Announcing: MAXSYS Wireless Remote for CT-vacs

[rljatl]

Sounds good, Rick.  Just out of curiosity, if I ever decided to use it on a 240v tool/dust collector, what would I have to do to change it from 120 to 240 volt?

Nothing.  [big grin]
Just cut the 120 volt plugs off and install 240 volt plugs. That's it. Everything is automatic and universal inside. I had spent a lot of time searching for parts that would be universal voltage just for this very reason.

But if anyone orders a 240 volt 50/60hz version, I'll put a 240 volt U.S. plug on it. If I can source an EU plug at a reasonable price, I'll even put one of those on.

Excellent.  That's smart engineering.  [emoji106]

 

[GarryMartin]

There's something so cool about transparent equipment boxes...  [wink]

Great work as always Rick.

 

[L.J]

Ok I'm in just ordered mine. ;D

 

[Flatsawn]

View attachment 1

 

[Flatsawn]

For some reason it posted three times. Sometimes I can't get any to post.
Anyway, this is how I hooked the MAXSYS Wireless Remote for the CT-26. It maybe hard to see but it's the black box with the ribs.
I drilled a hole in the bottom of the control box, fed the wires thru then put the control box panel back. I caulked the hole where the wires where coming out and glued the box to the side of the vac.
It went very well and actually works, I have little knowledge of these kind of things.
Thanks Rick for your idea.

Mark

 

[Flatsawn]

View attachment 1
This is the remote for the Powermatic DC. This particular Powermatic came with a remote that really didn't work at a distance.
Now I can be in another room and the MAXSYS Wireless Remote picks it up.

Thanks again Rick,

Mark

 

[Rick Christopherson]

Anyway, this is how I hooked the MAXSYS Wireless Remote for the CT-22. It maybe hard to see but it's the black box with the ribs.

I like how you mounted that. We still have to do this for Cheese's CT-22, so he may decide to do the same. You also did a great job on mounting for the PM1300.

(Just in case anyone didn't realize, this is a CT-22, not CT-26. )

 

[RKA]

I'm going to have to email you when I get my first stationary tool (with the required dust collection).  This is awesome.  Meanwhile I finally installed mine on the CT26 yesterday, it's brilliant!  Thank you for putting these together!

 

[dalep]

Thanks for getting mine here across the pond and it avoided they spying eyes of customs too lol

Dale

 

[Rick Christopherson]

This is the remote for the Powermatic DC.

Yeah, we all know you took that picture just to show off your Grass Eco-Press in the background.  [big grin] [big grin]  [thumbs up]

I've had the manual version for about 20 years, but a few years ago I snagged a pneumatic version like yours for my father, for next to nothing. The seller used his for line-bore, but was selling it configured for hinges. As a result, he had his air pressure set too high, which cased the motor to stall. Because none of us could figure out why his motor was stalling, I talked him down on price on the basis (risk), that if I couldn't fix it, I would buy it from my father for parts to upgrade mine to pneumatic. He understood the risk I was assuming, and he agreed to it.

When I got it back to my shop, I did some troubleshooting and that's when I discovered it was simply the air pressure. I did feel a little guilty, but the original risk was real. None of us could figure out why it was failing in his shop.

 

[Flatsawn]

No, you missed it,  the picture was to show how useful a kitchen drawer silverware organizer can be. [big grin]

 

[Flatsawn]

Actually, I replaced that with an LR 32 Hole Drilling Set. I'm not sure what to do with it now.

I was making a Systainer Port using the Sys-AZ Pull Out Drawers. I drilled one side of the upright only to turn it to drill for the other, in order to match the holes in the slides, and realized the Grass wouldn't reach the depth to drill.  Now, I could have drilled them by hand but....then I thought about that video Mr. EROCK made and how he made several of them in about, oh I don't know how long was that video..5 minutes?

I'm not sure how to respond to that guy everytime he has a video I spend money my wife hasn't got. Not only that but I'm still working on mine. I don't know how he does it.

Recently he's offered to me a free hands on trial of the Vac-Sys Vacuum Clamping System. I'll tell you I'm scared of this guy [eek]

 

[Rick Christopherson]

Actually, I replaced that with an LR 32 Hole Drilling Set. I'm not sure what to do with it now.

AAAaaaahhhhh! [scared] [eek] [scared] [eek]

Oh, I hadn't looked very close until now. You do know that the main purpose of your Eco-Press is for drilling European Cup hinges, don't you? The line-boring head that you have is an optional accessory (which I don't have, myself) that installs onto the main head. The main head bores the hole for a cup hinge, plus the 2 side holes for self-insertion dowels. The black-handled lever to the right is a manual press to insert the hinges into the drilled holes (but the hinge holder is missing from yours).

So if you use European Cup hinges with self-insertion dowels, you can drill AND install both hinges on a door in about 30 seconds!!! It literally takes longer to pick up your door from a stack, than it does to install the hinges on it.

I couldn't find a good picture, but at the last moment I did better, and found a video showing how it all works.

 

[semenza]

  Earlier in this thread it was said that the MAXSYS would probably not integrate well into the CT-SYS. That's too bad. I would actually like one for that. It is a vac that I have already used in two situations where it would have been great to have the remote. One, working in a small bathroom on the floor with the vac outside the door. The other a similar task with the vac out of reach. Had to keep getting up and moving to the vac to turn on/off and wished I had a remote. This is a vac that I will be using for small area and or small job situations. I can see this coming up a lot. More for middle of task or between task clean up than on tools.

Seth

 

 

[Rick Christopherson]

Well Seth, I can make it work, I just can't make it integral like it would be with the bigger vacs.

I don't have a CT-Sys, and I seriously doubt that Festool is about to send me one.  [big grin] But maybe if I can get my hands on one for a few minutes I could come up with something reasonably simple to do.

At a minimum, I know I could put together a smaller version of a cord-connected Maxsys-DC that can easily handle the much lower power requirements of the CT-Sys.

 

[semenza]

Hmmm, yeah, the clean integration is the attraction. Might end up just going with an off the shelf plug in unit. But .....

Seth

 

[semenza]

Or maybe installed inside the hose garage portion with the wiring dis-connectable if the top and bottom units need to be separated?

Seth

 

[Rick Christopherson]

Interesting idea. I've only had my hands on a CT-Sys for about 30 seconds a few weeks ago, but maybe I can work out some way to take a longer look. There is a small enough retailer nearby I just discovered that maybe I can convince them to let me take a longer look at one. If I give them a Maxsys in return, they can probably do party tricks in the store as customers walk by.

 

[ATXStorm]

Rick, I have a Felder RL 125, which requires holding down the green push button for 5 seconds.    There is an upper relay, which controls the start circuit to bring the motor to speed and drops out when the green push button start button is released.  Can your DC remote mimic holding down the green push button for 5 seconds?

Thanks, Storm

 

[Rick Christopherson]

Storm,
The simple answer to your question is yes. There is a third mode that Maxsys-DC supports that I haven't mentioned before, where the output is momentary for as long as you hold the button down.

However, now that you've told me that you have to do the same thing when you push the On button on the front of your DC, I'm wondering if you would like to fix this permanently?

What we can do is find you a voltage-controlled relay, which is what Felder should have designed into the system in the first place. This relay will automatically hold the start circuit active until your motor gets up to speed. That's what you are doing manually when they force you to hold the start button down for 5 seconds. Here's a picture of one that I've worked with before, and is in a piece of equipment in my garage that I finished writing the factory service manual for a few months ago.

This will eliminate the need to hold any buttons down for 5 seconds. Then we'll just need to figure out how to integrate a Maxsys module into your existing motor controls. I'll try and find some schematics on the internet, unless you happen to have any. If you have the chance, snap a couple pictures of the inside of your control panel and either post them here, or email them to me, whichever is easier for you.