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looking for a SIMPLE halloween scarer circuit?

hi,

Hope you don't mind a total newbie butting in. I'm planning a moderate sized halloween party for friends and family this year and have the usual yard decorations arranged.

However, I'd like to set up a little "interactivity" with one of my props (a skeletal abomination by the front door) that somehow will scream and flash it's eyes when someone walks in front of it!

now my electronics skills (or lack thereof) are meagre to say the least. My Soldering skills leave a lot to be desired for example. I had thought of using a pressure mat or a PIR sensor to trigger the scare. I can set up the flashing LED's ok (breadboard and 555 at the ready!) but I don't know the best way to (a) trigger this or (b) Play the recorded Scream (Digital recording? Tape player?)

I'm just looking for some brain storming ideas, perhaps (if I'm lucky a few circuit diagrams) and some advice to putting this thing together. I would prefer no high voltages and cheapness to be the order of the day. I know there are off the shelf devices that you can buy but I'd like to try and do this myself and with my Own props.

I'm in the UK but that shouldn't be a problem as pretty much anything you can get from Radio shack I can get from Maplins electronics over here.

Anyone got some ideas? and Please excuse my severe lack of knowlege in this field.

Reply to
plittle1970
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has an article on simulating a candle flame with flickering LEDs. The text isn't online but the code is. Might give you some ideas and would look more "realistic" than flashing LEDs with a fixed period.

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Rich Webb   Norfolk, VA
Reply to
Rich Webb

scare. I

Maybe not a lot of help, but check out Sensors magazine article under Destroy It Yourself.

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Richard

Reply to
Richard

Buy one of those outdoor lamps that uses a motion sensor. Find a two-prong electrical outlet that screws into a lamp socket. Plug your abomination into the outlet. There ya go.

Reply to
Kitchen Man

You can simple use my ex-wife...

Reply to
Externet

That's what s.e.b is for. :-)

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and plug in a wall wart.

If you expect to get this done in time for Halloween 2005, you'd be best off finding some kind of tape loop player and strap down the "play" button, and power it from the same PIR outlet.

Have Fun! Rich

Reply to
Rich Grise

Dress up like one of those stuffed dummies (kinda like a fat scarecrow) and sit motionless, until they get close enough, then, "BOO!" ;-D

Happy Hunting! Rich

Reply to
Rich Grise

Go with a pressure sensitive mat (they're pretty hard to foul up)

If you're expecting lots of visitors go digital (otherwise be prepared to rewind and reset the tape often) if you can set up software to react to a signal on the joystick port of your computer you could even use it as a source for the sound. otherwise there are ready made digital recorders capable of a few seconds of recorded sound....

As I understand it haloween is bigger in USA than in UK so a tape might be acceptable...

If you're wanting to save money you may be able to make a pressure sensitive mat from two layers of sheet metal separsted by pvc tubing with dents in the lower layer so it can contact the upper layer.

cross section, not to scale:

_________________ ___ top sheet of metal _-_ O _-_ O

Reply to
Jasen Betts

An added touch might be a buried loudspeaker. I did that many years ago. Dug a big hole behind some bushes, put the speaker in a drain pipe and covered it with cotton tee-shirt cloth, then filled the hole with dirt. I had about 2" of dirt on top of the tee shirt cloth. You could still hear the thing, but the kids couldn't locate the source.

Ed

Reply to
ehsjr

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