Handbell Manager

Updates:

Nov, 2020:
eBells available to order.

Oct, 2020:
Handbell Manager Version 2.0 released.

Dec, 2020:
Support for Ding added in Version 2.1.

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“This is easily, by far, the best development to happen to handbell learning. Whilst a good tutor is invaluable in guiding one's learning experience, this gives every 'would be' learner and developer of handbell skills the ability to expand their skills at any time, anywhere, and in an accelerated timescale. It could easily lead to an explosion in change ringing on handbells, and I think will.”

Richard Grimmett

Introduction

Many handbell ringers have been looking for a better way to practice ringing two handbells with change ringing simulators than pressing keys on the keyboard. Here, at last, is a cheap and easy way to obtain and use dummy handbells.

Handbell Manager is free software (under the GNU General Public Licence) that enables USB motion controllers to be used as dummy handbells with Abel, Beltower, Ringing Room and Muster.

Click on play below to see a demonstration video of three leads of Bristol using Abel, Handbell Manager and ActionXL wired motion controllers.

There is no computer keyboard or mouse interaction during the video - the controllers are swung to ring two bells, and buttons on the controllers are used to start the others ringing, initiate "Go Bristol" and call the three bobs.

What do you need?

Two USB motion controllers:-
- ActionXL wired or wireless motion controllers - no longer available (other than second-hand).
- eBells - available from ebells.co.uk.
Either: Abel (from www.abelsim.co.uk)
Or: Beltower (from www.beltower.co.uk)
Or: Ding (from www.dinging.co.uk)
Or: Muster (from drichards2.github.io/muster/)
Or: Ringing Room (from ringingroom.com)
Handbell Manager (from GitHub)
A PC with two spare USB ports, Microsoft Windows and .Net Framework (from www.microsoft.com)