Workbench Wednesday 3

Remember that TARDIS I picked up at Fan Expo last week? Well, wouldn’t it be cool to pulse an LED on top just like when the TARDIS dematerializes in a Dr. Who episode?

Only one small problem. I know absolutely NOTHING about electronics. Zip. No science fairs, no school projects, no frustrated robotic career…nada. Turns out that I don’t need to – or more specifically, all I need to know is where to look. And that is the subject of today’s blog post.

Amazingly, EVERYTHING is online. Chances are that no matter how strange, wonderful or odd it is, someone has thought, it done it, or posted a YouTube video on how to do it. Happily, pulsing an LED is one of those things and the excellent Maker site instructables.com had the solution. I found exactly the project I was looking for at http://www.instructables.com/id/ThrobbingFading-LED-with-555-Timer/

So off to ACTIVE Surplus to pick up the components. All in all it was a fun project, I learned some basic electronics, built my first circuit and am now the proud owner of a breadboard.

And the result? You be the judge!