This isn’t technically flashlight related but I figured some of the geniuses here may have experience and can help me. Here are the basics of what I want to do. I want an IR optosensor (phototransistor optical interrupter switch) that is connected to a motor. When I turn the unit on, the motor turns on. When an object breaks the optosensor beam it turns the motor off. I have zero experience with wiring something like this. Any ideas? Do y’all think I can do this without having to use an Arduino board?
For the specifics, I plan on using this for reloading ammunition. Say I want 50 grains of gunpowder. I have a volume powder dispenser that I can get close, but it isn’t exact. So I want to set it for somewhere around 48 grains of powder. Put that powder on a beam scale. I will then have a motor that slowly trickles the powder until it reaches 50 grains. The beam on the scale will rise up as the powder increases. Have the optical sensor set so when the beam reaches zero (the desired weight of 50 grains), the beam with break the optical sensor beam turning the motor off.
I essentially want to make something like what is in the video below. They want $160 for that. I should be able to build something similar for much less, maybe $30. I have just never dealt with optical sensors and I don’t know how to control them or wire them for what I want.
