I did a search some time ago for small recordable chips, and there are versions you can get similar to ones found in greetings cards. These once are the size of a coin, and you hold the button to record. another button plays the sound. I looked at these and it would be hard to put a micro switch in to activate the sound rather than the push button.
Based on your mention, I looked some of those up; it seems there are several suppliers for various levels of quality on those circuits, so it's a possibility. :thumbsup I was sort of hoping to get multiple sound effects into the prop, which could be cycled through by pushing that little button in the middle, which may not make this the best option.
But here is a clue for that chip: APR9600
Download that datasheet and show it to your electronics friend, he might be able to help you further.
Thanks!
Will do.
It all depends on how fancy and how good you want the sounds...
Little beeps and clicks are pretty painless, even basic low quality sounds are pretty easy...
How painless is "pretty painless?" Keeping in mind that I have zero electronics experience at all... I've worked up a basic knockoff-tricorder sound for the mapper, so it's a little more complicated than just beeps.
As for a decent solution now... not to take away from Exoray who does fine work... but Gerry Mros has been making custom sound circuits for a little while. He was mainly building them to go into star trek tricorders but he also offered to put custom sounds on them for a little extra. The base price was 40.00 or so so I can't imagine custom being all that expensive.
Good idea. Gerry was on my list of people to contact to inquire about methods as it was, so...
If you build one are you doing to do a run of them??? I've wanted to build one of those for a while now!
It ran through my mind, but I can't say I'd been planning on going through with it. Keep in mind, this is all at the very preliminary planning stage right now. I'm still scouting out parts to see how cheaply I can get components like the Bronica wast level finder, which is not cheap ($180 new? Frak that!).
As it stands, my "ideal" version which I'd like to build would have several light sequences and sound effects which could be selected by the middle button, a magnetic reed switch in the waist level finder to activate it automatically when you open the hood, and some kind of startup beep like we heard in the film when it turns on. My initial idea had been even more complex, as I'd pitched the notion of putting a GPS chip in it and having some LEDs in the display give basic information like pointing north and showing the latitude and longitude (it
was a surface mapper, right?
), but I got informed that would be so hard for a novice that I'm better off not trying it right now. :lol Plus I'd like to "upgrade" the body a bit by trying to find a way of getting the waist level finder on there that doesn't involve ripping the base off, and making the face of the mapper out of aluminum or stainless steel plate, rather than just plastic painted gray; also, maybe making those side grips out of something padded and covered in leather or leatherette--you know, fancy.
So, in sum: if this does go through and I can figure out a way to make it without breaking my wallet, I'll definitely think about doing a run; I know there's been demand for it in the past. But don't get your hopes up too high...
