PIANO SNOWMAN

Piano Snowman, retail $22.95 (www.hallmark.com...)
Manufactured by (unknown) for Hallmark Cards (www.hallmark.com)
Last updated 12-05-09




This is a Christmas novelty item that features both lights and sound.

It plays verses from "Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow", "Jingle Bell Rock", and "A Holly Jolly Christmas"; while the snowman sitting at the piano dances about and Chrismas lights on the front of and on the right side of the piano flash in time with the music.

Because this was a gift and because it is not a flashlight meant to be thrashed, the more abusive tests (like beating it against the outside stairs or trying to drown it in the toilet) will not be performed on it. That's why "The Punishment Zone" section of this web page is missing.


SIZE



Slide the slide switch on the bottom of the unit to "on".

Whenever you want to activate the Piano Snowman, just press and release the button labelled "Press Here" on the base of the product just to the right of the snowman's right shoe. The unit will then play verses from "Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow", "Jingle Bell Rock", and "A Holly Jolly Christmas"; in that order, while the snowman sways and the Christmas lights blink and flash to the beat of the music, then it automatically turns itself off when it is finished playing.

The entire sequence lasts for exactly 56.5 seconds - yes, I used a clock with a second hand on it to time this.

To turn the unit off anytime while it is playing, just press & release the button.

To prolong the life of the batteries when the Piano Snowman isn't being used (January through November in most cases), slide the slide switch on the bottom of the unit to the "off" position.



To change the batteries in the Piano Snowman, turn the unit upside-down. For safety sakes, slide the slide switch to the "off" position.

Using a small phillips screwdriver, unscrew the screw on the battery door until the battery door springs up. This screw is at least semi-captive, so it will not just fall and become lost unless you make a concerted effort to lose it. Remove the battery door, and set it aside.

Tip the four used AA cells out of the unit and into your hand, and dispose of or recycle them as you see fit.

Insert four new AA cells, orienting them as shown in the following photograph:



Replace the battery door and tighten that screw.

Unable to measure current usage due to how the product was constructed.

The unit has 11 LEDs in it: one yellow LED lighting up the "sheet music", and Christmas bulbs with three red, three yellow, and four yellow-green LEDs behind C7 1/2-shaped lenses around the right side and front of the piano.



Photograph of the Piano Snowman playing a Christmas song.


Spectrographic plot
Spectrographic analysis of the red LEDs in this product.


Spectrographic plot
Spectrographic analysis of the yellow LEDs in this product.


Spectrographic plot
Spectrographic analysis of the yellow-green LEDs in this product.

USB2000 spectrometer graciously donated by P.L.



Quicktime movie (.mov extension) showing part of the Piano Snowman's movements.
This clip is approximately 4.6 megabytes (4,845,964 bytes) in length; dial-up users please be aware.
It will take no less than twenty five minutes to load at 48.0Kbps.
I cannot provide it in other formats, so please do not ask.
The Piano Snowman was playing "Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow" when this clip was made.




Video clip on YourTube showing the Piano Snowman playing snippets of three Christmas songs:
1: Let It Snow
2: Jingle Bell Rock
3: Holly Jolly Christmas

This clip is approximately 15.444870 megabytes (15,850,496 bytes) in length; dial-up users please be aware.
It will take no less than seventy seven (!) minutes to load at 48.0Kbps.
I cannot provide it in other formats, so please do not ask.





TEST NOTES:
Test unit was received as a Christmas present from my stepmother in California on 12-12-05; the more abusive tests (like beating it against the outside stairs or trying to drown it in the toilet) will not be performed on it because it was a Christmas gift I should treasure for years to come!

Product was made in China. A product's country of origin really does matter to some people, which is why I published it on this web page.

Product will not be assigned a star rating () because it is a novelty item meant for only short periods of use on a seasonal basis.


UPDATE: 12-27-05
I have indeed confirmed that the lamps are indeed LEDs, not incandescent light blubs. So I removed "Unknown" from the "LAMP TYPE" section below.


UPDATE: 12-04-09
I have performed spectroscopy of the lamps in this product.





    MANUFACTURER: Unknown
    PRODUCT TYPE: Musical, motorised, lighted Christmas novelty
    LAMP TYPE: LED
    No. OF LAMPS: 11
    BEAM TYPE: N/A
    SWITCH TYPE: Pushbutton switch on/off on side of product
    BEZEL: N/A
    BATTERY: 4xAA cells
    CURRENT CONSUMPTION: Unknown/unable to measure
    WATER RESISTANT: No
    SUBMERSIBLE: NO WAY HOZAY!!!
    ACCESSORIES: 4xAA cells
    WARRANTY: Unknown/not stated

    PRODUCT RATING:

    Product will not be assigned a star rating () because it is a novelty item.





Piano Snowman * www.hallmark.com...






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