I need a 48 channel Transmitter and Receiver

As I'm searching I'm finding that most of you are extremely smat and very good at what you do. I have a dilemma involving R/C as well. I'm trying to build a 48 channel fireworks ignitor. As it stands it's almost complete but it's not wireless. Right now I have to plug a cord into an RCA jck on the board and the other end is connected to an electric match. I got all that. What I need help with is making this an optional "wireless" unit so I can stand back withmy guests at my party and ignite my fireworks from a few feet away. The problem is that the biggest R/F transmitter / receiver I found was only 15 cannels, and it was expensive enough that it wouldn't be cost effective to buy 3 of them plus and additional 3 or 4 channel to build it. I'm extremely limited on experience with eectronics and have no experience with IC's but I'm willing to learn if someone can pont me in the right direction. Thanks

Comments

[orksecurity]

If you really want to do this, I'd suggest a digital link, with a microcontroller in the device being controlled and appropriate circuitry from there. Among other things, a decent digital protocol will be far less likely to go off prematurely due to radio noise and possibly hurt someone.

Actually, for that reason I'd suggest sticking with wired control. Belt and suspenders, perhaps, but...

[Music_Man608]

Do you have or know of any instructables that might help me accomplish this project? I appreciate your input, thanks very much.

[orksecurity]

If you do some research on digital communications protocols, and on how to use microcontrollers with them, you should be able to find the info you need. Putting it together and configuring it for your application is left as an exercise for the reader for many reasons, not least that I don't want any part of the liability should something go wrong.

[lemonie]

If you want to use technology, use a programmed-sequence. If you want to push the buttons yourself, I would stick with wires.
Set your sequence off with one channel, or have 15 different sequences?

L

[Music_Man608]

This sounds very exciting to build. Is it possible that you can point me to some step by step instructions for this or something similar? Thanks for responding.

[lemonie]

Ah well, I thought you knew more about these things than I do, it was the basic principles I had ideas about.

L

[Music_Man608]

Ok, thanks anyway.  I'll keep looking.  Have a great day.

[rickharris]

Wireless explosive detonator Mmmm Where do I see possible issues with this?

What's wrong with wires.

Find out how the pros do it and copy - They are more likely to be safe.

[Music_Man608]

You don't see any possibilities if you're eluding to something illegal, and frankly I don't appreciate a comment like that unless you have something against me to back that statement up, and since you do not know me I don't see the feasibility. If you're not making an offensive attempt then I'll apologize for my curtness, but if you are, please stand down as I would NEVER do anything illegal. Thank you.

[rickharris]

Oh I have lots of reasons - BUT I believe it is important for you to think this through.

Safety mainly - too many unknowns and possibilities for things to go wrong.

Unpredictable behaviour of system
interference
Unreliability
Cost
Sheer practicality of 48 different channels
Range
And as you say the good possibility this would be illegal. Here in the UK that would certainly be the case.

AFAIK professionals never use radio based systems to ignite explosives.(except in the cinema)

[Music_Man608]

Oh and by the way, the other people who answered this question were not disrespectful like you were.  I even got some education from some of them.  Now before you go any further, check out this youtube video and maybe you can bother this guy, this was the inspiration, I just didn't want to spend that kind of money.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PGflhp0QdmU

Now if you wouldn't mind, please delete all of your comments as they have to relavence to this question, and they mean absolutely nothing to me.

[Music_Man608]

When it comes down to it, it's a 12 volt power supply, nothing more. It just has safety features built into it. I'm in the United States where it's not illegal to own a push button power supply, I've checked, and this very unit is sold in fireworks stores and online so believe me when I tell you, thanks but stop trying to save the world, it's not in any danger from me. I'm an older guy not a kid and I kind of have a clue. Been doing this for a while now and this is just a larger scale of what I've been doing for over 20 years. Now please, if you don't have any input to my question, please stop cluttering it with this scrutiny. Maybe you should look around the instructables website for R/C ingniters, when you find them, take your comments to those people as they have already done what I'm doing. Here are some links for you to look at. Why you zeroed in on me will remain a mystery.
http://www.instructables.com/id/Wireless-Firework-Igniter

http://www.instructables.com/id/how-to-build-a-cheap-wireless-fireworks-detonator-

http://www.instructables.com/id/Remote-Detonator-with-Radio

[rickharris]

Whilst on the subject, this is the second time you have asked this question and more or less got the same (good) advice.

Perhaps you didn't like the answers?

[Vyger]

I have seen a number of documentaries on some of the big fireworks companies, I don't remember the name, but these are the guys that set up barges loaded with giant displays. They use computer controlled firing sequences to time the displays with music and such. Anyway, everything they do is hard wired. No RC. Its considered to be to dangerous because a stray signal could cause a major mishap.
The same is true with building demolitions. If you look at the setups they use its all cabled. To implode a building they need exact timing on the explosives and they cannot chance that a signal will not get through or go at the wrong time. It doesn't take major size wire to do this stuff, even thin speaker wires or phone wire would work, but RC is just not secure enough for a situation where its just a single pulse and everything goes boom. In my opinion anyway.

[Music_Man608]

Certainly safety is honored first and foremost, but I'm not looking to do it from more that about 20 or so feet away. The rig I built so far is hard wired and completely safe, you have to turn a key just to turn the power on, then you have to turn on an arming switch to arm the RCA jacks. The only jacks that can be armed are the ones with an electric match installed, which also checks continuity. If there is no electric match installed then that particular circuit is dead. This way there can be no accidents stemming from a lose wire or some other type of short from another circuit.

Having said all that, I'd like to add an RC or IR option so I can stand back and see the show also. Once again, nothing is powered up until the key is turned and the arming switch is armed although I appreciate your concern. I would still appreciate any ideas now knowing what I have just told you. Thanks.