Gadget's podcast

Now he’s got the power to cut lightning down to size

People have always been fascinated by the fury of the heavens. Electronics prodigy Richard Hodgkinson created a lightning distance timer so he would no longer have to manually calculate the approach or retreat of a thunderstorm. He recycled a 70 KHz crystal from an old device for the oscillator. “Let there be light,” he declared as two HP 45MGC670 surface mount LEDs were attached to allow him to see measurements in the dark. And his project wouldn’t be complete without two 1.5V AA cells which are the heart of his timer. Now his creation is alive, all he needs is a wicked thunderstorm.

For complete build instructions and to hear how Richard came up with his design, listen to our Gadget Freak Podcast at http://www.electronicsweekly.com/gadgetfreak.

As 2007 draws to a close, we’re celebrating the weird and wonderful collection of inventions that made their home in Gadget Freak.

This year saw us look at how electronics engineering students at Dalhousie University harness NASA technology to build robots that could one day save lives; we took a look at Neuroti-Kart, the home-made electric go-kart; wondered why someone would ever build a human hamster wheel; and witnessed history in the making in the form of a Beer Launching Fridge.

If 2008 is half as amazing as 2007, then we’re already in for a fantastic new year!

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Special effects designer Clive Mitchell's electric match controller is intended for producing small-scale special effects like a confetti rainstorm.

An electric match is a common device for firing pyrotechnics on stage - it works by passing a current through a thin nichrome wire, which in turn ignites a surrounding bit of pyro compound that fires the main effect.

Clive's device adds simple features like a firing button (a big red one, of course), a keyswitch for safety, and a test LED that shows when an active device is connected to the unit.