Elenco Strobe Light and Sound User Manual

ARNING: Always check your wiring before

W

turnin g on a circuit . Never leave a circuit
unatte nded while the batteries are i nstalle d.
Never connect additional batteries or any other
power sources to your circuits.

Strobe Light & Sound

CAUTION: Persons wh o are extre mely

ensitive to flashing lights should exercise

s
caution when playing with this toy.

Model SCP-14

AUTION:High intensity light. Do not

C

look directly at the white LED (D6).

ARNING: SHOCK HAZARD -

W

ever connect Snap Circuits

N
to the electrical outlets in your

ome in any way!

h

®

Project 1 Strobe Light

+

Placement

Level Numbers

Snap Circuits®uses electronic blocks that snap onto a base grid to build different
circuits. These blocks have different colors and numbers on them so that you can
easily identify them. Build the circuit shown by placing all the parts with a black 1 next
to them on the clear base grid first. Then, assemble parts marked with a 2. Connect
the white LED (D6) using the red & black jumper wires as shown, with red wire to “+”
side. Install three (3) “AA” batteries (not included) into the battery holder (B3).

Turn on the slide switch (S1). The white LED should be flashing. Move the lever on
the adjustable resistor (RV) to adjust the flash rate a little.

Note: In rare cases the circuit may not work at all settings of RV. If this happens,
move the RV lever to the side near the strobe IC (U23), and only move the RV lever
over a small range.

Project 2 Strobe Sound

Project 3

Strobe Light &

Sound

Combine projects 1 & 2 by stacking
the white LED (D6) and speaker
(SP2) together as shown. Remember
to connect the red wire to the “+” side
of the LED. This circuit is shown on
the box cover.

Project 5 Adjustable Light

Project 4

Suspended

Raindrops

Faucet

Use the circuit from project 1. Go to a
water faucet and adjust the faucet so
water is dripping at a steady rate.
Dim the room lights and hold the
white LED so it shines on the
dripping water. Try to set the lever on
the adjustable resistor (RV) so that
the dipping water drops appear
suspended in mid-air. You may need
to adjust the drip rate on the faucet to
make this work.

+

Turn on the switch (S1)
and move the lever on the
adjustable resistor (RV)
to change the brightness
of the white LED (D6).

Replace the white LED (D6) with the speaker (SP2); the speaker doesn’t have a “+”
side, so the red wire can go to either side. Turn on the slide switch (S1). You hear a
clicking sound from the speaker. Move the lever on the adjustable resistor (RV) to
adjust the clicking rate a little.

If you have any problems, contact Elenco

Copyright © 2014 Elenco®Electronics, Inc. All Rights Reserved. ● 150 Carpenter Ave. ● Wheeling, IL 60090

[phone] Fax: [phone] ● e-mail: [e-mail] ● Website: www.elenco.com or www.snapcircuits.net

®

753163

Project 6 Buzz & Tone

Build the circuit, connecting the speaker (SP2) with the red & black jumper wires as shown.
Turn on the switch (S1) and adjust the tone of the sound using the adjustable resistor (RV).
Most of RV’s range will produce a buzzing sound, but part of it will produce an interesting
tone. Try to make music with it.

Project 7 Persistence of Vision

Use the circuit from project 6, but replace the speaker (SP2) with
the white LED (D6); connect the red wire to the “+” side of the
LED.

Turn on the switch (S1) and adjust the flash rate of the
LED using the adjustable resistor (RV). At some RV settings
the LED will appear to be on continuously.

Take the circuit into a dark room and wave the white LED
around with your hand. Try it with the lever on the adjustable
resistor at different settings. The light from the LED will appear
to separate into short segments or dashes of light.

“Persistence of Vision” works because
the light is changing faster than your
eyes can adjust. Your eyes continue
seeing what they have just seen.

In a movie theater, film frames are
flashed on the screen at a fast rate
(usually 24 per second). A timing
mechanism makes a light bulb flash just
as the center of the frame is passing in
front of it. Your eyes see this fast series
of flashes as a continuous movie.

Project 8

Strobe & Tone

Combine the projects 6 & 7 circuits
by stacking the white LED (D6) and
speaker (SP2) together as shown.
Remember to connect the red wire to
the “+” side of the LED.

Project 9 Light & Sound

Turn on the slide switch (S1). The white LED
should be flashing and you hear sound from the
speaker (SP2). Move the lever on the
adjustable resistor (RV) to adjust the flash rate
and sound.

Note: In rare cases the circuit may not work at
all settings of RV. If this happens, move the RV
lever to the side near the strobe IC (U23), and
only move the RV lever over a small range.

This circuit is not as loud or as
bright as project 3, but won’t drain
your batteries as fast.

Project 10 Fast Light & Sound

Use the circuit from project 9, but replace the 100kW resistor (R5) with a 3-snap wire.

Project 11 Musical Shapes

Build the circuit as shown; note that the speaker (SP2) is a tight fit
on the strobe IC (U23), but does fit. Turn on the switch (S1). Make
your parts using either the water puddles method (A), the drawn
parts method (B), or the pencil parts method (C). Touch the metal
in the jumper wires to your parts and hear the sound. See how the
sound changes for different shapes.

Long, narrow shapes
have more resistance
than short, wide ones,
so different sounds are
produced. The black
core of pencils is
graphite, the same
material used in your
resistors (R5 & RV).

Project 12 Human & Liquid Sounds

Use the preceding circuit but touch the metal in the jumper wires snaps with your fingers.
Wet your fingers for best results. Your fingers will change the sound, because your body
resistance is less than the 100kW resistor (R5) in the circuit.

Next, place the loose ends of the jumper wires in a cup of water, make sure the metal
parts aren’t touching each other. The water should change the sound.

Now add salt to the water and stir to dissolve it. The sound should have higher pitch now,
since salt water has less resistance than plain water.

Don’t drink any water used here.

Project 13 Liquid Strobe Light

Repeat projects 11 & 12 but replace the speaker (SP2) with the white LED (D6, “+” side
to the 2-snap wire).

Project 14 Make Your Own Parts

Method A (easy): Spread some water on the table into puddles
of different shapes, perhaps like the ones shown here. Touch the
jumper wires to points at the ends of the puddles.

Method B (challenging): Use a SHARP pencil (No. 2 lead is best) and draw shapes,
such as the ones here. Draw them on a hard, flat surface. Press hard and fill in several
times until you have a thick, even layer of pencil lead. Touch the jumper wires to points
at the ends of the drawings. You may get better electrical contact if you wet the metal
with a few drops of water. Wash your hands when finished.

Method C (adult supervision and permission required): Use some double-sided
pencils if available, or VERY CAREFULLY break a pencil in half. Touch the jumper wires
to the black core of the pencil at both ends.

Build the circuit as shown, with the red &
black jumper wires initially hanging loose.
Turn on the switch (S1); the white LED
(D6) will be off, because the air separating
the ends of the jumper wires has very high
resistance to electricity. Touch the loose
ends of the jumper wires together and the
LED will be very bright. Next, connect the
loose ends of the jumper wires to the
resistors (RV & R5) and the speaker
(SP2), and see how bright the LED is.

Now make your parts using either the
water puddles method (A), the drawn parts
method (B), or the pencil parts method (C).
Touch the metal in the jumper wires to your
parts and see how bright the LED is.
Compare the LED brightness for different

shapes, and see how they compare to the
R5 and RV resistors.

Next, touch the metal in the jumper wires
snaps with your fingers. Wet your fingers
for best results. The LED should be dim,
because your body has moderate
resistance.

Next, place the loose ends of the jumper
wires in a cup of water, make sure the
metal parts aren’t touching each other. The
water should change the LED brightness.

Now add salt to the water and stir to
dissolve it. The LED should be brighter
now, since salt water has less resistance
than plain water.

Don’t drink any water used here.

OTHER SNAP CIRCUITS®PRODUCTS! PARTS LIST

Contact Elenco®to find out where you can purchase these products.

Snap Circuits®Jr. Model SC-100

Build over 100 projects, contains over 30 parts.

Snap Circuits®Green Model SCG-125

Build over 125 projects, contains over 40 parts.

Flying Saucer Plus

Model SCP-09

Basic Electricity

Model SCP-10

Build over 175 projects, contains over 55 parts.

Snap Circuits®Sound Model SCS-185

Build over 185 projects, contains over 40 parts.

LED Fun

Model SCP-11

Snap Circuits®Light Model SCL-175

FM Radio

Model SCP-12

Motion Detector

Model SCP-13

Qty. ID Name Part #

r 3 2 2-snap wire 6SC02
r 2 3 3-snap wire 6SC03
r 1 5 5-snap wire 6SC05
r 1 B3 Battery holder 6SCB3
r 1 Base grid 6SCBGMF
r 1 D6 White LED 6SCD6
r 1 Black jumper wire 6SCJ1
r 1 Red jumper wire 6SCJ2
r 1 R5 100kW resistor 6SCR5
r 1 RV

Adjustable resistor

6SCRV

r 1 S1 Slide switch 6SCS1
r 1 SP2 Speaker 6SCSP2
r 1 U23 Strobe IC 6SCU23

Important: If any parts are missing or
damaged, DO NOT RETURN TO
RETAILER. Call toll-free [phone] or
e-mail us at: [e-mail].
Customer Service ● 150 Carpenter Ave. ●
Wheeling, IL 60090 U.S.A.

You may order additional / replacement
parts at our website: www.snapcircuits.net

BATTERIES:

● Use only 1.5V AA type, alkaline
batteries (not included).

● Insert batteries with correct polarity.

● Non-rechargeable batteries should not

be recharged. Rechargeable batteries
should only be charged under adult
supervision, and should not be
recharged while in the product.

● Do not mix alkaline, standard (carbon­zinc), or rechargeable (nickel­cadmium) batteries.

● Do not mix old and new batteries.
Remove batteries when they are used up.

●

● Do not short circuit the battery

terminals.

● Never throw batteries in a fire or
attempt to open its outer casing.

● Batteries are harmful if swallowed, so

keep away from small children.