SNAP CIRCUITS SCP-14 User manual

If you have any problems, contact Elenco®
Copyright © 2014 Elenco®Electronics, Inc. All Rights Reserved. ●150 Carpenter Ave. ●Wheeling, I 60090
[phone] Fax: [phone] ●e-mail: [email protected] ●Website: www.elenco.com or www.snapcircuits.net
WARNING: SHOCK HAZARD -
Never connect Snap Circuits®
to the electrical outlets in your
home in any way!
WARNING: Always check your wiring before
turning on a circuit. Never leave a circuit
unattended while the batteries are installed.
Never connect additional batteries or any other
power sources to your circuits.
Strobe Light & Sound
Model SCP-14
753163
Project 3
Strobe Light &
Sound
Snap Circuits®uses electronic blocks that snap onto a base grid to build different
circuits. These blocks have different colors and numbers on them so that you can
easily identify them. Build the circuit shown by placing all the parts with a black 1next
to them on the clear base grid first. Then, assemble parts marked with a 2. Connect
the white ED (D6) using the red & black jumper wires as shown, with red wire to “+”
side. Install three (3) “AA” batteries (not included) into the battery holder (B3).
Turn on the slide switch (S1). The white ED should be flashing. Move the lever on
the adjustable resistor (RV) to adjust the flash rate a little.
Note: In rare cases the circuit may not work at all settings of RV. If this happens,
move the RV lever to the side near the strobe IC (U23), and only move the RV lever
over a small range.
Combine projects 1 & 2 by stacking
the white ED (D6) and speaker
(SP2) together as shown. Remember
to connect the red wire to the “+” side
of the ED. This circuit is shown on
the box cover.
Project 1 Strobe Light
Placement
Level Numbers
Project 2 Strobe Sound
Replace the white ED (D6) with the speaker (SP2); the speaker doesn’t have a “+”
side, so the red wire can go to either side. Turn on the slide switch (S1). You hear a
clicking sound from the speaker. Move the lever on the adjustable resistor (RV) to
adjust the clicking rate a little.
CAUTION: Persons who are extremely
sensitive to flashing lights should exercise
caution when playing with this toy.
CAUTION: High intensity light. Do not
look directly at the white LED (D6).
Project 4
Suspended
Raindrops
Use the circuit from project 1. Go to a
water faucet and adjust the faucet so
water is dripping at a steady rate.
Dim the room lights and hold the
white ED so it shines on the
dripping water. Try to set the lever on
the adjustable resistor (RV) so that
the dipping water drops appear
suspended in mid-air. You may need
to adjust the drip rate on the faucet to
make this work.
Faucet
Turn on the switch (S1)
and move the lever on the
adjustable resistor (RV)
to change the brightness
of the white ED (D6).
Project 5 Adjustable Light
+
+
SCP-14_022014.qxp_SCP-14 Instructions 3/7/14 2:37 PM Page 1

Project 7 Persistence o Vision
Use the circuit from project 6, but replace the speaker (SP2) with
the white ED (D6); connect the red wire to the “+” side of the
ED. Turn on the switch (S1) and adjust the flash rate of the
ED using the adjustable resistor (RV). At some RV settings
the ED will appear to be on continuously.
Take the circuit into a dark room and wave the white ED
around with your hand. Try it with the lever on the adjustable
resistor at different settings. The light from the ED will appear
to separate into short segments or dashes of light.
“Persistence of Vision” works because
the light is changing faster than your
eyes can adjust. Your eyes continue
seeing what they have just seen.
In a movie theater, film frames are
flashed on the screen at a fast rate
(usually 24 per second). A timing
mechanism makes a light bulb flash just
as the center of the frame is passing in
front of it. Your eyes see this fast series
of flashes as a continuous movie.
Project 8
Strobe & Tone
Combine the projects 6 & 7 circuits
by stacking the white ED (D6) and
speaker (SP2) together as shown.
Remember to connect the red wire to
the “+” side of the ED.
Turn on the slide switch (S1). The white ED
should be flashing and you hear sound from the
speaker (SP2). Move the lever on the
adjustable resistor (RV) to adjust the flash rate
and sound.
Note: In rare cases the circuit may not work at
all settings of RV. If this happens, move the RV
lever to the side near the strobe IC (U23), and
only move the RV lever over a small range.
Project 9 Light & Sound
This circuit is not as loud or as
bright as project 3, but won’t drain
your batteries as fast.
Use the circuit from project 9, but replace the 100kWresistor (R5) with a 3-snap wire.
Project 10 Fast Light & Sound
Project 6 Buzz & Tone
Build the circuit, connecting the speaker (SP2) with the red & black jumper wires as shown.
Turn on the switch (S1) and adjust the tone of the sound using the adjustable resistor (RV).
Most of RV’s range will produce a buzzing sound, but part of it will produce an interesting
tone. Try to make music with it.
SCP-14_022014.qxp_SCP-14 Instructions 3/7/14 2:37 PM Page 2

Build the circuit as shown; note that the speaker (SP2) is a tight fit
on the strobe IC (U23), but does fit. Turn on the switch (S1). Make
your parts using either the water puddles method (A), the drawn
parts method (B), or the pencil parts method (C). Touch the metal
in the jumper wires to your parts and hear the sound. See how the
sound changes for different shapes.
Project 11 Musical Shapes
ethod A (easy): Spread some water on the table into puddles
of different shapes, perhaps like the ones shown here. Touch the
jumper wires to points at the ends of the puddles.
ethod B (challenging): Use a SHARP pencil (No. 2 lead is best) and draw shapes,
such as the ones here. Draw them on a hard, flat surface. Press hard and fill in several
times until you have a thick, even layer of pencil lead. Touch the jumper wires to points
at the ends of the drawings. You may get better electrical contact if you wet the metal
with a few drops of water. Wash your hands when finished.
ethod C (adult supervision and permission required): Use some double-sided
pencils if available, or VERY CAREFU Y break a pencil in half. Touch the jumper wires
to the black core of the pencil at both ends.
Use the preceding circuit but touch the metal in the jumper wires snaps with your fingers.
Wet your fingers for best results. Your fingers will change the sound, because your body
resistance is less than the 100kWresistor (R5) in the circuit.
Next, place the loose ends of the jumper wires in a cup of water, make sure the metal
parts aren’t touching each other. The water should change the sound.
Now add salt to the water and stir to dissolve it. The sound should have higher pitch now,
since salt water has less resistance than plain water.
Don’t drink any water used here.
Project 12 Human & Liquid Sounds
Repeat projects 11 & 12 but replace the speaker (SP2) with the white ED (D6, “+” side
to the 2-snap wire).
Project 13 Liquid Strobe Light
Build the circuit as shown, with the red &
black jumper wires initially hanging loose.
Turn on the switch (S1); the white ED
(D6) will be off, because the air separating
the ends of the jumper wires has very high
resistance to electricity. Touch the loose
ends of the jumper wires together and the
ED will be very bright. Next, connect the
loose ends of the jumper wires to the
resistors (RV & R5) and the speaker
(SP2), and see how bright the ED is.
Now make your parts using either the
water puddles method (A), the drawn parts
method (B), or the pencil parts method (C).
Touch the metal in the jumper wires to your
parts and see how bright the ED is.
Compare the ED brightness for different
shapes, and see how they compare to the
R5 and RV resistors.
Next, touch the metal in the jumper wires
snaps with your fingers. Wet your fingers
for best results. The ED should be dim,
because your body has moderate
resistance.
Next, place the loose ends of the jumper
wires in a cup of water, make sure the
metal parts aren’t touching each other. The
water should change the ED brightness.
Now add salt to the water and stir to
dissolve it. The ED should be brighter
now, since salt water has less resistance
than plain water.
Don’t drink any water used here.
Project 14 Make Your Own Parts
ong, narrow shapes
have more resistance
than short, wide ones,
so different sounds are
produced. The black
core of pencils is
graphite, the same
material used in your
resistors (R5 & RV).
SCP-14_022014.qxp_SCP-14 Instructions 3/7/14 2:37 PM Page 3

Important: If any parts are missing or
damaged, DO NOT RETURN TO
RETAILER. Call toll-free [phone] or
e-mail us at: [email protected].
Customer Service ●150 Carpenter Ave. ●
Wheeling, I 60090 U.S.A.
You may order additional / replacement
parts at our website: www.snapcircuits.net
Qty. ID Name Part #
r3 2 2-snap wire 6SC02
r2 3 3-snap wire 6SC03
r1 5 5-snap wire 6SC05
r1 B3 Battery holder 6SCB3
r1 Base grid 6SCBGMF
r1 D6 White ED 6SCD6
r1 Black jumper wire 6SCJ1
r1 Red jumper wire 6SCJ2
r1 R5 100kWresistor 6SCR5
r1 RV
Adjustable resistor 6SCRV
r1 S1 Slide switch 6SCS1
r1 SP2 Speaker 6SCSP2
r1 U23 Strobe IC 6SCU23
OTHER SNAP CIRCUITS®PRODUCTS! PARTS LIST
Contact Elenco®to find out where you can purchase these products.
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BATTERIES:
●Use only 1.5V AA type, alkaline
batteries (not included).
●Insert batteries with correct polarity.
●Non-rechargeable batteries should not
be recharged. Rechargeable batteries
should only be charged under adult
supervision, and should not be
recharged while in the product.
●Do not mix alkaline, standard (carbon-
zinc), or rechargeable (nickel-
cadmium) batteries.
●Do not mix old and new batteries.
●
Remove batteries when they are used up.
●Do not short circuit the battery
terminals.
●Never throw batteries in a fire or
attempt to open its outer casing.
●Batteries are harmful if swallowed, so
keep away from small children.
LED Fun
odel SCP-11
otion Detector
odel SCP-13
SCP-14_022014.qxp_SCP-14 Instructions 3/7/14 2:37 PM Page 4