HALLOWEEN
LIGHTING TIPS - THUNDER & LIGHTNING
 One of the most popular special effects to add to a Yard Haunt or
Halloween Party is simulated thunder and lightning. Imagine a bright white flash of light,
followed by the deep rumbling sound of thunder coming from your yard haunt!
When we received our Deluxe Lightning Machine
kit from
Halloween
Connection we were anxious to try it out, but restrained ourselves until the sun went down so we
would get the full effect. It only took about ten minutes to set it up and we were ready
to go. We switched the speakers and strobe light on, popped the Thunder CD into the player
and hit the play button.
 Suddenly, there were several bright flashes of white light,
followed shortly by the deep rumble of thunder. We sat entranced for almost half an hour
watching, listening and waiting for the rain to come. All we could think about was what a
great addition this was going to our yard haunt this Halloween.
The nice thing about this system is that it
does not simply repeat the same lightning/thunder sequence over-and-over again, but is
random like the real thing. The Lightning Machine creates an incredibly realistic effect
of thunder and lightning, and needless to say we were very impressed!
Lightning
and thunder is a great
addition to any Yard or Home Haunt!
The Lightning Machine -
Haunted Enterprises
Originally designed for the
haunted attraction industry, the Lightning Machine is now available to the public. Since the flash of light from
real lightning is seen before we hear the thunder, the method of simulating it must be
capable of synchronizing the sound of the thunder and the flash of light generated by a
strobe unit. This unit does just that!
Setup is easy with only three
cables to plug in. One cable goes from the CD player's headphone jack to the amplified
speakers. Another cable goes from the CD player's line-out jack to the Lightning Machine
unit. The third cable goes from the Lightning Machine unit to the strobe light. Pop the
thunder CD into your player, adjust the sensitivity knob for the desired effect and you're
done.
Unlike comparable units, this
Lightning Machine unit does not require a separate power adapter as it draws its power
from the strobe light itself. And because the Lightning Machine uses a strobe light,
instead of a regular light bulb or flood light, the lightning created is a brilliant white
light, just like the real thing. At 50 watts, the V-701 Pro Strobe
Light from V.E.I. ( included in the deluxe kit) is a real bad-boy, powerful enough to add the effect of lightning to most home
haunts. It has flash and speed control, and you can even daisy chain multiple strobe light
units to only one Lightning Machine unit. This allows you to have lightning in several
areas at the same time with only one Lightning Machine unit.
The basic kit includes the
Lightning Machine unit, custom thunder CD and full instructions. You will need a stereo
system or CD player with amplified speakers, VEI Pro-Strobe Light (model v701), and a
couple of cables.
The deluxe kit includes: the
Lightning Machine unit, a VEI Pro-Strobe Light (model v701), amplified speakers including
sub-woofer, all adapters and cables needed, custom thunder CD and full instructions. We
highly recommend the Deluxe kit - All you need to do is plug it into your stereo system or
a CD player and it's ready to go without having to find and buy the other pieces.
Also available or strobe lights and cables sold separately so if you
want to add more you can.
This
lightning machine, put together and sold by
Halloween
Connection has become one of their
most popular products! Unfortunately, they are already sold out for the 2006 Halloween season.
Lightning Tips and
Safety
Positioning your Lightning generator
is important. If you have a peaked roof, place the unit just behind the peak.
You can also place the unit up in a tree as an alternative to the roof. We like to place a Lightning Machine unit on
the roof, pointed up into the trees behind our graveyard scene. For our indoor Halloween party, we place a
Lightning Machine unit outside facing the windows to the room where the party will be
held. This gives the effect of a raging thunder and lightning storm outside.
Safety note: As with any electrical device,
do not use outdoors if there is any chance of moisture of any kind, such as rain. Don't
allow extension cords to run through water or snow on the ground. Make sure that the cord
is placed in such a way as not be become a hazard to guests.
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