Swimming pool cleaner knackered.....help please

[melrel]

Hi Guys
I was given a swimming pool cleaner to repair by a friend.  It looks like a carpet sweeper but sweeps up gunge from the water surface of the pool.  I sort of figured out (I hope correctly) that it has a wireless sender unit on the handle which when the operator presses a button sends an RF signal to a receiver in a remote device which is sat on the poolside.  This device contains a small linear 240v - 12v DC PSU and of course the RF receiver board.  The unit uses a 12v relay to switch in the mains to the hoover unit in the pool at the other end of the handle. 
I have tested everything out as far as I can but I don't have the gear to test whether or not the RF sender or receiver is working.  All the other bits are.  If I supply the relay with 12v DC the thing fires up OK. 
Does anyone have any ideas about 1) how to lash-up/purchase an RF tester 2) purchase/construct  another sender/remote unit to by-pass what's already there.  I prefer the latter as I'm not sure I have the knowledge to be able to repair either unit even if I knew they weren't working.
Thanks guys 

[G7PSK]

What about something along these lines.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/270790808431?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1438.l2649

[melrel]

Thanks for this G7PSK.  In a former life I was G7FRN but the friend who motivated me in the ham world went and died and so I gave everything away.  Sadly my license has lapsed but I am trying to re-learn morse. 
I had seen a couple of these remote controls on ebay but wasn't sure about what happened at the RX end.  I need a 12v output but the info doesn't tell me much. 

[SeanB]

No morse test anymore, so go and write the exam again.........

[NiHaoMike]

Could you just bypass the remote and use a common X10 or equivalent remote control switch module?

[G7PSK]

If you have the original pass certificate you can just reapply for the license it may be if you have an original license that is all you need to get a new license, they seem to run for life now.

[melrel]

Yeh I know you don't have to pass a morse test SeanB, but I always just wanted to communicate using telegraphy.  It seems much more appealing to me.  My friend uses a paddle key and sends about 25-30 WPM.  He can drop a signal into Austrailia from UK on 5W given the right conditions. I'd like to get there one day!!!

I'll have to do this G7PSK.  Must get round to it soon.

Hi NiHaoMike.  You are being too technical for me please explain the X10 equivalent thing.  Thanks for your post.

Thanks for your posts guys

[NiHaoMike]

A X10 remote is basically a combination PLC/RF remote control system. There are handheld remotes, PC transmitters, and wireless sensors sending signals to various types of receiver units. The most common receiver simply plugs into an ordinary outlet and the device to be switched plugs into the receiver.

[cybergibbons]

X10 is expensive and normally overkill. This will almost certainly use one of the cheap 434/868/915MHz ASK/OOK systems. If it's just 1 channel, then most of the encoders will be fine.

Look up the device on the FCC OET ID database, and it should be possible to work it out.

[melrel]

I really appreciate your reply cybergibbons, but I haven't a clue what you are talking about - sorry.  I will do a bit of research to try and grasp a bit more of this.

[cybergibbons]

Sorry - I assumed a level of knowledge with the ham background.

There are three common frequencies for these kind if transmitters. 434 and 868MHz in Europe and 434 and 915MHz in the US. They nearly all use on-off keyed AM, and are frequently connected to an IC to perform encoding, generally with two or more switched channels and some kind of address to avoid conflicts between systems.

These only have a few pins and are very cheap - you could probably buy one and drop it in.

If it is more complex than that, most devices have an FCC ID. This can be looked up online, often providing photos, a technical document, and sometimes block diagrams and schematics. You could find out what it currently uses and take it from there.

[melrel]

OOOOh that hurt cybergibbons but you are right of course - everything I knew (and that wasn't mega in electronics) is way forgotton so thanks for the post.  Be assured I'm on it.

[cybergibbons]

Sorry, I really didn't mean it to sound like that! Hope it helps