Strange lighting fault(?) which involves a child's toy.

[Rampage]

Bear with me.

Our toddler has got a toy which is a wooden board with cut-outs to put various shapes of wooden vehicles into. When the correct vehicle is put in the correct slot it makes an imitation noise of the particular vehicle. This toy is battery powered and doesn't connect to the 'mains' at all.

When we turn the lounge light off at night, it starts making noises. The lounge light is a compact fluorescent, which is around 3 meters away, the wiring for the switch is even further away and no wiring goes near where the toy is.
Any ideas?


EDIT: Just worked this out while posting it! I'll leave it unanswered incase anyone wants a guess.

 

[snowhead]

It's lonely?
It doesn't like the dark?

It's got a light sensor in it to remind you to turn it off before you go to bed?

 

[Richard Burns]

The cockroaches come out in the dark and play with the toy?

 

[DNS1]

Come on Rampage, put us out of our misery... Can't work this one out!

 

[bodgit & scarpe]

What makes the noises, the light or the toy ?

 

[AP Electrical]

As above board has light sensors where shapes Fit in.

 

[kathwilcox]

blame woody and buzz!

 

[DPG]

RF emissions from the energy saving lightbulb. Daz

 

[Tim]

Im with DPG on the rf emmisions

 

[Rampage]

Sorry, forgot all about this!

It was the toy making the noise, although the lightbulb does give out a very high pitched buzz.

As above board has light sensors where shapes Fit in.

You wern't the first to mention a light sensor but your exactly right!

There is a metal plate in the back of each shape, I assumed this made contact with something on the main board to complete a circuit. But then I remembered that each hole on the board actually has a light sensor so I believe it is this that does it. I'm not sure what the metal plate is for though!

 

[AP Electrical]

My boys got the same one!!!!!, he's a couple of toy boxes which are forever making strange noises a toys in there move and press buttons etc...

 

[Phil]

now the best bit is still to come.

wait till they get bigger and they go into the big toy box called a loft.

one night all of a sudden when everyone was going to sleep I keep getting nagged at over strange noises. every time I went up stairs they seemed to stop and were intermittent.
one night I had enough of taking the normal nagging and went into the loft. turned out it was the wheels on the bus toy. must have had some dam good batteries in it as it had been going for months. every time I hear that dam song it drives me mad now

 

[GLENNSPARK]

now the best bit is still to come.

wait till they get bigger and they go into the big toy box called a loft.

one night all of a sudden when everyone was going to sleep I keep getting nagged at over strange noises. every time I went up stairs they seemed to stop and were intermittent.
one night I had enough of taking the normal nagging and went into the loft. turned out it was the wheels on the bus toy. must have had some dam good batteries in it as it had been going for months. every time I hear that dam song it drives me mad now

we all get `bigger` phil.....

​

A Poem for Remembrance Day "The inquisitive mind of a child" Why are they selling poppies, Mummy? Selling poppies in town today. The poppies, child, are flowers of love. For the men who marched away. But why have they chosen a poppy, Mummy? Why not a beautiful rose? Because my child, men fought and died In the fields where the poppies grow. But why are the poppies so red, Mummy? Why are the poppies so red? Red is the colour of blood, my child. The blood that our soldiers shed. The heart of the poppy is black, Mummy. Why does it have to be black? Black, my child, is the symbol of grief. For the men who never came back. But why, Mummy are you crying so? Your tears are giving you pain. My tears are my fears for you my child. For the world is forgetting again. Author Unknown [List of poems] [NEXT POEM]​ [ANZAC DAY SERVICES] Copyright © ANZAC Day Commemoration Committee (Qld) Incorporated​

 

[Rampage]

This is it:

 

[GLENNSPARK]

well...the switch is at 230V (nominal)...the ballast will be cosiderably higher.....

 

[lfcsparkycus]

now the best bit is still to come.

wait till they get bigger and they go into the big toy box called a loft.

one night all of a sudden when everyone was going to sleep I keep getting nagged at over strange noises. every time I went up stairs they seemed to stop and were intermittent.
one night I had enough of taking the normal nagging and went into the loft. turned out it was the wheels on the bus toy. must have had some dam good batteries in it as it had been going for months. every time I hear that dam song it drives me mad now

we had same problem with that damn yellow bus, the wheels on the bus go round and round, round and round arrrrrrgghhhhhhh!