Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

Halloween

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

    Originally posted by outbackrob View Post
    Cool! I volunteer at our local VFD. We run about 750 calls a year. This was the first year that I can recall in the last 14 that we had no calls on Halloween.

    So as to not go completely off the HA topic, in addition to our radio calls, we get texts. I have HS change the color on our front garage light to red whenever there is an active call.... If the family comes home and I am not here, that is one way they know where I am....
    that's cool!!!!! the light change for active call...
    HW - i5 4570T @2.9ghz runs @11w | 8gb ram | 128gb ssd OS - Win10 x64

    HS - HS3 Pro Edition 3.0.0.435

    Plugins - BLRF 2.0.94.0 | Concord 4 3.1.13.10 | HSBuddy 3.9.605.5 | HSTouch Server 3.0.0.68 | RFXCOM 30.0.0.36 | X10 3.0.0.36 | Z-Wave 3.0.1.190

    Hardware - EdgePort/4 DB9 Serial | RFXCOM 433MHz USB Transceiver | Superbus 2000 for Concord 4 | TI103 X-10 Interface | WGL Designs W800 RF | Z-Net Z-Wave Interface

    Comment


      Hmmm. Very interesting. More info please. Or better yet, start a new thread so we don't hijack this one (even if you were the OP).
      My system is described in my profile.

      Comment


        Yes! It's that time of year again, and this one may be the most important one of all time! Gotta get those kiddos a little normalcy! The trick for this year will be touchless candy distribution. I have wanted to automate candy distribution for YEARS. THIS could be the year. Maybe. What's everybody doing this year
        .

        Comment


          Originally posted by outbackrob View Post
          The trick for this year will be touchless candy distribution.
          1. Compressor
          2. Solenoid Air-valve
          3. Rail gun mechanism
          4. Bucket of candy

          Shoot the candy

          Unfortunately the village here has no sidewalk on the 35mph road, so they cancelled door-to-door Halloween. That hasn't stopped the neighborhood from going all out to indeed bring back some feeling of normalcy, but the main fun for myself is in the reactions. At least there are currently no local or state restrictions for the Haunted Park that will open Friday Oct 9th, so will be back driving up to Michigan each weekend to help out and perform.

          This was me last year before more "blood" was added and I had put my phone away already:

          Click image for larger version  Name:	haunt.jpg Views:	0 Size:	54.2 KB ID:	1421891




          It was fun hearing those scream when you hear them in a distance talking "that wasn't scary", and I would appear out of nowhere, especially when they jump backwards into their group of friends.

          Good times

          Comment


            Originally posted by outbackrob View Post
            Yes! It's that time of year again, and this one may be the most important one of all time! Gotta get those kiddos a little normalcy! The trick for this year will be touchless candy distribution. I have wanted to automate candy distribution for YEARS. THIS could be the year. Maybe. What's everybody doing this year
            I would build a candy dispenser into a character. Have him hold a plate. I'd keep a piece of candy on the plate at all times. Put a PIR on an audrino monitoring the plate. When a child reaches for the candy it would trigger any effects you want, a short pause, then cycle a motor powering a hopper to drop the next piece. For the hopper I would probably build a vertical waterwheel type dispenser with a funnel shaped hopper above it. That system does rely on the child not just standing there and stocking up as the hopper cycles. However if you have a group of kids you'd need to keep cycling to supply each of them. If you have a way to limit one child in front of the plate at a time you could use light beam sensors across the pathway to cycle as they approach or leave.. but unless you have a maze/haunted house setup most front porches aren't single file. Technically you could use image processing for 'costume recognition' to wait till the next kid stepped in front of the dispenser to cycle it but that's well beyond my technical capabilities.

            I would monitor the setup with the netcam of your choice; make sure the plate as well as the area in front of your dispenser is visible. So you can relax a bit, I'd also recommend either a motion sensor letting you know to pay attention, or an announcement each time the hopper cycles so you can verify it's working as expected. You could skip the PIR and just press a button for the hopper if you're watching full time.
            HS4 Pro on Shuttle NC10U, Win10; Z-NET
            Number of Devices: 1005
            Number of Events: 293

            Plug-Ins: BLLock, DirecTv, EasyTrigger, Honeywell WiFi Thermostat, Marquis monoprice Amp, MeiHarmonyHub, PHLocation2, Pushover 3P, UltraM1G3, rnbWeather, Worx Landroid, Z-Wave

            External applications: Homebridge-homeseer, Geofency, EgiGeoZone.

            Comment


              So here's our idea. We happen to have a 2nd floor Window right above the front door. With some 4" PVC we are going to create an industrial looking pipe that comes down right by the door. Either Live or by recording, we will instruct the kids to put their bucket/bag underneath the pipe. There will be a red light on and a trigger lever of some kind that will indicate the bag is properly placed changing the light to green. At that point the candy will be released down the pipe and fog will be injected into the pipe with it. How the candy part happens, I am not sure yet! :-) I have thought about having TWO fog machines. I got two fog scents for this year. When the candy comes down I got a fresh clean scent kinda like the candy has been disinfected. If the kids don't move on, I have a scent that smells like rotten corpse! LOL! MWAHAHHAHHAHHAHHAHAAAAAA!
              .

              Comment


                How are you forcing the fog down the pipe? I think you need some light on one side of the pipe and a light sensor on the other side. When the candy falls down and interrupts the light to the light sensor you send a message to HS. Then you have a double Y further down. Each of the Y is a fog injector with a garden blower attached to it. An HS event will then activate the garden blower and push the smoke down the pipe. The second Y is for the second fog injector and garden blower.

                Comment


                  I love the fog idea!
                  HS4 Pro on Shuttle NC10U, Win10; Z-NET
                  Number of Devices: 1005
                  Number of Events: 293

                  Plug-Ins: BLLock, DirecTv, EasyTrigger, Honeywell WiFi Thermostat, Marquis monoprice Amp, MeiHarmonyHub, PHLocation2, Pushover 3P, UltraM1G3, rnbWeather, Worx Landroid, Z-Wave

                  External applications: Homebridge-homeseer, Geofency, EgiGeoZone.

                  Comment


                    Passing the fog over ice, or dry ice depending on outside temperatures, will cause it to sink. This would "force" it down the pipe.

                    I use dry ice to keep fog on the ground. Took an old large cooler, put two holes in it at opposite ends, and put 4" dust collector pipe connections at each hole. I blow the fog in from the machine and it hits ice with dry ice on top. On the output I take a plastic bag with the bottom cut out. I normally have the rig in the back of my pickup truck with the tailgate removed. This slows the fog down so it falls out of the truck bed and drifts around nicely.
                    Karl S
                    HS4Pro on Windows 10
                    1070 Devices
                    56 Z-Wave Nodes
                    104 Events
                    HSTouch Clients: 3 Android, 1 iOS
                    Google Home: 3 Mini units, 1 Pair Audios, 2 Displays

                    Comment


                      Originally posted by mulu View Post
                      How are you forcing the fog down the pipe?
                      I'm not 100% sure yet, but I am keeping the fog machines outside because they get very hot. The fog pipes (I bought last year in November for $3!) are about 12' long so I think I will either attach them facing down at the bottom of the candy pipe or drill a hole and have them feeding into the pipe. There is enough pressure from the fogger to force the fog MANY feet down a tube. I've made an archway before out of 1" PVC and drilled holes all the way around on the inside. The fog comes out all the way around forming a curtain of fog.
                      .

                      Comment


                        im not sure trick or treating will be allowed in our area... in addition, not sure i want my kid to go get candy from strangers and bring it home. while i get that we can have touch free candy given out, I am not worried about covid as some are as a guy i work with has not stepped one foot ouside since day 1 !!!!!
                        still.. i dont want to chance that someone has it, gives candy out and spreads it.

                        also my x10 isnt working right so my halloween stuff that i will be putting out soon, not sure how i am going to control them.
                        x10 and hs4 is not working for me.
                        HW - i5 4570T @2.9ghz runs @11w | 8gb ram | 128gb ssd OS - Win10 x64

                        HS - HS3 Pro Edition 3.0.0.435

                        Plugins - BLRF 2.0.94.0 | Concord 4 3.1.13.10 | HSBuddy 3.9.605.5 | HSTouch Server 3.0.0.68 | RFXCOM 30.0.0.36 | X10 3.0.0.36 | Z-Wave 3.0.1.190

                        Hardware - EdgePort/4 DB9 Serial | RFXCOM 433MHz USB Transceiver | Superbus 2000 for Concord 4 | TI103 X-10 Interface | WGL Designs W800 RF | Z-Net Z-Wave Interface

                        Comment


                          Originally posted by TeleFragger View Post
                          also my x10 isnt working right so my halloween stuff that i will be putting out soon, not sure how i am going to control them.
                          x10 and hs4 is not working for me.
                          Maybe run HS3 for this month?

                          Or is your HS3 backup out of sync due to many changes after you upgraded to HS4?

                          Comment


                            TWO MORE WEEKS, PEOPLE!!!
                            .

                            Comment


                              Has this animated jack o lanterns been posted yet? When I saw it I thought abut some of the items I have seen in this thread.
                              Karl S
                              HS4Pro on Windows 10
                              1070 Devices
                              56 Z-Wave Nodes
                              104 Events
                              HSTouch Clients: 3 Android, 1 iOS
                              Google Home: 3 Mini units, 1 Pair Audios, 2 Displays

                              Comment


                                Originally posted by ksum View Post
                                Has this animated jack o lanterns been posted yet? When I saw it I thought abut some of the items I have seen in this thread.
                                That's pretty cool!
                                .

                                Comment

                                Working...
                                X