Quiz Show Buzzer System using Staples Easy Button

Step 7 Enjoy!

Add the 9V battery, screw on the project box lid and you're good to go!

Comments

[kbedell1]

The website that sells the kit also sells a power adapter that could work for higher voltage requirements.

[kmagic4]

this could be really cool if you made the buttons out of those similarly shaped stick up push button lights and it would probably be easier to connect them to the wire

[edtk421]

This is a great idea thanks for posting it.  How could I add a buzzer or some sort of sound effect.  The led will show who buzzed in first so the sound is just for fun and would go off after anyone buzzed in.   - side thought - could we keep the 'easy button' sound functional?

[dangermouse69]

Terrific idea, thanks for posting. I have the enitre kit together and am excited to use it. However, one LED - Position 2 stays lit constantly. If I hold one of the alternates down while I press reset then the lit LED will move until resetting. Any ideas?

[jschweers]

If you use 4 conductor wire for the easy buttons, it wouldn't be hard to make the easy buttons light up, too, to indicate who buzzed in first.

[raykholo]

 even 3 conductor (speaker cable) would work, since the button and LED are probably both connected directly to ground.  I have more electronics experience so I would probably make my own circuit using a bunch of 555s or a microcontroller, which could definitely accomodate only 3 connections.

[rblynes]

What if I wanted to use a light bulb for each button instead of an LED.  What would I need to do differently for this to work?

[irishlyrucked]

It really depends on the lightbulbs.  If you were going to use small lightbulbs powered by DC, they'd have to have similar voltage and current needs to the LEDs.  However, if you wanted to use large lightbulbs, like the kind in your home, you'd need to add a relay capable of being triggered off of the ~3 volts coming from the board.  You'd also need mains power to the box to power the bulbs.  So the trigger side of the relay would be handled by the board, and the working end would be powered by the mains.

All in all, it's much simpler to use LEDs.

[WoutervD]

 Not so much I think. You would need a bigger box so the lightbulbs fit, and you would have to replace the LED's with light bulb sockets. I do think voltage/wattage could be a problem though, so perhaps you would have to make it with a plug instead of batteries.