Electric pump with a timer?

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  • Common Loon
    Senior Member
    • Aug 2020
    • 232

    Electric pump with a timer?

    Has anyone tried the inexpensive Borosino balloon pump with an inbuilt digital timer? (See picture attached, from https://www.aliexpress.com/i/627987637.html )

    I'd love to have a pump where once I find the perfect size for my balloons, I can repeat it without worrying about going too far, or chickening out and USD $60 seems more attractive than $200+ for Lagenda or $1000+ for Conwin, which are more professional kits.

    Or, does anyone have a technique they like when inflating tons of balloons to get them all to the exact size you like?
    Attached Files
  • john1bl
    Senior Member
    • Jan 2014
    • 114

    #2
    Re: Electric pump with a timer?

    This will is a chinesium pump it will get hot after a few balloons. I have a slimier pump, and the problem I have is the nozzles will whistle loudly. As for balloon sizing, you can use a holey box or two chairs. Have you thought of making a timer with an Arduino and solid state relay? This way you have a sizer that is not dependent on what pump you have. If I remember right you have played with electronics in the past.

    Comment

    • Common Loon
      Senior Member
      • Aug 2020
      • 232

      #3
      Re: Electric pump with a timer?

      Originally posted by john1bl
      If I remember right you have played with electronics in the past.
      You have an excellent memory, friend https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ELdYY9hJcO4

      What I didn't like about the setup from the video is that there was no way to easily change the time setting -- it was coded into the Arduino firmware so I had to change the code and reflash any time I wanted to inflate to different sizes. Not exactly user friendly!

      I eventually did do an Arduino-and-relay-based timer with a Bluetooth module connected to an Android phone app. It worked fairly well for a while, but it got annoying to have to dig up an old phone or tablet anytime I wanted to use it (my everyday phone is an iPhone).

      It's one of those engineering problems where the cost of buying a pre-fab thing is finally outweighing the cost of making one of my own. I dream of a Conwin Duplicator connected to a compressed air tank for unlimited perfect on/off down to the tenth-of-a-second... but realistically need something that's 90% as good for 10% of the price!

      Comment

      • john1bl
        Senior Member
        • Jan 2014
        • 114

        #4
        Re: Electric pump with a timer?

        There are LCD shields that have buttons on them to make the interface easier now. the chinaisum will work but is limited on the duty cycle. If you are not filling rooms at a time then the one you are looking at should work.

        Comment

        • S2Plooner
          Junior Member
          • Jan 2020
          • 18

          #5
          Re: Electric pump with a timer?

          You can get a potentiometer to set the time. You can hookup an lcd and get it done.

          I can help too, I'm working with Arduino on many projects!

          Comment

          • Common Loon
            Senior Member
            • Aug 2020
            • 232

            #6
            Re: Electric pump with a timer?

            Cool! I'm debating getting started on this project again sometime this year.

            In the next version I want to add a solenoid valve as well, that opens after the pump spins up and closes before it spins down. Just to get more precision, since my experience is that the time it takes the compressor to start and stop can make sizing the balloons uneven. So: energize pump --> wait 0.5 sec --> open valve --> wait user-defined number of seconds --> close valve --> de-energize pump.

            If I could make that with a little enclosure and a potentiometer dial and an LCD display... that would be a killer piece of kit. Oh, and a foot switch!
            Last edited by Common Loon; 27-08-2020, 03:09.

            Comment

            • john1bl
              Senior Member
              • Jan 2014
              • 114

              #7
              Re: Electric pump with a timer?

              You need a 3d printer

              Comment

              • Common Loon
                Senior Member
                • Aug 2020
                • 232

                #8
                Re: Electric pump with a timer?

                Don't tempt me... I could lose a bunch of time and money trying to 3D print just the right inflator base

                Comment

                • t17forLife
                  Senior Member
                  • May 2015
                  • 226

                  #9
                  Re: Electric pump with a timer?

                  In addition to the ideas about a digital readout and solenoid valve (I would set up a "blowoff valve" that exhausts outside the unit in order to extend pump and seal life), here's another idea:


                  Program the controller to accept balloon "profiles." We could get common balloon brands and sizes, then create a table of data for inflation times in half-inch increments. Variations can be made for softer/weaker colors and balloons that are harder to inflate such as pearls. We could also integrate a manual inflation button and a "learn feature" to save profiles for uncommon or unbranded balloons based on user preference.

                  Comment

                  • Common Loon
                    Senior Member
                    • Aug 2020
                    • 232

                    #10
                    Re: Electric pump with a timer?

                    "blowoff valve"
                    As a proud owner of a tuned turbo car... I like where this is going

                    Yes, if the pump you used were really consistent, you could definitely set up a big database like you mention. Now I'm thinking... control-over-IP so you and your looner friends can inflate each other's balloons remotely, from across the world. (How much air did I just send you? :cringe

                    Comment

                    • john1bl
                      Senior Member
                      • Jan 2014
                      • 114

                      #11
                      Re: Electric pump with a timer?

                      I just may have to build a timed plug

                      Comment

                      • Common Loon
                        Senior Member
                        • Aug 2020
                        • 232

                        #12
                        Re: Electric pump with a timer?

                        I wonder about using a smart plug, though, unless it's directly connected to the device doing the timing (such as via Bluetooth). Over a wireless IP connection there can be enough of a delay receiving the signal that the timing resolution could be very poor.

                        I'm just imagining... pump starts, device sends an "off" signal, network latency happens, the pump doesn't shut off on time...

                        Comment

                        • Common Loon
                          Senior Member
                          • Aug 2020
                          • 232

                          #13
                          Re: Electric pump with a timer?

                          How are you using Alexa to set time delays? I have a bunch of smart plugs but I don't think I can do that with mine.

                          Comment

                          • Common Loon
                            Senior Member
                            • Aug 2020
                            • 232

                            #14
                            Re: Electric pump with a timer?

                            That's cool. I might need to experiment -- 5 seconds seems pretty long, but compared to manually pumping, checking size, maybe pumping some more, it might not be so bad. Especially for doing lots of bigger balloons.

                            Of course, my secret dream is a pump that's as fast with air as the Conwin sizer is with helium... zero to 11" full in 0.9 seconds flat 8D

                            Comment

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