Flickering lamp after delay

[Jeff Haas]

Geo, if you do that, I want to see it.  Sounds cool!

[jukingeo]

Geo, if you do that, I want to see it.  Sounds cool!

You mean in regards to the program change for the multiple fixtures?  That would be a long wait as I did mention that would be something I might do for next year's display.   But I will get pictures/video up soon for the current single fixture that I have completed.  It will not be today though as I have still some catching up to do on my display.   I didn't get as far as I wanted to yesterday and on top of everything, one of my boys decides to come down with a virus...throwing the monkey wrench just that far deeper into my plans.   For now I am just hoping I can get it all done in time.

Geo

[Jeff Haas]

Geo, I meant if you ever do this new effect you described, please remember to come back here and post a link to a video.

And I hope your son gets better soon!

Your description of the effect gives me some ideas, I'll probably play with them after Halloween is over and try to get a variation of the effect put together.

[jukingeo]

Geo, I meant if you ever do this new effect you described, please remember to come back here and post a link to a video.

Oh, sure thing.  The only thing is if you are still looking for this effect this year then you might need some assistance from one of the other programming guru's here.  As of now I only have the one Prop-1 controller and it goes without saying, it is 'tied up' right now.   So I couldn't even test it.   But I believe it is as simple as putting the main program into a FOR NEXT loop and you make a variable in the definitions area so this way you can then set the number of times you want the program to loop before hitting the subroutine which would black out the lights for a set amount of time and then rinse and repeat.

And I hope your son gets better soon!

Thank you.  Believe it or not, he is STILL sick.  He got some humdinger of a virus and it is pushing towards 48 hours now.  He probably got it from some kid at school.  Ridiculous.  Parents should keep sick kids at home!   

Your description of the effect gives me some ideas, I'll probably play with them after Halloween is over and try to get a variation of the effect put together.

Great!  I would like to hear what you are up to.  At any rate, perhaps one of the programming guru's might be able to conjure up an adjustment to the program for you as per my description, if you absolutely need it NOW.   I would work on it myself, but it will have to wait until after Halloween, so this way I can bring the lamp in the house and jack the Prop-1 into my computer so I can test it.   My Basic programming is a bit rusty and I want to make sure the program works before I post it here.

As is, though, it is a great program and I am very pleased with the outcome even with the single lamp  (I could only imagine what it looked like with that rope light of yours), but it is prompting me to expand on this for next year. 

Geo

[Jeff Haas]

We tried it out with the rope light last weekend, using it as light source for an area.  One thing I learned is that for the effect to really register, you can't have too many other light sources leaking into the area - the flickering gets overwhelmed and isn't noticed.

[jukingeo]

We tried it out with the rope light last weekend, using it as light source for an area.  One thing I learned is that for the effect to really register, you can't have too many other light sources leaking into the area - the flickering gets overwhelmed and isn't noticed.

Yes, I can see that if you have something with bulbs of a low light output.   Even though I have other lights in the area, the controller is on a big fat 60 watt bulb and it will be in the middle of the walkway.  When it flickers, it WILL get noticed. 

Probably in your case, using something brighter than the rope light might help.  Another thing might be to put any other lights in the area (if they are LED or incandescent only) also on the flicker circuit.   It could make TOTs falsely believe that you indeed, DO have an electrical problem.  The solid state relay I have can handle a massive 20amps if you put it on an appropriate heat sink.  So that is QUITE a few lights you can put on there.   I don't have my relay on a heat sink, but it is bolted to a metal electrical box, which can dissipate some heat.  But ebbing on the side of safety I went by the relay's rating without the heat sink and that is 5 amps.  So you could put about 7 60watt bulbs on that.  Not too shabby.

Geo

[Jeff Haas]

I actually have some of those types of hockey puck Potter & Brumfield relays, very similar specs.  I'll take your suggestion and put a bunch of lights on one next time.

[jukingeo]

I actually have some of those types of hockey puck Potter & Brumfield relays, very similar specs.  I'll take your suggestion and put a bunch of lights on one next time.

LOL!  I always get a kick out of how everyone calls those relay's 'hockey pucks'.   

At any rate, DO look up the specs on the relay just to make sure as to what it can handle both with and without a heatsink.  As it is with mine, the output is significantly derated if you do not use a heatsink.   Even though I do have my 'hockey puck' bolted to metal electrical box, I don't consider it a 'proper' heat sink, so I am still treating it as if there isn't one.   But my relay does have a rated 5 amp capacity without the heatsink, which is still pretty darn good.    But if one of the readers here has a pretty long walkway that needs MANY lights, then yeah, a proper heatsink would need to be made.   However, at 60 watts a bulb and a good heatsink, my relay could easily do 30 lamps.   That's awesome.  Its overkill, but awesome.

Geo

[jukingeo]

Hello All,

Just to let you know, I posted some pictures and a video of my Flickering Lamp Post here in the completed projects section:

http://www.efx-tek.com/php/smf/index.php?topic=2093.0

Halloween 2013 was a success despite the fact that we had predictions of bad weather looming overhead.  Luckily the rain held up more than long enough for me to clean up afterwards.  Everyone had a good time!

Thanks to all with assisting me with this project.

Geo

[Jeff Haas]

I've been playing with some variations of this program for an effect for next year, and in analyzing the code, I realized that there is a value that's being completely skipped over:

Code Select Expand

' -----[ Initialization ]--------------------------------------------------

Reset:
  PINS = %00000000                              ' clear all outputs
  DIRS = %00111111                              ' make P0-P5 outputs
  GOTO Cycle_On

  flkDelay = 100                                ' set for 2.5 secs


flkDelay is being set after GOTO Cycle_On - so the value of 100 is never used.  Instead, the entire program goes along until it flickers once, then this section resets the flicker timer to 121 (81 + 40):

Code Select Expand

Reset_Flicker_Timer:
  RANDOM lottery
  flkDelay = 81 + 40                           ' set 1 to 3 seconds

Were you planning on having it have a different random pause between the flicker cycles?

[jukingeo]

I've been playing with some variations of this program for an effect for next year, and in analyzing the code, I realized that there is a value that's being completely skipped over:

Code Select Expand

' -----[ Initialization ]--------------------------------------------------

Reset:
  PINS = %00000000                              ' clear all outputs
  DIRS = %00111111                              ' make P0-P5 outputs
  GOTO Cycle_On

  flkDelay = 100                                ' set for 2.5 secs


flkDelay is being set after GOTO Cycle_On - so the value of 100 is never used.  Instead, the entire program goes along until it flickers once, then this section resets the flicker timer to 121 (81 + 40):

Code Select Expand

Reset_Flicker_Timer:
  RANDOM lottery
  flkDelay = 81 + 40                           ' set 1 to 3 seconds

Were you planning on having it have a different random pause between the flicker cycles?

Not sure about that one.  As I mentioned earlier, the program was repurposed from another hallway prop I was going to create.  Jon originally wrote the program.  But it does sound right if it were to have random pauses between the flicker cycles.  It was a left over from the original program.  I made some minor changes to the program and it is possible it was inadvertently left out.  Nevertheless the program did end up working as intended.

I am sorry I didn't get back to this myself.  As of now I am still sitting on the fence in regards to my Christmas project.  Once I decide on that, I have to account for any build time and song programming time.   Should I have some time left over, I can come back here to work on the modification for this.  But really I think it is fairly simple...just add a FOR-NEXT loop and a subroutine that shuts the light(s) off for a pre-set time.

Geo

[Jeff Haas]

It worked, so no worries.  I'm working with it to make a much bigger, more dramatic effect for next year.