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How-To Video
Joke-A-Tron Schematic
Joke-A-Tron Instructions
- Grab the schematic and parts list from www.rsinventionlab.com.
- Get the products from RadioShack.
- Lay out all the components on the IC board according to the schematic.
- Solder the parts to the IC board starting with the 555 timer chips since all of the connections will be made to the 555 chips.
- When laid out properly, you can solder most of the connections using the existing ends of the components.
- For the components spread out too far apart to use the existing ends of the components, connect the parts with wire and proceed to solder.
- Solder the piezo buzzer connections last.
- Hide the Joke A Tron!
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I saw this video and was interested. One problem. I don’t understand the schematics very well. Is there any simpler schematic? Also, what type of capacitors and what type of resistors are required?
Yeah, about the schematic.. Its to confusing for a first timer..
I also have a problem with reading schematics, could you post a tutorial video on the website that explains what each sign means and briefly explains it? I am sure that the guys at radio shack could help me with it. P.s. I love radio shack because it has all the electronics right there when you need them.
Great schematic if you understand electronics. Maybe a simpler layout for those without much prior schematics experience would be in order. As for the capacitors and resistors used, you can divine such information by taking a good look at the schema, or by clicking on the “3 capacitors” and “3 resistors” links to the left in the shopping list, it will link you over to RadioShack.com and show you exactly which ones are needed as well as the catalog number so that you can have it ready when you walk into the store or if you need to order it online due to lack of local shacks.
shematic was very confusing. i was excited about this project and then the cofusing steps shattered my dreams of annoying my boss with this.
I really want to do this project to but the schematics seem difficult. Is it possible to make it easier to read and a more detail intructions on how to do it. But i would definitely run out and buy the parts to build this thing once i can understand how to build it.
Could you have the parts available in a downloadable sheet? This should list each part needed individually, along with the part numbers for RadioShack. This would make it a lot easier for people to be sure they are not missing anything before they start to build.
I am assuming that the idea behind this web site is to get more people interested in electronics? You did a fair job at setting up the joke-a-tron but you missed some capacitors. C2 is a 1000mf capacitor which is RadioShack part number 272-1047 and C1 is a .1mf capacitor which is Radioshack part number 272-1053.
Also, you may want to have a short tutorial on reading resistor color codes. While there is a color code chart on the back of part number 271-308, someone new may have problems understanding it.
I like the idea behind this website and hopefully it will take off and boost RadioShack’s part sales.
Jay Herold
Sales Associate
Store 01-4439
PS
By the way, I checked and we have all of these parts in stock at our store in Reynoldsburg, Ohio.
Great concept behind the webpage. I on the other hand would not be able to build this because I am terrible with a soldering gun.
You did a Very Good Job On this. I am kinda with Jay on this and i Thank you for your hard work in putting this together.
Anthony Tilghman
Radio Shack
01-2437
If you click on the links on the left side that are high lighted red.. it will take you to Radioshacks website to give you the exact part number, and all that info to get the project rolling.
Do you happen to have some sort of parts list for it with all the model numbers so I can find the parts easier.
If anyone wants to learn about soldering, theres a great website called instructables.com. Just search soldering or soldering 101 and gives you videos and lots of step by steps on how to solder. I will do this experiment and see what happens.
Philip Doan
Store Manager 3311
Seattle, WA
I love this website. Not only will it help spark an interest with customer projects. It has sparked an interest with my radio shack employees. With the on hand project, they will learn how parts work and gain the knowledge to answer questions for “Parts Drawer” customers.
Store Manager 9853
Ocean Springs, Ms
how much does this project cost?
I am with the other sales associates: awesome concept and ideas! Love it. Hopefully this site will be pretty big. Can’t wait to see some pretty awesome stuff and try to make it in store… what better promotion than “hey isn’t this cool? Want to see where I got the idea for it and how to make it yourself?”
Dara
01-4444
Bowling Green, Ohio
My store was out of the 555 timers so in its place i used the dual 556 timer. (a 556 timer is 2 555 timers built into 1 chip) After redrawing the blueprint to match the dual timer I constructed this decive and the problem I’m having is that when plug it in it will go off instantly for about 10 seconds then stop and will not beep again. Upon testing the battery it had drained its life to 8.5v in seconds. After waiting for 20 min to see if it would be the battery had then drained to 7.9. With the battery plugged in I’m not getting a short according to the multimeter. Any suggestions?
Note: If this doesn’t make sense look up part 276-1728. This is the chip i used for my timer. From there you could see how basicly 1 side is 1 chip and the other side is the second.
I dig this website. I do not dig the occasional unintelligent comment, but that is to be expected…
I too will try this nifty prank. I’ve got a few ideas of my own I plan to put up here when the site is fully launched as well!
RadioShack 01-8284
Sales Associate
I am very excited about this website and this project. Just about a week ago I saw a website selling the Joke-A-Tron under a different name and thought about getting it to annoy a coworker (not that I would ever do that LOL) and then to check my memos and find not only this really cool website but the instructions to make one myself. Then it backfired and he made one first!! It has sparked curiosity in my crew and a new desire to get into our parts drawers, a section I admit I don’t know much about and tend to avoid, but now I am really excited about trying this out. I think it would also be great if we could find a way for all of our stores to make these projects as they come up so that we can demo them and show our customers how they work, plus if they have any issues they can always come in and ask for help and we will know what to do since we have already made them.
Cassi
01-3766
WOA very cool project, but…i cant read the scematics!!!!
please help!!
Hey, Oklahoma Store Manager: I think you need to recheck your wiring and recheck your conversion from two 555 to one 556. It sounds like you have something miswired.
These are fun. I built one (I’m dating myself) way back in 1980 and had fun tormenting my friends.
The 555 timer is a great IC with loads of uses. Maybe I should upload a few of the projects I’ve built with them. I learned electronics with the Texas Instruments electronics books Radio Shack and the project booklets and parts. Its too bad RS has cut down so far on the parts.
Hmm, short and simple, nice. I had built Bob Pease’s version of something like this (much more complicated, but then, much more fun too
years ago when he published it in a Nuts n Volts zine (or was that Electronics Now?). Anyway, the parts are much more strict in their tolerances (resisters etc) and would need to be obtained at an Electronic’s part dealership of some sort.
One further note: it was a sad day for me when the LM3909 was no longer available easily. A very useful IC (for hobbyists and jokesters
Thanks Make: thats the only place i can go unless i get a prepaid credit card, thanks also kipkay, hey kipkay, also let me know what you think about that bike idea i sent you on instructables
I have followed the schematic to a T. All mine does is constantly buzz. Its annoying yes… but not the kind of annoying im looking for. There are no noticable shorts in the system, but somewhere I messed up. Any Ideas/Suggestions?
Brian
01-1502
Brian, are you really sure you followed it to a T? the reason I ask is for the chip that is suggested the schematic and the acutal design of the chip do not match. For example on the schematic/packaging spot 2 are both triggers, but on the schematic spot 2 is at the top left and on the acutal chip it is the 2nd spot down on the left. So you might want to go back and look at your packaging vs. your schematic and see if you really have it wired right.
Dustin
01-9401
Brian, I was looking at the schematic and the only thing I can see that would cause it to buzz all the time is C2 being in backwards. (as along as everything is correct with no shorts.)
I built one and it works great. It beeps for 2 seconds every 13 min.
-Erik
link broke
I can understand the schematic, but it sure would be nice if the text was changed to BLACK instead of gray. It is next to unreadable when printed, at least on my printer. I believe that Dustin, above, is correct, but to reword what he says “The pins are not in the same order on the drawing as they are on the chip. The pins have been re-arranged to make the drawing appear “cleaner”. Simply attach the item(s) shown connected to pin 2 (for example) to the actual pin 2 on your actual chip. See the package for “actual” pin locations - they are “in order”.
-Dan
A Radio Shack employee, well, 30 years ago that is.
p.s. Like the fact that Radio Shack is promoting circuit building again!
We couldn’t find out what this project does
haha damn this teeny tiny thing is really annoying XD
This project is cool but this whole idea has been done and is cheaper even with shipping it is called an annoyatron from thinkgeek.com. But it sounds like a fun project
Instead of having 2 555s, you could just use a dual 556 timer.