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.

 

Have you looked into a CMOS LMC555 or TLC555 timer circuit?

 

If you want something really small that uses a minimum of external components, you might consider the Microchip 10F2xx or 10F3xx chips. For what you are doing, the 10F2xx is probably more than you need. At the end of the datasheet, look at the sizes of the DFN packages. The SOT-23 are easier to see and still pretty small.

http://www.microchip.com/wwwproducts/Devices.aspx?product=PIC10F220

For just flashing LED's, Assembly language is pretty easy to pick up. The number of lighthouse codes you could simulate would be large.

John

 

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.

It calls for a micro.

My questions:

The flash rate, would you adjust it once for every "new" lighthouse or should be adjustable even after assembled?

The 3 vilts you take them from a battery inside?

Now out of curiosity, could show a picture of one of your models, or a link?

 

and atferrari would like to have one or two of your creations.

 

Aside from the 555 approach suggested by MrChips something that has become popular with light houses is using LEDs that fade in and out (intensity). Makes for a nice look. A popular way to go about this is using a uC (micro controller). Even a tiny 8 pin version would give you the effect you want. The programming is relatively simple and there is no shortage of code out there for effects so you need not be a programmer type. The boards to setup and program the chips are cheap so you start programming chips and then move them to your boards and install in your light houses. As to a uC? I would suggest PICAXE only because of the simplicity to program and use, any uC would work. Anyway, just something else to consider.

<EDIT> Get coffee and atferrari already has a uC in there. </EDIT>

Ron

 

and atferrari would like to have one or two of your creations.

Well, maybe . Actually, my brother (a quite qualified modelist) showed some interest on the subject. He was trying to solve pretty much the same problem. Have to ask to him about.

What I expect is that torpedo does not try to implement the "lighthouses" built offshore by US, which were / are, quite far from the traditional shapes and sizes (huge platforms and powerful lanterns) quite far from the shoreline.

I appreciated their existence at landfall time on the US coast (*) coming from Europe in bad weather when we were still using the sextant to ascertain our position.

(*) IIRC, Cape Hatteras and Cape Henry but no sure now.

 

If you want something really small that uses a minimum of external components, you might consider the Microchip 10F2xx or 10F3xx chips. For what you are doing, the 10F2xx is probably more than you need. At the end of the datasheet, look at the sizes of the DFN packages. The SOT-23 are easier to see and still pretty small.

http://www.microchip.com/wwwproducts/Devices.aspx?product=PIC10F220

For just flashing LED's, Assembly language is pretty easy to pick up. The number of lighthouse codes you could simulate would be large.

John

Not to derail this thread but it seems that I should have to give a look to those small ones. Yes!

 

It calls for a micro.

My questions:

The flash rate, would you adjust it once for every "new" lighthouse or should be adjustable even after assembled?

The 3 vilts you take them from a battery inside?

Now out of curiosity, could show a picture of one of your models, or a link?

Yes sir It would have to adjust for each light. No once installed no need to adjust. Here are boxes I make also. I will send bottle pics when I get home

 

and atferrari would like to have one or two of your creations.

 

That would be an honor. They might be worth more in the future. I am the author of OF ICE AND STEEL. A novel I wrote while serving on submarines. It has been picked to be a mini series on A&E. Email is torpedochief@aol.com

 

That would be an honor. They might be worth more in the future. I am the author of OF ICE AND STEEL. A novel I wrote while serving on submarines. It has been picked to be a mini series on A&E. Email is torpedochief@aol.com

Congrats, what a beautiful hobby-business you have chosen. Take a look at this circuit. It's easy to adjust and easy on the batteries as well. It's also got the nice fade-in fade-out look of marine applications. And the best thing is that it's an extremely simple circuit and cheap to build.
You can experiment with adjustments to the circuit by using the LTspice model shown in post #83 of the same thread.
It would be nice if you were to post pics of your creations!

 

Congrats, what a beautiful hobby-business you have chosen. Take a look at this circuit. It's easy to adjust and easy on the batteries as well. It's also got the nice fade-in fade-out look of marine applications. And the best thing is that it's an extremely simple circuit and cheap to build.
You can experiment with adjustments to the circuit by using the LTspice model shown in post #83 of the same thread.
It would be nice if you were to post pics of your creations!

Thank you and I will do that. Is there a way to share a you tube video?

 

Thank you and I will do that. Is there a way to share a you tube video?

Yes, of course... just copy and paste the link in your next message

 

Thank you and I will do that. Is there a way to share a you tube video?

Copy the link to the YouTube video and paste it in the Media dialog (the two film strips to the right of the Image icon).

 

What would pcb look like for that circuit? I can make them, but not so hot at designing them.

 

What would pcb look like for that circuit? I can make them, but not so hot at designing them.

I can draw one for you tonight... if you're patient and wait a few hours

 

I just caught the name... Torpedo Chief?
<Off Topic> Spent my last 22 years before retiring working with Naval Reactors but prior to that worked with the MK46, MK48, MK48ADCAP and finally the early MK50 torpedoes. Reactors was much, much more fun. </Off Topic>

I enjoyed the image you posted, really quite good. Light houses have a certain lure to them. I grew up on the Atlantic coast (Long Island) and always had an attraction to light houses. I am sure the use of LEDs will offer some nice lighting effects to your work Chief.

Ron

 

What would pcb look like for that circuit? I can make them, but not so hot at designing them.

How many lights (LEDs)? Once you have a plan boards can be made very inexpensive. The trick is selecting the parts to run with.

Ron