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    Motion sensing mouse trap

    I personally avoid professional exterminators if I can. Their methods, in my humble opinion, are suited to a business model rather than efficiency. In practice, they tend to be experts in the use of poisons that won't kill their customers and/or pets fast enough to be unequivocally linked to the...
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    It's 1890!

    I wouldn't bother with a sports almanac. That's something that Biff would think of and be mystified when it didn't predict winning teams due to the Butterfly Effect that would be certain to ensue. The almanac might be good for a few months, but it's anybody's guess when sports history is going...
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    Replacement Wire

    Mishtipaan, the little section of circuit board shown in your picture looks like part of the control panel of a smoke/fire alarm system, with two wires going to a sounder. It's hard to tell from your picture, but it looks like there are terminals to run a wire pair to each of 2 sounders, "2" and...
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    Stop false alarms

    Baron, it really helps the process if you share what kind of equipment you're working with (Brand and model numbers are great) and, in this case, what you're trying to do with it. Since you mention birds flying past, I can infer you're attempting to sense motion outside somewhere, although...
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    New apartment getting shocked on light switch screws.

    What Irv said^^. I do that when my house gets especially staticy; but if the zap is robust enough, I still feel it through the key/coin/paperclip/whatever, but not nearly as bad. Fortunately, we don't get enough dry time for it to be a chronic problem. Next dry spell we have, I'll have to try...
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    Step down transformers

    Karthik, there may be some confusion about the transformers ratings and its actual operation. The power ratings of a transformer indicate the voltage at which it was intended to operate--220V and 6V in your example---and the currents at which it can safely operate, i.e., at which it won't...
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    Quiz buzzer system

    Rats! I found the cigarette pack-size boxes and I have only 6 of them, so they're off the table. :( I'm still looking for what else I have that might work, but let me know if you think the 15/16 x 1.25 x 2.75 might work for you.
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    Monotronics

    Daniel, I believe Monotronics is a dealer franchise that doesn't make its own equipment and I'm not sure if they have used one brand or several different brands over the years. See if you can look in the control panel (NOT the keypad) steel cabinet and find a brand and/or model number so I'll...
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    Quiz buzzer system

    Belle, Glad the buzzers work for you. I have more if you need them. I hadn't thought about this by the time I sent the wire and stuff, but I have some small casings/housings that measure about 15/16" high/deep ( I think ~13/16 on the inside) x 1.25' wide x 2.75" long. They're slightly...
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    ADT Focus 55 Keypad - Want to Buy

    For what it's worth to you, I found a few ADT Focus keypads on eBay, no model number given. You can look at the pics and decide if you want to take a chance on one of them. A "NIB" keypad is possibly legitimate, even if it was manufactured decades ago. A lot of unused stock off dusty shelves...
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    Light bar: intended for car battery, but....

    There are 120VAC-to-12VDC wall warts out there ( I see several on eBay), but you need to know how much current (Amperes) your device draws. I don't see any mention of Amps in the literature you linked. My general rule of thumb, to be safe, is to use a power supply rated at 4 times the current...
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    Wireless key fob and USB receiver. Advice sought

    Good luck with that, Ray. (1) Are you thinking of installing electronic locks on the doors, to be opened with the key fobs? (Access Control) Or sensors on the doors to trip local annunciation/alarm if the door isn't first shunted/bypassed by the fobs? (Alarm System) Full disclosure, my field...
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    Wives Say The Damnedest Things!

    Tell her to use the right polarity on the magnets next time. I thought everybody knew that those magnetic stripes are encoded with north magnetic fields and south fields will pull the coding off, while north fields just press it on harder. Of course, that's here in North America. That may be...
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    Hello, Welcome! (Introduce yourself)

    HI, I'm Phil and I've been posting and mostly lurking here for several years now, but I've never formally introduced myself. My knowledge of electronics is extremely rudimentary, but I'm an expert in North American security alarm systems for homes and business, with about 40 years experience...
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    Honeywell 6160VPADT ALARM KEYPAD PROGRAMMING

    I assume you're following the instructions for the 6160VPADT INSTALLATION and SETUP GUIDE: http://library.ademconet.com/MWT/fs2/0/5857.pdf (1) What address did you enter for the keypad itself? (2) What address are you trying to enter the the Prox Reader? (3) Do you have other keypads in your...
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    Cordless phone charger help

    If you tested the main base contacts by reading the voltage with a DMM while it wasn't actually charging, then the 6.5 V (presumably DC) doesn't mean anything. Chargers vary depending on the kind of battery, and its size, being charged. A charger interacts with the battery to adjust its output...
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    Replace a Transformer With a Battery

    If you can use an alarm system control panel's nominal 12 VDC output (which actually operates at closer to 13.5 VDC unless it's overloaded) with your inverter, then talk to me. I have a couple of useless-but-functional panels around somewhere that might work for you, and I can label where to...
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    Quiz buzzer system

    Belle, I apologize for taking so long to get back to you. I'm away from home now and internet access can be sporadic. On Tuesday morning (May 2nd) I shipped you a package of wire scraps, 8 of which are at least 8 feet long, plus a few short segments for whatever connections you need to make. I...
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    magnetic switch/connector

    I just had a thought I ought to share: A common source for magnetic reed switches is the alarm industry stores. If you're buying from any kind of alarm supply store, be aware that in the alarm industry, the NO and NC designation for reed switches is different from standard electronic...
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    magnetic switch/connector

    That will work too--and old nail or bolt, cut short enough to cling to the magnet.
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