# circuit for fading in and out light?



## Sickie Ickie

will someone please post a simple circuit for making a plugged in light fade up and down automatically ?

2nd question: florescent lights cannot fade up and down, right?


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## bourno

# 1. I most likely have an extra fader that I use for my cemetery lights that I got on clearance from Christmas time that I could sell cheap and ship to you.

# 2. correct.


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## Sickie Ickie

pm me with details bourno


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## Otaku

I have a fading light circuit how-to that I can send to you. It does require assembly using a touch-panel dimmer. I use them in carved-from-the-inside JOL's.


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## Sickie Ickie

if it fades on and off automatically, I'm up for it Otaku


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## TwistedDementia

Would you mind sharing that 'fading light circuit how-to' Otaku?


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## Otaku

Yes, it runs a ~10 sec. dim-bright-dim cycle, over and over.


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## Otaku

No problem - I need to make a PDF and I'll post it at Halloween Gallery tomorrow AM.


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## TwistedDementia

WELL THAN... your the best, Thanks a lot!


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## Sickie Ickie

I'm looking forward to it!


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## slightlymad

Yes Yes fading cicuit good


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## Otaku

Here's the link to the .gif file at Halloween Gallery. I'll take some pics later today and get them posted.

http://halloweengallery.com/displayimage.php?pos=-3713


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## TwistedDementia

Thanks for the link Otaku!


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## Sickie Ickie

looks easy enough...wish I had pics to go along with it.


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## Otaku

Yeah, me too! I took a bunch of pix today, put the box back together, and then found that the camera didn't have a memory stick in it. I'll get pix up on Halloween Gallery tomorrow. And you're right, SI, it really is easy.


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## Sickie Ickie

It gives me hope for the project challenged like me, Otaku


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## Fangs

Cool! Sounds easy enough, but let's just see how easy it is! :googly: LOL anyone smell a fried bat coming on?  LOL


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## Sickie Ickie

sniff sniff Not yet. hehehhehehehhee


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## Otaku

The only thing is not to use one of the slider or knob dimmers. For this to work, you must use the one that has a touch-panel.


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## slightlymad

Flourecent are dimmable if you use a dimmable ballast.


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## JonnyMac

Did you post your circuit Otaku? Having just designed our FC-4 fader board I'm interested in how your circuit works. Mine, of course, is microcontroller-based and designed to be commanded by a host to perform sophisticated fading and cross-fading operations.


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## DeathTouch

Or what you could do is buy one of those fading switches from the hardware store and have your kids turn it when someone walks by. LOL


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## Otaku

Jon, all the design work for the fader was done by the people at Leviton LOL. It's more of a hack than an actual circuit. All you need to do is to attach a .047 uF cap in the right place to activate the pulsing effect. The cap simply replaces one's finger on the dimmer panel. I'm told that you could get the same effect by plopping a pound of meat on the dimmer, but that's a bit messy. I'll have pix posted later today and you'll see how it all goes together.


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## Dr Morbius

I wonder if there is a way to automate it...you know, to control the durations of the dimming.


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## Otaku

Possibly, by varying the capacitance. I tried using caps of various values to extend the cycle length, with little effect. I never got as far as using caps like 4700 uF and such, but a 470 uF electrolytic didn't make much difference to the cycle time. Actually controlling the dimming (dim/brighten on demand) would require a microcontroller, I'd think.
Hauntmaster Products has a device, the Fright Light, that appears to have the ability to control dim/bright cyle times, but the user can't really affect the cycle times on the fly. You set the effect you want and let it run. It would be instructive to know how that circuit operates, though. Looks as though the EFX-Tek FC-4 is the way to go for controlled dimming efects.


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## Dr Morbius

yea, I thought as much.


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## Dr Morbius

JonnyMac said:


> Did you post your circuit Otaku? Having just designed our FC-4 fader board I'm interested in how your circuit works. Mine, of course, is microcontroller-based and designed to be commanded by a host to perform sophisticated fading and cross-fading operations.


Hey, Jon..when will this be available?


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## Otaku

Here's the pix to go along with the how-to. If any questions arise, drop me a note.
http://halloweengallery.com/displayimage.php?pos=-3717
http://halloweengallery.com/displayimage.php?pos=-3715
http://halloweengallery.com/displayimage.php?pos=-3721
http://halloweengallery.com/displayimage.php?pos=-3716
http://halloweengallery.com/displayimage.php?pos=-3714


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## halloweenguy

Here is a cheap hack that uses some "chasing" christmas lights that you might already own??? These work fine for a quick an dirty method fader. I have used these for other light effects like burning coals...just need a few red and orange lights and place these under a rack of real coal, add a fog machine.

http://computerchristmas.com/?link=how_to&HowToId=32


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## JonnyMac

Dr Morbius said:


> Hey, Jon..when will this be available?


We'll have an handful at MHC, then will put in the big production order -- goal is to have them mid- to late-August.


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## BRAinDead

Otaku said:


> Possibly, by varying the capacitance. I tried using caps of various values to extend the cycle length, with little effect. I never got as far as using caps like 4700 uF and such, but a 470 uF electrolytic didn't make much difference to the cycle time.


Here's a couple of quick questions -
- How quickly does the light cycle on/off with this hack?
- Any particular reason you used such a thin wire to add the capacitor?

Thanks!


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## Otaku

It cycles about every 8 secs. No reason for the thin wire - I just happened to have a lot of 30 gauge wire laying around.


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## BRAinDead

Excellent. Thanks!


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## BRAinDead

By the way, I followed the how-to and this project works well. Many thanks to you, Otaku!


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## Dr Morbius

I wonder if one could hook up a servo to a dial type dimmer and run it from VSA...would be ALOT cheaper than a DMX controller, and would fade light automatically, and you could dial in the duration, etc..Hmmmm.


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## randyaz

sure you can or use a slider type 
http://www.halloweengallery.com/albums/userpics/10010/vsa_bs2.gif

...and do cross fading too


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## halloweenguy

Dr Morbius said:


> I wonder if one could hook up a servo to a dial type dimmer and run it from VSA...would be ALOT cheaper than a DMX controller, and would fade light automatically, and you could dial in the duration, etc..Hmmmm.


Yes this works !!! We had 4 of them hooked up in last years haunt in the "Portrait Room" 4 portraits that would light and dim in sequence while telling the history of the haunt ...the last one was a drop panel. LOL.

Hooking these up and making it work is kind of funky since getting everything exactly center with the knob is not likely to happen. I remember leaving some the screws a little loose so the setup would float a little.

DMX would be my first choice...This was a last minute solution.


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## Dr Morbius

Glad to hear it works! I'm a gonna try it...'cause I am Soooooo cheap.


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## Beffcake666

*update please*

I know this is an old thread, but the instructions posted by Otaku are dead links. Can someone relink them please. This circuit is exactly what I need for a glowing coffin prop.

thanks

:devil:Beffcake:devil:


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## goneferal

*Please repost!*

I too would like to see the circuit for my new LED spotlights to fade in and out.


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## Otaku

I still have the original PDF how-to for this fader, but it's for AC incandescent lights only - it won't work for fading LEDs. The file is too big to attach here, but I can email it to anyone who's interested.


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## Bing

If it wouldn't be too much trouble, could you send me a copy of the fading in and out light circuit?


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## Otaku

Sure - PM me with your email.


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## GRP

I would like a copy too if you don't mind - [email protected]


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## TheOneAndOnlyKelly

Me 3? [email protected]

Tried to go to the posted website, but got "The selected album/file does not exist !"


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## Otaku

On the way...


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## Dandolion

Otaku said:


> I still have the original PDF how-to for this fader, but it's for AC incandescent lights only - it won't work for fading LEDs. The file is too big to attach here, but I can email it to anyone who's interested.


Please email me the PDF [email protected]


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## croglinvampire

*Me too!*

Otaku, shoot one my way too? Sounds perfect for the peppers ghost im trying out


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## croglinvampire

Heh...email...right. [email protected]


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## halstaff

Here's what I put together to fade a couple of LED's to use as eyes in the skulls that top my fence pillars -


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## corey872

This reminds me...I need to make some fading eyes, too!

Thought I would throw up these links...mainly in case I loose them later on! This seems to be a fairly neat circuit with a lot of adjustment. Might be a little much if you just want something simple/cheap. Though I suppose a person could build one full circuit, set all trim pots to get the desired effect, measure their value, then just transfer those values over to simple resistors for a final build of a simple circuit to throw out in the yard.

http://www.pcbheaven.com/userpages/Flexible_555_LED_Pulsing_Circuit/


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