# How do I bypass the sound activation of a prop?



## luvmysailorusn

I was refered here by Monster Guts.

I have a life sized animated prop that is sound activated only. The sound is integral to the prop, the head moves, the mouth moves and the candelabra lights up when activated. It rarely turns on unless you clap loudly in it's face. It is run by electricty, not batteries.

What I want to do is bypass the sound activation and set the prop to run continuously or turn on every minute. How would I go about doing this?

Thanks for any help!


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## stagehand1975

Without seeing the prop, it would be hard to give a step by step. Alot of the mechanical prop produced like your have a connection point somewhere within for a push button activation feature usualy used when the prop is setup up for a store display. If you could find this connection, you could connect a timer to it or a trigger. This connect could be a plug on the circuit board or a wire hanging around inside with a plug on it. 

To make these types of store bought mechanical prop work continuously may shorten it life span becuase of cheap gears and motors used to operate it. 

Often times as well with audio sensing circuits, if there is alot of ambient noise around, it may take something louder to activate it.


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## FreakinFreak

I'd imagine you'd have to find the sensor and bypass it, but I don't know how those sensors work. Agree with sh1975, it would depend on the prop too.. I have one that's battery operated, but it also has a p/s connection and using that it runs continuously.


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## DarkLore

I'm not sure how much my input is going to help. But....I'd suggest reviewing the following thread - Trigger. Although it mentions sound, it's talking about something similar.

The sensors in props differ. Some are activated by sound or light, others by temp, etc. In the mummy prop I dismantled, the sensor was light activated. It required light to hit the sensor and be disrupted to activate. This doesn't make it entirely useful for a night haunt. Using the sensor I built based on Otaku's direction...I have a cheap motion sensor that is much more accurate and works at night.

Tearing open the prop to get at the sensor might be counter productive. But if you can get at it...you could test whether it's a simple switch, closing contact on a circuit. If that's the case...you could lead wires out to another sensor, timer, or whatever you want to use to activate the prop.


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## luvmysailorusn

stagehand1975 said:


> Without seeing the prop, it would be hard to give a step by step. Alot of the mechanical prop produced like your have a connection point somewhere within for a push button activation feature usualy used when the prop is setup up for a store display. If you could find this connection, you could connect a timer to it or a trigger. This connect could be a plug on the circuit board or a wire hanging around inside with a plug on it.
> 
> To make these types of store bought mechanical prop work continuously may shorten it life span becuase of cheap gears and motors used to operate it.
> 
> Often times as well with audio sensing circuits, if there is alot of ambient noise around, it may take something louder to activate it.


Yes, there was one like I have on display and had a push button activator on it, so I assume mine has the connection your talking about. It's just finding it...LOL I know nothing about electrical stuff.


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## luvmysailorusn

I have a bunch of these animated props and all of the others are motion activated so they work pretty good. If I could just make this one motion activated and not sound activated I would be happy. It doesn't have to run continuously. But I guess it would be the same wiring either way, continuous or motion activated.

Thanks for all of the suggestions so far!


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## Hauntiholik

Is this the "Skeleton Butler With Candelabra" prop?

I have an animated stirring witch that was going deaf so I wired in a pressure mat so she could be activated either by a loud sound or by the mat. Is that something you could do?


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## craigsrobotics

if it has a motion sensor built in, then go buy a small LED, power it to a small battery, and stick the LED inside the motion sensor. It will retrigger itself every so-many seconds. Or you can buy a blinking LED from Radio Shack, and it will serve the same purpose...it works!


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## craigsrobotics

oh, and then just cut the wires on the piezo electric speaker which is usually what they use for sound activation.


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## luvmysailorusn

Hauntiholik said:


> Is this the "Skeleton Butler With Candelabra" prop?
> 
> I have an animated stirring witch that was going deaf so I wired in a pressure mat so she could be activated either by a loud sound or by the mat. Is that something you could do?


No, it's the Midnight Countess...I have the stirring witch too.


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## luvmysailorusn

craigsrobotics said:


> if it has a motion sensor built in, then go buy a small LED, power it to a small battery, and stick the LED inside the motion sensor. It will retrigger itself every so-many seconds. Or you can buy a blinking LED from Radio Shack, and it will serve the same purpose...it works!


It doesn't have a motion sensor, just a sound sensor. If it was motion sensitive it would be easy to make it come on when someone walks by, but with it reacting to sound only, it makes it hard, for me anyways.


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## luvmysailorusn

Hauntiholik said:


> Is this the "Skeleton Butler With Candelabra" prop?
> 
> I have an animated stirring witch that was going deaf so I wired in a pressure mat so she could be activated either by a loud sound or by the mat. Is that something you could do?


Duh, I didn't answer your question. Yeah I could probably wire in a mat if I had instructions. Cause that witch is sound activated too, no motion and I have the same problem with her as I do the countess. :googly:


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## fritz42_male

Most of the cheaper props are activated by a Piezo unit which acts on vibration/sound (small gold disk white a white centre). When it gets hit with vibration/sound, the piezo generates a small output voltage which triggers the prop. You could wire in a PIR to get motion sensing.


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## luvmysailorusn

fritz42_male said:


> Most of the cheaper props are activated by a Piezo unit which acts on vibration/sound (small gold disk white a white centre). When it gets hit with vibration/sound, the piezo generates a small output voltage which triggers the prop. You could wire in a PIR to get motion sensing.


Great! Where would I get one of those, and what exactly are they called?


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## luvmysailorusn

http://www.kentuckyspecialfx.com/prop-or-light-motion-activator.html

Would this work for motion detection? I assume I would just plug my prop into this and the motion will make the prop come on?


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## halstaff

Thanks everyone for all the tips and advice. It gave me the confidence to open up my heads up zombie I have that was sound controlled. The Piezo sensor was located on the bottom of the base which may be why it wouldn't work well when placed in the grass in my cemetary.
I removed the sensor and soldered extensions on which will connect to the new trigger. It works with either a hacked Harbor Freight mat or a board Otaku designed that utilizes a PIR and a relay to provide a dry trigger (I've also used the board to trigger a couple of old Cowlacious sound boards that need a dry trigger). 
Works great now!


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