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Topic: Looking to build a remotely activated prank, help please! (Read 890 times) previous topic - next topic

Looking to build a remotely activated prank, help please!

My wife and I are wanting to build a prank for the house to play on our guests.  We have an idea in mind but I would like some input on making it functional.

It needs to be battery powered and fit in something about the size of a shoebox.  Smaller would be better but we can work around it if the components are too big.

The main component will need to be a sound maker that makes a klaxon sound like the following link.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k2VhB7vaZI0  It can be a horn or a digital sound maker, doesn't matter but the sound is important.

The other component will be a flashing red strobe, like this one.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Outdoor-Strobe-Light-Security-System-Fire-Alarm-Red-Strobe-/150991739785?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2327cf1b89

We need to be able to activate it remotely to catch our guests unaware, so some kind of remote activation system is also needed.

Lets hear your suggestions, thanks!  I will post a video of the finished product.
1986 Mercury Cougar - 2.3T/T5 swap, TC brakes and suspension and rearend, 3" exhaust, 255 lph fuel pump, Stinger BOV, Gillis MBC @ 18 psi
2003 Chevy Suburban Z71 - Daily driver
2015 Chevy Volt - Wife's daily driver

Looking to build a remotely activated prank, help please!

Reply #1 –
12v battery (or a hefty 12vdc wall-wart) run to a cheezy 12v remote setup (http://www.ebay.com/itm/PILOT-12V-REMOTE-CONTROL-HARNESS-PL-HARN7A-for-FOG-LIGHTS-AUTO-ACCESSORIES-/181128253333?pt=Motors_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories&hash=item2a2c15cf95&vxp=mtr), and the output to an Ooga horn (http://www.ebay.com/itm/New-12V-110dba-Vintage-Antique-Style-Ooga-Aooga-Ahooga-Ahoogah-Single-Horn-/180874528569?pt=Motors_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories&hash=item2a1cf64739&vxp=mtr) and your strobe. You'd have about $60 in the whole deal.

OR- Get an old answering machine at goodwill for $1. Tape the OOGA sound as the outgoing message, set it to one ring and turn your landline ringer off. Get one of those hearing impaired phone flashers and put a red lens on it (tape a red spraypaint cap on it or something). Call you landline with your cellphone, OOGA plays on the machine and the red strobe flashes.
CoogarXR : 1985 Cougar XR-7

Looking to build a remotely activated prank, help please!

Reply #2 –
I think that cheezy 12v remote setup is just what I was looking for, thanks!
1986 Mercury Cougar - 2.3T/T5 swap, TC brakes and suspension and rearend, 3" exhaust, 255 lph fuel pump, Stinger BOV, Gillis MBC @ 18 psi
2003 Chevy Suburban Z71 - Daily driver
2015 Chevy Volt - Wife's daily driver

Looking to build a remotely activated prank, help please!

Reply #3 –
Yeah, those remotes come in handy. I used to live in a place where there was only dial-up internet. I had a netgear RM356 dial-up router that I had configured to dial-up and connect as soon as you plug it in. I took one of those 12v remotes and ran it from a 12v wall-wart, and used its relay to pass the 16vac power to the netgear. I kept the remote on my desk. When I needed to get online, I'd hit the "on" button, and the router would dial up and connect. It was pretty nifty ;)
CoogarXR : 1985 Cougar XR-7