Simple Stereo VU Meter

I like to see lights move to music. This project will indicate the volume level of the audio going to your speakers by lighting up LEDS. The LEDS can be any color so mix them up and really make it look good. The input of the circuit is connected to the speaker output of your audio amplifier. You want to build two identical units to indicate both right and left channels. The input signal level is adjusted by the 10k ohm VR. If you wish to make a very large scale model of this unit and hang it on your wall there is an optional output transistor that can drive many LEDS at once. The unit I built drove three LEDS for each output. The sequence of the LEDS lighting are as follows Pin 1, 18, 17, 16, 15, 14, 13, 12, 11, 10.

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Voice Scrambler

With this circuit you can modify how your voice sounds by changing the pitch of your voice. This circuit can be connected to a phone and with a duplicate circuit on the end of the phone line, you can have a scrambled voice communication. The way the circuit works is as follows: If we cut the circuit in half at the T2 transformer and include the LM324 on the left side, you will see that the LM324 portion of the circuit is a tone oscillator which shifts the frequency of all input signals to a new higher frequency. When the voice and the tone oscillator mix frequencies the voice is not recognized. The voice signal is then inputted to the second stage which again shifts the voice signal again. I recommend that the first stage be tuned to a frequency that is 100hz lower then the second stage.

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Universal DC Power Supply

I didn't realize till the other day that I have never shown a circuit for a standard power supply. Shown below is a supply that will use any of the LM78XX series of voltage regulators. The transformer in the circuit will vary depending on which regulator you use. For voltages from 5 to 12 use a transformer with output of 18vac. With voltages from 15 to 24 use a transformer of 30vac. The first capacitor in the circuit may need to vary if you are supplying more current to the load. Typically it will be 2000uf for every amp of current.

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Touch Switch II

This circuit uses a 555 timer as the bases of the touch switch. You can learn more about 555 timers in the Learning section on my site. When the plate is touched the 555 timer is triggered and the output on pin 3 goes high turning on the LED and the buzzer for a certain period of time. The time that the LED and the buzzer is on is based on the values of the capacitor and resistor connected to pin 6 & 7. The 10M resistor on pin 2 causes the the circuit to be very sensitive to the touch.

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Touch 'N Flip

Ever wonder how a touch plate, like the kind you see on some elevators and lamps work? This circuit will give you a feel for how the touch plate works in a circuit and you can expand on the circuit to suit your project needs. The touch plate can be a small piece of metal or aluminum foil. Start the circuit by moving S2 to the set position and then back to the previous position. Now press S1. One of the LED's will light. Now touch the touch plate and the LED's will flip on the opposite way. The sensitivity of the plate will vary depending on the humidity. Adjust the VR and capacitor that is connected to S2 to adjust the sensitivity.

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