Hack a flash camera into a emergency strobe light

Well... Very easy if you know how to solder and know a little bit about electronics.
On this instructable, I will show you how to make an emergency strobe light out of a disposable flash camera. You can use the strobe light in the forest if you get lost or to warn other people about something.

Please note that I am only 15 years old and I am not good at grammar so if you find some parts of the instructable confusing, please let me know and I will try fix it.

Disclaimer:
This instructable involves modifying a device that operates on 300v DC, so I am NOT responsible if you injure or kill your self and/or any body else from any of your actions messing around this device. So be careful what you are doing, be safe and have fun!

Step 1 Get the things!!

Not many things are needed to build the strobe light...

- Disposable flash camera (I used a Kodak camera with an LED light).
- TIC106M SCR or equivalent (5A, 30A surge, 400v)
- Neon bulb that strikes at 200 volts or something (I found in some other older disposable flash camera's circuit board).

Heres a data sheet for the TIC106 SCR
http://pdf1.alldatasheet.com/datasheet-pdf/view/20132/POINN/TIC106M.html

If you don't Know where to buy the SCR, try those two sites...
http://www.maplin.co.uk/ (Thats where I brought my SCR)
http://www.digikey.com/

And the tools...

- Soldering iron/gun
- Flat-head screw driver
- Desoldering pump (optional, but it makes desoldering easier)

Comments

[beehard44]

I'm wondering if i can do the same but instead with a high voltage transistor
any ideas? SCRs are hard to find

[Chu Guk]

Hi, this instructable is so awesome, I've been looking around for such a circuit. I'm just wondering if there's any component that could replace the TIC106M SCR, as I couldn't find find that one...

[ahmedsbra]

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[ii_awesum]

Great Instructable!

For those wondering how to get "free" disposable cameras, just go to your local photo store and ask if you may have any used disposable cameras. They remove the film canister for processing and pile up the camera bodies for recycling, so if they have none currently just ask if they can save some for you.
ring where to

I landed about 2 dozen on my first trip to the store. Bonus, most often they leave the AA batteries in them so you might end up with a lot of spares for other daily uses. For the most part there are 2-3 different circuit boards used across all the brands, boards may vary slightly in layout but essentially all use similar parts.

Mike

[elimist]

If you have problems finding the neon bulb, they can also be found in fluorescent light starter, it looks diffrent and are slightly bigger. Works wonders, though.
There are only two parts in them, so it should not be difficult to figure out what is the bulb.

[Swishercutter]

I would discharge the cap with a resistor and some alligator clips to keep it from sparking. I used to use 1 farad caps on my car stereo and this was the best way to discharge/store them. I think it should be noted that after discharging the cap you should short the leads with a bit of wire (or a resistor) to keep the capacitor discharged. Caps will establish a charge from ambient voltages in the air and can charge up to full potential over time. You never know if the circuit that was discharged yesterday is still discharged. I do not remember seeing this in any of the instructables dealing with high voltages so I figured I would point it out.

[uberdum05]

Normally in capacitors that big people connect a high value resistor to the capacitor terminals permanently and then it makes it safe to work around because it is discharged

[Erik J]

good idea

[vincent7520]

Interesting … would this idea work as a safety item at sea (or do you think the flash wouldn't be strong enough to be seen at a distance and / or the battery would be discharged very rapidly) ?

I do know there are strobe lights used as safety items on yachts, so this is NOT my point.
What is interesting here is that you can AIM your flash at a ship or any other potential rescuer AND flash a light when you think it will be seen … As opposed to strobe lights that flash continuously, thus wasting energy for nothing, or flares that only last a couple of minutes and that a boat has only in a limited number.

If any reader could contribute to this question this would be great, as safety at sea always needs to be perfected as human lives are at stake.

[Matrix-technician]

This might be brighter if you use a xenon tube from a disposable camera.

[drzego]

a strobe uses a RELAXATION OSCILLATOR to trigger the flash. A flash circuit uses the same oscillator to indicate the charge is ready, so, a simple SCR can convert a disposable camera in a Strobe. The neon lamp have an interesting characteristic (and an interesting glowing also). This gas conducts electricity IF the voltage is greater than 75 volts, so when the capacitor charges, the voltage rises until the neon conducts the electricity that triggers the SCR.

[mischka]

Interesting, but I dont understand how it works. Can you please explain why the SCR and neon light make it flash?

[jpoopdog]

the neon bulbs arent just in really old cameras, i found them in some of the really cheap more box shaped kodac cameras.

[rdoyle-1]

peoples; I love this site: My only wish is that I wish the hell I knew what you were all talking about! :<{!> ProfessorFeather

[Bigones]

is really needed the 200v neon bulb? i dont know where to get it?

[kyismaster]

- Neon bulb that strikes at 200 volts or something (I found in some other older disposable flash camera's circuit board).

[bogscdj]

ala itong video mga tol...?

[someniceguyon]

the second one does look a great deal brighter, but it also looks like you put it in paint and erased a portion of the picture to make it look brighter. Idk what the point of that was since seeing the outline of the flash itself, it really is brighter

[someniceguyon]

Lol, I completely forgot about this whole thing from what? About 10 months ago? Anyways, thanks guys for reminding me of this sweet site. I don't think you meant to, but that's what happened lol.

[Khord]

He captured the flash pictures from a low quality video source that couldn't handle the intense amount of light, and therefore showed plain white at the brightest spots where it flashed out that area of the CCD. Typically phone cameras or webcams do this, and can even break if exposed to bright light like that for more than a few seconds.

[qwertyzzz18]

He did not put it in paint. It is just lens flare

[naveen_nk]

how can u make rays neutralize?

[qwertyzzz18]

what do you mean?

[jamwaffles]

OMG you got a component from Maplin? That is quite an achievement - congratulations!

[bloke2022]

How fast does this flash? If it is less then ~5hz, how can I speed it up?

[gx27470]

ive shocked myself multipple times

[1spartan95]

Do cameras have a 555 chip in them?

[coilsinamotor]

no they use a npn trasistor to ocillate the transformer :D hope that helps

[technoguy94]

So...does the flash come from the original flash bulb or the new one you put where the lens was?

[lizzy2late]

 hi, this is really useful to me, thanks! I just wondered if you knew of anywhere i can find the correct SCR? I see you mentioned they don't make the TIC106M anymore. 

[tonythemediaguy]

Once you start the strobe, does it just keep going until the battery is dead? Can you turn it off? I was thinking of making something for my rc plane so I could see it at night. A giant flash in the night!

[batterybank]

I would like to know this too. If the led stays on wont it run the battery down?

[suyashugare]

Nice hacking!! Now let me try this.

[zoltzerino]

I cant actually fin the TIC106M anywhere... is it a strange kind of diode (you have used the words anode and cathode, or is it a transistor, collector, base, emitter.)

sorry if I've misused anode and cathode (do they only relate to diodes or to transistors / voltage regulators as well?

ZZZZ

[Plasmana]

Unfortunately, I found out after a few months I made this instructable, TIC106M is no longer produce... :-(

[Gamernotnerd]

It's an SCR, not a diode.

[zoltzerino]

Is it a type of FET? Please tell me what SCR is an acronym for.

[Gamernotnerd]

Silicon Controlled Rectifier. It's like a diode and a transistor combined, except for it to stop current, the voltage has to drop to zero on the anode.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silicon-controlled_rectifier
I don't really use FETs all that much, but I'm pretty sure it's a lot like a much beefier MOSFET.

[kicker109]

Hey Plasmana, I was wondering if a TIP2955 PNP Transistor would work

[Gamernotnerd]

It would probably explode. Not sure though.