Another Scout Project

[JohnW2]

Could you risk using 9 volts from a PP3 battery as they are easy to connect to using two drawing pins in a piece of wood as contacts and a rubber band to press the battery against the pins.

How exactly could one accommodate a PP3 (and the 'piece of wood') in a Christmas Card?

Kind Regards, John

 

[RF Lighting]

If you connect all the LEDs in parallell, and then connect a flashing LED between the battery positive and the LED positive, all the LEDs will flash on and off together.

http://www.maplin.co.uk/3mm-flashing-leds-2103


Maybe if you're feeling really brave, you could have some PCBs made up for the lads to solder the components to?

 

[JohnW2]

If you connect all the LEDs in parallell, and then connect a flashing LED between the battery positive and the LED positive, all the LEDs will flash on and off together.

... provided you had enough battery voltage to do that (probably 9V, conceivably 6V). Whether it would necessarily work quite 'as expected' would probably depend upon how the electronics of the flasher was arranged.

Kind Regards, John

 

[securespark]

How exactly could one accommodate a PP3 (and the 'piece of wood') in a Christmas Card?

By using a bit of Fred Dibnah's kit?

It's a nice idea, Bernard, but the PP3 is too bulky.


Thanks Rob.

If we stuck to 2 or 3 LED's, do you think a 3V cell would sustain them?

We've decided to keep the card simple and do something a bit more in-depth for the electronics badge. Sponsored by the IET, no less!

 

[Monkeh]

Thanks John. I started by looking at Hobbycraft. They don't have any electronic components.

Bernard, the LED's are no good voltage-wise, but I'll look at the track. Thanks.

They'll operate on 6V, just use two cells.

 

[securespark]

That's getting expensive with 30 scouts!

 

[Monkeh]

That's getting expensive with 30 scouts!

They're less than half the price without tabs. Little tape goes a long way. You can even solder to them if you're quick. (really quick. really, really quick.)

 

[securespark]

I've got 50 x Varta 2032 with tabs for 11.99.

 

[Monkeh]

So you only need ten more?

 

[JohnW2]

I've got 50 x Varta 2032 with tabs for 11.99.

You woz robbed You could have had 50 (albeit of an unknown brand!) for £4.49 (with free P&P) from this guy .

Edit - Ah, no tabs - so you'd need some of that tape!

Kind Regards, John

 

[securespark]

Exactly. At least Varta is a known quantity (No jokes please about 50 being a known quantity..... )

And they have tabs.

Yeah, I only need 10 more, an extra £4. But it's going to be a fag to join them together. This is low-tech stuff!

 

[bernardgreen]

OOooppss I missed the bit about this going into a card.

you can do a pp3 one for me .. a thick card for a thicky.....

Did you know you can light a fire with a PP3 and some wire wool, the modern scout method that replaced rubbing two sticks together.

 

[OwainDIYer]

£2 each if you buy a classroom kit of 30
http://www.rapidonline.com/Education/Bare-Conductive-Greeting-Card-Kits-524977

Flashing LED controller - one and several LEDs may be cheaper than multiple flashing LEDs
http://www.rapidonline.com/Electronic-Components/LED-Flashing-Controller-IC-34523

have a browse around the Rapid site, they have quite a lot of educational electronics.

Are soldering irons not allowed?

 

[securespark]

Did you know you can light a fire with a PP3 and some wire wool, the modern scout method that replaced rubbing two sticks together.

Go on....

I'm doing firelighting tomorrow with them....

 

[bernardgreen]

un-compress the clean dry wire wool and touch it across the terminals of the PP3. Several strands will ignite and with a gentle breathe other strands will burn. Be careful as molten iron can drip and burn hands and table tops.