Hi everybody,
I'm faced with a minor problem, for which I'd like to create a simple, cheap DIY solution.
There are two rooms in the house, the first one holds an electrical device (a computer) which switches itself off after a given amount of time. In the second room, I spend most of my time. I'd like to be notified if and when the computer has been switched off.
There are some problems so far:
- I do not have a wireless network, nor am I planning on setting one up, so I can't check the network.
- I can't hear the computer in the other room, so that's not a solution
- I'm just too lazy to run over to the other room every now and then, and if I weren't, well, I wouldn't have a little DIY project to dabble with ;)
Basically I'm looking at a small, cheap project to wet my hands in electronics. I was thinking along the lines of:
- pulling 12V from a USB cable from the computer
- the USB cable powers a cheap transmitter (think RC cars)
- in the other room is the receiver, which activates a LED as long as a signal comes through
- if the PC shuts down, USB no longer is powered, transmitter stops, and the LED goes dark.
Another idea was using a magnet, and a magnetic switch on the other side of the wall, but that would have to be one strong magnet I guess :)
Any other ideas? Preferably without drilling through the walls?
Thanks in advance!
Ikke