Was going to make a Strobe for Halloween...BUT!

[Kim]

Was in the process of gathering up the components for a strobe this year for
Halloween.
Lets see:
$15.00 for the tube
$12.00 for the trigger coil
$1.50 for the SCR.
Probably around $20.00 worth of parts (Caps, Resistors Diodes, Case,
ETC.)...luckily I have them in my junk drawer.
....EXCEPT!!!!!!!!!!!

Was walking down the Halloween isle at Wal-Mart, and a "Miniature Zenon
Strobe", along with a assortment of colored gells was
$8.99!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

....@#*!!&%#.......So much for making one!!!

Kim

 

[John Larkin]

On Sat, 11 Sep 2004 20:58:43 -0400, "Kim" <ksleep@sympatico.ca> wrote:

Was in the process of gathering up the components for a strobe this year for
Halloween.
Lets see:
$15.00 for the tube
$12.00 for the trigger coil
$1.50 for the SCR.
Probably around $20.00 worth of parts (Caps, Resistors Diodes, Case,
ETC.)...luckily I have them in my junk drawer.
...EXCEPT!!!!!!!!!!!

Was walking down the Halloween isle at Wal-Mart, and a "Miniature Zenon
Strobe", along with a assortment of colored gells was
$8.99!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

...@#*!!&%#.......So much for making one!!!

Kim

Get a used throwaway camera from a film processor. They have all those
parts inside for free! There are several schematics available on the
web, too.

John

 

[Michael Black]

John Larkin (jjlarkin@highlandSNIPtechTHISnologyPLEASE.com) writes:

On Sat, 11 Sep 2004 20:58:43 -0400, "Kim" <ksleep@sympatico.ca> wrote:

Was in the process of gathering up the components for a strobe this year for
Halloween.
Lets see:
$15.00 for the tube
$12.00 for the trigger coil
$1.50 for the SCR.
Probably around $20.00 worth of parts (Caps, Resistors Diodes, Case,
ETC.)...luckily I have them in my junk drawer.
...EXCEPT!!!!!!!!!!!

Was walking down the Halloween isle at Wal-Mart, and a "Miniature Zenon
Strobe", along with a assortment of colored gells was
$8.99!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

...@#*!!&%#.......So much for making one!!!

Kim



Get a used throwaway camera from a film processor. They have all those
parts inside for free! There are several schematics available on the
web, too.

John

But he/she has the parts. He/she is complaining that since one can buy

a strobe for so little, there's no point in building it. He/she seems
to think that the only reason for making something is to save money. If
I had the parts, and wanted a strobe, the fact that I could buy one cheap
is irrelevant. The building can be an end in itself. It is different
with more complicated things, but it always varies. An interesting project
is what should determine whether one builds or buys, not other matters.

Michael

 

[Kim]

A few points:

1-I am a HE!
2-As I am in Canada, all of these prices are actual, as parts are much more
expensive here.
3-I have built several strobes, which is why I have most of the parts "In
Stock". This was just meant as a exercise in the aggravation in low-cost
electronics available from overseas which is killing off the hobby, which
has been discussed here at length in the past.
Kim.....A TRUE HE-MAN!!


"Don Klipstein" <don@manx.misty.com> wrote in message
news:slrnck98t4.6dc.don@manx.misty.com...

In article <PdN0d.39470$lP4.2494650@news20.bellglobal.com>, Kim wrote:
Was in the process of gathering up the components for a strobe this year
for
Halloween.
Lets see:
$15.00 for the tube
$12.00 for the trigger coil
$1.50 for the SCR.
Probably around $20.00 worth of parts (Caps, Resistors Diodes, Case,
ETC.)...luckily I have them in my junk drawer.
...EXCEPT!!!!!!!!!!!

Those who really want to build them should either shop around better or
look at http://www.misty.com/~don/flashsrc.html

Cheap strobe tubes are about $5, some smaller really cheap ones are
about $1, trigger coils/transformers are about $2-$3 and you can make
those (http://www.misty.com/~don/trigcoil.html) although they end up a
little bulky if you make them using my easy-to-make method.

Strobes are usually a little more expensive to make than to buy, but if
you really want to build one it should not cost that much more.
There are also strobe kits available, probably easier to modify than
complete strobes if you want to modify one.

Anyone making a strobe PLEASE READ http://www.misty.com/~don/xesafe.html
-at least see the cute shock victim modified photo!

- Don Klipstein (don@misty.com, http://www.misty.com/~don/donflash.html,
http://www.misty.com/~don/samflash.html)

 

[Don Klipstein]

In article <PdN0d.39470$lP4.2494650@news20.bellglobal.com>, Kim wrote:

Was in the process of gathering up the components for a strobe this year for
Halloween.
Lets see:
$15.00 for the tube
$12.00 for the trigger coil
$1.50 for the SCR.
Probably around $20.00 worth of parts (Caps, Resistors Diodes, Case,
ETC.)...luckily I have them in my junk drawer.
...EXCEPT!!!!!!!!!!!

Those who really want to build them should either shop around better or
look at http://www.misty.com/~don/flashsrc.html

Cheap strobe tubes are about $5, some smaller really cheap ones are
about $1, trigger coils/transformers are about $2-$3 and you can make
those (http://www.misty.com/~don/trigcoil.html) although they end up a
little bulky if you make them using my easy-to-make method.

Strobes are usually a little more expensive to make than to buy, but if
you really want to build one it should not cost that much more.
There are also strobe kits available, probably easier to modify than
complete strobes if you want to modify one.

Anyone making a strobe PLEASE READ http://www.misty.com/~don/xesafe.html
-at least see the cute shock victim modified photo!

- Don Klipstein (don@misty.com, http://www.misty.com/~don/donflash.html,
http://www.misty.com/~don/samflash.html)

 

[Matt J. McCullar]

Well, think of it this way:

Anybody can go down to Y'all Mart and buy the darned thing. But not
everyone can tell you how it works! Joy of learning and pride of
accomplishment are not on the shelves over there.