(turn signal click)
(sigh)
(clicking turns into cowbell)
(Christopher Walken impression) Today on Joel Creates
I've got a fever... and the only prescription...
is more cowbell
Now unless you're one of those people who has no soul,
listening to your turn signal is just a regular part of everyday life
So I figured why not replace the clicking sound
with something a little more musical like a cowbell?
I've taken mine and I've made it mechanically automated
I started out with a 12-volt car lock actuator that I bought off of Amazon
I knew I needed to attach it to the cowbell in such a way
that it would strike it to produce sound
but I wasn't sure how
I took some scrap brackets and mounted them to the back of the cowbell
and ran a screw through them at the top to act as a pivot for a metal lever
I then mounted the lock actuator in such a way that when it received
power it would move the back of the lever up causing the front of the lever
to move down and strike the cowbell
When power is removed, a rubber band returns
the lever to its starting position
I decided to mount the auto-cowbell to my
moped so that I could share it more easily with other motorists on the road
I ran a 12-volt power line from the battery into the front of the moped
I verified the positive wires that were connected to the two front turn signals
using a multimeter
I then tested a relay by attaching its activation coil wires
to the turn signal positive and battery negative wire
You can hear it switch on and off as the turn signal does
By running the 12-volt positive battery
wire through the relay switch connection to the cowbell lock actuator every time
that the bulb gets sent 12 volts it switches on the relay allowing 12 volts
to be passed to the auto-cowbell striking it every time that the turn
signal bulb lights up
Once the tests were successful
I permanently soldered the connections for the two relays:
One for each turn signal direction
If I directly connect to the lock actuator to the turn signals
without the additional relays it may have drawn too much current
from the blinker circuit and fried it
I tucked all the wires neatly inside of the moped,
mounted the assembly using some zip ties,
and prepared to share my invention with the world...
Dad: (laughing)
Dad: Let's see your Christopher Walken
Dad: (laughing)
Joel: So, here
Dad: (laughing)
Dad: I've gotta get your mother out here...
Dad: So when do you play it?
Joel: Just whenever the turn signal's on
Dad: Boogie down!
Joel: You like that?
Joel: Ok
Okay so my family likes it but what about the general public?
Joel: It's rigged up to my turn signals!
Guy in car: HA
For the most part people seemed unaware,
confused, or simply perplexed by what was passing by them...
except this guy, who was AWESOME
Awesome guy: I like the cowbell!
Joel: Ah, yeah?
Awesome guy: You need more cowbell!
Joel: We DO need more cowbell!
Joel: And now every time I change
lanes I tell people that there's a little more cowbell in the world
Awesome guy: MORE COWBELL
I think we can all agree that it's only a matter of time until this device becomes
standard equipment on every new motor vehicle
because you can never have too much cowbell
Hope you enjoyed watching,
consider subscribing,
music is on the way
and I will see you next time