What should be a good button for the Brain-Ring and Jeopardy system?
This question inevitably arises when making a system for the Brain-Ring on your own. Before answering it, it is logical to look at what is already used in existing systems.
You can often find buttons from the call. This is an inexpensive (the cost of the button ~ 1) and quite obvious solution. A few years ago, our installations were equipped with them. What are the benefits of these buttons? You can buy the call button anywhere. It is extremely easy to connect - you don't even need soldering, the stripped wire is clamped in the terminals with an ordinary screwdriver. In case of failure of the cord, which tends to break off near the button, the repair is as simple as making - remove isolation from the wire end and clamp with a screwdriver without need to take soldering iron to the tournament.
Among the disadvantages are: quite artisanal appearance (after all, it is more recognizable as a "thing from the doorpost", rather than as an independent part of the system for Jeopardy); failure of rectangular buttons when pressed out of center; the need to process the back of the button on which the terminals are located.
There are several possible solutions to the last problem with the back of the button. For example, mounting it on a flat substrate of plywood or plexiglass. The substrate must also be treated to give it an aesthetic appearance. Most often they follow a simple path and make it large and rectangular. This button is normally on the table, but bad - in the hand. To understand why this is important, watch the players in the "relative", especially in the decisive battle on simple issues. Are there many of them who will leave the button lying quietly on the table, and not take it in hand, taking the most comfortable position for lightning pressing? Giving such a substrate a more ergonomic shape requires too much effort and cost, so do not face the decision to use a simple bell button in the installation for the brain-ring.
There is another solution - to fill the back of the bell button with compound. This option is much better than the previous one - the button is normally in the hand, there is no need for a substrate. Of the disadvantages is the complexity of repair, which necessitates the use of more resistant to breakage cord. Hot glue was previously used as a compound in our plants, but other options are possible - epoxy resin, several coats of varnish, etc.
Household wall switches without fixing. They are larger than the call buttons, in the case of high-quality workmanship - better design and durability. The disadvantages are the price that exceeds 10 for one button from a European manufacturer, the need to hide the button mechanism, designed for a subnet, in a large case.
Computer mice. Have a price of ~ 3, often get faulty for free, because for use in the installation is enough to work at least one button. The advantages include the convenience of being in the hand, the finished body, the habit of clicking, ease of pressing and low stroke of the button. Of the disadvantages - the need to upgrade the board, with insufficient skills, this leads to the unreliability of the solution, artisanal appearance (although the buttons in the form of mice may be justified in tournaments related to IT).
Buttons from keyboards, joysticks, remotes, etc. The advantage of their availability is offset by significant disadvantages: such buttons require a separate body and time-consuming installation.
Special buttons produced by the industry for electronic devices. This option is used in our installations. The new buttons are installed in the factory housing with a flexible cable entry, which prevents cable breakage and prolongs service life. All connections inside the button are made by soldering. The buttons are small, easy to place in the palm of your hand. For the convenience of the player on the body of the button is an LED indicator.
