Holatron RFLS-MK3HSXT Operating manual

OPERATION & MAINTENANCE GUIDE -

Acoustic Triggered

High Speed

UHF Transmitter

HOLATRON SYSTEMS, LLC

833 ILANIWAI ST, STE. 2

Honolulu, HI 9681

(808) 372

0956

www.holatron.com

of 1

WARNING

Holatron Systems specializes in the design and manufacture o

f standard and custom electronic

control systems where reliability and error free data communication are critical. The transmitter

described in this manual is part of a system intended to remotely actuate pyrotechnic or other

hazardous devices, and the com

ponents of this system have been carefully designed to

minimize the possibility of accidental actuation of such devices. Holatron’s design goal is to

ensure that data communication errors due to radio interference or to insufficient signal strength

due to

low battery, exceeding specified range, or conductive objects in the signal path will result

in failure of intentional actuation rather than unintended actuation. Techniques used to achieve

this design goal are described in section 1.

. Though the probabil

ity of unintended actuation is

extremely small, it cannot be guaranteed to be zero. Therefore,

it is important that the user

not enable the receiver until all persons who might be harmed by accidental actuation

are in a safe area

As a condition of purcha

se, the user must acknowledge awareness and agreement that

utilization of this product and participation in activities utilizing fireworks, rockets, and explosives

is an ultra

hazardous activity carrying implied and explicit risks of injuries and damages t

o the

user and to other participants. The user assumes the risk connected with the utilization of this

product and all risks of participation in the activities for which this product is sold. User

acknowledges that he/she/it has the necessary and required

skill, expertise, training and

licensing, as may be applicable or necessary by custom, usage, trade or law, to engage and

participate in the ultra

hazardous activities connected with the use, purchase, transportation, or

employment of the products sold un

der this agreement. User acknowledges that Holatron

Systems, LLC, has not and will not conduct any investigation into the skill, expertise, training

and licensing, as may be applicable or necessary by custom, usage, trade or law, of the user or

of user’s a

gents, employees and assigns, to engage and participate in the ultra

hazardous

activities connected with the use, purchase, transportation, or employment of this product. User

specifically agrees that Holatron Systems, LLC, its officers, employees, and age

nts shall not be

liable for any claim, demand, cause of action of any kind whatsoever for, or on account of death,

personal injury, property damage or loss of any kind resulting from or related to user’s or user’s

employees’, agents’ or assigns’ use of thi

s product, and user agrees to indemnify, defend in any

action at law, and hold harmless Holatron Systems, LLC, from same, whether brought by the

user, user’s agent, or assigns, or any third party.

Usage of this transmitter is authorized under FCC Rules an

d Regulations as listed in CFR

Ch.1 (10

-1-

96 Edition), p

art 15, subpart C, sections 15.209 and 15.231. This equipment has

been tested and assigned

FCC ID number: OI4RFLS1XT.

Any changes or modifications to the hardware not expressly approved by

the party

responsible for compliance could void the user’s authority to operate the equipment.

of 1

This manual is divided into two sections. The first is a description of the system hardware. The

second covers the recommended operating and maintenance pro

cedure.

1.0

HARDWARE DESCRIPTION.

The model RFLS

MK3

Fixed

Channel

High Speed

UHF Transmitter

with

sequential acoustic trigger

is a low power

six

channel, safety locking, hand

held remote

control transmitter

which can transmit commands over any of six

different digital

channels.

The transmitter’s channel setting is fixed in software and cannot be changed.

A label displaying the channel setting is affixed to the top of the transmitter next to the

antenna.

Transmitters

fixed

to separate digital channel nu

mbers can transmit

simultaneously without interfering with each other.

This permits up to six different

receivers or groups of receivers to be controlled by separate transmitters

simultaneously.

The transmitter will only actuate receivers whose digital cha

nnel

switches are set to select the same channel as the transmitter.

Thus, multiple

transmitters may be used to actuate different selected receivers even though all operate

on the same frequency. Transmitters fixed to the same digital channel number will

nterfere with each other and result in failure

fire when actuated simultaneously.

When

used with

RFLS

496

, or RFLS

-9

12HS

receivers, a

range of ½ mile can be achieved.

All inscriptions on the transmitter panel are

luminescent to faci

litate use of the transmitter in a dark environment. The panel will

continue to glow for two to three hours after being exposed to a bright light source. The

transmitter’s two

commands

are digitally encoded and amplitude modulated on a single

carrier frequ

ency of 418 MHz

(or optionally 433.96

MHz)

. This frequency is controlled by

a SAW (surface acoustic wave) device for exceptional stability. No alignment or tuning

procedures are ever required to

maintain optimum performance.

The command signal is

transmit

ted by amplitude modulating the carrier to indicate to the receiver which of the

transmit buttons is depressed or whether an acoustic event has been detected.

acoustic trigger mode (

digital switch positions 0

–

), the “A command” signal (semi

automati

c fire) is transmitted for 250 msec when an acoustic impulse exceeding the

selected threshold is detected by the rear panel microphone while the “

Fire A / Enable B

”

button is depressed, and it is transmitted continuously while the “B” button and “A”

button are depr

essed simultaneously, permitting the “B” button to serve as an acoustic

event simulator.

normal command

mode

(

digital switch positions C

–

), t

he modulated RF output

occurs continuously while

either

of the two transmit buttons is depressed

Resulting

receiver output is continuous while the “A command” signal

(semi

automatic fire)

is being

transmitted, and the receiver fires outputs in rapid

fire mode at a rate selected by the

transmitter’s FIRE RATE SELECTION SWITCH while the “B command” signal is bein

transmitted.

of 1

The user has access to the following components:

1.1

THE ANTENNA.

The RF signal is radiated by a quarter

wave flexible whip antenna which screws

onto the top end of the transmitter box.

The transmitter should never be

operated without this a

ntenna in place, as damage to the RF components

could result.

Such operation will void the warranty.

Antennas with red rings are used for 433 MHz, and antennas with blue rings are

used for 418 MHz.

Be careful not to overtighten the antenna when screwing it on,

as this could cause its mating connector to rotate and break its internal

connection. Rotation could also occur, with the same result, when subsequent

removal of an overtightened antenna is attempted. The recommended way to

install the antenna is to

grasp it by its small diameter upper part and rotate gently

in a clockwise direction until increased resistance is felt. It need not be tight to

achieve a good electrical connection. When removing the antenna for storage,

observe the base of the mating con

nector to ensure that it is not rotating. If the

antenna is so tight that rotation is occurring, grasp the hex base of the mating

connector with long nose pliers, and then unscrew the antenna.

1.2

THE SAFETY LOCKING SWITCH.

The Safety Locking Switch is a min

iature keylock with two positions, “Safe” and

“Xmtr Enabled”. In the “Safe” position no RF output occurs even if a button is

pressed. In the “Xmtr Enabled” position modulated RF output occurs

continuously while a button is pressed. Whether transmitting or

not, a

green

warning indicator near the switch flashes whenever the switch is in its “Enabled”

position and the battery voltage is above the low battery detect threshold.

Approximately 1 milliamp is drained continuously from the battery while the

transmitt

er is enabled and not transmitting. So this switch should always be

turned to the “Safe” position while the transmitter is not being used. Keys are

interchangeable, as all Holatron RFLS

6HS

XT transmitters are keyed the same.

Firing on all receivers set to

the transmitter’s digital channel always commences

at cue 1 after the transmitter has first been enabled. Thus all receivers on this

transmitter’s fixed channel can be reset to cue 1 at any time by turning this switch

momentarily to “Safe” and then back t

o “Transmitter Enabled”.

of 1

1.3

THE “XMTR ENABLED” INDICATOR.

This green lamp, located at the “Enabled” position of the lockswitch, warns the

user that transmission will occur when a button is pressed or an acoustic event is

sensed, and that battery drain is occurring. It also verifies that battery voltage is

adequate to transmit a signal over the specified range.

When the transmitter is turned on (transmitter enabled) with the keylock switch,

battery status is indicated by the flashing of this lamp. It is of

sufficiently high

intensity to be visible in direct sunlight and will flash intermittently in bursts of

one, two, or three flashes at a time if the battery has enough capacity to power

the transmitter. If no flashing occurs, the battery must be replaced b

efore the

transmitter can be used reliably. Three flashes per burst indicate that the battery

has full capacity, two flashes indicate that its capacity is beginning to diminish,

and one flash indicates that it is near the end of its useful lifetime in whic

h case it

should be replaced immediately after the current use. Adequate transmitter

output to achieve the specified range will occur as long as the battery voltage is

above approximately 7.0 volts, but the battery voltage will drop rapidly at this

point.

If in acoustic trigger mode (digital switch positions 0

–

B), this indicator will glow

continuously while the “

Fire A / Enable B

” button is pressed. Only while glowing

continuously can command transmission occur in response to an acoustic event

or a “Fire B” butto

n press.

1.4

THE FIRE BUTTONS.

These buttons are snap action dome switches under a sealed overlay, labeled

“Fire A” and “Fire B”, respectively. They have a high spring constant which

requires a firm depression for actuation, decreasing the likelihood of acci

dental

depression. The enabled transmitter can be kept in a shirt or jacket pocket

without fear of accidental button depression.

The action of the buttons depends

on the position of the transmitter’s digital switch.

1.4.1

Acoustic

Trigger Mode (digital switch p

ositions 0

–

For safety, transmission

is enabled only

while the “

Fire A / Enable B

”

button is depressed

Be aware that fire command transmission can

occur immediately upon depression of the “

Fire A / Enable B

” button

if acoustic events are occurring. Do not

press the “

Fire A / Enable B

”

button until

it is quiet, and

all persons who might be harmed by

device actuation are in a safe area.

hile “

Fire A / Enable B

” is

depressed, the green “Xmtr Enabled” indicator will glow continuously, and

“A command” (semi

automatic fire) trans

mission will occur while an

acoustic event is being detected by the rear

panel microphone. Each

detected acoustic event will result in the firing of the next sequential

receiver output. Transmission will occur for 250 msec following an

acoustic event, and

maximum sense rate is approximately 3 events per

second. An acoustic event is defined as a sound impulse exceeding the

switch selected threshold. (See section 1.7)

of 1

If the “Fire B” button is pressed while “

Fire A / Enable B

” is also pressed,

the

“A command” is transmi

tted, resulting in the firing of the next

sequential receiver output. The output remains on until at least one of the

buttons is released.

1.4.2

Normal Command Mode

(digital switch positions

C – F)

In this mode the transmitter is idle while no buttons are pres

sed.

Continuous transmission occurs while “

Fire A” or “Fire B” is pressed.

Output firing pulses are stretched to a minimum duration of 0.6 seconds

in the receivers to ensure that cues fire reliably, even when the fire

buttons are pressed for a shorter peri

od of time. Note that it is not

necessary to wait for the completion of the 0.6 second firing pulse period

before firing subsequent cues. They can be fired as fast as the operator

can press the button, provided that each button depression lasts at least

1 second, followed by at least 0.1 second with the button released. If

many transmitters are transmitting simultaneously, it may be necessary to

depress a fire button slightly longer than 0.2 second in order to ensure an

output from the receiver

1.5

THE TRANSMIT INDICATOR.

This is a high intensity

red

indicator, visible in direct sunlight, that lights

continuously while the transmitter is generating RF output. It is located between

the two buttons. It will light even if the battery voltage is below the low b

attery

detect threshold.

It can be used to check microphone sensitivity by indicating

acoustic event detection in acoustic mode with the receiver(s) switched off. “

Fire

A / Enable B

” must be depressed

while

conduct

ing

this check

Adequate

icrophone

sensitivity can be verified

by observing a red flash each time an

even

t is detected. This is a useful tool for setting microphone sensitivity with the

digital switch. (See section 1.7)

1.6

THE BATTERY.

Power is supplied from an alkaline 9 volt battery, accessible beneath a slide

out

door on the back side of the transmitter. T

his battery should be replaced when

required by conditions described in section 1.3 above. In order to prevent the

possibility of damage due to battery leakage, the battery should always be

removed if the transmitter is to be stored for a prolonged period.

Damage due to

battery leakage is not covered under the warranty.

of 1

1.7

THE DIGITAL

SWITCH.

A 16 position miniature rotary switch is accessible through a hole in the back of

the transmitter. The switch is located on the left edge of the internal printed circ

uit

board, as shown in the following photo. It can be set to digital channels

–

9 or

–

F by rotation with a small screwdriver. The setting, or position, of this switch

sets the transmitter operating mode and the acoustic event detection threshold

shown in the following table. Positions 0

–

B select acoustic trigger mode, with

higher switch settings corresponding to higher thresholds and lower acoustic

sensitivity. Positions C

–

F select normal command mode (buttons only) with the

switch setting se

lecting the automatic fire rate for

depressions of the “Fire B”

button

Holatron Systems can supply custom fire rates if required.

NOTE:

Automatic firing always commences at the next cue after the last one

fired, whether it was semi

automatic or automatic

. Semi

automatic firing

always commences at the next cue after the last semi

automatic cue

fired, even if automatic cues have been fired in the meantime.

Semi

automatic or automatic firing

always commences at cue 1 after the

transmitter has first been ena

bled. Thus all receivers on the transmitter’s

fixed channel can be reset to cue 1 at any time by turning the

transmitter’s safety locking switch momentarily to “Safe” and then back to

“Transmitter Enabled”.

(Transmitter with rear c

over removed)

Digital Switch

Microphone

of 1

The access hole for the digital switch enables the operator to view the switch

setting and insert a small screwdriver to change it without having to remove the

rear cover.

(

ansmitter back shown without and with adhesive disc in place.

)

An adhesive disc normally covers the access hole for the digital switch to keep

out contaminants and conductive objects. The disc can be peeled back when it is

necessary to view or change

the switch setting.

Digital Switch

Access Hole

Access Hole Covered

with Adhesive Disc

Microphone

Hole

Battery Access Door

of 1

Xmtr Digital

Switch Setting

“Fire A / Enable B” Action

“Fire B” Action

Enables transmission of a semi

automatic fire command upon

detection of acoustic event or upon

“Fire B” button depression. Minimum

acoustic threshold (max

imum

acoustic sensitivity).

If “Fire A” button is

also

pressed,

xmts

semi

automatic (single

shot)

fire command

continuously until

one or both

button

s are

released.

Same as above with higher acoustic

threshold.

Same as

above

Same as above with hi

gher acoustic

threshold.

Same as above.

Same as above with higher acoustic

threshold.

Same as above.

Same as above with higher acoustic

threshold.

Same as above.

Same as above with higher acoustic

threshold.

Same as above.

Same as above wit

h higher acoustic

threshold.

Same as above.

Same as above with higher acoustic

threshold.

Same as above.

Same as above with higher acoustic

threshold.

Same as above.

Same as above with higher acoustic

threshold.

Same as above.

Same as above

with higher acoustic

threshold.

Same as above.

Same as above with highest acoustic

threshold (minimum acoustic

sensitivity).

Same as above.

Semi

automatic firing.

(Single shot, sequential)

Automatic firing (rapid fire) at a rate

of 7.69

shots / s

econd while the

button is pressed. (0.13 second per

shot)

Semi

automatic firing.

(Single shot, sequential)

Automatic firing as above at a rate

of 10

shots / second. (0.1 second

per shot)

Semi

automatic firing.

(Single shot, sequential)

Automatic fi

ring as above at a rate

of 14.3

shots / second. (0.07

second per shot)

Semi

automatic firing.

(Single shot, sequential)

Automatic firing as above at a rate

of 20

shots / second. (0.05 second

per shot)

10 of 1

1.8

REMOTE FIRE JACK.

Transmitters that include

this

optional

feature can be actuated remotely through a

two conductor shielded cable plugged into a jack located on the left side of the

transmitter box. The jack accepts a standard 1/8” miniature stereo phone plug

The cable’s shield connects to the plu

g’s “shell”, the red lead to the plug’s “tip”,

and the black lead to the plug’s “ring”.

The transmitter is actuated remotely by connecting the tip to the shell (red to

shield) to duplicate the action of the

“

FIRE A

”

button, and

connecting the ring

to t

he shell (black to shield) to duplicate the action of the

“

FIRE B

”

button.

The

transmitter’s FIRE buttons

also remain

operational while the cable is plugged in.

NOTE:

he transmitter should always be turned off when plugging in

extracting

the remote cable to ensure that no fire commands are

accidentally transmitted if jack contacts should be momentarily shorted

during the insertion

or extraction

1.9

RADIO INTERFERENCE REDUCTION.

For obvious safety reasons,

Holatron's design goal is to ensure that data

ommunication errors due to radio

interference or to insufficient signal strength

due to low battery,

xceeding

specified range, or conductive objects in the signal

path will result in

failure of intentional actuation rather than unintended actuation.

This

goal is

achieved by transmitting a

bit noise

tolerant

code repeatedly while

a transmitter

button is depressed.

0 of these bits must match the pattern

expected by the

receiver

Thus, there is one chance in

(2 to the

power)

of an

actuation occurring

due to reception

of a random signal.

Expressed in decimal

numbers, this is (

1.1529

times 10 to the

power,

11529

followed by

zeroes).

This is a probability of

8.6736

times 10 to the

power

(

or a

decimal

point followed by

zeroes followed

86736

). Though th

probability of

unintended actuation is extremely small, it cannot be guaranteed

to be zero.

Therefore

it is important that the user not arm the receiver until all persons

who might be harmed by accidental actuation are in a safe are

Additional protection is offered by use of 418 MHz as the operating frequency.

This frequency is sparsely used only by low power transmitters with a maximum

range of approximately 100 yards. It is not commonly used by auto security

systems, garage door

openers, radio control models, cordless

or cellular

telephones,

wireless microphones, or two way communications equipment.

Because this system

operates in the UHF region, interference from lamp

dimmers, electrical discharges,

and other natural sources is

also minimal.

instances of false triggering

with this communications technology

have been

reported to date.

Table of contents

Other Holatron Transmitter manuals

Holatron

Holatron RFLS-6HSXTX Operating manual

Popular Transmitter manuals by other brands

NIVELCO

NIVELCO EasyTREK SCA-300 Series Programming manual

Honeywell

Honeywell 5816WMBR installation instructions

Kamstrup

Kamstrup READy MTU Installation and operation guide

Omega

Omega ZW Series user guide

ABB

ABB Field 264H Instructions for installation

Alinco

Alinco DJ-V17T Service manual

Dejero

Dejero EnGo 3x manual

Rosemount

Rosemount 4600 Reference manual

Speaka Professional

Speaka Professional 2342740 operating instructions

trubomat

trubomat GAB 1000 instruction manual

Teledyne Analytical Instruments

Teledyne Analytical Instruments LXT-380 instructions

Rondish

Rondish UT-11 quick start guide

MG 10JRE instruction manual

Burkert

Burkert 8177 operating instructions

Firetide

Firetide HotPort 3203 Hardware installation guide

Tele Radio

Tele Radio T9-02 User instructions

Rotronic

Rotronic HygroFlex HF3 Series user guide

Jamara

Jamara FCX6 Pro Tel Instruction