Electronics question... circuit board to make LEDs flicker

[jvasilatos]

Hello everyone-

Can anyone direct me to a supplier of the simple circuit boards that can make LEDs flicker like engine thrusters? I just got my Randy Cooper Rebel Blockade Runner back from Dean Dymerski who did an amazing job painting and weathering it, and all I need to complete the lighting scheme inside since the lights are installed is a circuit board I can connect to the engine light wires and then the battery.

I think I saw someone else here do a similar thing with their blockade runner but I never asked this question then.

Thanks.

JV

[macfrank]

In the hobby news section there's a mention of VoodooFX's light flicker circuit. The video looks pretty good.

There are a few ways to do it yourself; through a digital circuit (generate the flicker with a microprocessor and a pseudo random number generator) or with an analog circuit - amplify the popcorn or flicker noise noise in a resistor or diode, or build a simple AM radio receiver, tune it to a strong local signal and drive the LED with the audio.

Frank

[jvasilatos]

Those look great but my Blockade Runner has 11 LEDs so I'm not sure if that board would accomodate it unless I could double some lights on a single circuit?

I'm no electronics whiz either so if anyone could chime in that would be helpful.

[jwrjr]

The VFX circuit is based on a pseudo random number generator, with a couple of extra tricks thrown in.

[DLMatthys]

Hello everyone-

Can anyone direct me to a supplier of the simple circuit boards that can make LEDs flicker like engine thrusters?

I have several simple IC LM555 circuits that can do that:

http://www.dlmparts.com/images/229_KBOP ... parts_.jpg

Or this one by changing the Cap value to 4.7uf

http://www.dlmparts.com/images/242_LED%20Blinker.gif

You can run wires off of the boards to the LEDs and hook up any resonable number of LEDs in parralle. 6 to 9 volt operations.

[jvasilatos]

Thanks Don, I'm ordering one now.

Jerry