under carriage sensor problems

[DbltheBbls]

Here's the problem, my undercarriage spray turns on as soon as the the customer's transaction is confirmed while they are still at the paystation.

this only seems to happen in the morning within a 1 hour period, usually when the sun is in a certain position where it's lined right up with the sensor, aimed right at it. Could the sensor pointing right at the sun cause it to turn the undercarriage spray on? I can move the sensor back away from the opening a foot or so that the sensor would be in the shade if I need to. Again, and this is important, it work perfectly 23 hours a day, only during that 1 hour period do we have problems....when the sensor is pointing right at the sun. Anyway, if thats is the problem, this brings up 2 more questions, how fine of a beam is it? I have to line the path of the beams on each sensor so the beams are pointing at each other right? How do you do that? How presice does it have to be? I've also got a baluster (iron pipe sunk into the ground filled with concrete) about 6 inches from the wall that the beam from the sensor would have to go between, so how much does the beam flare? Would the beam hit the baluster if it was a foot back and had to go between the baluster and the wall, or is it more like a laser?

If it has nothing to do with the sun, how about a drop of water on the sensor? Would that cause this, or will this not cause a break in the beam?

Sorry for the long post....

 

[I.B. Washincars]

I believe your problem is with the sun. Can you just swap the eyes so that the transmitter is in the sun and the receiver in the shade?

I think the correct term is "bollard" and not "balluster".

 

[DbltheBbls]

I believe your problem is with the sun. Can you just swap the eyes so that the transmitter is in the sun and the receiver in the shade?

I think the correct term is "bollard" and not "balluster".

Which one is the transmitter? How do you tell?

bollard, bollard, bollard...i knew it started with a "b"

 

[I.B. Washincars]

My washes use Banner and Allen Bradley eyes and are usually marked "Transmitter or Emitter" or "Receiver"

I had to look up the term "balluster" before I posted. The items are similar, but totally different.

 

[DbltheBbls]

It would be easier for me to move the sensor back along the wall away from the enterance. That would keep it out of the sun. But the "beam" has to shoot between a 6 inch gap between the wall and the ballard and it'll be 8-10 inches away from the gap it has to shoot through. Is it a very fine beam or a wide beam that the ballard may interfere with?

 

[DbltheBbls]

My washes use Banner and Allen Bradley eyes and are usually marked "Transmitter or Emitter" or "Receiver"

I had to look up the term "balluster" before I posted. The items are similar, but totally different.

Both boxes that encase the eye are identical on mine. I'd rather move it back and out of the sun if possible.

 

[madscientist]

You can try putting a 3 or 4 inch long piece of 2" PVC pipe over the sensor that's in the sun. This will probably keep the sun off of it and let you know if the beam is able to travel successfully through a narrow path, before you make any permanent changes.

 

[DbltheBbls]

http://picasaweb.google.com/rolf56/UndercarriageSensor?feat=directlink

Here's what mine look like...As you can see I can move the one back quite aways which will keep it in the shade. My only concern is; how wide is the beam it emits? There isn't much room between the wall and the bollard. If the beam gets wider the farther away it emits I'm concerned the beam won't make it past the bollard without triggering the undercarriage spray.

 

[DbltheBbls]

Do the two beams (is that what it's called? is it a beam?) on the opposite sensors have to be lined up and pointing at each other spot-on? Is there any wiggle room?

 

[lag]

Loosen the black cap,and slide the eyes back into the cover a little,that may to help shade the eye.

Your eyes look like carlos eyes. the transmitter is the one with the gray cable,the receiver is the one with a black cable. Just switch the eyes,leave the enclosures alone. The "beam" is fairly "wide" you can move up ,or down a little without affecting them to much.

If this just started recently,you may have an eye going bad.

 

[DbltheBbls]

Loosen the black cap,and slide the eyes back into the cover a little,that may to help shade the eye.

Your eyes look like carlos eyes. the transmitter is the one with the gray cable,the receiver is the one with a black cable. Just switch the eyes,leave the enclosures alone. The "beam" is fairly "wide" you can move up ,or down a little without affecting them to much.

If this just started recently,you may have an eye going bad.

Well, like i said it works perfectly 23 hours out of the day. It's just that one hour when the sun is sitting just right.

So is the transmitter in the eye? If i move the eyes to the opposite boxes the transmitter moves too?

 

[DbltheBbls]

Loosen the black cap,and slide the eyes back into the cover a little,that may to help shade the eye.

Your eyes look like carlos eyes. the transmitter is the one with the gray cable,the receiver is the one with a black cable. Just switch the eyes,leave the enclosures alone. The "beam" is fairly "wide" you can move up ,or down a little without affecting them to much.

If this just started recently,you may have an eye going bad.

I'm assuming that the eye with the transmitter should not be directly lined up with the sun? But the reciever eye will be OK lined up with the sun?

 

[MEP001]

You'll likely find that, as previously suggested, a piece of PVC pipe will solve your problem unless the sun can still shine directly down the tube and onto the face of the eye.

 

[lag]

i agree...If this is not a new problem..just shade the eye as others have stated..bothd trans,and rec can be affected by direct sun light.

All brands of eyes. one is a transmitter,the other is a receiver..the cables will land at an amp.

 

[ted mcmeekin]

Look through your digital camera at each sensor, the one where you can see a red light (will be faint) is the transmitter. A photo eye manufacturer taught me this trick years ago---caution--this is not to be confused with the "hide the decline trick" used by the high priests of climatology.

Ted

 

[I.B. Washincars]

I'm assuming that the eye with the transmitter should not be directly lined up with the sun? But the reciever eye will be OK lined up with the sun?

I've always been told to set them up just the opposite of that.

 

[DbltheBbls]

i agree...If this is not a new problem..just shade the eye as others have stated..bothd trans,and rec can be affected by direct sun light.

All brands of eyes. one is a transmitter,the other is a receiver..the cables will land at an amp.

I think the sun is lined up in too straight a line with the eye to use the pvc. I'm leaning toward moving the box about a foot back along the wall away from the opening to keep it in the shade.

The question now is, is the beam the eye transmits fine enough to make it between the opening between the wall and bollard (see picture in post#8) opening without interference?

 

[ken-pro]

The sun will always affect the receiver much worse than the transmitter.

Moving the box back shouldn't be a problem - Photo eyes have a very direct beam of light and as long as there is a clear path between the two, your bollard will have no effect.

The simplest solution is still to swap the position of the eyes - One of the eyes is a transmitter (Sends out continuous stream of light in a very particular frequency / color), the other is a receiver (Looking for that particular frequency / color of light). Swapping the two should immediately solve your problem.

One other thought - try turning up the amplifier setting one notch (About an eighth of a turn), which makes the eyes more likely to see each other - This will prevent the undercarriage from turning on. The amplifier is plugged into the terminal block where these photo eyes are connected.

 

[jcollins]

Barking up the wrong tree?

.....the undercarriage eyes should be "blocked" when the car gets between them and turns on the spray.
If the sun is getting just the right spectrum of light to the receiver and effecting it, the receiver would think the eyes are "not blocked" and no spray.

I'd look for a problem with the photo eyes or amplifier.