By Mat
#72432
I picked up a set of LED skeleton lights, ripped the skeleton heads off and they flash 4 red, 3 yellow and 3 green. They'll do the job. Through the red reflectors, they'll all look red anyway. I'm gonna bunch them into red, green and yellow groups of three with one spare (red green yellow, red green yellow, etc...), and see how it looks. Being a RGB pack, I only have 3 lenses to deal with. It'll work!

I need to deal with the "halloween theme though", might have to gut it and bypass the speaker! The guts of the ghost light setup look strangely similar to what I have, except I managed to remove the led's from their rubber holders (I grabbed the base of the LED fittings and twistedback and fourth....POP! Good and done! Wish all the LED's were the same color, but I'll make it work!
By Gareee
#72450
they do make replacement led lights now, just like th eold twinkle lights. Might depend on the manufactuerer if they work though.. plus some leds have mulitple mini leds in them, so they can color change.
By Mat
#72763
Installed them today, between red flashes, it maintains a yellow/green glow the background of the lenses. I centered the red LED between the yellow and green ones so that they would act as the main color. It looks really cool! The ones I have are indeed like led christmas lights. It's pretty close to your setup, actually. I think we got more or less the same set, except mine were skulls and yours were ghosts! Mine don't cycle, but they flash randomly though.

In the process, I sliced my thumb open (whoops) on a sharp edge inside the pack (the joys of sheet metal). A band-aid wrapped with electrical tape fixed that leak! :vinzclortho:

Also wired the gun with a blinking red LED that runs of a 9v. It added a lot to it.

Probably going to pick up a bigger pair of coveralls, not movie accurate, but they work for me. The ones from a few years back are a bit snug!

Still need to do a bit of weathering and add some labels. I know the RGB pack didn't really have much for labels, but I think selectvely using the movie ones will add a lot to the overall appearance!
By Gareee
#72886
Hmmm if they don;t actually cycle, I think I'll stick with my target skellie lights. They were much cheaper, and I really like the "always on" slow color/brightness shifting.

Since I picked up one extra set, I think I'm also going to put some optional lights in my crank box and the box below it. One string can light both, and I can put the power box on the back of the pack. I did a quickie test, and though you don't see much light at all, the effect you DO see is pretty cool.

Pimp my pack!

(And now I can return $25 worth of halloween lights back to kmart)
By Mat
#73035
I saw some flashing lights at Super store that would work today. clear LED's that flash in unisin. What got me was that they have reflective backings like a flash light and come in a 12 pack. Also saw skeleton lights that were all the same color that flashed as well!

I didn't pick any up,but they're something to look out for!

Garee, the slow shift sounds like a cool effect!
By Mat
#73289
Well I'll be, those cheap lights are easy to gut! I ripped out the circuitboard and wired in my own switch directly from the battery box to the lights. They still flash, and now It doesn't cut out every 30 seconds or so waiting for noise or motion or whatnot. Make it work! Ironically, the power box is just the right size to cover up the access hole cut into the motherboard. I had an extra LED in the strand, so I taped it to the side of the power box as an indicator light.

Because I don't have the time to re-do any of the things I want to do this year, I just added some movie pack labels to the thing and did a bit of weathering. Sorry about the picture quality, my digital camera is old (it takes 4 AA's and is about the size of a brick!), and doesn't work with the new computer, so I just used the web cam.

I'd like to add the bellows if I can find more time here and there, but I'm not going to stress out about it if I can't get those done. I think without the bellows, the bumper looks naked!

Image
Image!

3 AA's for the pack lights and a 9V for the 1 gun light. Go figure!
#74046
yeah, you can get some really good lighting options from the DOllar Store. They always have junk there with a static or flashing LED. Buy up a few of those and you're good.

Another source was JoAnne fabrics. I was in there the other day, and they had a reflector that looked just like it belonged in the cyclotron, and it had a flashing LED. I think it was for a dogs collar or something.
By Mat
#75141
Thanks man!

I remember when I built it last year, through the gun together in a day. When I built the pack, a lot of swearing was involved. :lol:

I should have ribbed the ion arm, then it wouln't be so out of square, lol. It bugs me.

I actually checked the dollar store for lights, but couldn't find anything I liked. Getting the lights on a string saved a TON of headache.

That was a good idea, Mike!
By Mjollnir
#75656
Thanks Spooky! Thats just what I needed. A solid replacement for my missing RGB wand.
#75690
Mat wrote:Thanks man!

I remember when I built it last year, through the gun together in a day. When I built the pack, a lot of swearing was involved. :lol:

I should have ribbed the ion arm, then it wouln't be so out of square, lol. It bugs me.

I actually checked the dollar store for lights, but couldn't find anything I liked. Getting the lights on a string saved a TON of headache.

That was a good idea, Mike!

After I am done with my foamcore pack, I want to make a RGB and an EGB pack from it to
By dax
#78001
rust-o-leum is an incredible primer for a flat black pack. especially packs that want the "weathered" look. if you spray the rustoleum, and go light with the flat black, the rustoleum will show through and it looks exactly like worn metal. good stuff.

also, for your bumper, 2 inch wide curtain rods work amazingly, and cuts easy with any circular drop-saw.

these are things that i found while making my pack.
By Harkness
#86664
UltimateGBfan wrote:Spooky,this is a reall great guide for the Halloween noobs.

If I may,I'd like to add something to the Don't Rush section.

Get you a CD player or MP3,put some of your favorite music on and get yourself in the mood.For me the Ghostbusters 1&2 soundtracks do wonders for when I work on GB props,just as the Star Wars soundtracks get me in the mood for SW props.

But again,take your time and DO NOT rush.
I played the movie like 20 times during my build... I posted pictures of my make-shift pack. Everything was from work (Home Depot) including the cannibalized dehumidifier housing I used for the cyclotron.
By RickH
#97798
This post may contain an affiliate link that helps support GBFans.com when you make a purchase at no additional cost to you.

When I was a kid wearing a cardboard box for a Proton Pack, my neighbour had a toy lawnmower that his dad turned into a Proton Pack for him. I was so jealous.... til mum bought me an RGB proton pack, hehe. But anyway, I think it could still work for costume parties if you need a quick cheap Proton Pack. Take the wheels off, put some shoulder straps on it, and a hose and a ray gun, and there ya go.

Image
#107891
This is an awesome resource - the various plans that've been put out for the packs are incredible detailed... but also daunting to me! =(

I'm really excited to check out some of my local shops and get started on a pack (picked up an ALICEf frame from the Army-Navy Store that's going out of business up the street)!
#131010
Beany, he mentioned getting them at a dollar store.
#132628
For what it's worth, I was poking around the dollar store yesterday and found a perfect little gizmo to use for the shock mount on the bumper. It's the bottom piece on the handle of one of those cheapy little pop-up umbrellas. I loaned out my camera to a friend so I can't take a pic today but it it is pretty much dead on as far as a very low-cost shock mount goes.

Here is the part I'm talking about though, on a different umbrella.

Image

Basically the part is all but the exact height and diameter, made of ridged plastic and very similar in appearance to the real deal. I will post pix when I can.

I know it's not earth-shattering but it was a great little find of a dollar and a very quick and easy solution to creating that part!
Walter Neff
#137754
abaka wrote:Why bother? Not like the Halloweeners will be courtious enough to read/search for anything.
I'm a "Halloweener" reading up right now towards my costume. I'm 23, and want to revisit my dream as a 4-year old of being a 'buster. All the same, attitudes like that - where a $250 pack is considered a 'bargain' and where I'd be ostracized for *not* wanting to dress like a Ghostbuster every day (if the costume cost me hundreds of dollars, it'd have to be daily wear otherwise the missus would kill me and I wouldn't blame her)...

Way to welcome a guy.
#138013
Uh.. ya realize yer replying about a post that was made like 9 months ago now?

Oh, and on the basswood topic.. mine warped REALLY bad, so while I'd use basswod for the gar and crank boxes, and maybe the gun, I wouldn't consider it again for a motherboard at all.

I detailed which is was in my wip build thread, but I think it was a plywood of sorts.
#149168
Here's an interesting question for you guys: Is there anything you can think of that could act as a good substitute for an actual Alice Frame in a halloween-er pack?

I ask because I'm building budget Halloween packs based off of Bradester's Dollar Store pack, and I'm having a lot of trouble finding an affordable supply of Alice frames. It doesn't have to look great/good/accurate, I'd just like some ideas of alternative components, especially ones that won't strain our backs.

I'd really prefer to use an alice frame, but so far I haven't found a supply that's less than $50. If I could find them used in my area I'd be set, but no luck so far :(
#149223
PVC pipes painted black. They are quite cheap and sturdy.

You are though going to have to then try to find or make padded shoulder straps, and come up with somethinbg like a kindey pad on it as well.

You might well end up spending the same amount as a real alice frame, and honestly, thats a REALLY important part, because it'll make or break the difference if your pack is comfortable to wear, or if you end up with a sore back in 10 minutes.

Your best bet might be to cannibalize a backpack and belt, along with the PVC, but by the time you've bought all that, you've about paid for a used alice frame.

Some people have found them as low as $10 with all the straps used in amy navy stores, and that would be at least half the cost of all those other things as a substitue to one.
#149274
Gareee wrote:PVC pipes painted black. They are quite cheap and sturdy.

You are though going to have to then try to find or make padded shoulder straps, and come up with somethinbg like a kindey pad on it as well.
This makes sense, and I'm going to try to design a good layout and try to price the parts asap.
Gareee wrote:You might well end up spending the same amount as a real alice frame, and honestly, thats a REALLY important part, because it'll make or break the difference if your pack is comfortable to wear, or if you end up with a sore back in 10 minutes.
This has been my main point to the other people i'm planning to do this with, who are all saying I'm over-designing this by including the Alice frame. Good to have some backup on this. I saw that even with the dollar store builds the Alice Frame was included, and figured that was a pretty good indication.
Gareee wrote:Your best bet might be to cannibalize a backpack and belt, along with the PVC, but by the time you've bought all that, you've about paid for a used alice frame.
Had a bad feeling that'd be the answer.
Gareee wrote:Some people have found them as low as $10 with all the straps used in amy navy stores, and that would be at least half the cost of all those other things as a substitue to one.
I've been looking trying to find out from the local Boot&Surplus if they have some. They do, but they only quote me the brand-new price ($60), and I'm not sure if they have anything used. Maybe it's a symptom of being Canadian, but i've always found it's really hard to find used military stuff. Maybe i'm looking in the wrong places.
#157189
I plan on being a ghostbuster for Halloween and want to make all of the props myself. This was very nice. I wanted to know what plans you guys think are the best. I really want to make all the lights and soundeffects work. And also put speakers into the proton pack so I can play music from the soundtrack. Any help would be great, Thanks!
#158038
Cinnamon, check ebay for alice frames... you can usually find them reasonably priced there, including shipping.

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