Announcing: MAXSYS Wireless Remote for CT-vacs

[Rick Christopherson]

Well Mark, there's a pretty good chance we can replace the poor Powermatic Infrared remote with a Maxsys RF system. For the benefit of others reading this, you previously told me that your PM1300 dust collector has a built-in remote system, but it only works at a 5-foot distance from the dust collector. Not very useful.

The black T-shaped box in the back circuit board is the relay we need to activate. Given the simplicity of that rear circuit board, I'd say there was a pretty good chance that the brown wire from the IR (front) circuit board will trigger that relay. There is also plenty of room inside that enclosure to install a Maxsys module, and have it completely hidden away.

The first thing to do is confirm my suspicion that the brown wire controls the relay. One way to do that is to put a volt meter between Black-and-brown and then later between red-and-brown, while you turn the dust collector on and off. Oh, and get me a black-to-red voltage too.

If you don't have a voltmeter, you could take out the rear circuit board and photograph the back of it so I can trace the wires. (Make sure you unplug the dust collector first!!!!)

Ideally, we could hook up Maxsys in such a way that it won't disable your front controls, including the run-timer. But I can't be positive of that yet.

 

[Flatsawn]

Great, I'll try tomarrow

Mark

 

[Rick Christopherson]

[attachimg=1]

The first full-production Maxsys was installed in my CT-26 down in the shop this afternoon!

It took about 1 minute, and everything went as planned.

[attachimg=2]

[attachimg=3]

I just finished writing the installation manual tonight, and everything is on track to begin shipping the first units in the morning.

 

[jdm5]

That's great Rick!  Looking forward to receiving them!

 

[Flatsawn]

Well Mark, there's a pretty good chance we can replace the poor Powermatic Infrared remote with a Maxsys RF system. For the benefit of others reading this, you previously told me that your PM1300 dust collector has a built-in remote system, but it only works at a 5-foot distance from the dust collector. Not very useful.

The black T-shaped box in the back circuit board is the relay we need to activate. Given the simplicity of that rear circuit board, I'd say there was a pretty good chance that the brown wire from the IR (front) circuit board will trigger that relay. There is also plenty of room inside that enclosure to install a Maxsys module, and have it completely hidden away.

The first thing to do is confirm my suspicion that the brown wire controls the relay. One way to do that is to put a volt meter between Black-and-brown and then later between red-and-brown, while you turn the dust collector on and off. Oh, and get me a black-to-red voltage too.

If you don't have a voltmeter, you could take out the rear circuit board and photograph the back of it so I can trace the wires. (Make sure you unplug the dust collector first!!!!)

Ideally, we could hook up Maxsys in such a way that it won't disable your front controls, including the run-timer. But I can't be positive of that yet.

View attachment 1View attachment 2View attachment 3
This is the the remote control panels front and back. Hope you can make sense of this, I know I don't, if not I can send it to you. 

Mark

 

[Rick Christopherson]

Mark,
You know how in the movies where someone is diffusing a bomb, and someone tells them they need to cut the blue wire? Bomb makers don't use color codes, and apparently neither does Powermatic.  [unsure]
Black = Positive
Brown = Ground
Red = Signal return

There are 3 ways we could approach this. The easiest is for you to get Maxsys with the dust collector power relay, and the relay would connect between the two black wires (orange wirenuts). Everything else on your dust collector would work the same as it does.

The second option is to unplug your display panel (black/brown/red wires), and a standard Maxsys (without power relay) would be connected to the outside pins on the circuit board where the black and red wires had connected. This would disable all of the panel buttons on your DC.

The third option is a little more complicated, because I don't want to damage your display board. Maxsys would connect between the red and black wires, but I would want to add a 1000 ohm resistor just so it isn't a dead short backward to the display board. R4 on your brown circuit board is 1000 ohms, so by using the same size, the display won't see anything different. But it is still a slight risk.

 

[riffin-rich]

I joyously placed my order for the MAXSYS today.  Thanks for a great product, Rick.  Very innovative.  And from a selfish standpoint, very timely.  I'm building mobile carts and have my CT-26 centered between the two MFT/3 tables.  Today, I reach under the tables to manually turn the DC from AUTO to ON when I use the 7m hose with the TS-55 on the saw horse cutting table, or the 7m hose with the floor vacuum  attachments ... but when the carts are assembled, I won't be able to get to the switch ... and this has had me apprehensive to get the carts completed.  Your product is GAME-CHANGING!  Thanks for yet another awesome product!  Regards, Rich

 

[Rick Christopherson]

Thanks Rich. Your Maxsys was shipped out a few hours ago. They all were. I haven't sent out the email notifications yet because I'm rather exhausted.

I could feel the daggers in my back from all of the people in line behind me at the post office.  [scared] The receipt was literally 4 feet long. I laughed out loud when I saw it spewing out of the printer. I'm sure that made a few people want to push the daggers a little deeper.  [smile]

 

[copcarcollector]

I could feel the daggers in my back from all of the people in line behind me at the post office.  [scared] The receipt was literally 4 feet long. I laughed out loud when I saw it spewing out of the printer. I'm sure that made a few people want to push the daggers a little deeper.  [smile]

I remember those days! Upgrade to Click & Ship, or Stamps.com!

Conrgats on the newest product Rick.

 

[Rick Christopherson]

I ship all over the world, so I have to go to the counter.

 

[copcarcollector]

I ship all over the world, so I have to go to the counter.

Me too - stamps.com, easy as pie!

 

[peter halle]

Rick,

Congrats on the product launch and happy shipping!

When I did the whole Fogtainer thing and shipped out of the country a clerk at the most office suggested that I look at Endicia because of the fact that it could do the customs forms.  Turned out that there was a discount on Priority mail and also insurance.  Might want to check it out.  They have a 90 free trial:  https://account.endicia.com

Peter

 

[Rick Christopherson]

Thanks for the information, but I actually have a pretty simple system set up from doing it for so many years. The post office is only a mile from my house. I'd still have to go there no matter how I did postage or forms, so it doesn't present much problem. It's one of the main branches for the metro area.

Oh, and a lot of people wouldn't believe this, but in the 6 years I have been shipping my products, the USPS has never lost a single package.....not one! That's a pretty incredible track record.

 

[johnleve]

Rick,

Mine arrived today and took about 15 minutes to install, most of which was spent trying to find the T15 bit which ended up being in the handle of my CXS.

I am impressed by the fit and finish of the MAXSYS.  If it was sitting in a Festool clam shell container at Woodcraft one would never guess it was not made by Festool.

It works like a charm and I am looking forward to being able to control the vacuum from a far.  The only thing I would mention to others is that when you turn it off with the remote it goes through the same wind down as when you turn off a tool so don't expect instant results from pressing the off button.

Job well done.

 

[Rick Christopherson]

Cool. I had a feeling yours might arrive today. Same for a few others in adjacent states.

Using Torx screws wasn't my first choice, but apparently it is the only choice. That's probably why all Festool screws are Torx. It's the only style head for plastic screw threads I could find.

 

[Cheese]

FWIW Rick, I've specified Plastite screws in the past. They come in both imperial & metric sizes with Philips & Torx heads.
http://www.taptite.net/pdfs/documents/TAPTITEII-CONTI-reminc.pdf

 

[Theshipstore]

Got mine today 5 minute install, works great on my CT 26.

Rick As all your great add on's you hit another home run

[thumbs up] [thumbs up] [thumbs up] [thumbs up]

Thanks
Sal

 

[bkharman]

Got mine today 5 minute install, works great on my CT 26.

Rick As all your great add on's you hit another home run

[thumbs up] [thumbs up] [thumbs up] [thumbs up]

Thanks
Sal

Same story as Sal. Great addition!!

If you want to talk about a remote holder for the nozzle end, hit me up or have your buddy do it.

Thanks again Rick!

 

[squawkin]

Installed mine and it's great. Thanks.

 

[Rick Christopherson]

I'm really thrilled to be hearing how happy everyone is. Please keep posting. This is great.

I want to thank everyone for their support in making this happen.