Remote for a Mark 7?

tomp · Post by **tomp** » Tue Mar 26, 2013 11:35 am

I was reading the Router Forum this morning, and noticed the following post:

"Well I finally broke down and ordered the retrofit kit and remote for my Nova DVR XP lathe. Boy is that nice. Took about 20 minutes to change the display with the updated version and reinstall on the lathe. The remote can be worn on the wrist like a watch or it has a magnet in the back of it so it can be stuck anywhere on the lathe. It will be nice to switch it off/on and change speeds without have to reach around big pieces spinning on the lathe or start it without standing in the line of fire. Works great and should have did it sooner."

If Shopsmith would come out with a remote, I would buy it in a heartbeat. I'm already tired of trying to read the display under my sled or under large sheets of wood. And then trying to program the machine is very problematic.

dusty · Post by **dusty** » Tue Mar 26, 2013 12:00 pm

tomp wrote:I was reading the Router Forum this morning, and noticed the following post:

"Well I finally broke down and ordered the retrofit kit and remote for my Nova DVR XP lathe. Boy is that nice. Took about 20 minutes to change the display with the updated version and reinstall on the lathe. The remote can be worn on the wrist like a watch or it has a magnet in the back of it so it can be stuck anywhere on the lathe. It will be nice to switch it off/on and change speeds without have to reach around big pieces spinning on the lathe or start it without standing in the line of fire. Works great and should have did it sooner."

If Shopsmith would come out with a remote, I would buy it in a heartbeat. I'm already tired of trying to read the display under my sled or under large sheets of wood. And then trying to program the machine is very problematic.

This has been discussed here on the forum. I think that there was a consensus amongst PowerPro owners that this would be good. Not so for me. I have had more than one occurrence of unwanted actions under the control of a remote. I would not like for that to happen with my table saw or router or shaper or lathe while I am using same.

Those who agree with you that it would be good will likely chime in here.

There will be no remote on my PowerPro (even if I had a PowerPro).

tomp · Post by **tomp** » Tue Mar 26, 2013 4:10 pm

I looked for a previous discussion before posting. Can you point me to it?

dusty · Post by **dusty** » Tue Mar 26, 2013 4:37 pm

tomp wrote:I looked for a previous discussion before posting. Can you point me to it?

This is the thread I had in mind.

nil · Post by **nil** » Wed Mar 27, 2013 3:01 am

Yeah, as long as the remote were only ever tied to the OFF button, it would make sense with a mark 7.

Anything with the ability to start the motor feels completely unsafe to me.

A remote display would be nice. Remote up/down would be nice, but only if it worked while off and in conjunction with a remote display.

If I had more time -- and I barely even have enough to spend 30 minutes a week with my mark 7 without taking a vacation from work, I would probably start by wiring up a microcontroller inside the powerpro that speaks bluetooth to the outside world and can interface with the display and all of the buttons except for the "ON" one and then solve everything else by writing software for my phone.

damagi · Post by **damagi** » Wed Mar 27, 2013 10:08 am

nil wrote:Yeah, as long as the remote were only ever tied to the OFF button, it would make sense with a mark 7.

Anything with the ability to start the motor feels completely unsafe to me.

A remote display would be nice. Remote up/down would be nice, but only if it worked while off and in conjunction with a remote display.

If I had more time -- and I barely even have enough to spend 30 minutes a week with my mark 7 without taking a vacation from work, I would probably start by wiring up a microcontroller inside the powerpro that speaks bluetooth to the outside world and can interface with the display and all of the buttons except for the "ON" one and then solve everything else by writing software for my phone.

The way the nova remote works is by simulating button presses. It sits in between the touch pad and the controller. the off, up, and down just send a button press when you push them. The on button on it requires a push and hold.

nil · Post by **nil** » Wed Mar 27, 2013 1:11 pm

damagi wrote:The way the nova remote works is by simulating button presses. It sits in between the touch pad and the controller. the off, up, and down just send a button press when you push them. The on button on it requires a push and hold.

Btw, I want to say thanks for doing the work in https://forum.shopsmith.com/viewtopic.php?t=10774

If the 10pin info you gave at the end is for the shopsmith 10pin IDC connector, you've already done half my work for me. Next step is for me to wire up a teensy 2.0 (I have lots for other projects) to that header and to figure out where to get power from if none of those pins always had power +5v or +3.3v and then connect the micro to a bluetooth serial port adapter for the wireless to my phone so I can just write an application to let me use the volume & power buttons on my phone while it sits in my pocket while working.

backhertz · Post by **backhertz** » Wed Mar 27, 2013 3:13 pm

When I visited Teknatool in Clearwater, I was asked if I was interested in using a remote for my PowerPro. I said no. It looks to be an easy mod as someone mentioned. Just insert a tiny board into the headstock and plug the male/female ribbon cable from the board into the female ribbon cable receptacle on the display/touch pad. Then plug the unplugged ribbon cable into the new female ribbon cable receptacle. Close it up.

But will it work? I have no idea. I imagine so; however, it would be something supported by Shopsmith which to my knowledge, it's not. I am not aware of any testing or any effect on the PowerPro warranty being you would be using something which is not officially part of the Shopsmith.

I am not familiar with the firmware in the Shopsmith and whether it is the same as the Nova. So I would not want to fool around with "mother nature" being I don't know the potential result and what to do if something were to hiccup. Too expensive an experiment for me.

It just seems to me an accessory that is really nice to have, but I just don't see myself so far away from the headstock that I would need a remote. But what if if something were to jam? To my knowledge the PowerPro will sense it and react. I will defer to members who have more knowledge as I sure don't.

backhertz · Post by **backhertz** » Wed Mar 27, 2013 3:13 pm

When I visited Teknatool in Clearwater, I was asked if I was interested in using a remote for my PowerPro. I said no. It looks to be an easy mod as someone mentioned. Just insert a tiny board into the headstock and plug the male/female ribbon cable from the board into the female ribbon cable receptacle on the display/touch pad. Then plug the unplugged ribbon cable into the new female ribbon cable receptacle. Close it up.

But will it work? I have no idea. I imagine so; however, it would be something supported by Shopsmith which to my knowledge, it's not. I am not aware of any testing or any effect on the PowerPro warranty being you would be using something which is not officially part of the Shopsmith.

I am not familiar with the firmware in the Shopsmith and whether it is the same as the Nova. So I would not want to fool around with "mother nature" being I don't know the potential result and what to do if something were to hiccup. Too expensive an experiment for me.

It just seems to me an accessory that is really nice to have, but I just don't see myself so far away from the headstock that I would need a remote. But what if if something were to jam? To my knowledge the PowerPro will sense it and react. I will defer to members who have more knowledge as I sure don't.

backhertz · Post by **backhertz** » Wed Mar 27, 2013 3:13 pm

When I visited Teknatool in Clearwater, I was asked if I was interested in using a remote for my PowerPro. I said no. It looks to be an easy mod as someone mentioned. Just insert a tiny board into the headstock and plug the male/female ribbon cable from the board into the female ribbon cable receptacle on the display/touch pad. Then plug the unplugged ribbon cable into the new female ribbon cable receptacle. Close it up.

But will it work? I have no idea. I imagine so; however, it would be something supported by Shopsmith which to my knowledge, it's not. I am not aware of any testing or any effect on the PowerPro warranty being you would be using something which is not officially part of the Shopsmith.

I am not familiar with the firmware in the Shopsmith and whether it is the same as the Nova. So I would not want to fool around with "mother nature" being I don't know the potential result and what to do if something were to hiccup. Too expensive an experiment for me.

It just seems to me an accessory that is really nice to have, but I just don't see myself so far away from the headstock that I would need a remote. But what if if something were to jam? To my knowledge the PowerPro will sense it and react. I will defer to members who have more knowledge as I sure don't.