# Lessons learned



## JeffHaas (Sep 7, 2010)

A quick set of tips I learned after our week-before-Halloween Haunted Walk. Hopefully some of these will help someone here!

1. Use fresh/freshly recharged batteries (especially for any microprocessor prop controller or LED display), otherwise LEDs die and microprocessors act weird and stop working.
2. Long cords on PIRs, allows you to position them better. Short is limiting.
3. Finger lights - disappointing, they die after only a couple of hours. Won't repeat this next time.
4. LED spotlights, based on design at cindybob.com, using circuit from LED series wizard - awesome! Will make more next time.
5. Microprocessor prop control - awesome! The PIR sees you and it triggers the prop. It just works on its own. Will do more of this as I can.
6. Cowlacious Cave Eyes, for rats in tree, plus sound effects of angry rats - big hit! Lesson: Some people are more creeped out by the rats than they are by the "scary" stuff, which is obviously fake.
7. After a tour comes back, have the tour guide tell you if there were any technical glitches, so you can go out and fix them quickly.
8. Evite went down the day of the event! If you use Evite for an event, make sure to send everyone directions/info via regular email as a backup. One guest had to phone another to get the address; one person got on and got the address while Evite was briefly up, before it went down. And they had no easy way to contact us - it was all on Evite. We had a break in the weather so no rain, but we had planned on posting a weather update...on Evite. AAAaaarrrggghh.

We had a waiting area in the carport with a card table, where people could pour a cup of hot cider and chat. A few LED candles and an LED lantern made the scene.


----------



## The Rotten Pumpkin (Mar 28, 2010)

Thanks for posting!


----------

