Electronic Canary

by fatboyslim

12K288

Intro: Electronic Canary

This instructable will cover all the basics involved in building an electronic canary. This is a excellent weekend project. This circuit recreates accurately the sound produced by a canary.
All components for this project should cost under $10
Basic soldering and electronic skills required

For a preview for the sound it makes. The file is below the picture.

STEP 1: Preparation

Equipment Required

Soldering Iron
Pliers
Work Station

Parts Required

Resistors
1 x 47k Ohm
1 x 4.7k Ohm

Transistors
1 x BC109 or BC337

Transformers
1 x 1K:8Ohm Audio Transformer

Capacitors
1 x 22nF Ceramic
1 x 10nF Ceramic
2 x 100uF Electrolytic

Other
1 x 9v Battery and Clip
1 x Plastic Board
1.5m of Copper Foil Tape
1 x C2222 8Ohm Speaker
1 x Momentary Push Switch

STEP 2: Assembly

First plan out your copper foil tape on your plastic board. Start to stick the pieces of your tape onto the plastic board and then start to solder on your parts one by one. Be careful when soldering the transistor as it is heat sensitive. Anything more than 5 seconds with the soldering iron on the transistor will burn it out. After soldering on all your components, make sure your solder joints are nice and clean. if they are dirty apply some heat using your soldering iron. Also make sure you have the correct audio transformer otherwise the sound does not work properly.

STEP 3: Testing and Troubleshooting

Now put a fresh 9v battery in and test the circuit. Push the switch and a canary chirp should be audible. If this is not the case check these following things

1. Check the Transistor legs
2. Make sure the transistor has not burned out
3. Make sure the battery in the right way
4. Make sure the legs of the transformer are wired properly
5. Check all your solder joints to make sure they are clean.

If all of these are followed your circuit should be operational

STEP 4: Finished

You should now have an operational Electronic canary.
If you have any troubles please feel free to comment

8 Comments

ojacob 13 years ago

Hi I'm am currently trying to build this circuit with a pcb that I designed but I can't find an audio transformer nowhere, I found a couple of old radios and nothing radioshack doesn't have them either, wherebcan I possibly find it? Thanks!!!

Hands Without Shadows 15 years ago

A 47000 ohm resistor is yellow, violet, orange, tolerance A 4700 ohm resistor is yellow, violet, red, tolerance

cd41 15 years ago

is there a site with all of that stuff on it(the resistor codes) and all? i have alot of them on a piece of marked cardboard but i don't want to take them off cause i don't want to mix it up

cd41 15 years ago

they aren't necessary for everything plus this way you can put it w/e you want not just where the board will fit

Sandisk1duo 15 years ago

if i really wanted to, i could make this into a a cube with the area of 1in3

fatboyslim 15 years ago

yeah i know. i saw this online and i had to build it. All i had around was copper foil tape and a plastic board. I couldn't be bothered going to buy a prototype board so i built it. It looks a bit messy but it works