Handbell controllers are dummy handbells containing motion sensors, which can be used for practice with simulators (Abel, Mabel etc) or for online ringing (Handbell Stadium, Ringing Room). This page collects articles about how to make and use handbell controllers.
This is an updated article on how to make handbell controllers for use with Handbell Stadium or Handbell Manager. I now have more experience with using several different components, and I have been trying to make the software easier to use and install.
You might want to refer to the...
Mac users are a little bit behind Windows users when it comes to technology for online handbell ringing. We are catered for by Handbell Stadium, but we don't have a version of Graham John's Handbell Manager software that converts the input from motion controllers into keypresses that will drive Mabel...
To remind you, here is the first dummy handbell controller I made based on a large Arduino Leonardo.
And here is one of Tim Hart's 3D-printed dummy handbells, with my small Leonardo Pro Micro inside.
Tim and Graham John are planning to go into small-scale production with the 3D-printed bells...
UPDATE: There is a more recent article with shorter instructions.
UPDATE: Now that a few other people are experimenting with the Arduino-based controllers, I have put some further thoughts at the bottom of this post. If you have any questions, feel free to ask, either in the comments here...