the most convenient to work with.  It recently occurred to me that I could simply just pick up a set of 10 foot long multimeter leads, and still set all this up on the ground, avoiding the ladder/table use, but it's still a bit of a pain to set it all up. 

I've also been considering picking up one of the Pokit meter kits, then simply sharing the screen of the phone rather than using the camera to view the Fluke, but that is still dependent on having internet service, which I don't always have at some of my remote sites. 

I realize there's a multitude of ways to "make it work", but I just hoping to be able to find something that's set up to do this already out of the box, and better than a home brew hack job, like I'm doing now. 
 

Offline BeBuLamar

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Re: 300ft distance remote display voltmeter?
« Reply #4 on: August 07, 2024, 12:57:51 pm »
Check out the wireless remote I/O from Banner Engineering. You can transmit an analog voltage at that distance.
https://www.bannerengineering.com/us/en/products/remote-io/wireless-io.html
 

Offline Messtechniker

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Re: 300ft distance remote display voltmeter?
« Reply #5 on: August 07, 2024, 01:39:25 pm »
Why not search for "WLAN DMM"?
Found one not too expensive at around 125 Euros.
+ a WLAN Repeater if needed.
Agilent 34465A, Siglent SDG 2042X, Hameg HMO1022, R&S HMC 8043, Peaktech 2025A, Voltcraft VC 940, M-Audio Audiophile 192, R&S Psophometer UPGR, 3 Transistor Testers, DL4JAL Transistor Curve Tracer, UT622E LCR meter, UT216C AC/DC Clamp Meter
 

Offline joeqsmith

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Re: 300ft distance remote display voltmeter?
« Reply #6 on: August 07, 2024, 01:40:31 pm »
100 yards line of site or through what? 
Can you carry a PC/tablet?     

Offline mikeselectricstuff

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Re: 300ft distance remote display voltmeter?
« Reply #7 on: August 07, 2024, 01:48:02 pm »
Couple of thoughts on off-the-shelf solutions :

Mooshimeter can connect to a phone via Bluetooth - maybe there is a way to then send this over cellular?
https://moosh.im/mooshimeter/

Or a DMM that has an RS232 output, plus a radio modem ( 868/915MHz)




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Offline rifkum

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Offline joeqsmith

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Re: 300ft distance remote display voltmeter?
« Reply #9 on: Yesterday at 01:23:53 am »
Time stamped where Dave states 10 meters or 32 feet.  Think it would meet OP's 300 foot requirement? 
https://youtu.be/WUFrTDo03uA?t=479

Here are my metes with bluetooth.  None of them will work very far.
https://youtu.be/e_YzwO62feQ?t=525

I'm not sure about the CEM/Extech meters that use the 900MHz ISM.  They may no longer be offered.   

Offline Postal2

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Re: 300ft distance remote display voltmeter?
« Reply #10 on: Yesterday at 02:11:18 am »
.... alignments are typically performed by looking for highest voltage on test points. .....
You just need to convert the voltage into a tone of sound. You will hear a loud enough sound anyway, to be quieter - use walkie-talkies.
 

Offline Fungus

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Re: 300ft distance remote display voltmeter?
« Reply #11 on: Yesterday at 11:00:27 pm »
Isn't there a keysight meter that converts the reading into audible beeps?
 

Online Zoli

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Re: 300ft distance remote display voltmeter?
« Reply #12 on: Today at 06:09:21 am »
Bluetooth would be another option; I've worked with the Parani modules, and I can confirm that they've working for 100m(ESD-100, in open air).
 


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