Strobe Ghost (Strobe Light, Egg Strobe) - Halloween Ideas

Last Update : 01/21/2001

Figure 1-1

The Strobe Ghost is a lightweight yard display that costs under $20 dollars. The original Strobe Light Ghost can be found on the 2 Scary Guys web site. The strobe light ghost illuminates the darkness with an eerie effect when strategically placed in a dark area of your yard. Figure 1-1 shows my ghost in daylight.

The strobe ghost uses a pie tin cut in half with two eyes holes cut out for the head. The pie tin is cut in half and both sides are married together to form the head. An egg strobe is placed between the halves inside the head. What is an egg strobe? It is simply a cheap strobe light fixture in a self-contained clear plastic “egg” that has a standard light bulb base to be used in a standard light fixture.  See figure 1-2.

Figure 1-2 depicts a couple of egg strobe lights. These lights cost around $10.00 and can be found at Cheap Lights. There is a small “tunable/adjustable” switch on the underside of the egg to adjust the strobe's speed.

Figure 1-2

I mounted the egg strobe using the guts of a work light, a clip on reflector work light that costs about $5.00 at Wal-Mart and takes a standard light bulb. See Figure 1-3.

Figure 1-3

I took off the metal "hood" and ended up with a light receptacle with a standard cord and 120 VAC plug end.

I mounted the light fixture on a "T" frame made of PVC that I painted black. I then secured the pie halves around the egg strobe. I utilized some aluminum heating tape to tape the pie halves together and also tape the head to the PVC frame.

I ran the light's cord down the frame's stem and taped it with black tape every 2 feet. I plugged the light into an extension core and mounted the PVC stem into the ground.

The entire ghost is then wrapped in CLEAR plastic sold as a drop cloth or window insulation. I used a pretty heavy grade so that it could withstand the wind. I also used a bungee cord woven within the plastic and wrapped around the frame to secure the plastic even more.

The prop worked best in the darkest areas of the yard. The strobe setting was set to strobe at the slowest rate. When the strobe light went off, the light would reflect down into the plastic and would illuminate the outline of what would looked like a ghost or phantom. When the light disappears (each strobe of the light), the ghost seemingly vanishes from sight.

The prop is easy to build, cheap, and stores nicely.