South Berkeley Electronics

Discontinued Hanukkiahs

The menorahs on this page are no longer in production. This page continues to exist so that owners of these menorahs can find the instructions for them.

If you would like to order a new menorah, check out our current Hanukias page!

User Manual

Kit Instructions

FAQ

Models

SBE has two models of Hanukiah to offer. They both operate identically and use the same LEDs. One is a bit more compact than the other. Both can stand on their own and also have a hole above the shamash so that you can hang it from a "Hanukkah bush."

You can also order either menorah as a kit from Tindie. The kits are simple but you will have to do a lot of SMT soldering. If you are uncomfortable soldering "0805" sized parts (model I) or "0603" parts (model II), this is not the kit for you. Kit Instructions

The Model I

5 1/8 " (W) x 3 3/8" (H) x 5/8" (D) (appx.)

The Model II

7 1/16 " (W) x 4 1/8" (H) x 5/8" (D) (appx.)

Buy the kit on Tindie

Basic Operation

Put 2 AAA batteries in the battery holder on the back.
Turn the hanukiah on by pressing the “on” button.
Advance to the next night by pressing the “night” button for a moment (less than a second).
Advance to a different mode or effect by pressing the “night” button for about two seconds, but less than four seconds.
Turn the menorah off by pressing and holding the “night” button for four seconds. (It also turns off on its own after 20 minutes unless you adjust that setting -- see below)

Modes

Sure, a simple menorah is fun, but why keep it simple? We added several fun “trick modes” to this menorah to entertain you and brighten the holiday.

When you turn the menorah on at first, it will be in a default “menorah mode” with a flickering candle simulation. Other modes include a menorah mode with without flickering and a few fun “chaser” modes that honestly have nothing to do with Hanukkah, but when you've got a microcontroller and some LEDS how can you not, amirite?

There is also a mode for adjusting the time the menorah stays on before turning itself off.

About "secret message" mode

The secret message mode uses your eye’s persistence of vision to spell out a secret message.

When you are in secret message mode the left-most LED stays lit to let you know the hanukiah is still on and is in message mode. Hold the hanukiah by the base, with your arm outstretched and with the candles pointing left and the base pointing right. Then, sweep your hand from left to right at a moderate speed and short-press the “night” button just as you start moving your arm. If you are lucky you should see one word of a secret message with each short-press. If the hanukiah is still as you press, it will just look like most of the LEDs flashed a few times. If it is moving left-to-right steadily, you should see a message. It takes some practice to be able to see this. Being in a darkened room helps -- but if you do in a dark room, try not to hit yourself or anyone else.

Precautions

This Hanukiah consists of electronic components soldered onto printed circuit board. It's perfectly safe to handle, but the menorah should not be used where a small child might put it in his or her mouth. (Also, it's gonna be yucky you’re likely to break it that way.)

Also, one of the fun trick modes of this menorah, the “secret message” mode involves swinging the menorah around in the dark. Be careful not to hit anyone! We’re not responsible for broken noses!

Storage

A pair of AAA batteries should power this hanukiah for eight days with no problem. In fact, they might even last eight years -- a miracle! However, just to protect your menorah, we recommend you remove the batteries between Hanukkahs in order to avoid the ickines of battery leaks.

Hacking

Want to hack this menorah? Learn about microcontrollers? Make it do something weird and fun? Have at it!

Here is a schematic diagram so you can see how the chips and LED are hooked up, and there is a simple Arduino-style sketch in this github repo you can use to get started.

In order to reprogram the menorah, you will need a device programmer, like this one, and you'll probably want to solder on a programming header, like this one. You can use another AVR programmer, but the Sparkfun model linked can provide 5V power, which is very convenient, since the 3V from the batteries are not sufficient for programming. You can use the Arduino IDE to write and compile your program, but you will need to install the AttinyCore package (which you can install from inside the IDE) to build code for the process on the hanukiah.

If you "brick" your menorah, I may be able to get you back in business, so contact me for help.

Frequently Asked Questions

You have questions, we have answers!

Support & Warranty

This hanukiah comes with a limited warranty from South Berkeley Electronics. It covers any defects in material or workmanship under normal use for one full year from date of purchase. During the one-year warranty period, South Berkeley Electronics will repair or replace at no charge, parts of this menorah that prove defective because of improper material or workmanship, under normal use. Contact us directly for warranty issues.

We want you to be very happy with your menorah. If you have any questions or something is amiss, do not hesitate to contact us at "dave -@- southberkeleyelectronics.com" (remove the dashes and spaces)

Printable Owner's Manual

You can download this owner's manual a pdf right here.

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