I need some help.

[dalesql]

Hi everyone.

I recently saw this hack on youtube.

I think that this would be a marvelous thing to appear in the boskone con suite. So, I looked at the video, and sussed out what they put into the thing to make it happen. then I went and priced things out. Bill of Materials cost is a few hundred bucks at my first pass. Yikes!

So, I'm looking for cheap (ideally free) things to make this happen. Motion detector that will operate on a battery and output a contact closure to trigger the audio device. Some sort of audio playback that will take that contact closure and play the sound effect or effects. Inexpensive amplifier and speakers. Battery to run this whole mess for an 18 hour day, and means of recharging the battery overnight from a wall outlet.


The first pass was some marvelous devices from Guilderfluke that I have used at the day job for outdoor art installations involving sound playback. They are ideal for the project, rugged, and flipping expensive for a gag that I only need to have work for a couple of days.

Speakers and amplifier are easy, I have a couple of old computer speakers from the junkbox that will work just fine. For the audio playback device, I'm thinking of a cheap MP3 player or CD player that can be hacked to play the audio effect when activated. Ideally, this playback device will play back one of a couple of different sound effects that I am thinking about. Motion detector to detect trash, or less desirable is a switch on the door flap of the trash can.

And I gotta borrow or buy a trash barrel and top that I can mutilate for this project as well, and those kinds of trash barrels cost real money.

Comments

[gerisullivan.livejournal.com]

Neat!

Yes, a couple of different sound effects would be best given the trash barrel will be indoors.

Sorry I don't have any reasonably-sized trash barrels, let alone an extra to pass your way. No curbside trash pick-up = no trash barrels for me.

I have a AA & AAA battery charger and AA rechargeable batteries you could use for the weekend, but I somehow expect the project may take more oomph than that.

I also have a Zen Nano Plus flash recorder/player that you could borrow for a few months if it were still usable when I got it back after Boskone.

If any of this is likely to come in handy, just let me know.

[hnybny.livejournal.com]

FWIW, since it will be in the con suite you could just have it plugged directly into a wall outlet.

[dalesql.livejournal.com]

Plugging it into the wall is an option, but hopefully I won't need to do that. I think I've found my audio device. Talking greeting cards. The card has a voice recorder that will record one's voice, and play back upon command. Tomorrow I'm going to the greeting card store to buy one to play with.