User Manual

Turn on the slide switch (S1), and place the circuit in
a dimly lit room with a flat ceiling. Hold one of the
disco covers over the LEDs on the disco motor (DM),
without using its support bar. Vary the height over the
LEDs and see how it affects the focus.
You can also try holding the circuit at an angle near
a wall, and see how the pattens look on the wall.
Use the preceding circuit but remove the disco
motor (DM) and place the red, green, or yellow
LEDs (D1, D2, or D10) across points A & B in
the circuit (“+” on LED to point B).
Turn on the slide switch (S1), and place the
circuit in a dimly lit room with a flat ceiling. Hold
one of the disco covers over the LED. Vary the
height and see how it affects the focus.
Build the circuit as shown, then push on point A with your
finger to complete the circuit.
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Project 155
Diffused Light
Project 154 Adjusting Disco
Cover Focus
The disco covers are lenses, and
changing their distance above the
LEDs changes the focus of the light.
The LEDs in the disco motor are brighter than
D1/D2/D10 LEDs, and also have there focused
more directly upward. The D1/D2/D10 LEDs
spread their light over a wider viewing angle,
so they can be easily seen from the side.
Project 156
Your Light Patterns
Take a small flashlight in your home and hold one of the disco
covers over it. View it in a dimly lit room with a flat ceiling, or
point it towards a wall. Vary the height over the flashlight and
see how it affects the pattern and focus.
Try this with both an incandescent light bulb flashlight, and
with an LED flashlight if you have one.
Results will depend on the light source
used, but generally LEDs will produce better
patterns than incandescent light bulbs. Light
from LEDs tends to be more focused
forward, while light from incandescent bulbs
goes in all directions (and is usually
reflected forward with a mirror).
Project 157
Pressure Circuit
It may appear that the
3-snap and 5-snap
wires are touching, but
they do not actually
touch unless you push
them together.