BeamCricket

about

this design was based on Ben Hitchcocks cricket. i think mine looks more like a grasshopper but who's that technical. it's actually exactly the same circuit with a couple of values changed. i used a 4.7F cap that will keep the circuit running for nearly 48 HOURS!!!! i also bumped up the 6.8uF cap to 30uF - this makes the eyes pum instead of flash. finally i played around with the 2 resistors to get the flash rate and turn on level i wanted. i dropped the 2.2M to 1M and the 150K to 130K (in all honesty its bc i had a 130K and not a 150K in stock).

the cricket turns on a little after sunset and turns off (starts charging again) a little after sunrise. i took the solar panel out of an old solar calc. the antenna are wired in parallel to the cap for a quick charge. the legs are made from 14 or 16 gauge magnetics wire. it sits on a windowsill in my parents living room pumming away each night. since i'm rarely there its a nice reminder of me to them. of all my endeavors i have been most pleased with this project.

other works

I later made the BeamTwinDragons using the same general idea. The individual components that make up the circuit are used to create the physical body for the creature. Nearly every part of these beam art pieces is functional beyond it's aesthtetic appeal. I also made a grasshopper around the same time as the cricket but foolishly never took any pictures of it. I later gave it to my cousin and don't know if she still has it.

-- ChristopherPepe - 01 Oct 2006