Thanks again guys!!!!

Here is the first one!!

 

Thanks again guys!!!!

Here is the first one!!

Nice.
...and is there going to be a fog horn?

 

Thanks again guys!!!!

Here is the first one!!

Very nice indeed.

Two suggestions:

1. Place the switch behind the bottle, so that it's partially hidden and doesn't interfere visually with your work of art.
2. Install the switch so as to turn it on when you slide it to the right. That would make it more intuitive to the user.

Congrats!

 

Brilliant!!

It ramps up and down like that with just a single 555?

 

Alright now I have an order for Minot Lighthouse. This lighthouse is famous for the sequence the light flashes. It is 1 4 3 with a two second delay between flashes. This is known around the world as the I LOVE YOU light.

How do I build that circuit?

Thanks Guys!!

Don

 

How long are the flashes ? Within the 4 flash group what is the separation between flashes ?
How about a simple timing diagram for us really old members, something like this:

 

Is it safe to assume that a given sequence of flashes, has the same on/off time ratio? I.e., the 3 spaces in the four flashes are the same and also the same as between the three flashes... And the long pause happens to be one cycle long? If it isn't - then ignore this

I LOVE YOU has ten characters, including the space between the words. You could use a CD4017B - Decade Counter. I'd then wire-OR the 1,3,4,5,6,8,9,10 outputs to the trigger on your flash driver. Don't connect the 2 and 7 outputs; they are the pauses in the sequence. Drive it with a clock, whose complete cycle is as long as one flash.

 

Re # 87: Looks like there is no gap between 10 & 1 ?
I started with a 4514 , 4 line in to 1 of 16 out driven with a binary counter programed for a count of 15.
As stated above hard wire OR stages 1, 4,5,6,7 10, 11, 12, gap, gap, when 15 is reached counter reset to stage 1. Output of OR fed to 555 or a pulse stretcher to give flash a 30 % duty cycle. It's a start at least.
Another thought: Use 4060 for clock & binary counter.

 

Re # 87: Looks like there is no gap between 10 & 1 ?
I started with a 4514 , 4 line in to 1 of 16 out driven with a binary counter programed for a count of 15.
As stated above hard wire OR stages 1, 4,5,6,7 10, 11, 12, gap, gap, when 15 is reached counter reset to stage 1. Output of OR fed to 555 or a pulse stretcher to give flash a 30 % duty cycle. It's a start at least.
Another thought: Use 4060 for clock & binary counter.

I always have fence post problems...
Thanks for the catch, Bernard. Your answer is where I'd have gone next.

 

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Minots_Ledge_Light.gif

This give shows the 45 second repeat time.

There is a long gap between the last from the group of three and the start of the next series.

Appears to be approximately on second clock ticks as follows...

1 on
1 off

1 off
1 off

1 on
1 off
1 on
1 off
1 on
1 off
1 on
1 off

1 off
1 off

1 on
1 off
1 on
1 off
1 on

Balance is off.

 

Was not expecting the 15.5 sec. gap but might add a 555 to fill the gap. My original thought might basically still be workable. Adjust clock so 5 sec. space is 5 sec & just fudge flash- off time slightly. Will delay further work until we hear from the Chief. Will need to rearrange the OR ing.

 

Was not expecting the 15.5 sec. gap but might add a 555 to fill the gap. My original thought might basically still be workable. Adjust clock so 5 sec. space is 5 sec & just fudge flash- off time slightly. Will delay further work until we hear from the Chief. Will need to rearrange the OR ing.View attachment 97150

On the other hand, spectators might get bored with the described flash rate - even a purist. The purist might like that it is correct until they demonstrate the 143 pattern and see how bored the spectator is.

I would cut the rate in half or have a second switch to cut the rate in half.

 

I might have missed it, but is there any reference as to how mariners determined their azimuth by timing the light house flashes. I understand that by timing the time between the flashes and the beam direction you can determine your azimuth.

 

I might have missed it, but is there any reference as to how mariners determined their azimuth by timing the light house flashes. I understand that by timing the time between the flashes and the beam direction you can determine your azimuth.

Hola Marc

The azimuth is an horizontal angle measured with reference to the North. If you take a bearing to a certain buoy or lighthouse that you cannot identify, that azimuth is prety much useless. The distinctive pattern of a lighthouse or buoy is precissely to help you in identifying them out of any doubt. Colour and timing is what matters.

The British Admiralty amongst many, publishes the characteristics of buoys and lighthouses for every area in the world so you should be able to indetify which one you are seeing. Not only the visual characteristics but the associated sonic signals. Google List of lights and fog signals.

 

On the other hand, spectators might get bored with the described flash rate - even a purist. The purist might like that it is correct until they demonstrate the 143 pattern and see how bored the spectator is

15 seconds is a long time. I made a device for an artist, who specified a 15 second pause time. IMHO, the pause was way too long

 

It seems that the main feature of the light is the 1-4-3 flash sequence. Keeping with the 4515, with 16 neg.
going pulses & with a 2 sec. clock the 5 sec. slot is still 5 sec. with flashes of 1 sec as set with the one shot 555. Using the full 16 count, we have a 9 sec gap filler, not time to get bored.

 

The azimuth is an horizontal angle measured with reference to the North. If you take a bearing to a certain buoy or lighthouse that you cannot identify, that azimuth is prety much useless

I was in the USN Electronics "A" school at Memphis, Tenn in the 1960's and in the class describing the TACAN system, the instructor used a light house to describe how the system worked. A omnidirectional light flashes each time the beam is pointing north. By timing the difference between the light and the beam, you could determine your direction (I believe the technical term is Azimuth). I never really bothered to confirm if there were some lighthouses that did this. Your post revived this question for me.

By the way are you in Hawaii? We spent a month in Kawai last July and had a great time.

 

Tacan was designed basically for planes.

Common lighthouses do not provide that information.

Far from Hawai. Capital city of Argentina South America.

 

Hey Freinds,

Sorry to have been away so long. Very bad runs of luck lately. Cancer and Kidney failure for my youngest son.

Trying to get back into the swing of things. I am looking at the responses for how to make the Minot light Flash. You guys have some great ideas however I am dumber than a box of rocks. I can make my own PC boards and can solder like no tomorrow however the rest is like learning Greek. Need all the help I can get. Also how to I lean to draw out a PCB. It fascinates me.

 

Shipmates, I am buildind working lighthouses in a bottle. They are selling great however I want to kick it up a notch. Lighthouses flash a varios rates and colors. Example: Ten Pound Island Light flashes red 3 seconds on and three seconds off. Boston light flashes white every 10 seconds. I need a circuit 3 vilts and ultra small that I can adjust the flash rate. Is this doable? I can etch my own boards. Any help would be appreciated.

How small a circuit board? Would the battery need to be changed often?