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Most awful hack job, but my kid likes it

D

DeepDiver

Ignoramus12686 said:
That's a toy traffic light, made out of remnants of a Siliconix
transistor tester and driver testing machine. Switched by a rotary
switch.

http://igor.chudov.com/tmp/traffic-light.jpg

My god man, do you really want your child playing with a hacked-up toy
that's plugged into live 115VAC line current (with nothing but some flimsy
cardboard and packing tape for insulation)?

It would be really easy to make a similar LED toy that's battery powered. It
would be even easier to buy a commercial toy with flashing lights and
sounds.

I remember your swimming pool slide project, and you seemed to have a rather
lax attitude when it came to safety. If you keep this kind of thing up, you
will make it into the Darwin Awards Hall of Fame for killing off your
progeny. The only problem is you might take some friend's child with you.

- Michael
 
A

AL

Funny. I had this same exact thought as soon as I saw the AC cord.
 
M

martin griffith

My god man, do you really want your child playing with a hacked-up toy
that's plugged into live 115VAC line current (with nothing but some flimsy
cardboard and packing tape for insulation)?

It would be really easy to make a similar LED toy that's battery powered. It
would be even easier to buy a commercial toy with flashing lights and
sounds.

I remember your swimming pool slide project, and you seemed to have a rather
lax attitude when it came to safety. If you keep this kind of thing up, you
will make it into the Darwin Awards Hall of Fame for killing off your
progeny. The only problem is you might take some friend's child with you.

- Michael
There is some nice prototyping here

http://headphone.fileservice.co.kr/sijosae/Gallery/


martin
 
L

Lloyd E. Sponenburgh

My god man, do you really want your child playing with a hacked-up toy
that's plugged into live 115VAC line current (with nothing but some flimsy
cardboard and packing tape for insulation)?

I thought that, but then saw that his outlet plate is crooked. So, it seems
not only the toy, but the house wiring may be suspect. <G>

LLoyd
 
S

Spehro Pefhany

I thought that, but then saw that his outlet plate is crooked. So, it seems
not only the toy, but the house wiring may be suspect. <G>

LLoyd

More importantly, why is the receptacle mounted sideways?


Best regards,
Spehro Pefhany
 
T

Too_Many_Tools

"How can brain damage derive enjoyment?"

Haven't you ever noticed that after one stops hitting one's head
against the wall the head in question feels better? ;<)

Congrats on exposing your offspring to the wonderful world of technical
stuff (much better than watching the television) but as has been noted
by others, live voltage can kill). One just needs to be careful since
unexpected things can happen....plan for them.

TMT
 
P

petrus bitbyter

Ignoramus12686 said:
That's a toy traffic light, made out of remnants of a Siliconix
transistor tester and driver testing machine. Switched by a rotary
switch.

http://igor.chudov.com/tmp/traffic-light.jpg

i

Funny. But is this kid your oldest? Maybe not much experience with kids? How
long will it take until he wants to know what's inside? Believe me, kids of
that age are very, very ingenious when it comes to open boxes, bottles and
almost everything.

petrus bitbyter
 
I

Ignoramus1740

Funny. But is this kid your oldest? Maybe not much experience with kids? How
long will it take until he wants to know what's inside? Believe me, kids of
that age are very, very ingenious when it comes to open boxes, bottles and
almost everything.

This is my oldest and, for the next 2 months, the only kid, 4.5 yo.

Unfortunately, he is not curious about taking things apart. Often
times I would offer him, look, let's take this toy and take it apart
and see what's inside. He was always very negative about doing that. I
have not been able to interest him in taking apart even a single toy.

His ability to fix stuff does not go beyond replacing batteries.

He does, however, like watching me take apart monster UPSes,
unsellable electronic test equipment and such, but I think that he is
not learning much from that. "Look, son, here is a 150A IGBT" (or
90A contactor). Not as exciting to a 4 year old.

i
 
G

Greg Krynen

To his credit, the empty receptacle is covered with one of those safety
devices.
 
T

tillius

He was always very negative about doing that. I
have not been able to interest him in taking apart even a single toy.

That's because it was HIS stuff. Offer to take apart some of your
wristwatch or dvd player, or maybe you're wife's food processor etc.
Something that is cool and he's not allowed to play with. Watch how
eager he'll be to take something apart then.

Tillman
 
I

Ignoramus1740

That's because it was HIS stuff. Offer to take apart some of your
wristwatch or dvd player, or maybe you're wife's food processor etc.
Something that is cool and he's not allowed to play with. Watch how
eager he'll be to take something apart then.

I really like this idea. Seriously. Thanks for the tip. I have some
worthless household things I could take apart (and maybe salvage
something for myself).

i
 
T

tillius

Cool - just don't let him take apart any old TV's. You can get a really
nasty shock that way DAMHIKT.

Tillman
 
J

Jim Thompson

This is my oldest and, for the next 2 months, the only kid, 4.5 yo.

Unfortunately, he is not curious about taking things apart. Often
times I would offer him, look, let's take this toy and take it apart
and see what's inside. He was always very negative about doing that. I
have not been able to interest him in taking apart even a single toy.

His ability to fix stuff does not go beyond replacing batteries.

He does, however, like watching me take apart monster UPSes,
unsellable electronic test equipment and such, but I think that he is
not learning much from that. "Look, son, here is a 150A IGBT" (or
90A contactor). Not as exciting to a 4 year old.

i

Better keep an eye on him. I had a son who inserted a bobby pin into
an AC outlet... went off like a flashbulb, without harm fortunately.

...Jim Thompson
 
I

Ignoramus1740

Cool - just don't let him take apart any old TV's. You can get a really
nasty shock that way DAMHIKT.

Good point, not that I wanted to do that. I wanted to mostly take
apart simple mechanical things.

i
 
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