Solo trap shooting at Red Castle

[poopgiggle]

So I love trap shooting. I like rifles OK (still the "NRA ranks passed per year" record holder at Camp Towering Pines!), and pistols are growing on me, but trap and skeet are what dad and I shot every Sunday.

Problem: Unlike the trap/skeet clubs where I shot growing up, Red Castle isn't some hoity-toity place with pullers on staff, so I need to bring someone to push buttons. I hate having to con/coerce someone into going with me just so I can shoot, and I don't want to mash the buttons on the controllers with my foot because I don't want to break them.

Does anyone know of a foot-pedal type controller that will plug into the outlets on the RC trap/skeet fields (they're whatever plug the standard Winchester/Western controllers use)? All I can find through Google are remotes that are meant to attach to specific brands of throwers, and require a little more in-depth wiring than I want to do on machines I don't own.

I met a guy there once who built his own, but unfortunately I neglected to ask what kind of plug and cables you need. I've read wiring diagrams for the controllers, and they're really really simple so I'm confident I can gin something up with my soldering iron, but I still need to know what kind of materials to order from Digikey.

E: Also if we get this figured out, I'd be willing to make these for cost of materials + $20 or something because I'm a grad student and my time is cheap.

 

[brennan]

I thought RCGC had foot pedals. Although I would like the information because maybe I can use the info at OCRGC.

 

[poopgiggle]

I thought RCGC had foot pedals. Although I would like the information because maybe I can use the info at OCRGC.

Not that I've seen. Like I said, the one guy I talked to had to build his own. I'll look next time I'm there though.

 

[DC]

I don't know about the Trap Skeet ranges but there is a foot pedal activator on the wobble range at the sporting clays range.

 

[mr ed]

Look in the middle upstairs skeet house. I thought there was one.
I'll look tommorrow if I remember it.
Should be simple to make since your not having to deal with 2 houses like the skeet.

 

[poopgiggle]

Look in the middle upstairs skeet house. I thought there was one.
I'll look tommorrow if I remember it.
Should be simple to make since your not having to deal with 2 houses like the skeet.

If it turns out a foot switch was there all along my face will be red. Really red.

Of course, I didn't think to look in the skeet house when I was shooting trap.

 

[mr ed]

I asked at the club meeting last nite. they said there was not one but it would not be hard to make.
50 foot extention cord
push button switch
3 prong twist plug

there was one at the wobble trap but they said somebody stole it.
several guys have made their own.
they said some have even made some kind of wireless mic setup

 

[poopgiggle]

Voice call systems are pretty common at ATA shoots, actually (or rather the 2 I've been to have had them, so I'm guessing that means they're common). I knew they existed, but I didn't want to pay for one.

I will look into getting the parts for this. Thanks!

E: Apparently all I needed was the phrase "twist plug," because searching Google for "skeet twist plug" got me this link on building an International Skeet delay controller (PDF warning). I can do what this guy did but with simpler code.

 

[poopgiggle]

Alright, just got back from the club where I put the finishing touches on the foot pedal and shot a few rounds of trap with it. I shot really badly, since I'm not used to shooting with just my heel on the ground. After a while I figured out that I can hold the pedal down long enough to shoot and it won't throw another target, so I got a little better.

Anyhoo, here's a rundown of how I built the thing. I was going to do an illustrated how-to with pictures and everything, but I discovered that iPhone pictures look like total crap.

DISCLAIMER: These controllers use a signal voltage of 110V which for all I know could be dangerous. I am not responsible if you don't have the basic common sense required to not electrocute yourself doing this.

Things you need:

- Extension cord (50' for 16 yard trap, I used 100' so I can practice handicap)

- 15-Amp 3 wire twist plug (like this)

- Foot switch (I used a Linemaster Treadlite II, but it can probably be any momentary switch that's rated for 110V)

- Heat shrink tubing

- Electrical tape

- Soldering iron with solder

- Multimeter (continuity buzzer is useful but not necessary) (you can get these cheap from my favorite store in the whole wide world)

- Wire strippers for whatever gauge of wire is in your extension cord.

- Hands free tool (I have one of these) This is optional, but it will save your sanity when you're splicing wires.

1. Cut off both plugs on the extension cord. Cut off the plug at the end of the wire that came attached to your foot pedal. Cut the cables' insulation back about 1", and strip the wires so you have about 1/2" of metal showing.

(Note that my foot pedal came with about 6' of cable already attached to it; if yours doesn't, leave out the part about splicing and just solder the extension cord wires to the appropriate terminals inside the pedal)

2. Use the continuity buzzer on your multimeter to check which wires are connected by the pedal. Hold the test leads on the wires and put your foot on the pedal. If you hear a beep, you've found them. Note the color of the wires. Mine were green and black, so I'll just say green and black.

3. Put enough heat shrink tubing to cover the eventual splice on one of the cords BEFORE YOU JOIN THE WIRES.

3.5 There will be a third wire if you're using three-conductor cord. Cut it back so it doesn't get in the way.

4. Splice the same-colored wires. I used this method since soldered connections look nicer and are more durable, but I suppose you could use those crimp things electricians use. Just be aware that it will look like crap and you won't be able to use heat shrink tubing.

5. Check that your joints are good. Hold the leads of your multimeter to the wires at the other end of the extension cord, and push the pedal down. If your continuity buzzer beeps, you're good to go.

5. Wrap the solder joints and any exposed wire with electrical tape. (E: Wrap the joints separately! The goal here is to keep them from touching and causing a short circuit)

6. Slide the heat shrink tubing over the spliced area. There are lots of ways to apply heat. You can squirt hot glue in there a la "Hacking the XBox," which would make the joint stronger and shrink the tubing. Or you can use a heat gun. I lost my hot glue gun and don't own a heat gun so I just used a lighter. If you do this, be very careful not to keep the flame in one place too long so that you don't burn the insulation on your wires.

So now you should have a foot pedal attached to a really long extension cord with bare wires at the other end. Bring this, your multimeter, and your screwdrivers to the trap range.

7. Get out one of your club's trap controllers. Use your multimeter to figure out which two terminals on the 15 amp plug are connected when the trap button is pushed. At Red Castle it's the two little ones; the big ground prong doesn't enter into the equation at all.

8. Put your green and black wires into the 15 amp plug in such a way that they go to the same terminals as you found in step 7. My plug came with instructions on how to do this, and I'm assuming yours will too. Even if it didn't it's not hard to figure out. You will probably need your screwdrivers for this.

9. Use your multimeter once again to make sure that you've got the correct prongs wired up, and that the circuit is closed ONLY when the pedal is pushed (no short circuits anywhere)

10. Plug it in and try it out.

I realize that if you own a multimeter, I don't need to tell you how to use it, but this is aimed at someone with no electronics experience whatever.

Also these instructions are really verbose but I wanted them to be as unambiguous and idiot-proof as possible.

 

[poopgiggle]

I'm also working on designing a skeet controller that will intelligently switch between high/low/double. However, it will require some more advanced electronics skills: you'll need to get a circuit board fabbed, buy the parts (stuff like transistors, relays, resistors) from someone like Jameco or Digikey, and solder them to the board. Also if I end up using a FPGA for logic you'll need to get a programmer for that.