Amp up the spookiness quotient at your house this Halloween by donning a lab coat, getting out your soldering iron and some duct tape, and building the gadgets below! Each project includes a parts list, schematic, and complete build instructions. (Rubber spiders and vampire teeth not included.) Happy Hauntings! Calling All Halloween Gadget Creeps ... Oops, We Mean Freaks! Have you built a Halloween gadget that involves electronics, motion control, and/or sensing devices? Tell us about it, and you could win $250! E-mail us the gadget details, including a detailed description of how it works, a schematic, and a parts list. If your gadget is selected for publication in Design News, you’ll receive a crisp check (courtesy of Gadget Freak sponsor Allied Electronics), and your gadget will be featured in an upcoming issue of the magazine. Download the entry form | kfield@reedbusiness.com?Subject=Gadget Freak EntryE-mail us
Contents Lightning Strobe Spooky Sound Generator Flickering LED Pumpkin Light Fading LED Monster Eyes
Spooky Sound Generator Give the little witches and warlocks a real trick when they come clamoring for treats on Halloween with this doorbell-activated sound track. With a moderate hack of a cassette player and a roof-mounted speaker, you’ll have trick-or-treaters scattering in every direction at the first blood-curdling scream. Get Build Instructions | Post a Comment
Lightning Strobe Create an instant dark and stormy night at your house on Halloween with this photoflash strobe project. Sync up a thunder audio track with the common strobe design and impress your stuffy neighbors with some very uncommon special effects. Get Build Instructions | Post a Comment
Flickering LED Pumpkin Light Carved pumpkins and Halloween go together, but why risk the hazard of a lit candle in an unattended squash? Produce a realistic, flickering flame effect with this timer circuit driving two, ultra-bright orange LEDs. Your local fire department will applaud you! Get Build Instructions | Post a Comment
Fading LED Monster Eyes Partial to things that go bump in the night? Create your own creature extraordinaire with this circuit, which slowly illuminates and fades a pair of red LEDs for a chilling optical effect. Pair it up with a stuffed moose head for a particularly memorable special effect this Halloween. Get Build Instructions | Post a Comment
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