User Manual

Place one of the disco covers onto the disco
motor (DM). Turn on the slide switch (S1). The
disco cover spins and lights project onto the
ceiling. Push the press switch (S2) to speed up
the disco cover. You can also tilt the circuit so
the lights shine on a wall. The effects are best
viewed in a dark room.
Are the patterns more impressive when the
disco cover is spinning slower or faster?
Add a 2-snap wire across
points B & C, on level 3.
Now it is a little faster when
S2 is not pressed.
Project 85
Not So
Slow-Fast
Disco
Use either of the two preceding
circuits but move the end of the
blue jumper wire from point B to
point A. Now the lights are dimmer.
Project 86
Dimmer Disco
Place one of the disco covers onto
the disco motor (DM) and turn on
the slide switch (S1). The LEDs in
the disco motor are on, but the
disco cover won’t move. Push the
press switch (S2) and the disco
cover spins, and keeps spinning
after you release S2. The light
patterns are best in a dark room.
Compare the patterns when the
disco is spinning fast (with S2
pressed) and slow (S2 released). Try
both disco covers, and try holding
the circuit at an angle near a wall.
If the motor does not continue spinning
after you released S2, then replace
your batteries, or place the orange
jumper wire across points A & B.
Project 84 Slow-Fast Disco
When connected as shown in this
circuit, the Q1 & Q2 transistors act
as a “speed bump” to reduce the
voltage to the disco motor a little,
slowing it down. Pressing S2
bypasses this speed bump so the
disco motor spins at full speed.
This change bypasses Q1,
so there is less voltage drop
and a smaller “speed bump”.
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Project 87 Super-Slow Disco
The speaker (SP2) is
used here as a
resistor to slow down
the disco motor, and
will not make sound.
In the preceding two projects, the
LEDs on top of the disco motor
were always connected to the full
battery voltage, keeping them
brightest. This circuit connects
them to the “speed bump”, reducing
the voltage to them and making
them dimmer. The blue light is
affected the most by this change.
Disco Cover
SUPPORT BAR
Disco Cover
SUPPORT BAR