Make a ghost detector.

This video is of the complete assembly of an electrostatic field ghost detector that uses a common cheap TV antenna widely available from dollar store type shops. I got mine from Poundland.
It uses a super high gain Darlington array of common NPN transistors with the input biased very slightly to make it more sensitive.
I designed this for a friend who does a lot of ghost hunts. You can see his website at www.walkingwithghosts.com
The two antennas give a good responsiveness to ambient electrical fields.
In this design I used BC547 transistors because they are pretty much the standard NPN transistor used by geeks in the UK. You should be able to substitute different transistors although their base, collector and emitter pins may be different.
The use of a reverse biased red LED to give a tiny bias current may seem a bit odd, but it gave the best results in my experimentation.

[@robertherberg9595]

In the states we use a 2N2222A, a fast switching small signal transistor, because we have fast and small ghosts.

[@BGroothedde]

haha!

[@Michael_NL]

+Robert Herberg I smirked hahaha, good stuff.

[@Dazzwidd]

You guys like the 2N3904 and 2N3906 too. I think they might be for the lower powered ghosts too ;) here in Australia we use all types of transistors but BC547, BC548, BC557 and BC558 are quite popular. I personally don't care much, 2SC945, 2SC1815, 2SC828, 2SC710 and 2SA719 are sometimes good. I like 2N2219A and 2N4401 though as well as BD139 and BD140. I won't get into JFETs and MOSFETS ;)

[@meowwwshaanji8938]

TopKEK :D :D :D made my day...

[@MadCodex]

2N3055 for dinosaur ghost detection?

[@Nightlord001]

I have to say my friend: YOU are really skilled with your hands! Holding two somponents with one hand and soldering with the other, while aligning things with the one hand only: RESPECT TO YOU !!!

[@SubPablum]

And switching hands as well, very nice.

[@MaxC_1]

It's a very skilled job but also risky because man the number of times I have burnt myself because of the iron slipping off the workpiece

[@PhilieBlunt666]

​@@MaxC_1 i was about to say the majority of the skill isnt in doing this, its doing it without burning yourself 😂 im right there with ya my dude

[@caskwith]

Mine didn't detect any ghosts at all. Which I guess means it works perfectly! lol

[@Bowowowification]

+caskwith I heard it's possible that aliens can interfere with these ghost detectors...

[@caskwith]

I guess I need to build an Alien detector as well then.

[@enfenfenf]

I sent my ghost from the future to go back in time and mess with your gadget.

[@4pThorpy]

+JakesDen Gaming Coat hanger, tinfoil, tape

[@radRadiolarian]

+flenge5463 oh noooooes

[@Xenro66]

So, I decided to build this for no reason, added a more powerful battery, and swapped out the indicator LED with a speaker. Because it's built on a bread board, I have 1 wire sticking out as my antenna, and holy shit... The amount of RF interference given off by devices is just insane. Hold it up to a plug, it'll buzz. Hold it to your wifi router, it'll make some weird digital sound. Cool shit.

[@ChlorideCull]

Xenro66 My speakers aren't grounded, so just bringing the 3.5mm jack near anything does the same, haha

[@JuanHerrero]

My pre-cellular phones electric piano scared me to near death when I used it to rest my cellphone. The EMI was louder than the musical notes are at max volume!

[@cnerde]

I remember picking up a radio station with an ungrounded audio cord when I was under 10. This station has been known for broadcasting WAY over their limits, and having funky equipment, they will sometimes swamp neighboring stations and random ones 8mhz off.

[@BlackEpyon]

Ya, I used to pick up my local radio station from ungrounded speakers as well.

[@Ravaxr]

I work at a theatre and have had similar things happen with the backstage wall mounted speakers used to listen to what is happening on stage and talk to other parts of the building. Turns out that the wires happened to tune to a christian radio station. We just did The Full Monty, and it was quite amusing to hear a preacher yelling about jesus, fire and brimstone every time we started the system up.

[@curtchauvin5303]

No ghost were harmed , nor found, in the making of this video

[@meegleeto]

The hand technique at 9:20 is impeccable... You make it look easy!

[@bearsbugs]

The way the LED gets brighter and dimmer as you move closer and farther away from it makes me wonder how much more you'd need to add to that circuit to get a solid state theremin.

[@DisneyWizard]

YEAH! Theramin from dollar store VHF/UHF rabbit ears!

[@punkrockllama]

the "pro" $300+ ones are just that. a 15$ build your own theremin kit put in a fancy box...

[@mellowb1rd]

It's more of a...PEOPLE detector!

[@BerkmanLord]

+mellowb1rd Heartless person you! Ghosts are also people!

[@vallenlarsen5519]

+G I R Why would ghosts hang around a cemetery? Wouldn't that be boring? I'd hang around a good burger shop right about now. Im hungry. Glad my gf is makin burgers.. I tink i have a lil crush on Clive. Hope my gf doesnt see this... Burgers... Mmmmmm.

[@terryendicott2939]

+mellowb1rd You mean a pre-ghost detector.

[@telephonetelephone9040]

+Vallen Larsen I think you turned into a zombie. Are you hungry for your gf and Clive?

[@vallenlarsen5519]

Yeah! Hehehehe i wanna eat them both!!! HEHEHEHEHEHEHEHE

[@patkirk960]

I remember fixing one of those TV boxes for a friend. Over enthusiastic wiggling of the antennas made the solder tabs begin to rotate and broke a connection

[@halbvoll1]

I'm always impresses by your 2-Hand soldering skills with no clamp or something else to hold the components, great!

[@JerryEricsson]

Made one of these for my niece who is into ghosts and such things, she loves it. I could not come up with a set of rabbit ears so just used one of those medium project boxes with a couple of coils of heavy copper wire, that actually made a very sensitive detector, then used a blue light and powered it with a rechargeable old lipo taken out of an old cell phone and put a charging circuit on it so she can recharge it at will. She says it is the center of attention at gatherings of fellow ghost hunters, when they meet and hunt in groups in well known haunted establishments and homes in the Dakota's. So thanks for the great circuit, I am planning on expanding and building a few using Arduinos with screens that display the strength of the EMF, with, perhaps some flashing LED's to indicate very strong EMF along with a beeper attached that will sound an alarm when it appears strong enough to indicate a danger to the hunters (Ok so I know it is probably all bull but they love crap like that, in fact I have had a lot of them contact me and want me to build them these things.)

[@joebloe1152]

I have not seen a ghost but in my earlier days I have heard one walking down the hallway in front of my bedroom. This is true and not a mistaken identity of the sound. My brother also heard and seen things in the same house. A boarder who lived with us at time had some terrifying nightmares. So something was going on.

[@skungpid]

New or old, BigClive's videos are always informative, enjoyable, and ever-so-slightly, dangerous.....especially the Ozone ones. They are most enjoyable, and I greatly appreciate them. Even the old ones. Thank you BigClive.

[@garryentropy]

fascinating, some excellent dexterous soldering there.

[@fizzyplazmuh9024]

Over in America we need this design. It might be sensitive enough to help us find where we left our fricking minds.

[@PilotPlater]

lol that 'coax' cable is a better antenna than the actual antenna unit.

[@hanelyp1]

+Andy Plater That "coax" is probably halfway decent transmission line, if you don't care squat for what impedance it is.

[@spicy110]

shhh selling "digital" aerials was my job for a while!

[@shadowguidr7042]

Oh wow Spicy, did not expect to see you here! Saying that, some kid by the name of Clorox Bleach appears everywhere as well and I'm not even subscribed. I'm the idiot that though I saw you on the M25 and used my mum's account to comment. -_-

[@bleach5491]

+ShadowGuidR talk shit get hit

[@shadowguidr7042]

+Bleach Hit me with a bottle, kiddo.

[@BlueViking70]

Friendly manner and very well explained by a guy who obviously knows his stuff👍

[@High_Caliber]

When drilling through plastic, put the drill on reverse, and it will melt its way through the material, much less likely to catch or crack. :)

[@baxter22071990]

+HIGH CALIBER but then you need to de-shit the bit from any melted crap

[@pumpkinheadspiegaming8314]

+baxter22071990 de-shit XD

[@turbogerek]

Just poke it straight away using the solder then

[@lorenhusky2717]

BigClive is like the Bob Ross of soldering. "I'm just gonna put this happy little transistor here." lol

[@FroggyMosh]

I love how you initially just move to drill that hole aimed at the middle of your other hand. Happy to know I'm not the only one. 1:30

[@sbandc]

That’s the best pie. As a paranormal investigator in the states and electronics hobbyists that has been watching your videos for a long time, you’re truly MVP for making this video. Question (again): Obviously it would probably be more formal if it were something with significant potential for application… semi-obviously?.. but I try to be the better kind of stubborn when it comes to the “impossible”, but I’ve been learning about the different gadgets used for paranormal applications, but I’d like to build or convert something that could be used as a kind of out-of-the-box approach to detecting electromagnetic anomalies. I haven’t actually seen any ghosts yet, but whether or not they exist- fluctuations and disturbances in magnetic fields are readily available, especially if we consider the global array. We were at a house last night, and we didn’t know what could be causing it if not some geomagnetic significance of where the house was, but the readings were incredibly sporadic.. highs, lows, and near inverted switches inches from different areas in all directions, some even the same spot.. and we were using multiple devices that all had consistent readings and, well, spasms. If not ghosts, something was clearly responsible for the experiences of the client. Anyway forgive my tangent- it was just exciting. My question is whether you may have any ideas or suggestions for devices, systems or circuits- either new or that could be converted from or used as an unconventional method for detecting anomalies within the electromagnetic spectrum. I am particularly interested in light, and I recently watched a video that wirelessly transmitted audio signals to a speaker using a laser as the transmitter and solar cell as the receiver, and thought there may be something (or nothing) there that could be useful. Anyway, just wondered if you were willing to share any ideas about stepping up the hunter’s game. Forgive the lengthy text- my thoughts never sleep.

[@sbandc]

Holy shit, really lengthy text. I didn’t even realize. 😫

[@markfergerson2145]

Suggestion: go someplace you're as close to dead positive as you can be that there should be zero "paranormal" stuff going on. Find a long unoccupied dwelling and or commercial space (office building, factory, warehouse etc.) that has power AND that you have legao access to. Also, go out into the nearest wild place away from power lines etc. Take measurements and readings as usual. Nothing you see in allegedly "acrive" places means anything without a baseline. When you do this, take measurements over as long a time period as is practicable, preferably at least 24 hrs. If possible leave the instruments unattended to minimize them detecting you. I guarantee you will be surprised how common so called anomalies are. The baseline is very noisy.

[@sbandc]

@@markfergerson2145 Yeah, I suspected as such.. Again, I would expect fluctuations given the Earth’s magnetic field but I wasn’t sure whether the array had variable fields or frequencies at our scale rather than just, say, a few hundred square miles each.

[@markfergerson2145]

@@sbandc The Earth's magnetic field is actively responsive to all sorts of things from solar flares and meteors to earthquakes. Look up "whistlers" for instance. Places you would think are far from artificial signals can be in the sweep of civilian and military radar and radio beacons as well as radio communications relay towers (they still exist in the satellite age). You can pick up constant, periodic and random event signals with no immediately obvious cause almost anywhere. The outdoor and sometimes indoor electrostatic field can shift rapidly due to the weather giving you another kind of false positive. Another thing; Clive illustrated how directionally sensitive such equipment can be. If you can, take your baseline readings with multiple antennas pointing in different directions. That's related to my advice to stay away from your gear while taking readings; your body will couple to its antennas just as Clive's did. Heck, metal objects like power lines and metal plumbing or paneling can act as an antenna or resonator. Metal siding on a building does not necessarily guarantee isolation from outside signals. I say all this as just a guy interested in physics who once tried to help an amateur radio enthusiast friend find a "quiet" place to set up a ground station for an amateur satellite link. Turns out the best we could do was a place with only a little noise at his frequencies of interest.

[@sbandc]

@@markfergerson2145 That's understandable and not unexpected, but then we'd have to consider why there are some circumstances in which the readings aren't responsive at all. The investigation with the sporadic fluctuations was anticipated to be the result of a number of different magnetic fields given our location, but it was a significant contrast to other investigations. Typically we expect some degree of interference, and it's not uncommon, but there are also entire areas in which there are either no readings in which the magnetic fields are either absent or significantly weaker than our devices' sensitivities can detect. If there should be magnetic field interference everywhere from a whole arsenal of sources- especially long distance frequency signals that should cover much larger areas, what difference would need to occur to render the devices insensitive or the fields weaker than others?

[@ArtoPekkanen]

You've got incredibly dextrous fingers dude. It is awesome to watch you work :)

[@outaspaceman]

Built and working..👍 It can defo detect a balloon I rubbed on my jumper.. 🤔which I'm sure is, more or less, the same as a ghost..

[@JoelHudson]

outaspaceman if filled with hot air, a balloon approximates a ghost politician!

[@Solocat1]

What's is a jumper? A jacket..

[@glenthemann]

That's some fine TIG welding skill you got there

[@EyesOnReality]

This is a fun circuit. Just made one using 2N3904's and instead of a resistor and LED, the output goes to a 100k pot in series with a 1mA analogue (analog) meter (an old VU meter). The circuit tested and works from 1.2 volts to 15volts. Been having fun playing with circuit because its very sensitive. Thanks BigClive!

[@garroshwildfire8561]

im try to made it with 3x2n3904, 100k, 1M, 220k resistor and 1 LED, but the LED keep turning on when battery conncected, what should i do?

[@ExploringNew1]

​@@garroshwildfire8561THERE'S A GHOST IN YOUR ROOOM! just kidding, maybe you connected the polarity wrong or a transistor might me failing. Also check whether the pinout of your transistors because it may vary

[@danmackintosh6325]

15:52 finally, somebody who appreciates the real use for sleeves and trouser legs lol (actually, they have different purposes. Sleeves are for dirt/dust/snot whereas trouser legs are for oil based fluids and silicone sealant)

[@s4rg380]

True...

[@herpnderpn2484]

That sealant..... It's a scourge. I have a pair of pants I've had since 2007. Still wear them, still has some spots from some a shower door install in 2010.

[@Totogita]

Thanks for posting this one . Very good info that may be applied to other projects.

[@crashbandit8988]

I have so much fun with this guys tear downs and diy builds , not board no more on Saturday!!!!!!!!!!!!!Thanks BigClive

[@WizardClipAudio]

Replacing the led with an analog peak meter and adding like a cool handle like ghostbusters style would take the coolness factor off the charts.

[@craftsman123456]

Great little project. BF199 worked for this project. I also tried the BC547. The 199s seemed less sensitive which for me worked better

[@googoogjoobgoogoogjoob]

So much more convincing than say a photo or a real-time sighting. Niice

[@wherami]

Just wanted to let you know I just finished building this and it works. Thanks! Going to come in handy!

[@MegaWayneD]

Very cool! I also love the Poundland parts construction.

[@fanplant]

Going by the title I thought you were trying to contact the after life then I thought with digital television we don't get ghosts anymore and after watching I see you do want to talk with Elvis, bravo!!

[@zachariahpartain2183]

i fucking love this channel

[@AllLoudNation365]

This video is officially 9 years old. Happy Halloween Clive! *Because of the title "ghost detector" and Halloween approaching is probably why I got this recommended to me* lol

[@acmefixer1]

Big Clive Each LED will act like a mini solar cell if you shine light on it. It can easily generate more than a volt at a few tens of microamps. So you should keep that bias LED completely dark.

[@TimHollingworth]

That's a great point. I'll check that out on the one I just built. Thanks for the tip! 👍

[@TimHollingworth]

At last my antenna came today and I could complete Clive's project. I was a little surprised that the the telescopic rods were shorter than expected at 8 inches (my test bits of wire were 14 inches,) but the unit does work. Now to find some ghosts!!! FOOT NOTE For some reason the unit is more sensitive when the telescopic antennas are closed down and the whole thing is put back into its plastic bubble pack! Weird...

[@Engineer9736]

Once you get busy with ghosts, they will notice that you are aware of them. Then the fun starts ;)

[@martinclemesha4794]

Another little gem. Thank you

[@dlarge6502]

I remember being quite fond of the BC107 transistor in its TO-18 metal can package. I still have a few. Looking them up I see they are pretty pricey at about 35p a unit. Checking the datasheets for your BC547 and the BC107 I see they look to be the same just in a different package. I guess they just used the same innards over the years. In fact my research shows that the BC107, BC108 and BC109 seem to be the same as the BC547, BC548 and BC549 respectively. The good thing is that the BC547 is only 7p a unit! I still think the metal TO-18 cans look way cooler on a PCB however :D

[@Theineluctable_SOME_CANT]

Goose...

[@nerionx]

argh drill noise! scared the ghosts away

[@mohsenaghdam3136]

Hello,Thanks for nice video,in schematic negative goes trough right antenna and positive to LED indicator but you solder negative to opposite side Antenna

[@Counselor77]

What a really cool electronic project, thank you for sharing.

[@acmefixer1]

Big Clive Here in 'The States' we have Mouser, Digikey, Arrow, and Newark AKA Element14, 'a Premier Farnell company.' They have stopped stocking almost all through hole transistors, with the exception of power transistors. But they have stocked 2N, BC, and house numbered (like MPS) transistors for a long time. The choice is arbitrary - whatever you like. The 2SC Japanese are not commonly purchased. But Japanese transistors are by far the commonest if you count all the ones in consumer electronics.

[@NeilVanceNeilVance]

Excellent 20 min video thank you! this is a perfect electronics intro for my 11 year old. heck just 3 trans, 1 led.... Super Fun! (and make a pooundland item much much more interesting!)

[@DavidMsg]

Fun project :) Thinking of modding it to flash full with each input signal, so it strobes faster with stronger signals. Still learning the basics of EE, but think it should be doable, remove 2 of the transistors and use the remaining one as a switch to trigger a 100uF capacitor discharge to the LED.

[@DavidMsg]

OK, that wouldn't work. (thinking out loud). It would just strobe on any signal. Needs some sort of timer to slow down / speed up the strobe on signal strength.

[@DavidMsg]

More out loud. Keep the 3 transistors, and use the collector's output to charge the capacitor, and then when at required power, the capacitor releases to the LED.

[@savarast]

is that tool you use to open the casing at the beginning (looks like machined metal with the clip) just a flathead screwdriver or some prying tool? It looks pretty effective, and I find using screwdrivers tend to mar plastic when you pry open.

[@360MIX]

Fun little kit for the kids...

[@silvercrank9460]

Idiot

[@Bowowowification]

+360mix Why are adults always trying to trick kids? Believe in Santa Claus. Believe in ghosts. Believe in the tooth fairy. What the heck. Do you want children to distrust all adults or something?

[@benwinkel]

You can blame religion for that

[@ulmeydasmile]

Just cobbled one together from a different sat device having two antennas. It's meant as a present for a pal and it works like a charm. Thank you very much for the idea. Anyway, bye! Gotta run and hide since there are friggin ghosts chasing me.

[@PolyDuff]

Good day to you, Sir! I'm always baffled how heat resistant your hands are!

[@Honeybearsphone]

I always use lead based solder for all my soldering pleasures

[@garyslatter9854]

Clive you have very steady hands....

[@Tryin2FlyII]

Neat fast little circuit I"ll have to throw one together and see what happens! Thanks for posting-I really enjoy your channel I have been watching it every since I found it 5 hours ago lol

[@ThePaulbilek]

Clive you just gave an idea. I've tried making a sensitive circuit to detect touching of the frame of a sit to stand lift on wheels working on 24v battery. I've added led lights to illuminate the foot area when the lift is being raised or lowered and then stay on for several seconds and then fade off. This part works great. The part I couldn't get to work is for the lights to come on when a person comes close or touches any part of the frame. I can see this triggering my LEDs on. I tried the 3 transistor Darlington circuit, I like your idea of traverse led bias and antennas (or pieces of wire). I'll post couple pics below

[@bigclivedotcom]

It might be better to use a PIR sensor for that.

[@ThePaulbilek]

@@bigclivedotcom I thought of that I like the idea of sensor wire. What I had was too sensitive and would someone come on by itself and not come on someone when touching. I'm thinking using the frame as negative and a piece of insulated wire loop around the control box. Shortening the wire as needed for sensitivity.

[@sheep1ewe]

Personally i don´t beleve in ghosts, but this was a cool build and i love Your friends work so i want to build one now! :D

[@erstermaat5245]

The BC 547 is an european Transistor Typ from the '70s , Made by Philipps Valvo, Siemens, Telefunken, ITT etc and used as a smallsignal transistor in many applikations like Radioreceivers, TV Sets, HiFi Systemes etc. So it was manufactured in mass.

[@johnopalko5223]

Oh, no! My ham shack is haunted! Every time I key the transmitter, the LED on the ghost detector goes on. I guess ghosts are attracted to RF. :-)

[@hanelyp1]

Yeah, this circuit would be very sensitive to RF, within the limits of the transistors used.

[@joebloe1152]

Thanks for the information. Now to get out my soldering iron and get excited. I'm currently interested in making something that might detect ufo's or aircraft.

[@spudhead169]

"up the way" I love that expression.

[@seyedmarashi]

made, working very well thanks

[@Dazzwidd]

This is basically a circuit which senses electrostatic fields. It would be interesting to compare it to a circuit which uses a junction FET at the input cascaded with a bipolar transistor or two. The FET can be made to have a higher input impedance... easily in the tens of megohms.

[@bigclivedotcom]

+Dazzwidd I tried a FET version with a 2N7000, but was wary of the risk of electrostatic damage to the gate.

[@davypeleman3672]

you could clip the legs of the transistors for even less leakage

[@nicejungle]

"Don't cross the streams"

[@Boogiemoose]

Mine dosnt detect many ghosts. Kinda light up all the time and just varies a bit in strength if im getting close and gets complete dark if i thouch one of the antennas. Used 2n5088 cuz that was what i had. However it really detects my slightly modified flyswapper. Blinks syncronized to my swapper with 3.6V-6V To 400KV Boost Step Up Power Module

[@uksniper1]

Very cool Clive👍 you should of sold these mate I’ve paid silly money for things similar to this for my hunts,😉

[@heyarno]

BC547C is my favourite for that kind of gadgets.

[@NewWhirledSlacker42]

Nice video Clive. Very informative! Thanks.

[@ReinQuest]

I might have to build this. Is it a static detector or a RF detector. Maybe I just zoned out watching how it’s connected and you actually said it.

[@gasgiant7122]

Hi Clive, where can I get Gallium arsenide led’s? Btw another great tutorial, thanks.

[@davidferguson8478]

Hi Clive you should do an updated version with a 3d printed case

[@johndododoe1411]

Too expensive . Any leftover plastic or cardboard box (like from some food) would do.

[@davidferguson8478]

It's not to expensive if he has access to a 3d printer which he has

[@chemicalvamp]

What a neat proximity sensor, I think im going to make one of them when i sober up a bit :)

[@DrewRoberts-kt5eg]

How would you add a sound component to this build? So it emits a buzzing or bleeping sound as well as lighting up the diodes. Thank you in advance

[@Stainlesssteel2023]

Is it possible to solder a speaker (or even an AUX cable to pc) instead of the LED indicator in order to listen to the noise that gets picked up by the environment? Maybe you could give the ghosts some voice...

[@ExStaticBass]

Forgive my impertinence. This seems like an excellent application for an 18650. With small charge modules being as cheap as they are it wouldn't be difficult to source or build one so it could be rechargeable via USB. Sure the AA batteries will last a long time but why throw things away if something reusable can be substituted?

[@thorhammer6040]

How can I use this circuit to start a cat ball lighting circuit? The ball is started by a shock sensor. I would like to use this sensor instead. I think maybe a relay to convert analog to a digital I/O but would not have any adjustment for the threshold.

[@stevenking2980]

Some folks in the isle of white said you were "Big C Live.Com". LMAO! Everybody knows they don't have that kind of voltage there!!! I mean really! An air cooled nuclear cooling apparatus?? That never worked! Love your vids my friend. :) SK USA

[@wtrdawnlord]

Steven King Well the air cooled reactor worked for a while...if you don't consider nuclear contamination of the surrounding countryside as a defect.

[@gremlin60]

Great video. I learn a lot from them. Keep up the good work

[@andygadget9918]

Hehe, A few decades ago I bought a book about the Power Of Miracle Metaphysics from the local remaindered book shop. One of the exercises in there was to leave a cassette recorder in an empty room and then play back with the volume up to hear 'mysterious voices from the beyond' or some such. I heard the BBC Radio 4 cricket commentary #;¬)

[@Allbbrz]

Yeah, in USA, 2N2222, 2N3907 etc... in Brazil, BC547 and BC548 are very popular

[@RavenLuni]

What if you added a PNP circuit to detect both polarities and connected the output to an oscilloscope? Would it pick up RF? I suppose you'd have to use some kinf of narrowband filter...

[@scottbruner9987]

I was just wondering what would result if Clive collaborated with (his) fellow Islander Guy Martin? It would be the only inflatable, solar-rechargeable, Poundland camping light that's capable of speeds over 200 mph! (With expanded battery capacity, and of course, LED lights all around)

[@Afterburner]

It would be nice to add a small piezo-buzzer to this too in order to get some sound out of it.

[@ChaplainDaveSparks]

I'd guess that the two antennae form a variable feedback capacitor for the Darlington trio.

[@mcbridejason39]

Can you post a circuit diagram please?(iwas able to see the one in your video when I found my glasses) According to the pin out on the web flat side to me it goes cbe, on your diagram you have it with c on the opposite end.... Am I doing it wrong?

[@cycletrail118]

Awesome and easy tutorial for the basics of a esf :) any advice on how to wire up 3 separate less for each transistor? any idea of what resistor values one would need?

[@j.clowers7223]

Been racking my brains out on this. How would i add a piezoelectric buzzer to it, so when the led lights up it will generate a sound???

[@bigclivedotcom]

You could possibly hook a 3V piezo sounder (with internal drive circuitry) across the LED.

[@j.clowers7223]

bigclivedotcom i will give it a shot. Thank you for the quick reply!

[@bulwinkle]

That looks like a fairly good RFI detector.

[@diamaunt2782]

just the thing for detecting electronics ghosts!

[@lewis_breaks_everything]

the "capacitors" what are connected to the antennas are actual movs (metal oxide varistor)

[@manuelcaminheiro2332]

Hello, thank you for sharing the circuit. The C and E of the BC547 on your schematic is the other way around. In your drawing on the bottom left it should be CBE from bottom to top.

[@bigclivedotcom]

+Manuel Caminheiro It's shown from the base. Not the top.

[@manuelcaminheiro2332]

+bigclivedotcom Of course!, dumb me! It's interesting how we tend to get use to see things repetitively in a certain pattern! I've always looked at pinout's from top do bottom. I guess i have some work to do in my mind... break the pattern! Sorry, Thanks!

[@antonioempleo3515]

+bigclivedotcom ,,,i've watched your video repeatedly,and i've noticed your pin configuration was reversed becuz ,as i know emitter is always connected to the negative and collector is to positive,,but i like this,,, i was confused,,

[@tanviii506]

In my case led always on not even blinking any suggestions ??

[@TimHollingworth]

@@tanviii506 I have just built one. You need the correct LEDs that Clive suggests. This detect my footsteps as I'm walking. Just waiting to get the antenna box, it should be here tomorrow. 🤞

[@SirArghPirate]

Why don't the second transistor (or the third) in a darlington array burn because of high base current? Usually there has to be a current limiting resistor at the base to prevent this?

[@adamdavey6102]

from this their shouldn't be to high current

[@AwsomeVids83]

In the USA our go-to transistors are the 2N2222 and the 2N3904.

[@AwsomeVids83]

***** That is a good question, and one that i don't know the answer to. But the fact remains that i have never seen a BC547 on the shelves of my electronics store!

[@MAlanThomasII]

It seems to be detecting your speech, presumably from the EM field shift in your microphone when you talk!

[@bloodyhell6378]

If I would solder the modified antenna/ghost detector to an rf cable and hooked it up to my TV, would I get better reception or would a giant ghost hand come through the tv and shoot ectoplasm into the wall above my bed?

[@justin3594]

The 2n3904 has the same properties as your jellybean transistor with about twice the current carrying capacity. 200 mA I believe. The 2N2222 is also a great choice because it’s also a jellybean component but can handle about 800 mA. Would actually be kind of cool to see you do a head to head comparison with those three even though we all know they would come out pretty much the same. Are you not able to get the American part numbers out there in poundland? Let me know I would be happy to send you some.

[@isaacadams1849]

How would I add a spectral analyzer to this using an Arduino or RasPi and an LCD screen?

[@rexlarsen6970]

3 trans ? i use 1 one 2n 7000 and it sens e- field of live human 10 - 30 m . its beautiful to see the led light up !!!. :D

[@bigclivedotcom]

The advantage of standard transistors is that they are harder to damage with electrostatic discharge.

[@scottcraig7624]

Great video, id like to add a buzzer, would 6v be ok with this set up? Many thanks

[@stridermt2k]

Just found TV rabbit ears and will be building this one as soon as I get all the parts together. I was sweating not having a 2x AA battery holder then I realized I can always use one of my 3.7v lipo batteries with a little diode to drop the voltage just a little. Question: If i can't get an "old" red LED will a newer one still work? I can get old greens but I don't know if the properties are optimal.

[@bigclivedotcom]

+Michael Thompson It's worth experimenting. I'd still recommend using 2 AA cells as the current requirement is too low to waste a lithium cell on.

[@stridermt2k]

Noted! Thanks!

[@stridermt2k]

+bigclivedotcom Clive I just built two of these, and as fate would have it one of them was built with the larger SMD LEDs (reds). The "nice one" built on rabbit ears with the green LED works, but the red built in the open running on a 2032 coin cell with cat 5 wire antennas is more lively and can actually sense when the lights are on or off in my den/workshop. Delightful project. Thank you!