Introduction: "Trip Wire Alarm" for Annoying Sister Types
An alarm featuring a small electric motor that produces a high pitched whine
Step 1: Gather Yer Parts
To make a long story short my dog chewed up this plastic helicopter that went to this clever toy my dad brought home from some company at work. At any rate this toy featured an adjustable base wth a one of those DC electric motors inside. The motor in turn turned the helicopers rotor and when the switch was released, made the copter fly into the air. A any rate that's what I used to make the obnoxious alarm sound (ie: the copper coils and magnets grinding together in the motor). If you have this toy and coinicidentally you have the same predicament as I did, assemble your alarm as shown. If not, a sturdy piece of card board with a DC motor taped on top should suffice. Along with that you'll need two double A batteries, some wire if you are not making yours out of the the heli copter toy, kite string, duct tape, a glue gun, and a 50 cent D-CON mouse trap.
Step 2: Making the Alarm
W/Toy instructions:
Have your glue gun handy, you'll need it. First open up the base with a small screw driver. Discard the top piece of the base and the helicopter if you haven't already. Take the circular piece containing the motor and hot glue it between the two screw holes. Remove white button and in its place, hot glue the mouse trap. The negetive output should go on the spring and the positive imput, hopefully with the metal piece still attached should be glued where the bait goes. When the trap is in the down position the motor should be blaring away to the discomfort of one's ear drums. Use a piece of duct tape with a string atached to act as an insulator between the trap and the positive imput wire. When the string is pulled the alarm will sound. Duct tape on back, place agaist a wall and stretch your trip wire across a door way. Then wait for an unsuspecting intruder. Enjoy!
W/o toy : Knowing this you probably can make a makeshift one. Please post your findings as this is a collaborative effort!
Step 3: Movie!
Here is a movie of what happens and what it sounds like. I'm going to probably post one with the trip wire in real action but for now, enjoy!
19 Comments
13 years ago on Step 2
Use a peg with two pieces of foil w/wires attached and the foil glued to the peg with the insulator in between them :)
16 years ago on Introduction
this could be used in other scenarios if the current was used to detonate a charge.
Reply 14 years ago on Introduction
or like a gun couldn't hurt if you live in the hood
Reply 15 years ago on Introduction
i like where this is going
Reply 14 years ago on Introduction
You've been watching Eagle Eye too many times, huh?
Reply 14 years ago on Introduction
Perhaps...
Reply 14 years ago on Introduction
i only saw it once
14 years ago on Introduction
Once i tried to turn on a car alarm that my dad took out of his car with a 9v battery and 2 AA and it was LOUD and it can make u get out of the the street u can still her it i mean seriously so maybe i could use that
15 years ago on Introduction
i made one using a speaker and a simple circuit... if tripped, it makes a noise that makes you feel as if your brain is in a blender... it hurts. a lot. and it MAKES them leave if they don't want to go crazy from it.
16 years ago on Introduction
sweet! will it work for annoying cousin types as well?
16 years ago on Introduction
100 bonus points for using a mousetrap for a switch! Sheer genius!
16 years ago
I have one! How ever this make shift one has more practical aplications and perfect for the spy movies where you have to cut the red wire before you can infitrate the enemy base. Like the webcam but the prank is a one time thing and you'd have to have a little old man constantly reseting it for you.
16 years ago
Ehhhh..... To make it (loud) not (quiet) i reccomend buying one of thos persional alarm things at the dollar store! (they make a high pich !eiiiieiiiieiiiieiiii! :-D
16 years ago
I'd hook up a webcam so I could watch people jump ten feet in the air at midnight with the booty of a fridge raid...
16 years ago
A mod for this would be using a window alarm. This alarm uses to parts, and when they are seperated they produce a very high pitched noise also. Using this you could glue a piece of fishing string to the part that can seperate and hide the alarm behind books and tie the string to something. Just a Thought~
16 years ago
Why not have the mouse trap set and the string tied to it then, because it would be more sensative.
16 years ago
very simple..hehe...for those who don't have the mysterious hellicopter toy of doom....you could use a simple piezo electric buzzer from radio shack...or anything like that to make the buzz...
16 years ago
That is indeed very, VERY annoying. Cool idea...I'll probably make something similar but with circuits ripped from an old LogiBlocks set. Man I loved those things.
16 years ago
neat idea using the mousetrap, i've made similar sister-traps with a clothespin like clip as a switch but this is much more dramatic.