Hi there,
Full disclosure I have never really dabbled into circuitory or electronics.
However, I was looking for a light timer that would turn a light on and off every 30 seconds to no avail.
The idea is to have 3-5 lights on these timers flashing so to light a series of perspex boards placed in front of each light.

I would prefer light bulbs as opposed to LED thingos.
Additionally, perpuity is not an issue EG. if the lights were to slow down as power deteriorates.

Any help would be super duper appreciated !!!
Thanks

 

Hi there,
Full disclosure I have never really dabbled into circuitory or electronics.
However, I was looking for a light timer that would turn a light on and off every 30 seconds to no avail.
The idea is to have 3-5 lights on these timers flashing so to light a series of perspex boards placed in front of each light.

I would prefer light bulbs as opposed to LED thingos.
Additionally, perpuity is not an issue EG. if the lights were to slow down as power deteriorates.

Any help would be super duper appreciated !!!
Thanks

You should peruse catalogs for industrial control modules or Amazon for consumer grade stuff. They can be powered from the AC line, they have timers, and they can be manually programmed for such tasks. We used one of these devices to debug an embedded Windows system that had an intermittent problem when it booted up. Every minute or so the device would pull power to reboot the system while a trusty video camera watched and recorded patiently.

Google "ac relay timer"

 

Need more information.

BTW: Welcome to AAC.

You say you want three to five lights come on and off every 30 seconds. That's doable. But we don't know if you want all three to five lights to come on at the same time or if you want one to be on for 30 seconds, then the next, then the next, then the next, and so on, meaning one light lit at any given moment.

Do you want this to be random intervals?
Random sequence?
Do you want periods where ALL lights are off?

The more clarity you bring the better we can answer your question. For now all we can say is
How to make ( or purchase ) a timer that will cause a light bulb to flash at roughly 30-50 sec intervals?
"Use a microprocessor to set up the time periods and intervals or patterns you want to achieve." And that's not going to be of much use to you for now.

 

Welcome to AAC!

I would prefer light bulbs as opposed to LED thingos.

Are these line powered bulbs? Or something that operates on DC?

perspex

I had to google that. For those not in the UK, Perspex seems to be a British trademark for something like plexiglass.

Additionally, perpuity is not an issue EG.

Do you mean perpetuity?

EG. if the lights were to slow down as power deteriorates.

What is the power source?

 

For lights flashing in a random relationship I suggest a few repeating interval timers, available from "Automation Direct", which is an organization able to provide useful advice and information. From amazon you get parts with no hope of any possible support at all, ever.
If the lights must follow a specific sequence, and function reliable. A.D. also sells small controllers that include all of the mains-power switching as part of the assembly. That means one block that wires connect to, no soldering at all. And it is industrial quality stuff. You do need to program it but the software for that is free. And it uses a common language, with common names for the elements.
The mains powered ones will run for as long as they are plugged into the mains.

 

??
LB1 |¯¯¯¯¯|_____|¯¯¯¯¯|_____|¯¯¯¯¯|_____
LB2 __|¯¯¯¯¯|_____|¯¯¯¯¯|_____|¯¯¯¯¯|___
LB3 ____|¯¯¯¯¯|_____|¯¯¯¯¯|_____|¯¯¯¯¯|_
LB4 ¯|_____|¯¯¯¯¯|_____|¯¯¯¯¯|_____|¯¯¯¯
LB5 ¯¯¯|_____|¯¯¯¯¯|_____|¯¯¯¯¯|_____|¯¯

(a 10-bit sift register) but what you need is bits 0,2,4,6,8 , where the input is fed by sync./shift pulse triggered mod-5 + mod-2 counter
. . . or -- an MCU to replace the timing and logic circuitry
. . . or -- there is a slight chance such can be set up as a very low frequency ring-oscillator

the bits will trigger the SCR-s or SSR-s for the lights (better the SSR-s with the zero crossing control embedded)

VLF R-Osc

 

Now more information is needed, and as my mind-probing ability is very poor, I pose questions: What sort of lights? Mains powered or smaller battery powered? Is there to be a definite sequence to the flashing, or is totally random sequencing acceptable? How much electrical understanding will the persons using this information have? (What is clear to some experience levels is total noise to others.)
Providing an answer that is unreadable delivers no benefit, I have observed.

 

there are apparently some modules sold in online markets like these
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32921236561.html
^ what is a little strange is I couldn't figure out how that circuit works looking at the on board components.
it is quite interesting as I'm looking for the timer or controller chip, and I'm not sure if it is that 4 pin chip below the 7 segment led display
or maybe there is a microcontroller embedded below the 7 seg led?
https://www.aliexpress.com/wholesale?catId=0SearchText=led+blinker+timer
I've never tried them and don't know how they perform.

I think they are mostly for leds, but it seemed that as they use power mosfets, so I'd guess incandescent bulbs works too.
found a video on youtube, edit video changed, this seemed more appropriate