The Energon Pub

News Credits: 8 · by **Jin Saotome** » Sun Aug 05, 2007 4:04 pm

You all remember my custom Barricade, the one that's up on EBay right now right?

http://www.angelfire.com/mech/jinsaotome/JinsDangerousToys/Barricade.html

Well get ready for this, I added a real STROBING LED lighting system under the roof! The suckers are super-bright and do the quick-flashing in sequance like the real police lights do!

This pic is 'meh' because my camera won't focus in low-light conditions, but you can see the whole car now.

They came in this weird pink "Flashing horn whistle" I picked up from the Dollar tree store. I destroyed the package but I'm gonna run by there tomorrow and buy like 20 more, take some pics on how to install the lightbar. (once I track down another deluxe Barricade somehow...) The LED circut PERFECTLY fits under the lightbar, exactly the right length across to line up with the screw holes that hold the bar on! You just need to dremel them out larger and glue the thing under the roof. Doesn't mess with the transformation and there's even an on/off switch. Batteries can be replaced too. It was like it was made for Barricade. Thank you cheap-chinese-toy-companies!

News Credits: 8 · by **Jin Saotome** » Sun Aug 05, 2007 8:55 pm

A youtube video with the lights flashing!

http://youtube.com/watch?v=n2rrRpmNFAo

And here's what the whistle looks like, at least after being broken and half and destoyed. You can see the package at least.

by **Pyroclasm** » Sun Aug 05, 2007 9:05 pm

Thanks, Jin. I needed something like that for a different project I was working on. I'll have to hit up my local Dollar Tree and see if they have them.

by **Pyroclasm** » Mon Aug 06, 2007 4:11 pm

Update: Went over to the Dollar Tree, and they have a ton of these little guys. The lights are fantastic in person. After seeing the lights in hand, I'm sure that Barricade looks better in person than even on the video & pics. Thanks again Jin. Now I can continue my project.

by **Primus_feather** » Tue Aug 07, 2007 1:41 am

After seeing that, im going to my local dollar tree as soon as I can and getting one!

by **TM TM2 Dinobot** » Tue Aug 07, 2007 9:47 am

How much are these? I'm trying to figure out what I could use them for, seeing as how I hate the movie bots. There's gotta be something :p

by **primezimm** » Tue Aug 07, 2007 1:26 pm

Like most dollar stores, Dollar Tree, Everythings a Dollar, everything is well,.... a dollar.

News Credits: 8 · by **Jin Saotome** » Tue Aug 07, 2007 2:04 pm

TM2 Dinobot wrote:How much are these? I'm trying to figure out what I could use them for, seeing as how I hate the movie bots. There's gotta be something :p

Heheh... They're at the Dollar Tree.

by **TM TM2 Dinobot** » Tue Aug 07, 2007 6:57 pm

Well, Family Dollar not everything is a dollar. So I was just wondering. But yeah. :p

by **TM Devastator** » Tue Aug 07, 2007 7:05 pm

TM2 Dinobot wrote:Well, Family Dollar not everything is a dollar. So I was just wondering. But yeah. :p

True dat! The term "dollar store" means that all the prices are rounded off to an even dollar amount rather than the "x.98" or "x.99" format most stores use. Don't feel so bad TM2 Dinobot, the other guys are just poots

Also, awesome police lights! I have a ton of lighted things I've saved for kitbashes and what you've done Jin is really cool.

by **DTM** » Wed Aug 08, 2007 9:04 am

TM2 Dinobot wrote:Well, Family Dollar not everything is a dollar. So I was just wondering. But yeah. :p

yup Family Dollar isn't all dollars. I got KO TFs for $3

by **jimsloth** » Thu Aug 09, 2007 7:16 am

funny thing is I grew up knowing dollar tree, so when I got older the Family Dollar, and Dollar General, both REALLY confused me, because everything wasn't one dollar.

actually, now that I think about it, Dollar tree by my house, everything was $.93 so that after you added on tax it would be a dollar. The other two, they round the prices to a dollar, but then you still have to add on tax and pay with change completely defeating the purpose of rounding to a dollar in the first place. :lol:

by **TM Devastator** » Thu Aug 09, 2007 11:15 am

jimsloth wrote:...actually, now that I think about it, Dollar tree by my house, everything was $.93 so that after you added on tax it would be a dollar. The other two, they round the prices to a dollar, but then you still have to add on tax and pay with change completely defeating the purpose of rounding to a dollar in the first place.

It doesn't necessarily defeat the purpose of rounding prices off to an even dollar. Rounding prices off make totalling a sale easier for the customer. Also, I know there has been market research at some stores to see if customers are more attracted to items with an even dollar amount. Finally, when buying something that's not a dollar, pricing would be just as confusing as anywhere else if they did it the way your Dollar Tree did it.

by **Primus_feather** » Fri Aug 10, 2007 3:27 am

..Bought Whistle, did mod... !!!!!! Looks a million times better!
Hey Jin did you have to re-solder the the LED's on? Mines lights where one on each side of the board, made it a lil harder to get them in the holes, got 'em in mind you, but still hard. Thanx for the heads up, adds much to the play value to this already awesome toy!