Build your own Lightning Detector
Today's Class 95's the Morning Express' FD's Birthday! So although I doubt he'll ever read my blog, I would like to wish him a Happy Birthday and thanks for all the entertainment he provided me in the mornings. Today is also the day when the Dow Jones Industrial Average was first published as a stock market index in 1896 and when the European Community first adopted the European Flag in 1986.
Today is also another rainy day for me. It's quite scary how the quickly the weather changes nowadays, which is also prime conditions to get sick, so all of you guys better take care k?
Anyway, with all the thunderstorms going around nowadays, and with the phobia my friend is having, I started to wonder if there was anyway to tell how close a lightning storm was to me.
After searching a little, I found something called Lightning Detectors. Lightning detectors are small electronic devices that beep, flash or do something to inform you how close the storm is to you. Now you can always go buy one, but it'll cost you about $130 to $140. So why not build one yourself? It'll be a nice little fun activity for you and your friends or family - provided you are like me and find wire-wrapping and soldering fun in a weird way.
So how do you go about doing it, well first you'll need the standard electronics hobbyist's tools:
1) A Soldering Iron
2) A Wire Wrapper
3) A Breadboard (for testing purposes)
4) A DC power source (batteries or an AC adaptor will do fine)
5) Wire-cutters
6) Pliers
7) Gloves (not really necessary)
8) Whatever else you think you need (eg a cup of coffee, the latest copy of FHM...)
Ok now on to the serious part - the circuit diagram:
Now if you can get all the parts in the circuit diagram, plus a few more "optional parts" you'll be able to make something like this:
Now ain't that cute? The lightning detector will emit a crackling sound whenever lightning strikes as well as flash the LED light. In addition the little meter will indicate how close the last lightning strike was to your position. With this detector, you can be your own CAT status monitor. Haha. So who wants to build one? Maybe we can make a trip down to Sim Lim Tower to check out the parts. ;)
Alternatively, you could just carry a portable radio with you and seek cover whenever you hear a crakle in the music...
Click here for the full instructions on how to build your own lightning detector.
Today is also another rainy day for me. It's quite scary how the quickly the weather changes nowadays, which is also prime conditions to get sick, so all of you guys better take care k?
Anyway, with all the thunderstorms going around nowadays, and with the phobia my friend is having, I started to wonder if there was anyway to tell how close a lightning storm was to me.
After searching a little, I found something called Lightning Detectors. Lightning detectors are small electronic devices that beep, flash or do something to inform you how close the storm is to you. Now you can always go buy one, but it'll cost you about $130 to $140. So why not build one yourself? It'll be a nice little fun activity for you and your friends or family - provided you are like me and find wire-wrapping and soldering fun in a weird way.
So how do you go about doing it, well first you'll need the standard electronics hobbyist's tools:
1) A Soldering Iron
2) A Wire Wrapper
3) A Breadboard (for testing purposes)
4) A DC power source (batteries or an AC adaptor will do fine)
5) Wire-cutters
6) Pliers
7) Gloves (not really necessary)
8) Whatever else you think you need (eg a cup of coffee, the latest copy of FHM...)
Ok now on to the serious part - the circuit diagram:
Now if you can get all the parts in the circuit diagram, plus a few more "optional parts" you'll be able to make something like this:
Now ain't that cute? The lightning detector will emit a crackling sound whenever lightning strikes as well as flash the LED light. In addition the little meter will indicate how close the last lightning strike was to your position. With this detector, you can be your own CAT status monitor. Haha. So who wants to build one? Maybe we can make a trip down to Sim Lim Tower to check out the parts. ;)
Alternatively, you could just carry a portable radio with you and seek cover whenever you hear a crakle in the music...
Click here for the full instructions on how to build your own lightning detector.
posted by CS at 8:29 AM
4 Comments:
can try build one one of these days...
would those LEDs and stuffs cost much...?
>>rx: haha. Ok, why dun we try to make a talking lightning detector...
>>smiles: I dun think they should cost much, but not sure, if everything is standard parts like the DDP stuff then it'll at most cost a few dollars...
great... if u all wan build one of these days, i oso wan to see :P
Why dun we build one together, like a DDP project. Haha.
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