Triggering Devices

[Hubb]

I play paintball. I tend to take this to the extreme sometimes and try to come up with different ways of doing stuff.

I was looking around on the net for different triggering devises for paintball mines (it just seemed that the conventional trip wire was just too "conventional"). I found a couple of links that are made for just that.

I've searched this forum and haven't located anything of such so far (if it's there, I apologize). Anyway, here is my contribution to this site.

http://unconventional-airsoft.com/2006/11/19/stealth-action-motion-sensor-system/
http://unconventional-airsoft.com/2006/11/19/stealth-action-laser-tripwire-system/

The links are for airsoft, but they have been successful in paintball as well. The motion sensor is best for indoor applications and the laser is for outdoor. I've yet to apply them to "other things" but I'm sure it could be.

[-=HeX=-]

UTFSE! I will not spoonfeed but I will help a bit. How about command detonated? You have then on a remote control system (UTFSE)? Or like a therimin mine (It is in this section, UTFSE) or maybe a PIR Sensor?

I think the laser would be prone to going off due to falling leaves... I advise sticking with the good old tripwire he I were you or if you really need to do so use a beam break barrier.

Passive infra red has a range longer than the mines radius so it would in off with the enemy outside the range of the blast. That would make the mine moot. What type of paint ball are you playing?

Now go forth and UTFSE. You must help yoursel first. Also, newbie with a new topic as its first post... Search for the triggers on real mines. Then improvise and modify for Paintball.

[BlackFalcoN]

I like the design for alarm applications, it's simple, uses sourcable components and very achievable for the average amateurist.

While it will work most of the time, I have some reliability issues with the CdS detector.
The use of a paper or foil 'hood' (as displayed in the second link schematics) is put there to prevent ambient light rays from triggering the sensor.
However, if the ambient light is strong enough (e.g. the detector is put in a bright lighted room or outside in variable light source conditions ), the trigger will fail to go off if the laser is toggled.

One can increase or decrease the threshold level for the sensor, but this will still result in false positives during the transition of ambient light. This 'flaw' is also seen in commercial PIR movement detectors, who also apply the same CdS approach.

One improvement I would suggest is replacing the paper dome with a 'multi faceted Fresnel lens' (halve sphered plastic cap with ribles inside ;)) as in a commercial PIR detector. It's a crucial component in the design to limit these false positives, however it's still occasionally prone to them.

Ultimately, it may be better to just take a commercial PIR detector as a base unit to start from and configure it you your specific needs.

While perfect for non-critical sentry applications where an alarm is triggered, I would never dream of hooking the universal alarm output to something more destructive, since the reliability/accuracy/safety factor is too uncertain ;)

Also, I agree that this topic has been discussed before and did not deserve a new thread or be put at least in the 'Electronics' section, since it mostly deals with the construction of electronical devices.

[file]

Wouldn't it make sense to have your receiver remote from the explosive so as to try and keep it out of any kind of blackout zone as well as to help prevent detection and make it reusable?

[BlackFalcoN]

That largely depends on the application I would say.

For amateurs experimenting with small inexpensive charges, then yes, the cost of the receiver can be saved each time by firing it remotely.

For larger to huge charges, the cost of the receiver will be relatively small compared to the explosives and materials used. A simpler receiver design will offer a safer, cheaper and more reliable solution and may be prefered.

For some tactical applications and mass murdering devices, it may be even highly desired for the triggering mechanism to be destroyed on detonation, to make any evidence or forensic analysis more difficult.

It's up to the individual to asses his needs and design a fitting solution, and the design mentioned here can be part of a modular design.

[Woland_91]

Hubb, if you are only going to use this for paintball, then I would advice to stick to the old tripwire method. Unless your mines are re-usable (only have to change the cartridge), then it isn't worth it. By the way, what fill are you using? Paint or flour?