For Halloween [Paul] wanted to build a Jacob’s Ladder without the peril that working with high voltage might bring. He was inspired by a sequencer board for electroluminescent wire and decided to build a Jacob’s Ladder simulator using the glowing material. What he ended up with is quite convincing. Eight segments of EL wire have been mounted between two diverging towers. When a PIR sensor detects motion in the room, an Arduino switches on the simulation, playing a recording of the classic sizzling voltage sound while using the sequencer board to flicker the wires from bottom to top. See for yourself in the video after the break. We give [Paul] bonus points for constructing the base out of Lego.
But if you’re not one for being cautions, there’s always this real Jacob’s Ladder build. Or maybe you just want to make something glow with the EL wire.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uz4ZCiygqmc&w=470]
[via Make]
Why doesn’t this site have a facepalm button?
That left plasma thing is much cooler. Where can I buy that?
This was on Sparkfun a month or two ago. I’ll say the same here I said there.
Being a fellow Evil Mad Scientist, there’s no substitute for real HV plasma. This is good for a 2 year old’s night light, but I’ll never give up the true sources of plasma around my workbench, and even on my desk at work.
Very cool. I wonder if the wires are rugged enough to incorporate into a costume.
(maybe a Jacobs ladder-like antenna on your head?)
Sorry, but if you’ve seen a *real* jacob’s ladder, then you’ll find this thing incredibly dissapointing> I second Bill’s night light comment.
Now add some canned laughter and obama doing a ‘it gets better’ speech and you’ll have a fakery extravaganza?
Nice for some tv-set on the background maybe, but if I was a director I’d tell to get the real thing even then.
You people seem to be missing the point. He made this specifically because he has young children around and for some reason, he doesn’t want them electrocuted.
Yes, I have worked with a real Jacob’s ladder. This is a pretty good alternative for someone who isn’t comfortable around high voltage equipment.
It always better if a kid touch HV with limited current and later on become fascinated about electronics than electrically virgin adult touching HV with real juice and drop dead
@therian
Haha, so true. I disassembled a (charged) photo flash when I was about 6, and received the *shock* of my life. Been fascinated ever since ;)
I don’t think the intent here was to necessarily fool anyone into thinking it is a real HV spark. It sounds like it was more for the effect and to see if a convincing simulation could be made with the EL wire. If you take it for what it is and not for what it’s not, he still did a good job making a cool Halloween prop.
@therian
Yes, the kids could go on to become great hackers. Or, it could scare the crap out of them and turn them into the same people that think a flashing LED is a bomb. It’s double edged sword.
A regular Jacob’s ladder can be made safe by encasing the rods in a glass tube, like every museum that has one has done. This is just a (well made but still) poor substitute for a fascinating phenomenon.
@WhatNot
Politics have no business on HAD. Please take that crap elsewhere.
I once built a real Jacobs Ladder out of two 3 foot long metal sparklers. The spark did indeed jump and eventually would ignite the sparklers. hours of fun.
@Brennan you have no place on the planet, please remove yourself promptly.
Your mail will be forwarded (budget permitting).
actually I set up traps (ceramic capacitors with wires) so my puppy shock herself and newer chew on really dangerous wire again, same should be done with kids
@Brennan
Hahaha, I sense a butthurt obama lover xD
@therian
You, sir, have given me a much needed morning laugh. Best comment on HaD ever.
I prefer this hack instead:
http://www.afrotechmods.com/reallycheap/Jacob/jacob.htm
It’s cool but it’s pretty clear even from a distance in a dark blurry clip it’s not real.
Jacob’s Ladders have more of a ‘swath’ of arc as the ionized air moves up, rather than a single point of contact and a nice tidy single arc.
Perhaps re-build with EL tape?