Thread: Need help controlling props

Tweet

Hi new to the forum, and I was hoping I could get some help or Ideas. My question is how do you control electric animatronic props bought from places like Spirit Halloween Store that have light and sound activation? I've tried to get these to work in dim lit areas such as out side or a closet, but it seems there's not enough light to trigger them. Last year I resorted to using mini strobe lights to have them run continuously but the whole scare factor wasn't there. I saw that a Spirit's they had mats on the floor to turn there props on,and run through their "cycle", but they said they didn't sell them, and the other mats I looked at seemed to be a simple on/off switch so the prop won't run through it's full "cycle" once someone steps off the mat? Any Ideas that won't break the bank?

Welcome! Have you done a search for pressure mats in this forum yet?

I ran into the same problem....Everyone will chime in on their fav. controller on this one like always....Here's mine-http://www.frightideas.com/ I got some PicaBoo FI-103's with motion sensors to trigger some of my Spirit props....Just make sure the prop has a trigger input....The input is an 1/8 inch jack like the input of an ipod...I figured I'd just go to Radio Shack and pick up a couple 1/8 inch 6 ft cords and splice one end to hook into the 103 and then have the male jack to plug into the prop....The 103 has 2 relays and 2 minutes of program time so you could trigger 2 props w/ 1 controller.....ZR

I just put my lighting on the opposite side, making sure hit is on the sensor. Then people have to walk between the light and prop. I try to set it so the prop starts just as the approach it. Like for my Jason I used a red led and let it shine up him. Really made him look creepy. I have also used the security mats from Harbor Freight. They work great, but some Gemmys will cut on when they step on it, but then they cut off when the person behind them step on it. Now you can eliminate that buy adding a timer or prop controller. But I already have so many cords and power run every where. The placement of some leds is the easiest way to go for me. Be sides you have to have lighting any way. So they work like a beam breaker. Then I can use my prop controllers on the ones that I build.