Lightning Bug Clock!

**LV Scott T** · 03-02-2010,09:16 AM

Question: How do you add dozens of fireflies to your haunt and have each one flash at a different time without having to use dozens of individual flasher circuits?

Answer: A clock.

Materials:
- A $6 clock from Walmart (make sure it has a "seconds" hand)
- A 2" piece of thread
- A small metal bead (must be conductive)
- A couple spools of very-thin, insulated wire
- 30 1.5v lightbulbs (as small as possible)
- A D-Cell battery

This solution came to me last night... I haven't had a chance to build one yet, so I'm not sure if each light stays on long enough to look like a firefly flash. If not, maybe substitute the thread & bead with a small piece of wire.

Take the plastic cover off the face of the clock. Lay the clock flat on its back. Bend the end of the "seconds" hand away from the face just an inch or so. Using thread, hang a small metal bead from the tip of the "seconds" hand so it drags across the face of the clock. Attach pairs of stripped wire to the face of the clock so that as the metal bead is dragged across the face of the clock, it momentarily makes contact with the 2 wires, connecting the circuit.

Since one wire from each pair will be "common", you would only need a 31-wire harness to do an entire room with 30 lights.

The clock is virtually silent, and I doubt if the sound of the bead being dragged across the wires could be heard from more than a few inches away. And, both the lights and the clock operate off of batteries, so this could very easily be used outdoors, even where there is no electricity.

NOTE: If using LEDs, be sure to observe correct polarity.

Here is a drawing showing a simplified version with only 4 lights:

**soundmankkc** · 03-02-2010,09:10 PM

Interesting idea, would love to see a video when you get it done. I am planning a pirate haunt this year and lightning bugs would be a welcome addition.

**zleviticus** · 03-03-2010,06:07 PM

I would think that it woudl be better to switch the battery so the common end is the ground not the pos. I don;t see why this would not work. You can get a smaller clock pieces from micheals and some walmarts craft area. That way you coudl do away with all the hands except the second hand. Also you could bend the second hand in such a way to make contact with the wires by itself without the need for the bead. Just a thought.