Warlock

or blinkey head as my kids call it
is a couple of solar engines in a pewter casting with bipolar LEDs for eyes

Warlock contains two solar engines, each powered by a solar cell and controlling one color of the Red/Green LEDs. Each cell charges at a different rate because they almost never receive the same amount of light. So, the LEDs will alternate in color, slowly flashing closer and closer together until they overlap. I used Red/Green LEDs with a nice Yellow overlaping flash. The head was cast in pewter, hollow to accommodate the electronics. The solar cells are under the "hair" of clear silicon that actually works as a light pipe. The silicon entails a reduction of the cell performance but I found this to be less than 10% for .25" of silicon. It is completely sealed and should last a lonnnnnng time. I've run it three feet deep in my fish tank, through the Texas summer on the dashboard of my car, and it will survive a 10'+ drop. We'll see how long it goes for.
A GIF of the flash sequence

Other Blinkers I have completed.

My Friend Rohan

This is a utilizing a "Cricket" circuit provided by the grace of Ben Hitchcock. It blinks the eyes while charging a capacitor that allows for duration into the darkness. I am very pleased with this circuit, and expect to have evening BEAMers roaming shortly, if I can only break away from the art side. I could not get the LED brightness to change for anything other than the charge of the capacitor (but that may be why it works). The circuit calls for two LEDs blinking alternately, but these heads would look a little silly with that so, I had to hide one of the leds inside (both LEDs required). I have noticed that, even eight hours after dark, with fully charged 1F cap. there is still a faint flash to be seen.

I'm so impressed I think I'll do some more...

This is to date the most difficult thing I have ever created. The circuitry was not the killer, but trouble shooting inside the sealed heads was (don't ask...).

That's me on the end :-)

Cleo

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Last updated 02/08/02 Home.
Contact Marty at mastervulk@yahoo.com
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