I have a repetitive maintenance task that needs done once a week in my lab. Currently we're doing good to remember to do it once a month.
I want an automated weekly reminder. Cellphones and email calenders aren't good enough. I want an annoying flashing light or something I can set on/near the thing that needs addressed weekly, and a button to press after it's done that resets the counter for another week.
Any ideas? None of the home automation stuff, or Christmas light timers I've found really have the, "come on once a week, and stay on until manually reset" feature I'm looking for. I've used timed relays for stuff in the past, but can't find one that really does what I want either.
Am I going to have to pop my Arduino cherry?
I'm open to ideas.
This isn't a super sensitive piece of equipment or anything, just something that needs addressed weekly to keep in tip top shape. Lack of attention to the last one we had, cost us $5K to get the new one we have now. 
Intermatic DT620 timer, $26 on Amazon.com. https://www.amazon.com/Intermatic-DT620-Heavy-Indoor-Digital/dp/B004TGO6RY It can be set for weekly events. It plugs into the wall, and has a couple switched outlets so you could plug in a lamp or horn or whatever, so it goes off once a week.
Amazon Echo Dot. Under $40, need WiFi, but she can remind you of anything and be as obnoxious as you want.
In reply to stuart in mn :
Hmm, so it turns on say a strobe, beacon, or whatever I have plugged into it, at the interval I set it for, then all I have to do is hit the off button, and it'll come back on at the next interval?
In reply to pinchvalve:
That's an interesting idea, but I'd need something with an RJ45 port, IT forces us to change our WIFI passwords every 6 weeks.
bigdaddylee82 said:
In reply to stuart in mn :
Hmm, so it turns on say a strobe, beacon, or whatever I have plugged into it, at the interval I set it for, then all I have to do is hit the off button, and it'll come back on at the next interval?
The instruction manual is here: https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/A1JPiKT6S7S.pdf It appears you can run it that way: set the timer to come on once a week, you hit the OFF button and then it stays off until the next time it comes on in another week.
Alright, that programmable timer, this 12V wall wart, and this beacon should arrive Friday.
I look forward to annoying the hell out of everyone on a weekly basis. Not that that's really outside the norm for me. 
Thanks for the input!!!
You can make your cellphone flash as a reminder
In reply to Sine_Qua_Non :
That would work if it was just me, or if our offices were in the same building as the lab. You'd be amazed what people can forget in a 60 yard walk across the parking lot.
My wife does an excellent job of reminding me of the things I need to do, and exactly when they need to be done. So, maybe try one of those?
Sine_Qua_Non said:
You can make your cellphone flash as a reminder
That was pretty much covered in the original post...
bigdaddylee82 said:
Cellphones and email calenders aren't good enough.
In reply to pinchvalve:
That's an interesting idea, but I'd need something with an RJ45 port, IT forces us to change our WIFI passwords every 6 weeks.
Id check with IT and see if your network has the ability to set up another SSID for this type of device.
Amazon Prime's 2 day shipping has been more or less 2 days after whenever they decide to get around to it shipping, here lately.
I got the programmable timer Friday, but the rest didn't show up until today.
Timer is set to turn on at 8:00 AM every Tuesday.
I wish embedding was fixed already.
Video doesn't do it justice, this thing is seizure causing obnoxious.
https://youtu.be/deOWSH6J4t0
Keep your fingers crossed that it turns on like it's supposed to, I had to re-read the instructions a few times, but I think I have it set correctly.
At least it's just a flashing light...I was afraid you were going to hook up a klaxon horn, too. 
In reply to stuart in mn :
Some kind of noise maker was considered, but our wonderful warehouse and shipping/receiving folks are in the same building as our lab, and our IT department's offices are on the other side of that wall.
I've been asked to turn down the bass before, while jamming out doing mindless repetitive tasks, and it really wasn't that loud, or even gangster rap. I can't imagine the HR complaints of an alarm going off until someone saunters on over to the lab to shut it off.
In reply to bigdaddylee82 :
I trust new folks will get training on what that light is before their first Tuesday alone? I'm trying to imagine the horror of being the only one around with no idea what's going on when that thing goes off...
"What the!?? Do I call someone? Do I run away?"
