Wireless Lanyard

[jeepfamily]

No, not posted on PWC Today, I don't want a firestorm over this. I was told by two people to guage interest here. We're pretty busy, but I like the idea.

When we buy resistors, capacitors, transistors, IC chips etc, the price break at 1000 peices really changes the whole picture. It can reduce cost by 50% or more. We already buy bulk epoxy, so that helps. It still boils down to component cost and labor per unit.

There's already a wireless lanyard for fishermen, but it works by submersing the transmitter. Not an option for freestyle, as it would get wet and false.

Again, we try to guage interest and then assess costs. We may proceed, maybe not. It depends on if we can get a system produced at a reasonable price. Sometimes it has to be left to the Chineese, we only build top of the line products because of the operating environment. It would be suicide to build a cheap product, that's just the way it is.

this started on pwctoday, I wonder who mentioned it? hmmmm


http://www.pwctoday.com/showthread.php?p=1131621&highlight=wireless#post1131621

 

[chookc]

Who cares less who started what and where its a great idea just needs to get off the ground.....

 

[pyro723]

Im in for one. If the price is right maybe 3.

 

[Octane]

If it can be made to work 100% it`s a winner.

The underwater bit will always be an issue for freestylers, Crack that bit and you`ve got it made

Good luck.. I`d be in for two.


A nice touch would be if you could program in extra keys for it. Instead of swapping the same one about.

 

[drodabaugh]

RFID sounds like a great idea...

The TX Toll road auth. now uses them, no batteries.

We investigated RFID for some applications at work and we were told that water can block the signal. Lots of other reliability issues made them impractical for our application.

 

[BlueBreadTruck]

I could really use one....that pwctoday thread was mine.

I dont like lanyards because i have had a few of them snap on me. Something like this i would trust more

 

[keefer]

Not our idea by any means. We were asked by a few people if we could make one. I'm sure it's been thought of for years, but the first thing that comes to mind is being sued, or you probably would see them by now.

I'm pretty certain there's plenty of large companies that could easily manufacture them, with alot more resources than we have.

I can definately see how freestyle riders would appreciate having one, and this is the place to ask.

Waterproofing is a non issue. A high grade epoxy is used to encapsulate the pcb and makes it completely submersible. Using high quality components for reliability is imperative. I believe it can be done, it's just a matter of guaging interest and determining costs.

If someone already makes them, all the better. Where are they?

How would you accomplish waterproofing the battery compartment for the transmitter? I would think that it would have to be an easy access compartment so that swapping batteries would be an easy "no brainer" process.

This sounds like a great idea, I would be interested if the price was reasonable.

 

[SkiDaddy]

How would you accomplish waterproofing the battery compartment for the transmitter?

Simple - an o-ring seal would do it.

 

[pwcindustries]

In addition to an oring, stainless contacts would be a good idea. I would imagine we would need to custom make them because traditional ones would eventually corrode. Even though the compartment is water tight, you would need to eliminate that issue from the start.

There are numerous challanges to developing a system but I don't see any as unreasonable. One of the first things we have to do is a patent search to see if someone already has claim to the idea. I can tell you right now, it's very possible there's something already out there. Most quality patent searches reveal prior art that shoots your idea down in flames or contains an aspect you need.

What really sucks is, people dream up an idea and run out to an attorney and get a patent without ever making the product. They wouldn't have a clue on making one, but can screw you up with some of their claims.

If a legal determination is made that producing and selling them wouldn't violate someone's protection, then you can proceed. Then you need to think about filing yourself because others will see your success and file, then screw you up down the road.

So unfortunately, the legal aspects are much more complex than building the product in this case.

Believe it or not, the best thing that could happen, is that someone already has the major claims and hasn't done anything with it. If they would sell at a reasonable price, you could release a product to market a hell of a lot faster!

 

[parrdaddy]

I know your bill was about $300 for the 3 violations, so I just did the math. Didn't think that large of it was the lanyard.


(Was it 3 or 2?)

:nono: It was $225, times 3 :bigeyes: I got 2 dropped.

 

[yamaslut]

I would buy one at 100$ for sure...

I love the idea... anything to make things safer, I'm for
thanks for looking into this technology

 

[SJBrit]

I would definitely buy one. It would need a kill button on the life vest portion since I'd want to be able to cut my motor instantly if my ski is floating upside-down. I can push a button way faster than I can swim.

I am Chief Technology Officer at a company who builds cutting edge RF products, including RFID systems. I'd be very happy to help advise on RF technology, which is very much a "don't believe the hype" kind of deal! Really, please let me know if you need any help brainstorming this: I'm very familiar with the available technologies and what would and wouldn't work.

 

[pwcindustries]

Thanks for the offer. We're waiting on a search to see what's up. I hate to say that, but we don't need a lawyer tapping us on the shoulder down the road.

So far, it seems like people would definately like one. I hope they become available regardless of who makes them.

 

[SuperJETT]

including RFID systems. I'd be very happy to help advise on RF technology, which is very much a "don't believe the hype" kind of deal!

Definitely, it's great technology, but you have to know/understand the limits.

 

[boonie]

Has there been any progress on this? I would definitely buy one !

 

[JetPilot]

Has there been any progress on this? I would definitely buy one !

x2....... put me down for one and put my family, inlaws and buddies down for about 6-8 more

 

[subnsxr]

I'd buy one now, I wear an intentionally torn lanyard to look like it ripped while riding in case of some poop going down. sign me up. 150.00 is not bad, everything else cost 300-600.00 a pop

 

[superjet0587]

any updates with this?

 

[Superjetjim]

I'll buy one too!....

 

[Ericfox]

Someone needs to make this thing! I was up at lake Erie back in August and the stinking lanyard wrist strap broke..... swam as fast as I could after my ski for about a minute and then it circled and I caught it.... learned real fast that the wrist straps are worthless.... after that I loop the lanyard through itself on a metal loop on my glove.... It's a pain in the azz though since I'm trying to learn tricks it pops off sometimes.... I would like to get a longer lanyard or preferrably buy something like this.... If it works I would pay 150-300.

I had a lanyard actually break in the cord part itself once too.... I think it got wrapped around the pole or the bar or something.... luckily that time I grabbed the rail before the ski could take off and wripped out the little stub from the kill switch....