# "Try It Now" buttons



## ubzest (Jul 1, 2008)

You know when you buy a new prop, for example the creepy head that goes up and down on a string and woOo's, It has a try me now button. My question is, has anyone thought of anything elce to do with this button? Can you make this type of battery operated thing work with electricity? Cause the head I have goes thru batteries like crazy. 
Thanks ahead of time.


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## Otaku (Dec 3, 2004)

Sure you can. You need to determine the voltage output of the battery pack that the prop uses, and get a regulated wall wart power supply that has the same voltage. That's usually easy to do, but if the prop uses "split" voltages from the battery pack you'll run into some problems. Also, if the prop is free-hanging, you now have a cord to deal with. If you are familiar with using voltage regulators and/or dividers you can build a small board that will supply the prop with the proper voltage(s). Rechargable batteries are another option.


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## Hauntmore (Sep 14, 2007)

Speaking of try me now buttons, we had a laughing skull, where the jaw and eyes move. We wired the try me now button into a light switch, so when we were ready for the next batch of TOTs, we'd flip the switch and the skull would light up and laugh.


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## bradbaum (Jul 26, 2008)

yes, I usally cut the button off and wire the wires to a relay from a prop controller.


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## ubzest (Jul 1, 2008)

oooOOoo thank you.


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## luvme7874 (Aug 12, 2008)

Thank you for this post. I recently bought this head that hangs in the window with a suction cup and when I pushed the try it now button it slowly lit up and faded away. I thought that was pretty eerie, but when I brought it home and used the battery switch to turn it on, it blinked fast and looked pretty cheesy. I was kind of bummed out.


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## beelce (Jul 21, 2007)

Otaku....how does one determine the voltage output of the battery pack? Also could you gang other props to the regulated power supply?


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## hpropman (Jul 27, 2008)

There are two ways to determine the voltage of a battery pack. One is to measure the voltage with a multimeter (an indispensable tool that no haunter should be without). the second method is that if the pack is made up of either AAA, AA, C, and D batteries just count the cells and multiply by 1.5V for alkaline batteries and 1.25V for rechargeable batteries. For example 4 alkaline AA batteries would be 6 volts while 4 AA rechargeable batteries would be 5 volts. As for connecting multiple props to regulated power supply it depends on the current of the power supply and the current requirement for the props that you want to control. You need to add up the current requirements of all the props (which can be measured with a multimeter) and then double it. The power supply should be able to handle a least twice the current of the prop or props that you want to control. the more current the better. The thing to remember is that a higher current power supply will not force more current into the circuit. The circuit will only use the current that it needs as long as the power supply meets the minimum current needs. Please let me know if this is unclear I will try to clarify.


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## Otaku (Dec 3, 2004)

hpropman is correct on all points. Multimeters (DMM's) can be had for just a few bucks at places like Harbor Freight Tools. They won't have the speed or features of the high-end units, but they're great for checking voltages and solving wiring continuity problems.


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## beelce (Jul 21, 2007)

Thanks hpropman and otaku....I am not much of an electrician, so this helps alot. So if I wanted to build a prop with 6 identical talking skulls (candelabra) and each needs 6 volts, I will need a 36 volt power source? Non of my transformers (wall warts) offer 36 volts, so do I need to move on to a different type of power source? What is the difference between current and volts?


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## scream1973 (Dec 23, 2007)

Beelce , 
It depends on how you wire them.. If you wire them all to run out of the same feed (positive negative ) in parallel then you would need 6 volts still but of sufficient amperage to run the skulls. ( ie if the skull draws 200ma then to be safe i would say you would need at least 2-2.5A @6 volts.

Now if you are wiring in series then you would require more voltage as you will run out of voltage quickly


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## hpropman (Jul 27, 2008)

Beelce, 

No you need a six volt power supply with enough current to handle the six skulls. Lets say that each skull uses 500ma (Milli amps - 1/2 amp) then you would need a 6 volt power supply that can handle 6 amps of current or more. 500ma x 6 = 3amps and then double that = 6amps. The difference between voltage and current it that voltage never moves it is the force (the difference of potential) the pushes the current. If you go to my website in the links section there is a free online electronics course. I do not know if you will be able to power 6 skulls with just a wall wart (most are under 1 amp (1000ma). You might need a larger power supply depending on your current requirements or multiple wall warts (one for each skull or two skulls depending on the current requirements). If you can give more details of what you trying to do we might be able to give you a more specific answer. I hope this is clear if not I will try to explain it a different way.


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## hpropman (Jul 27, 2008)

Sorry scream I did not see your reply until I posted mine. Scream is correct as well. But they should be wired in parallel meaning 6volt negative and positive going to each skull.


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