Thread: malfunctioning light?

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Does anyone know where I can get a light bulb that would sporadically blink on and off (such as the cliche kind of light that would be found down a dark alleyway in a movie)? I've been searching for it online but I can't seem to find it. Maybe I'm not using the right keywords in my search.

Check out this thread started by Otaku... he shows how to build an easy circuit that will make anything plugged into the outlets flicker randomly. Very cool:

AC flicker power strip hack

This might help:
Flickering Lights - Theory



You can get the malfunctioning light effect using the Lighting FX box (available HERE: Spilsbury -- Specialty Toys: Jigsaw Puzzles, Gag Gifts, Unusual Gift Ideas & More - many members here have ordered this, and the site is good!)

It is usually used to simulate lightening, but on the included disk is a sound effect of electricity - and the lamp/light will react to ANY sound, so if you had some random sounds, it would flicker and blink in sync with those sounds. The box has a direct audio line hookup availability (doesn't come with the cords, but you can get them) so you could have the sound and box located somewhere else and take an extension cord out to the location that you want the bulb to be so it isn't obvious that the light is reacting to sound.

Other than going to a custom circuit build route, I'm not sure there is an easy solution to this without going with the sound-activated one.

Here is a flicker circuit:Haunting With Compressed Air

Originally Posted by Bilbo

Check out this thread started by Otaku... he shows how to build an easy circuit that will make anything plugged into the outlets flicker randomly. Very cool:

AC flicker power strip hack

Thanks. Do the bulbs need to be plugged into the power strip in order to flicker though or will they work anywhere once they've been plugged into the outlet once?

Originally Posted by cleanuphtr12

Thanks. Do the bulbs need to be plugged into the power strip in order to flicker though or will they work anywhere once they've been plugged into the outlet once?

Yeah, the bulbs have to be plugged into the power strip to work. The starters cause the flicker effect to anything plugged into them. You can also wire a starter in a regular extension cord too, but the power strip is a bit more... elegant??

Are you planning on using existing light fixture or one of those inexpensive pull chain lights? I think you could manage to work in a starter to make that work too.

The lightning box Frankie's Girl mentioned is also a great way to go... in fact I am using the box to trigger a relay that will cause the lights to go off altogether when the lightning strikes, and then flicker when it is not. Keep in mind I am just a ½ step above electrical novice, so none of these are that hard to build.

yea, I wanted to put it in a regular fixture. I'm surprised they don't just bulbs that flicker like that. It'd make things much simpler lol

Well, they make the ones that flicker like firelight, but I haven't seen any that would simulate a power issue. I am thinking you could take one of those ceramic outlet "extenders"... the kind that has male on one end and female on the other and tap a starter and fuse into that.

Similar to this: U-Build-It

If the fixture is too tight to include the starter... maybe run cord out of the fixture to the starter and back? Make sure you include the fuse for safety.

Again, I am near electrical novice, so maybe one of the smarter peoples here could verify if my mods would work.

The one thing I forgot to mention is the starters only work up to about 40 watt bulbs, if I remember right. Not bad for a dim haunt situation though.