# Waving Spotlight Question



## matrixmom (Aug 20, 2011)

So I am trying to create something like this to light up my big marquee circus sign. I have 2 led spotlights which cover a big area. What can I attach to the base of each spot so they will move left to right like this? I was thinking rotating sprinkler heads? Something easy for my electrically challenged mind....

http://www.shutterstock.com/video/clip-815716-stock-footage-a-p-hd-video-of-spotlights-waving-across-a-city-sky.html


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## Fiend4Halloween (Aug 28, 2008)

Possibly a Shiatsu massager might work? You could add a length of pvc pipe to the "knobs" as you would for a Shiatsu zombie, but fasten your lights to these and they have that slow rotating motion that somewhat mimics the spotlights as in your video. Maybe you could also use wiper motors and gears to do the same thing, though that might take a lil more work to get the desired effect. Best of luck with this. Hopefully you'll find a way to make it work. Happy Haunting!


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## BillyVanpire (Apr 22, 2015)

oscillating fans?


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## corey872 (Jan 10, 2010)

Some good suggestions above. Most everything is already 'built in' and plug-n-play if you can hack an oscillating fan - though do I remember someone mentioning the motor overheating while running without a blade? ...maybe this is in a location where the fan+blade is acceptable ..or maybe I dreamed that up?

Barring that, basically anything which makes a circular movement would do... electric motor, reindeer motor, windshield wiper motor, sprinkler, etc. You'd just need a disk or crank arm on the motor and a second fixed arm to get the back / forth motion. The 'rotating bit' only needs to move one direction. Back/forth speed is controlled by the rotation speed and back/forth swing would be controlled by the ratios between the stationary arm and the rotating bit.










Likely not what you want, but while on the subject, a slight change to the mechanism can make more of a 'chopping' effect ...slow in one direction with a quick 'chop' motion in the other... incase anyone has axes or hatchets which need automation.


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## matrixmom (Aug 20, 2011)

Thanks for all the great ideas everyone. Haha... Hubby said sprinklers wouldn't work without water, duh.

I can figure something out now....


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