anyone know where to get some pressure activated switches?

[hydin]

ok

for my supes kryptonite necklace, im going to end up making a box <or just modding out a box i have> to have a blacklight of some form <LED possibly, i dunno, maybe small bulb> but i want it to turn on when the lid is opened, and turn off when the lid is shut.

hence the pressure activated switch.

yea, i could make a tiny switch on the side to turn it on and off, but that wouldnt be nearly as cool.

so... any ideas on how to wire this puppy up and where to get the lil blacklights <currently working on this myself> and where to get the lil switches?

please lemme know!
chris

[Darth Zaphod]

Chris,

If you want to to be real sneaky, you can use a reed switch embedded in the edge of the box, with a magnet in the lid. The magnet holds the switch open while the lid is closed. When the lid is opened, the switch closes and the light turns on. The switches that you find attached to doors and windows for a security system are reed switches. You can probably get one of those real cheap.

As far as the blacklight, I would recommend getting one or two of those small fluorescent blacklights that they use to see the "invisible" handstamps at nightclubs or amusement parks. The tubes are about 6" long and draw next to no power. Definitely don't use an incandescent blacklight bulb. You'll probably set the box on fire with one of those. Also, the fluorescent blacklights are usually battery-powered. You can set up your box so it doesn't have any wires coming from it, so you can carry it around while the lights are on.

Hope this helps.

DZ

[Sith Sheriff Brody]

I've got one of those little 6-inchers, and I just use to play around with. It takes 6V DC. Right now it runs off 4 C batteries (bulky + heavy) but you could probably gut yours when you get it and run it off some 3V Lithium 'button' batteries. Kinda pricey, but they're about the size of a quarter.


-SSB

[Reaper57]

get the magnetic swict from radio shack. some are less than 3/16 round. looks like a small glass tube with wires. or get a mercury switch out of an old wall thermostat and put it in the lid, when you tilt it up to open it the light will come on.
john :smokin: