| Every year you see them, usually you see the | | | | and over for 4 to 5 hours. I needed to tweak the |
| Halloween decorations then Christmas ones. Well one | | | | scene just a little bit, that is where the wireless |
| year as we were looking for something different to | | | | modules came in. |
| use in our haunted trail, I ran across those animated | | | | The secret to having a great Halloween prop is the art |
| dancing Santas. They were motion activated or push | | | | of surprise. If they can see it or hear it, then they are |
| button activated, and would dance and sing. Looking | | | | ready for it. Instead of sitting in the bushes waiting for |
| closer I noticed that you can have your own music or | | | | guest to come down the path to activate the scene, I |
| sound played through the Santa. | | | | used the wireless modules to do it for me. The pirate |
| So the evil wheels in my head started to spin and I | | | | was motion activated, so I used a couple of strobe |
| snagged up a couple of these and headed home. The | | | | lights, which strobe lights will make even a static prop |
| first one I opened up and quickly removed his hat and | | | | look like it is moving. |
| coat. I went to my box of costumes and pulled out a | | | | Using the wireless motion sensor to activate the |
| robe and put a cross around his neck and with the | | | | strobe lights which in turned activated the dancing |
| hood of the robe up he resembled a monk. I took my | | | | pirate singing Yo' ho' and a bottle of rum. Toss in a |
| iPod, you can use any music player, and connected it | | | | few skeleton hanging from the trees and you're all set |
| to the input port on the dancing Santa, or should I say | | | | to go. Now you could use a second motion sensor to |
| my new story teller. In my collection of Halloween | | | | turn everything off when they pass a certain point, or |
| music I have haunted stories including the headless | | | | let the computer do all the work and shut the scene |
| horseman, Edgar Allen Poe, and many more. | | | | down after 15 - 30 seconds. The best part of all this is, |
| Altogether I had about 3 hrs of haunted tales. | | | | you don't have to reset the scene, it is ready to go |
| I then placed my "monk" in a well traveled area and | | | | again! |
| just let him go, his mouth, head and arms would move | | | | Now I have gotten a few people who have seen my |
| as the story played through him. Setting the player to | | | | other post using wireless devices for Halloween props, |
| infinite loop allowed me to basically set and forget. | | | | asking how difficult it is to setup and configure. If it |
| Every year we have a scene or two with pirates, so | | | | plugs into a wall outlet, lights, fans even power drills or |
| my second Santa, well became a pirate. Painting his | | | | saws, remove the bit and blades for safety. The |
| beard and hair black, tossing on a child's pirate shirt, | | | | device plugs into the wireless module which plugs into |
| leaving his red pants on and the plastic pirate hat, I | | | | an outlet or even an extension cord. It is literally plug it |
| ended up with a nice looking pirate! Adding some pirate | | | | in and play! You can take an average party and make |
| songs and sayings from a music player I was ready to | | | | it an unforgettable one! Making everyone think your |
| go, well not quite yet. For the pirate scene I did not | | | | some animatronic guru! |
| want the pirate to just repeating the same lines over | | | | Always have a fun and safe Halloween! |