Hey everyone! I'm working on building a mechanical cyclotron for my Ghostbusters Proton Pack, and I'm trying to figure out how to create a spinning light effect. The only thing I can think of is attaching an LED to a battery and a radio controller, so when I rotate the arm holding these components, it lights up. But I'm also curious about how I could adapt this idea into a small spinning globe for my Ghostbusters Giga Meter. I'm not looking for a full-blown display—just a simple setup with 1 to 3 LEDs for the cyclotron and maybe 4 for the Giga Meter. Any suggestions? Sorry if I didn't explain things perfectly!
4 Answers
You could also explore using a 555 timer with a CD4017 IC. It can help with creating specific light patterns easily, giving you more control over the spinning effect.
There are ready-made solutions out there if you're looking for simplicity. Just search for slip rings and you should find a bunch of options that might work for you!
Consider using a slip ring connector. It allows you to transfer power to your LED while it's mounted on a spinning motor. Sounds like a fun project—good luck with it!
You might want to use an addressable WS2812 LED strip or ring. By lighting each LED in a sequence, you can create the illusion of movement without having to actually spin a light. It can look really cool and keeps your setup fairly simple!