FLASHING SCARY
EYEBALLS

Flashing Scary Eyeballs Decorating Kit, retail $3.99 ()
Manufactured by HMS Mfg. Co. (www.hmsmfg.com)
Last updated 10-27-06




This is a set of "eyes" designed for you to install in a Halloween Jack'O Lantern (carved pumpkin); they are equipped with a red LED in each one that flashes.

They are designed with batteries that are meant to be replaceable, so you can use them year after year.

The flashing eyeballs will make your Jack'O Lantern scary enough that you might very well have to hose little puddles of urine off your porch on November 01.


SIZE



Slide the slide switch on the back of the product to the "ON" position to turn it on.

Slide the switch to the "OFF" position to turn it off.

They are specifically designed to be used as the "eyes" in a Jack'O Lantern (carved pumpkin), so note the dimensions of the edges of these units so you carve the eye holes in the pumpkin the same size & shape. Then, just slip them in these holes. A rim at the front face helps prevent them from being pushed too far and subsequently falling inside the pumpkin.



Turn the unit upside-down, and remove the screw with a #0 phillips screwdriver (the one with the 2.4mm shaft diameter from my set of jeweler's screwdrivers did the trick here), and lift the entire battery door & battery carriage away. Use a pen or similar instrument to push the used LR41 button cells out. Push them out by pushing the pen against the flat-end (+) positive.

Insert two new LR41 button cells into the carriage, orienting them so the button-end (-) negative of each cell faces outward as you're installing them.

Place the full carriage assembly back into the unit, and gently bit firmly tighten the screw.

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



This product is made entirely of plastic (the outer portions anyway), so "The Smack Test" would not be very appropriate.

The product is also not too water-resistant; there are no O-rings or other environmental seals visible in it. Clean them with a damp cloth before storage - that ought to be kosher with them.

They do appear durable enough that slightly manhandling them (such as pushing them into the eye holes of a Jack'O Lantern or dropping them a short distance) should not cause any harm to befall them.

The flash rate is approximately 1.5Hz (3 flashes every 2 seconds).



Photograph of the units; one of them in its "on" state.

WMP movie (.avi extension) showing eyes blinking.
This clip is approximately 2.5 megabytes (2,741,770 bytes) in length; dial-up users please be aware.
It will take no less than fifteen minutes to load at 48.0Kbps.
I cannot provide it in other formats, so please do not ask.

I didn't realise it at first, but this camera records *WITH* sound.
The Star Trek: TNG episode "The Most Toys" was playing when this was made.


WMP movie (.avi extension) showing eyes blinking in a pumpkin.
This clip is approximately 2.6 megabytes (2,825,704 bytes) in length; dial-up users please be aware.
It will take no less than fifteen minutes to load at 48.0Kbps.
I cannot provide it in other formats, so please do not ask.



TEST NOTES:
Test unit was purchased at a Bell-Aire store (an offshoot of Raleys in Sacramento CA. USA) on the morning of 10-04-06


UPDATE: 10-23-06
I noticed that after ~3 hours of operation late last night when I went to turn them off that one eyeball was flashing *significantly* dimmer than the other; I'd have expected longer battery life. I suspect one of the cells has pooped out in it, but since I don't have ready access to them, I cannot meter the batteries to make that determination.


UPDATE: 10-24-06
Looks like it was probably just a high-resistance connection in the switch. After running for three more hours last night, both eyeballs were identical in intensity.


UPDATE: 10-27-06
One of the units has again malfunctioned; it no longer operates at all. I gently smacked it on all sides plus the front and back to no avail; I also tried to gently tension the battery contacts inside. While smacking it against the front of the desk I'm typing this at, the unit did flash several times, then went back out. While I had it open, I metered the batteries: Mr. Meter sez "2.571 volts" open-circuit. This is more than enough voltage to energize that red LED; leading me to believe there is an intermittent connection somewhere inside.


PROS:



CONS:



    MANUFACTURER: HMS Mfg. Co.
    PRODUCT TYPE: Decorative accessory for Halloween pumpkin
    LAMP TYPE: Red LED
    No. OF LAMPS: 1
    BEAM TYPE: N/A
    SWITCH TYPE: Slide switch on back of unit
    CASE MATERIAL: Plastic
    BEZEL: Plastic
    BATTERY: 2x LR41 button cells
    CURRENT CONSUMPTION: Unknown/unable to measure
    WATER RESISTANT: Very light splatter-resistance at maximum
    SUBMERSIBLE: No
    ACCESSORIES: None
    WARRANTY: Unknown/not stated

    PRODUCT RATING:

    Star Rating





Flashing Scary Eyeballs Decorating Kit *






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