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Wiring flash bulbs
- Thread starter penguin
- Start date
You're nuts. Those things are extremely high voltage. I wouldn't recommend putting them in a computer case - if that's what you wanted to do. A short would probably kill something.
You need a transformer and probably a capacitor to store the charge.
edit: I asked someone who knows better: he said you have to realize they got pretty hot when they go off they also have a limited life. "Why not get flashing LED's instead?"
You need a transformer and probably a capacitor to store the charge.
edit: I asked someone who knows better: he said you have to realize they got pretty hot when they go off they also have a limited life. "Why not get flashing LED's instead?"
Well, it's actually not for a computer case.
I've been informed that I'm going to be pranked while I sleep on a camping trip that's coming up. So I plan on having about 10 flash bulbs all pointed at the door of my tent that I can control so that when whoever is pranking me approaches my tent, I set them all off in sequence. LEDs won't be bright enough for this
I've been informed that I'm going to be pranked while I sleep on a camping trip that's coming up. So I plan on having about 10 flash bulbs all pointed at the door of my tent that I can control so that when whoever is pranking me approaches my tent, I set them all off in sequence. LEDs won't be bright enough for this
...tommo said:You could get ultrabright LEDs, I have one in my cell phone and it's almost blinding in daylight. Here's another idea - why not put a bear trap inside your tent
It's on a state park. They have rangers. Rangers have guns. Guns shoot people who poach prankers
And I just don't think LEDs would give me the right feel :\
Hehehe... I've heard you can hack a USB cable to plug into those and download the pictures off of them so you can reuse them. Nothing beats a < $20 digital cameraawdark said:I advise you go to CVS and get a small pile of those disposable digital cameras...
flash and get their picture
On another note, how am I gonna get them to go off? I have a million ideas for pranks, I just wanted to know how hard it would be to wire flash bulbs (If I need a capacitor, etc)
Ok, well, I decided not to use this idea. Since the prank they're planning on doing (Girls can never seem to shutup when it would benefit them ) is putting lipstick on me while I'm asleep, I'm just gonna wire a CCFL inverter to my tent's zipper so when they grab it they get 600v
) is putting lipstick on me while I'm asleep, I'm just gonna wire a CCFL inverter to my tent's zipper so when they grab it they get 600v 
Pkirk618
Supreme [H]ardness
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- Sep 12, 2002
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see i know this guy see...
...he can do this job for a small fee see...
he can rid those pesky prankers so u dont have to worry your little head....
...he can do this job for a small fee see...
he can rid those pesky prankers so u dont have to worry your little head....
Ouch. That'll hurt. Not to mention it might do some actual damage. How 'bout a nice, innocent counter-prank like a snare right outside your tent that'll grab 'em by the leg and leave 'em dangling? Or.....make a dummy of yourself, wait outside, and collapse the tent on them....or just lay there with an airsoft pistol and wait for them to poke their heads in the door (like in Home Alone--you remember that, right? THWACK!)....or wait outside with a bucket of ice cold (or BOILING HOTpenguin said:I'm just gonna wire a CCFL inverter to my tent's zipper so when they grab it they get 600v
) water....or do the dummy thing and go pour the water on their sleeping bags while they 'sneak' into your tent....or maybe set off firecrackers as they approach...or maybe an M80...the possibilities are endless!Well, it's 600V, but only 5MA. I cleared it by my EE of a dad, and he said it won't do any damage, and won't even hurt that much (I'm planning on testing it before I even wire it up just to see how much of a shock it is).Mohonri said:Ouch. That'll hurt. Not to mention it might do some actual damage. How 'bout a nice, innocent counter-prank like a snare right outside your tent that'll grab 'em by the leg and leave 'em dangling? Or.....make a dummy of yourself, wait outside, and collapse the tent on them....or just lay there with an airsoft pistol and wait for them to poke their heads in the door (like in Home Alone--you remember that, right? THWACK!)....or wait outside with a bucket of ice cold (or BOILING HOT
I like those ideas too, but I can't do anything with explosives (And I doubt I could do anything with airsoft guns) because we're gonna be on a state park.
Though pouring water on their sleeping bags while they're trying to prank me would be good
In answer to your original question, for anybody who searches looking for content from this thread:
Your best best would be to go to a surplus shop (I highly recommend Axe-man surplus if you're around minneapolis) and pick up a bunch of those disposable camera flashes. Alternatively you could buy a bunch of disposable cameras but I'm sure that would be more expensive, or maybe if you have a friend that works a photo shop he can get you a pile of used ones they'd otherwise throw away.
These will basically be composed of the flash bulb, a small circuit board with a high voltage transformer and capacitors (sometimes the flash bulb is soldered to them), a battery (usually AAA or AA) and a switch (usually just a strip of copper soldered to the circuit board). The battery's voltage goes thru the transformer, magnifying it, into a capacitor for storage, and when the switch is triggered it dumps it all into the flash bulb, then repeats the process.
Be careful with these little fuckers, cause they can shock you pretty good. After you pull the batteries out take a screwdriver and ground the two capacitor leads together, that will make accidents a lot less likely (and painful)
What you can do (very easily) is solder two wires to the switch connections on the PCB, and if there is a switch for power (some of the better disposable cameras let you turn the flash off) wire that closed too. This way you can connect your two wires to a relay and those relays to some sort of sequencer, so that they go off in a row. Or you could tie all the wires together with a button and have one HUGE flash all at once
Your best best would be to go to a surplus shop (I highly recommend Axe-man surplus if you're around minneapolis) and pick up a bunch of those disposable camera flashes. Alternatively you could buy a bunch of disposable cameras but I'm sure that would be more expensive, or maybe if you have a friend that works a photo shop he can get you a pile of used ones they'd otherwise throw away.
These will basically be composed of the flash bulb, a small circuit board with a high voltage transformer and capacitors (sometimes the flash bulb is soldered to them), a battery (usually AAA or AA) and a switch (usually just a strip of copper soldered to the circuit board). The battery's voltage goes thru the transformer, magnifying it, into a capacitor for storage, and when the switch is triggered it dumps it all into the flash bulb, then repeats the process.
Be careful with these little fuckers, cause they can shock you pretty good. After you pull the batteries out take a screwdriver and ground the two capacitor leads together, that will make accidents a lot less likely (and painful)
What you can do (very easily) is solder two wires to the switch connections on the PCB, and if there is a switch for power (some of the better disposable cameras let you turn the flash off) wire that closed too. This way you can connect your two wires to a relay and those relays to some sort of sequencer, so that they go off in a row. Or you could tie all the wires together with a button and have one HUGE flash all at once