Hello all! I am new here. I just purchased two Electron modules for use in conjunction with a couple of NCD boards to extend contact closure from one location to another. The Electrons came installed on (plugged into) what I believe are called ‘carrier’ boards which have an adhesive backing. Obviously, I have to remove the Electrons from the latter. I tried to do it by hand, but no joy. It appears that I have to pry them off with a tool of some sort, but I’m nervous about the possibility of damage. Is there a recommended technique for doing so?
Also, the packages included what appear to be a pair of LEDs and a pair of resisters for each Electron, but I can find no mention of what, if anything, I need them for. Can anyone advise?
Many thanks! I love product forums, as they provide easy access to so much knowledge and experience.
Do you mean they are in the breadboards? You do have to apply some force to pull the Electrons out. The key is to do it slowly. Fingers are a great tool for this.
The LEDs and resistors are included in the kit to give you some parts to make your first "hello world" project with.
Finger solution worked (after a bid of struggle)! So thanks for that.
Next question: the Electron with its associated NCD circuitry will be installed in a waterproof plastic cabinet (see attached photo). Will the cabinet degrade the cellular signal strength? If so, can the antenna be attached to the outside of the cabinet, i.e. is it weatherproof?
Just be careful with the electromagnetic signal from the mains (AC) cables that appear to be coming into the box in the photo. You need to keep the electron and the antenna as far away as you can.
For my project, I keep the Electron (+antenna) in a polycarbonate enclosure, mounted onto a very thick metal bracket, located inside a full-metal waste container, and even then the reception is still pretty good (connections made in under 60 seconds usually)
Thanks for the observation armor. The conduit you see carried AC to a power supply that, in turn, provided 24 volt DC to a 900 Mhz radio that the enclosure originally contained. The radio unit and power supply are now gone, to be replaced with a different power supply that will power the Electron. If there should be any interference due to AC entering the cabinet, that power supply can be plugged into the external meter panel which has convenience outlets.
