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Question

Wireless remote from phone?

Sep 30, 2018 6:13AM PDT

Hello, I'm not too tech savvy but had an idea that I wanted to further research and possibly work on that would help out my company in so many ways.

Basically I was wondering if it's possible to use your smartphone as a wireless button, that can control some sort of on-off switch from long distance, maybe 500ft-1000ft? Maybe if the smartphone itself doesn't have that sort of range, is there something I can just plug into the smartphone that will give it a stronger signal?

So as an example, if I have a piece of machinery, the machinery itself will have a start-stop button on the machinery itself. I would like to add a wireless switch to that machinery that can hopefully be controlled from your phone. If the phone doesn't work, maybe just a remote that someone can have on hand. But the idea of using the phone is what I was really hoping for! I sort of need the distance to be able to handle 500ft - 1000ft, roughly around there.

I don't think wifi or bluetooth can handle more than a couple hundred feet? Maybe I'm wrong, but was wondering what might be able to. I know walki talkies can go thousands of feet using signals, not sure if that sort of technology can be used for a simple on-off switch.

Discussion is locked

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Answer
Re: remote
Sep 30, 2018 6:41AM PDT

This is a nice example of the IoT, Internet of Things.

Like you can turn on your Internet-linked coffeemachine at home from an app on your phone , you should be able to turn the machine on and off with an app if thas an IoT-enabled switch. Be sure it can't be hacked!
All you have to do: install such a switch, and write such app.

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Thanks!
Sep 30, 2018 7:15AM PDT

Thanks for the help, looking into IoT right now! What if I had 500 machines that I wanted to have the option to control from 1 phone, is this possible? Like give each IoT a specific model number, and when I go on my phone, I plug in the # and hit START, and it'll turn on that specific machine?

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That's it.
Sep 30, 2018 8:35AM PDT

You wrote up a good example.

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Thanks!
Sep 30, 2018 4:11PM PDT

Thanks! How would I go about starting something like this? Seams like a lot of learning for someone like me, that has absolutely no experience with electrical engineering. I'm a Journeyman electrician though so I have somewhat of an understanding of circuitry.

So the goal is to find a program, or program a phone/remote that can link up with hundreds of IoT's and be able to turn them on individually, depending on which one I specify to turn on. Also the distance must be 500ft-1000ft. Hopefully this isn't something so complex it is out of my league.

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Re: distance
Oct 1, 2018 1:39AM PDT

The distance isn't important at all. Via Internet you can turn off a machine in the USA if you are in Japan. All you need it Internet access on both locations and the right password.

Obviously, this is a task for a programmer (an app development company with experience in IoT), not for an electrician.
With 500 machines, budget shouldn't be a problem.

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Answer
Networking & Wireless forum
Oct 1, 2018 8:06AM PDT

This Wrotec is good Examples