tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-74833395757558768542012-02-16T16:21:09.181-06:00Jasonnoreply@blogger.comBlogger391100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7483339575755876854.post-58583744130885076082011-10-31T23:07:00.004-05:002011-11-01T00:16:38.671-05:00

In 1918 a British expedition led by the intrepid Nigel Q. Waxybottom set out for a small island east of Bimini in search of the tomb of the tyrannical King Whatalottahooie. They were never heard from again. Some say they were lost to the sea, while others claim they fell prey to the curse of the candy king...This was how I greeted my TOT's...(sorry about the dark vid - more on that below)All in

Jasonnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7483339575755876854.post-48280624506636752342011-10-29T22:49:00.000-05:002011-10-29T22:50:03.696-05:00

Sorry for the shaky video.

Jasonnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7483339575755876854.post-9939067941610413972011-10-09T17:47:00.002-05:002011-10-09T17:48:02.488-05:00

Jasonnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7483339575755876854.post-34369600630827489062011-10-02T15:57:00.001-05:002011-10-02T15:59:20.084-05:00

Jasonnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7483339575755876854.post-12057260474683289802011-07-24T14:55:00.002-05:002011-07-24T15:35:02.111-05:00

I've done a bit of (very simple) computer programming in the past - mostly scripts to automate some server actions & reports - but never anything with a GUI. Recently, however, a change in some procedures at work has prompted the need for some custom software to bridge sales tracking and cash handling (yawn...). So what the heck does that have to do with Halloween?!? Not much, really, except that

Jasonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7483339575755876854.post-57281557057536516532011-06-19T11:09:00.007-05:002011-06-19T20:41:23.676-05:00

I've had several questions lately about powering LED spotlights, so I thought I'd see if I can't break it down a little better.First off, there are 2 ways wire a group of LEDs - series and parallel.Series: (or what you don't want to do)In a series circuit, the negative lead of the first LED is connected to the positive lead of the next LED. and so on down the line. In this configuration only 1

Jasonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7483339575755876854.post-89350251282813425732011-06-18T23:30:00.001-05:002011-06-18T23:31:46.496-05:00

Method of switching audio between multiple speakers. Also switches spotlight on prop that's "talking".

Jasonnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7483339575755876854.post-67274895297395338002011-02-11T22:42:00.003-06:002011-02-11T22:51:39.246-06:00

(Just needing a place to put an image...)

Jasonnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7483339575755876854.post-77096965704612615832010-10-10T15:21:00.008-05:002010-10-10T15:37:24.891-05:00

Threw together a couple of lanterns for my yard today.Pretty simple, really. Just a couple of old jars I dug out of my neighbors garage (with her permission, of course.) I left the inside as dirty as I found them, but wiped the outside so I could dust them with pumpkin orange paint. I wrapped some fine steel wire around the top & twisted it so I could loop handles made from a wire clothes hangers

Jasonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7483339575755876854.post-3173818899346388572010-08-15T00:09:00.006-05:002010-08-15T00:33:08.999-05:00

I was looking around for a .mp3 player solution for a prop I had an idea for (more on that later), and came across a couple of boards at MDFly.com.The SD/Thumb drive board behaves just like a regular .mp3 player, but has the advantage of having the controls readily available so you don't have to tear one apart & hack the controls to use it. MP3 files can be stored on either a SD card or a USB

Jasonnoreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7483339575755876854.post-50232092476132882932010-06-13T10:49:00.002-05:002010-06-13T11:01:14.126-05:00

Just ran across this really cool reststor value card over at Instructables. One of those cool little things that can make life easier. I keep a resistor color chart pinned to the back of my bench, but this would be much quicker and easier to use.

Jasonnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7483339575755876854.post-82093597253371901502010-05-23T18:36:00.013-05:002010-05-24T00:12:42.922-05:00

And then there's the capacitor. Simply put, a capacitor stores electricity. When a charge is applied to the capacitor, it is stored until a path is available for the current to flow. You might think "Oh, so it's like a battery." (C'mon, admit it. You might think that...) Well, it is and it isn't. Aside from the technical differences in how they're made, (a capacitor is a series of plates

Jasonnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7483339575755876854.post-37800791336627430882010-05-12T20:31:00.009-05:002010-05-12T21:10:23.357-05:00

OK, so in the past I've used I.R. sensors & pressure mats to trigger props. It's always worked OK, but there have been times when the triggers failed, or the timing was off, or (worst of all) the props have been too frightening for the young TOT's & I've wished they didn't fire. I like the of manually triggering the props, but don't want to be tied to a wired control panel. I could use a

Jasonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7483339575755876854.post-70926695008607693742010-04-06T20:20:00.005-05:002010-04-06T20:47:35.809-05:00

This is an easy one - Put simply, a diode lets current flow in one direction, but not the other. Kinda like a check valve.A couple of things to remember about diodes - a diode will cause a bit of voltage loss in a circuit. This is referred to as forward voltage drop, and is usually around .5 - .7 volts. Diodes also have a maximum reverse voltage. If this is exceeded, the diode will break down

Jasonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7483339575755876854.post-69098773461166122242010-03-18T23:19:00.000-05:002010-03-20T02:10:04.460-05:00

Aah, the transistor. Where would we be without it? For starters, I wouldn't be sitting on the couch writing this post. The computer would be a bit too big and expensive for that, what with all the vacuum tubes it would take to make it work. As it is there's far more processing power in my laptop than there was on the Apollo space capsule that put men on the moon, thanks to the transistor.But

Jasonnoreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7483339575755876854.post-92105891578415957582010-03-07T23:23:00.000-06:002010-03-09T21:20:56.974-06:00

OK, so we've covered some of the basic terms we'll run into in simple circuits. So now lets look at some of the components we'll use to actually build them.Lets start with the lowly resistor. A resistor limits the current flow in a circuit (I know, we've already established that.)More specifically, a resistor is a device that is added to a circuit to control and limit the flow of current. The

Jasonnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7483339575755876854.post-42059687250314257612010-02-27T20:30:00.000-06:002010-02-27T21:38:48.833-06:00

In my last post I tried to explain voltage, current, and resistance. Not too sure how well I succeeded, but no matter. Ever forward, right?There's one more term that we'll see frequently - watts. Watts (W) are a measure of power, and are calculated by multiplying current by voltage. So if you have a 100 watt light bulb that runs off 120 volts, that bulb would draw .84 amps (100 watts divided

Jasonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7483339575755876854.post-12812631588334008402010-02-18T14:47:00.001-06:002010-05-27T23:23:56.402-05:00

In some of my previous posts I've talked a bit about some electronics projects I've been playing with. I've had some very positive feedback so far, but I've also had quite a few questions. So before I go on I thought I'd explain some of the electronic terms I'm talking about and how they affect each other.So let's start with current. Current is the volume of electrons flowing through a circuit

Jasonnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7483339575755876854.post-44775586216968141552010-02-16T21:14:00.000-06:002010-02-16T23:26:24.394-06:00

In my previous post about LED wiring I discussed current ratings and voltage specifications, & how to wire LEDs so they don't catch fire (we hope). What I didn't talk about is what you get for all your trouble when you build a project using LEDs. Will that spotlight be bright enough to light your tombstone? Will your flying crank ghosts eyes be so bright they blind your trick-or-treaters?

Jasonnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7483339575755876854.post-54846997583509913322010-02-06T15:37:00.000-06:002010-02-06T15:52:57.765-06:00

I was lucky enough to get in on Sparkfun's free day a month or so ago. I figured this would be a good chance to play with some picaxe stuff, so I scored a few 08m chips & prototyping kits,& an 18m chip & board. Now to see what kind of spooky trouble I can cause with it...:)

Jasonnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7483339575755876854.post-433488320902499202010-01-14T22:13:00.000-06:002010-02-16T22:44:49.822-06:00

(Warning: longish, dry, kinda techie post)Since I posted my LED spot light how to I've received quite a few questions, mostly about how to power them. The simple answer is there's no simple answer. LEDs don't behave like light bulbs, and powering them without damaging them requires you to take a few things into account. I'm by no means an expert on the matter, but I'll do my best to explain

Jasonnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7483339575755876854.post-89158256131613509252009-11-01T21:13:00.000-06:002009-11-01T21:30:34.409-06:00

Wow,talk about a different year! After all the work I put into the porcupine, creating the show with a talking skull, a 2-axis skull, 4 singing pumpkins, and an almost 30 minute background track complete with thunder and lightning, the PC I'd set up to run it all up and died on me. Disappointing? Yea, but not the end of the world. The talking skull I'd set up just used a simple "toy motor"

Jasonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7483339575755876854.post-75830679018846804212009-10-25T21:48:00.001-05:002010-02-14T22:05:31.531-06:00

Jasonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7483339575755876854.post-913351156301936972009-10-15T20:42:00.000-05:002009-10-15T20:45:16.783-05:00

Saw this on my way home from work tonite. Not sure what it's made, but dang it's cool!

Jasonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7483339575755876854.post-32151712991109363812009-10-06T21:12:00.000-05:002009-10-06T22:45:02.907-05:00

OK, here it is. 5 inputs, 16 switched outputs, & 3, 5, & 12 volt power taps. I'm not going to give a step by step how-to because for as wild as it looks, it's really pretty simple.The TTL signal from the parallel port pins travel through the small gauge wire to the circuit board, through the 1k resistor, and to the base pin of the transistor. The emitter of the transistor is connected to ground

Jasonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7483339575755876854.post-84624507999610413932009-09-20T01:00:00.000-05:002009-09-20T11:12:10.524-05:00

OK, so I modified a PC power supply to power my yard display. Plan was to use it with the parallel port relay controller I'm building (and yes, I really am building it.) So anyway, I modified it & it worked. Then, I decided to use it to show my wife how the LED spotlights would look lighting up a tombstone. Like a dummy, I just twisted the wires together & left them uninsulated. Of course, I

Jasonnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7483339575755876854.post-39034825041111451932009-09-12T20:24:00.001-05:002009-09-12T20:24:45.672-05:00

Jasonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7483339575755876854.post-81408968213990022412009-09-06T19:46:00.000-05:002009-09-06T19:47:26.807-05:00

Jasonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7483339575755876854.post-48500127265626949832009-08-30T21:47:00.000-05:002009-08-31T00:45:56.280-05:00

...on the controller I'm going to build.Like I said before, I plan to control all the elements of my haunt with Brookshire software's Visual Show Automation (VSA) software. VSA's a pretty amazing piece of software, able to control all sorts of hardware interfaces. One of those interfaces is a parallel port relay board, more commonly known as a kit 74. I plan to build a version of this

Jasonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7483339575755876854.post-13516842276526118992009-08-23T22:34:00.000-05:002009-08-23T22:35:24.105-05:00

Jasonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7483339575755876854.post-71379633657858138032009-08-23T22:33:00.000-05:002009-08-23T22:34:14.888-05:00

Jasonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7483339575755876854.post-71367399891437136092009-08-20T22:17:00.000-05:002009-08-21T00:15:05.113-05:00

In years past I've strung extension cords all over my lawn, stuck flood light holders all over the place, and filled power strips with wall warts and X10 controllers to power my Halloween props and lights. It got the job done (mostly), but it was a mess and potentially a fire hazard. Since all my existing props run on either 12 volts or 5 volts already, the decision to move to low voltage

Jasonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7483339575755876854.post-12407914500504093042009-08-14T00:27:00.000-05:002009-08-14T00:29:30.252-05:00

Mr owl patiently waiting to have his head reattached, poor fella. He's got the wire spool monster lookin out for him, though.

Jasonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7483339575755876854.post-91827234944939370232009-08-13T23:16:00.000-05:002009-08-14T00:44:27.935-05:00

A few months back, Otaku over at Hauntforum.com posted a link to some ultra bright blue LEDs at Electronic Goldmine. On a whim I ordered a few of them, not really knowing what I'd do with them. Well the other day I was perusing the isles at Home Depot & happened down the PVC isle. I noticed a few small fittings & it struck me - spot lights! (Cue dramatic music)So without further ado, I present

Jasonnoreply@blogger.com28tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7483339575755876854.post-24287719213994200082009-08-01T23:14:00.001-05:002009-08-01T23:14:35.848-05:00

Jasonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7483339575755876854.post-20868912388238076912009-07-27T16:07:00.000-05:002009-07-27T16:15:07.348-05:00

Jasonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7483339575755876854.post-41823922118280846142009-06-14T21:52:00.000-05:002009-06-14T21:54:52.498-05:00

Jasonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7483339575755876854.post-4396739542962158502009-06-08T22:43:00.001-05:002009-06-08T22:44:22.100-05:00

Jasonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7483339575755876854.post-32014691397627880652009-06-04T10:33:00.001-05:002009-06-04T10:33:24.993-05:00

Jasonnoreply@blogger.com0