Blinder-Guy sells a handy tool for basic testing of your Blinder M27/M37/M47. The LJT1.Which you can purchase here Click Here. After using the tool for a while I decided to share some of what I've learned in the hopes that it will be useful to someone considering buying an LJT1. As a geek, I'm perpetually compelled to take things apart to understand how they work and how I can modify them to better suit my needs. So that is just what I did after purchasing an LJT1 from Blinder-Guy's webstore. Here are my observations.
1) When using the device you need to press & hold the fire button for ~1-2 seconds to start the test cycle. Continue holding the button as the tester cycles through the 3 test patterns. Test 1 = 100 PPS. Test 2 = 125 PPS. Test 2 = 200 PPS. (PPA rates verified by using an XTR-690SE with LaserID mode enabled). The Red test LED on top will flash accordingly to indicate the test cycle it is in.
2) The range of the device seemed somewhat limited. Even for a simple testing tool. After investigating the build of the device I came to find out that the opening in the front of the device is ~1/2 the size of the IR LED and the LED was not centered in the hole. (See picture below). So I decided to fix that by opening up the case and using an X-acto knife to carefully carve out some of the material and open up the hole. Testing range increased as follows. Before = ~20'-30'. After = 100'+.
3) The device has a nice semi-nonslip textured surface. The fire button has a nice tactile feel and the case is fairly sturdy. It should hold up well as long as you don't use it for a wheel chock.
4) $ vs Value = Definitely worth the money. It's not meant to be a complete testing solution. It's a single tool to test a few basic functions. When combined with a camera capable of seeing into the IR spectrum, the LJT1 becomes even more valuable. You can use it to not only test that transponders are working, but you can view each head individually and verify that all IR LED's are firing. You can use it to test your RD and compare the sensitivity of the RD vs the Blinder. etc etc etc.
5) The battery compartment is a bit over sized (though the opening is kinda tight) so I would recommend either using the double-sided sticky foam included or use some Kleenex/tissue paper to stuff in on one side to help secure the battery. I hate loose components in my devices/installs. Personally I wont use the sticky foam because it will make it a PITA to remove the battery when it does die. FYI the LJT1 comes with a Heavy Duty battery, not an Alkaline battery.
6) I believe strongly in gratuitous Tech Pr0n pictures. So this last pic is nothing more than that.
Here is a video of users jmccam using the LJT1 tester in conjunction with an IR capable camera (Sony Handycam) to view the Blinder system in action. It shows that his heads are receiving & transmitting. The video shows all 3 PPS rate of the test cycle. This video is from another member "jmccam" uing the tester. M47 Firing Using Tester
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