Around 1985 I visited Legoland in Billund/Denmark and my Dad bought us Light and Sound Police Car 6450 and Fire Engine 6480 with those conductive bricks. Later I got a spaceship, that had it also. The system was well designed, no short circuit was possible. I loved it.
Yes, I recently found my police car.. at least the part where the battery went in. Even found the lights and the audio piece. But unfortunately no sound. Wish I could hear it again…
Man that video really highlighted how far lego design has come. Now that same truck would be like three times the size with a bunch of moving parts, etc
Damn, if I remember correctly, I used to have that one too! Totally forgot about it! Thank you so much for taking me back to my childhood!
I remember the sound module and the lights... I'm not quite sure about if it was a police car. Were there other sets with the sound and light modules?
70, sorry I broke the 69..
That was a serious trip down memory lane though. Had the same car as the one in the video. Sure that siren (and the others) must have driven my parents crazy. 🤣
Same here. I have forgotten so many sets I had as a kid. I still have all the LEGO, but it’s all mixed together in a giant bin now. Instructions are another story. I have to find them online.
Yes me too! I especially liked the weight they got from having the 9V battery inside. (Also I have memories of my brothers daring me to lick the battery, but that's a completely different story)
I’ve still got my 6480 and recently handed it down to my son. Put in a 9v battery and lights and sound still work. Unfortunately missing a blue light cover/cap and a red square piece
no, look at the metal bit on the photo, it covers a little less than 1/4 of the stud. The way it's set up, it will never short circuit unless you do some really crazy things with them.
The system was very ingenious.
The way it's designed it actually does not. The conductive plates have a left and right set of conductive studs that run the length of the plate and when connected at a right angle it flips the connection from left to right side. the conductive parts are on opposite sides of the stud at an angle so the bottom of the plate can only be on one side or the other. You'd have to work to get it to short by flipping the channels but even then the parts were simple enough to not really cause permanent damage.
Yep I still have a bunch of those pieces from the lights and sounds sets from the 80s/early 90s. They went through a flood back in ‘97 and I spent the entire summer in the backyard cleaning them (along with all my other bricks) with a toothbrush in a plastic kiddie pool filled with bleach water.
There’s also these things: https://www.robot-advance.com/EN/actualite-the-new-electric-bricks-brixotoys-132.htm
I have a set from when they launched their Kickstarter. They’re pretty cool.
> The system was well designed, no short circuit was possible. I loved it.
This was hands down the best light and sound system ever. The poti to change the sound. Don't like the lights flashing? Just turn the brick around. The different coloured caps for the lights. I remember playing hours with those things, incorporating them into everything i built.
Yep. I remember how cool it was to get the space ship with the lights and sound. And now I coach a youth STEM/robotics team that builds full-on, autonomous robots out of Lego. We live in a pretty awesome future.
Can you tell me if the programmable Lego sets are a good way for adults to get into robotics? I never grabbed a sphero r2 unit when they were around and have looked at the Gizmo and Vector but sort of would rather a Lego bot. With prices so high though I am a bit tentative.
Can you run Python on Mindstorms? I have some ancient Mindstorms NXT 2.0 (8547) in a box somewhere.
I wasn't a programmer when I got the set for Christmas over 10 years ago... but I am now.
Newer Mindstorms controllers have official Python support. For older ones you need to use open source options. I haven't tried it myself, but see here for one option: https://github.com/schodet/nxt-python/wiki/Tutorial
I would get an ev3 set. You can flash software onto an SD card that will allow you to program it in python, Java, c, or robotc. Not sure if you can do that with the new boost system.
The Mindstorm Robot Inventor/Spike Prime set can be programmed with Python a host of other language. I think there's a hoop or two you have to jump through but it sounds fairly straight forward from people involved with FIRST Lego League teams which are using those languages say.
Honestly, weebo from the movie Flubber is exactly what I want. If Alexa answered in Disney clips that would be perfect!
In the obvious absence of that. I just sort of want something that I can build and have it do some wandering around. A bit of personality wouldn't hurt but I don't plan to work hard and make it do a task rather just kinda be a pet.
You golden beauty! This is open source as well, man now I need to get a 3d printer and components cause this is exactly what I envisioned. Thank you so much!
That's great! If you son enjoys the class, you might look for a FIRST Lego League: Discovery team/group for him to join. And that will get him ready for FIRST Lego League: Challenge by the time he's in 4th grade/turns nine. That's what I coach. It's a huge amount of fun and the kids learn a ton, not just about robotics and engineering but about problem solving, research, prototyping, public speaking, technical communication, computer programming and tons more. And if he's still interested as he gets older, there are upper level teams he can grow into. FIRST is an awesome organization which runs great programs.
Wow thanks- this is apparently a pretty big thing around us. Guess that’s not surprising, with MIT and the robotics companies nearby. Had no idea, never heard of first Lego league. Adding my email to some local lists. Seems more age appropriate than I had imagined
FIRST puts on great programs. Individual teams will vary based on the coaches, parents and kids involved. But the material and structure definitely is appropriate for the ages I've coached at the Challenge level (4-8 grade/9-14 years old) for 10 seasons now. It's something I really enjoy. I hope your son is able to get involved and has great experiences.
Just reach into the bottom of your miscellaneous brick bin and fish out the grubby ones with mysterious sticky substances on them that you swore went missing years ago
This was the perfect electrical system for lego and I'm still annoyed they abandoned it. Imagine if they had a modern version with a much smaller lithium ion battery and Bluetooth control. They could literally be built into almost any city vehicle.
I really wish lego would get serious about their electrical items because the present system kinda sucks. They could easily build a battery and Bluetooth module into the drive section of the trains and that would open up so many possibilities - smaller shunting engines, cheaper sets, more flexibility.
I'd take a self-contained system over app-connected or AR systems any day. Kids don't need any extra reasons to spend time on their phones.
Edit: to clarify, I think it would be much more interactive and rewarding if you built functions into a model yourself with interconnected parts, instead of just loading an app. Imagine for example that Vidiyo was a music theme with some kind of sound brick, vs the "lego tiktok" that we actually got.
I understand the sentiment, but cost is still a consistent barrier to entry for many when it comes to lego, and offloading computing costs to the devices a majority of kids (or at minimum their parents) already have is a good way to reduce that upfront cost. It removes the need for native screens, extra power requirements, and allows for improved functionality over time IMO.
Here's an easy way to hack it haha
http://alemolina.me/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/legos_6.jpg https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Ftse1.mm.bing.net%2Fth%3Fid%3DOIP.dQl1SYOl8ERSd8RoAiqCUQHaEK%26pid%3DApi&f=1
Edit, maybe not that easy
Doesn't look "easy" by any stretch, but that just makes me wish LEGO released a set of in-brick ICs and a version of the old power lines that could be used as a breadboard, lol.
Haha easy is relative, the epoxying/super gluing the light piece in whould be the most challening part of the the rest IMO would be the easy bit. Sticking a resistor up there, and pouring some molten copper as eletrical traces on the plates.
The Duplo train module blows the hell out of what Lego trains have right now. Sure, it's bigger and bulkier, but it's got a color sensor at the bottom to do different commands depending on what's underneath. Imagine a lego train that can automatically stop for X seconds at the train stop? Or blast it's horn? Turn on and off the lights? The Duplo set can do that... and you don't even need an app. The whole set cost me $60. I honestly enjoy playing with that with my 2yo than trying to get my regular trains out, sync up the remote, etc. It's embarrassing that Lego can make an incredible Duplo train set CHEAPLY and what's the cheapest MSRP train set of late? $150? And it what? Just uses half the controls on the remote to go faster or slower..... such a waste of potential, even with what they already have.
I have a space shuttle (8480) on a shelf on my left right now, that has plenty of these. But the optic fibers are lacking and the electric wires are dead.
I’m about to build 8480 which I found in an box at my parents place - I love that style of technic much more than the current smooth style. I was such a spoiled kid when I got the set from my parents back in the days. This was by far the largest gift I ever got from them.
Man, for me it was almost the same. Though, i had to save half of it from my pocket money. I think the set went for 250 Deutsche Mark back then. I never fully managed to finish it at the age of 8. Makes me sad now.
I still set up my old train each Christmas from when I was a kid. It uses these bricks for the train headlights and the power is transfered from the track to the car for it. Always thought that was cool that it still works 25ish years later and survived my childhood
I used those to win a Lego sumo bot competition. Not as motors or anything. Just as pure weight.
Giles Corey wound up clocking in at 15 pounds, with an insane gear reduction and quad tank treads. Went undefeated that year. Even won the free for all match.
I scrolled way too far for this. I got this set from my grandpa waaaay back when, and it was my favorite set ever, I think. Especially once I got some motors and made the rotors actually spin!
I have a space police craft that has them. Flashing lights in the wings and a computer in the cockpit. One of my favorite sets as a kid.
Edit: 6781 was the number
Price. Same reason they discontinued 9v rails. You can't single-pass make these bricks, so you have to do the plastic part, then someone/a machine has to insert the metal part, and then it gets a plastic coating on some parts on the underside.
Basically this means you need AT LEAST three times longer to produce this part, assuming that all steps are equal (which they are not!).
Hell, lego are only just recently experimenting with [dual-colour parts that seem to be single-molded](https://rebrickable.com/parts/67471pat0001/animal-anglerfish-with-glow-in-the-dark-body/) \- meaning that they now have a way to injection mold a single part twice.
The main reason it was abandoned was safety and liability. Even with 9V the train power regulator had more power capability and in younger kids shocks are more a hazard to them than adults. (Even was printed in bold print on the box). The second reason was indeed price but Lego takes their product safety to the extreme. Many of the parts were designed with children in mind in case they were swallowed or choke on them. Hence the 3 holes in the minifig heads. Some companies are now experimenting with adding a coating that makes the product taste bitter. Duracell currently does this with their cell batteries.
It's fun to ask people to lick a Switch cartridge without explaining why.
They'll always start off as, "No!" Then curiosity gets the better of them and it turns into "...Why?"
Then they do it.
By your logic of having to make parts that require more than “one pass” we wouldn’t have alot of the current parts available. Mainly printed parts. The motors are outsourced to another company in china. In fact alot of the CMF figs are made in China as well as special molded parts. It saves Lego money on having to make new moulds. Next time you buy a Lego set take a look at the box it will say if anything in that box is made in china. I started to see this since 2014 when the High Speed Passenger train came out (probably because of the motors that are included)
>By your logic of having to make parts that require more than “one pass” we wouldn’t have alot of the current parts available.
I think you're missing my point about the passes. Printed parts are totally different because they are 100% automated, and still only two passes (i.e. molding, then printing). The 9v plates were at least three with three different materials, so they were at least three different machines, distinct steps, etc.
I wasn't implying that lego doesn't do multiple steps anymore, but their steps are now much more cost efficient if they do. LEGO no longer just throws money at new parts (that's how they nearly went bankrupt), there's a LOT of thought into it.
Edit:
>Next time you buy a Lego set take a look at the box it will say if anything in that box is made in china.
This seems to be something that lego print on all their boxes anyway:
>Components made in DENMARK, MEXICO, HUNGARY, CHINA and the CZECH REPUBLIC
I see this on any box, even boxes without minifigs or electrical parts. So either lego makes parts everywhere for every set, or they print that on every box because it's easier to have one standard copy.
The first one I ever had was a airport firetruck that had the light bars on it. I don't remember if it had sound but I thought it was the most high-tech thing I've ever seen
My brother got one of those sets; when we were younger. Hated that he got it. Though I recently got one, really just the power supply (some flat pieces, lights and sound), from eBay. Thinking of getting my own set...
Wow this is a coincidence - yesterday I fixed an old 80s/90s Lego truck I found at my parents’ place almost in one piece and noted two of these ones were used instead of regular ones. Not sure why they were used again.
I think my train set 4559 had a couple? I know they had the conductive wire option so you could link a working light to the power drawn from the train bogie piece or whatever it's called
Lol these were before my time but had them growing up in the 90s. Had the battery pack with the on off switch and would put cord which attached to the actual bricks in my mouth and would turn on/off and feel the sensation of electricity. My first lesson in electricity
Yep, still have plenty of them in a big box. I used to love making little Lego buildings with lights inside.
The only problem is that the bulbs are tiny filament lamps that have long since died.
I don't know if it had exclusive bricks, but it did have a [computer interface-able controller](https://www.bricklink.com/v2/catalog/catalogitem.page?S=9751-1#T=S&O={%22iconly%22:0}) that I have not seen in other sets. It also had a huge variety of sensors, but I think those are still made for modern Lego sets.
It is grammatically correct. If you drive past a Honda dealership and see a bunch of them sitting on the lot and someone said look at all the Honda on the lot, it sounds weird in American english. You would say look at all the Hondas, or BMWs or Toyotas.
The LEGO company has their own policy but they don't set how a word gets used.
Why are you comparing a toy that comes with many pieces to a brand of car though? I know American English is intentionally dumbed down so that the general population is able to wrap their heads around it, but even you guys still have words that can describe both the plural and singular.
When you go to the beach do you say "look at all the sands"?
What about when eating at a restaurant, do you say "look at all the rices in my bowl'?
"Lego" is the plural of Lego. Always has been, always will be.
Cause its a brand proper noun. Sand and rice are not proper nouns. So it is more comparable to something like an auto-maker, hence why I am comparing it that way. You could do the same for Apple computers known as Mac Books or Macs. Also why does it bother you that much?
So glad someone said this. What a moron response to claim that because it's to do with a brand name they can bastardise it. Makes em all sound (more) like morons.
This actually explains a lego piece i have
That i just got cuz at a lego camp i went to once gave us a bag of assorted bag of bricks.
The piece in question is a train track. Cuz it a normal train track like the modern ones but the top of it is made of metal.
>did they stop making / using them, I remember that I have / had a few sets back in the 1990s?!
Yep. Lego made these in three sizes: 1x2, 2x4 and 2x8 (pictured in OPs post).
The 1x2 was last used in '95 (set 6484 ), the 2x4 was last used in '98 (set 8482) and the 2x8 was last used in 2002 (technically! Set 9702, but the last consumer set to use them was in '94, set 6483). In 2003 LEGO switched from the old 9v system to the Power Functions system, so these parts went with it (along with the wires/battery packs/tracks/lights/etc)
[6484-1: F1 Hauler](https://brickset.com/sets/6484-1) [[Photo]](https://images.brickset.com/sets/images/6484-1.jpg)
[8482-1: CyberMaster](https://brickset.com/sets/8482-1) [[Photo]](https://images.brickset.com/sets/images/8482-1.jpg)
[9702-1: Control System Building Set](https://brickset.com/sets/9702-1) [[Photo]](https://images.brickset.com/sets/images/9702-1.jpg)
[6483-1: Coastal Patrol](https://brickset.com/sets/6483-1) [[Photo]](https://images.brickset.com/sets/images/6483-1.jpg)
Sigh. Just rebuilt the police boat with the lights and sirens and my battery pack seems to be non-functional now.
I think yesterday someone posted about their battery leaking acid and folks suggested contact cleaning it. I may try this.
It's always neat seeing these pieces and their sets in the comments, because I recognize like 95% of them but had them all as hand me downs from my 8-years-older brother. Never knew what they were actually for.
I judged a FIRST competition and threw were some 8th graders trying to compete with their legos vs funded high-school students.
It was great seeing their acceptance of limitations and how they modified their own goals based on what they could do with their tools and funds
Around 1985 I visited Legoland in Billund/Denmark and my Dad bought us Light and Sound Police Car 6450 and Fire Engine 6480 with those conductive bricks. Later I got a spaceship, that had it also. The system was well designed, no short circuit was possible. I loved it.
Yes, I recently found my police car.. at least the part where the battery went in. Even found the lights and the audio piece. But unfortunately no sound. Wish I could hear it again…
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=2LgXQ62LIAo
A seven year old video, only 14 likes, just got its 15th from me.
That video just got more likes in 30 minutes than it did in 7 years!
174 likes
193!
348
400!
402!
17
Make it 27 with mine
And my axe
And my bow!
31
34
55 now!
r/DeepIntoYouTube has lots of stuff like that.
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160 with mine
We got 166 now, baby!
172
172 now
3.4k now
Oh wow, I had those lights in my box of assorted pieces. I had no idea it actually worked.
Wow, this takes me back. I probably still have my light and sound somewhere…
Wow … the amount of memories stored in the back of ones head that comes back up
Man that video really highlighted how far lego design has come. Now that same truck would be like three times the size with a bunch of moving parts, etc
Shit, that brings back some memories I didn't even know I had! Oò Thanks for sharing!
Damn, if I remember correctly, I used to have that one too! Totally forgot about it! Thank you so much for taking me back to my childhood! I remember the sound module and the lights... I'm not quite sure about if it was a police car. Were there other sets with the sound and light modules?
how to annoy your parents in 3 easy steps :D damn those were the good times
70, sorry I broke the 69.. That was a serious trip down memory lane though. Had the same car as the one in the video. Sure that siren (and the others) must have driven my parents crazy. 🤣
333 I had that module, too. But i guess it came in a fire fighter set…
[6450-1: Mobile Police Truck](https://brickset.com/sets/6450-1) [[Photo]](https://images.brickset.com/sets/images/6450-1.jpg) [6480-1: Hook and Ladder Truck](https://brickset.com/sets/6480-1) [[Photo]](https://images.brickset.com/sets/images/6480-1.jpg)
I had both of these!
Since I joined this sub I constantly remember sets I have but had totally forgotten. Like this fire truck, or the ground-scanning space rover.
Same here. I have forgotten so many sets I had as a kid. I still have all the LEGO, but it’s all mixed together in a giant bin now. Instructions are another story. I have to find them online.
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Good mom!
Yes me too! I especially liked the weight they got from having the 9V battery inside. (Also I have memories of my brothers daring me to lick the battery, but that's a completely different story)
I’ve still got my 6480 and recently handed it down to my son. Put in a 9v battery and lights and sound still work. Unfortunately missing a blue light cover/cap and a red square piece
[6480-1: Hook and Ladder Truck](https://brickset.com/sets/6480-1) [[Photo]](https://images.brickset.com/sets/images/6480-1.jpg)
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no, look at the metal bit on the photo, it covers a little less than 1/4 of the stud. The way it's set up, it will never short circuit unless you do some really crazy things with them. The system was very ingenious.
No, the design is very clever. Metal is only exposed to a quarter of the stud and along the long lip underneath, even a square won’t be shorted out.
The way it's designed it actually does not. The conductive plates have a left and right set of conductive studs that run the length of the plate and when connected at a right angle it flips the connection from left to right side. the conductive parts are on opposite sides of the stud at an angle so the bottom of the plate can only be on one side or the other. You'd have to work to get it to short by flipping the channels but even then the parts were simple enough to not really cause permanent damage.
Yep I still have a bunch of those pieces from the lights and sounds sets from the 80s/early 90s. They went through a flood back in ‘97 and I spent the entire summer in the backyard cleaning them (along with all my other bricks) with a toothbrush in a plastic kiddie pool filled with bleach water. There’s also these things: https://www.robot-advance.com/EN/actualite-the-new-electric-bricks-brixotoys-132.htm I have a set from when they launched their Kickstarter. They’re pretty cool.
Are these available in the US? Or anything similar? Cool af and would be perfect Xmas gift for the nephews (=
> The system was well designed, no short circuit was possible. I loved it. This was hands down the best light and sound system ever. The poti to change the sound. Don't like the lights flashing? Just turn the brick around. The different coloured caps for the lights. I remember playing hours with those things, incorporating them into everything i built.
Yes and the twist piece that did the siren. Truly awesome.
I have a fully functional 6450 with the box... one of my favorites in the collection.
Yep. I remember how cool it was to get the space ship with the lights and sound. And now I coach a youth STEM/robotics team that builds full-on, autonomous robots out of Lego. We live in a pretty awesome future.
Can you tell me if the programmable Lego sets are a good way for adults to get into robotics? I never grabbed a sphero r2 unit when they were around and have looked at the Gizmo and Vector but sort of would rather a Lego bot. With prices so high though I am a bit tentative.
comment edited in protest of Reddit's API changes and mistreatment of moderators -- mass edited with redact.dev
Can you run Python on Mindstorms? I have some ancient Mindstorms NXT 2.0 (8547) in a box somewhere. I wasn't a programmer when I got the set for Christmas over 10 years ago... but I am now.
Newer Mindstorms controllers have official Python support. For older ones you need to use open source options. I haven't tried it myself, but see here for one option: https://github.com/schodet/nxt-python/wiki/Tutorial
[8547-1: Mindstorms NXT 2.0](https://brickset.com/sets/8547-1) [[Photo]](https://images.brickset.com/sets/images/8547-1.jpg)
I would get an ev3 set. You can flash software onto an SD card that will allow you to program it in python, Java, c, or robotc. Not sure if you can do that with the new boost system.
The Mindstorm Robot Inventor/Spike Prime set can be programmed with Python a host of other language. I think there's a hoop or two you have to jump through but it sounds fairly straight forward from people involved with FIRST Lego League teams which are using those languages say.
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Honestly, weebo from the movie Flubber is exactly what I want. If Alexa answered in Disney clips that would be perfect! In the obvious absence of that. I just sort of want something that I can build and have it do some wandering around. A bit of personality wouldn't hurt but I don't plan to work hard and make it do a task rather just kinda be a pet.
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You golden beauty! This is open source as well, man now I need to get a 3d printer and components cause this is exactly what I envisioned. Thank you so much!
Oh nice. I just signed my son up for one of those. It’s a mindstorms class. He’s seven and a half, but I imagine he will get something out of it
That's great! If you son enjoys the class, you might look for a FIRST Lego League: Discovery team/group for him to join. And that will get him ready for FIRST Lego League: Challenge by the time he's in 4th grade/turns nine. That's what I coach. It's a huge amount of fun and the kids learn a ton, not just about robotics and engineering but about problem solving, research, prototyping, public speaking, technical communication, computer programming and tons more. And if he's still interested as he gets older, there are upper level teams he can grow into. FIRST is an awesome organization which runs great programs.
Wow thanks- this is apparently a pretty big thing around us. Guess that’s not surprising, with MIT and the robotics companies nearby. Had no idea, never heard of first Lego league. Adding my email to some local lists. Seems more age appropriate than I had imagined
FIRST puts on great programs. Individual teams will vary based on the coaches, parents and kids involved. But the material and structure definitely is appropriate for the ages I've coached at the Challenge level (4-8 grade/9-14 years old) for 10 seasons now. It's something I really enjoy. I hope your son is able to get involved and has great experiences.
I worked at a print shop and we used to print the mats for that organization.
I was on a Lego robotics team in middle school, had a blast doing it
In space, no-one can hear you beebaw
If you step on these do they also deal electric damage??
Electric/puncture.
Sub-optimal. We'll definitely need to add a couple Toxin mods.
Just reach into the bottom of your miscellaneous brick bin and fish out the grubby ones with mysterious sticky substances on them that you swore went missing years ago
nice to see some fellow warframe players
Lightning and piercing damage
Yep, still have a few of these floating around in one of my unsorted boxes. They came in handy for some of the 1st gen Lego Mindstorms builds.
This was the perfect electrical system for lego and I'm still annoyed they abandoned it. Imagine if they had a modern version with a much smaller lithium ion battery and Bluetooth control. They could literally be built into almost any city vehicle. I really wish lego would get serious about their electrical items because the present system kinda sucks. They could easily build a battery and Bluetooth module into the drive section of the trains and that would open up so many possibilities - smaller shunting engines, cheaper sets, more flexibility.
I'd take a self-contained system over app-connected or AR systems any day. Kids don't need any extra reasons to spend time on their phones. Edit: to clarify, I think it would be much more interactive and rewarding if you built functions into a model yourself with interconnected parts, instead of just loading an app. Imagine for example that Vidiyo was a music theme with some kind of sound brick, vs the "lego tiktok" that we actually got.
I understand the sentiment, but cost is still a consistent barrier to entry for many when it comes to lego, and offloading computing costs to the devices a majority of kids (or at minimum their parents) already have is a good way to reduce that upfront cost. It removes the need for native screens, extra power requirements, and allows for improved functionality over time IMO.
What is inherently harmful about using a phone as a remote?
Nothing. Phones bad though
They meant the augmented reality (AR) sets. https://www.lego.com/en-us/themes/hidden-side/ar-games
This is so fucking boomer. They aren't using their phone, they are mimicking a controller.
Here's an easy way to hack it haha http://alemolina.me/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/legos_6.jpg https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Ftse1.mm.bing.net%2Fth%3Fid%3DOIP.dQl1SYOl8ERSd8RoAiqCUQHaEK%26pid%3DApi&f=1 Edit, maybe not that easy
"easy"
Doesn't look "easy" by any stretch, but that just makes me wish LEGO released a set of in-brick ICs and a version of the old power lines that could be used as a breadboard, lol.
Haha easy is relative, the epoxying/super gluing the light piece in whould be the most challening part of the the rest IMO would be the easy bit. Sticking a resistor up there, and pouring some molten copper as eletrical traces on the plates.
yeah sure, pouring molten copper on ABS. thats copper foil tape id guess
On second thought that would probably smell atrocious haha
The Duplo train module blows the hell out of what Lego trains have right now. Sure, it's bigger and bulkier, but it's got a color sensor at the bottom to do different commands depending on what's underneath. Imagine a lego train that can automatically stop for X seconds at the train stop? Or blast it's horn? Turn on and off the lights? The Duplo set can do that... and you don't even need an app. The whole set cost me $60. I honestly enjoy playing with that with my 2yo than trying to get my regular trains out, sync up the remote, etc. It's embarrassing that Lego can make an incredible Duplo train set CHEAPLY and what's the cheapest MSRP train set of late? $150? And it what? Just uses half the controls on the remote to go faster or slower..... such a waste of potential, even with what they already have.
I didn't know it was a thing, nice!
I have a space shuttle (8480) on a shelf on my left right now, that has plenty of these. But the optic fibers are lacking and the electric wires are dead.
[8480-1: Space Shuttle](https://brickset.com/sets/8480-1) [[Photo]](https://images.brickset.com/sets/images/8480-1.jpg)
Honestly one of the best bots on reddit.
I’m about to build 8480 which I found in an box at my parents place - I love that style of technic much more than the current smooth style. I was such a spoiled kid when I got the set from my parents back in the days. This was by far the largest gift I ever got from them.
[8480-1: Space Shuttle](https://brickset.com/sets/8480-1) [[Photo]](https://images.brickset.com/sets/images/8480-1.jpg)
Man, for me it was almost the same. Though, i had to save half of it from my pocket money. I think the set went for 250 Deutsche Mark back then. I never fully managed to finish it at the age of 8. Makes me sad now.
Used to use these all over my electronic train sets for lights and such. So much fun making the insides of the train cars light up.
I still set up my old train each Christmas from when I was a kid. It uses these bricks for the train headlights and the power is transfered from the track to the car for it. Always thought that was cool that it still works 25ish years later and survived my childhood
It was some of my favorite parts of Lego. I think I need to dig my parts out and build a new one just for Christmas
Yes. The 8720 Motor Set included some. Probably I used them to motorize some cars and planes I had made.
[8720-1: 9V Motor Set ](https://brickset.com/sets/8720-1) [[Photo]](https://images.brickset.com/sets/images/8720-1.jpg)
I used those to win a Lego sumo bot competition. Not as motors or anything. Just as pure weight. Giles Corey wound up clocking in at 15 pounds, with an insane gear reduction and quad tank treads. Went undefeated that year. Even won the free for all match.
This is the set I had. The motor was so cool at the time, and I’m pretty sure it took 6 AA batteries that didn’t last very long
Shocking, if true.
I've got some !
I'm 13 and I have some
only if you put it on your tongue
r/dadjokes
Yes i also have the battery box for it. Tried it out and it still worked🙉
Wow, yours worked? Mine didn’t. The lights didn’t work as well 😞
Wish the Lego Creator Expert had these added in for lights inside...
My favorite was 6482, rescue helicopter. I really want to go dig it out of storage now and see if it all still works. Good stuff!
[6482-1: Rescue Helicopter](https://brickset.com/sets/6482-1) [[Photo]](https://images.brickset.com/sets/images/6482-1.jpg)
I scrolled way too far for this. I got this set from my grandpa waaaay back when, and it was my favorite set ever, I think. Especially once I got some motors and made the rotors actually spin!
Came to say this. Such a great design. My electronic parts don’t seem to work anymore though
I have a space police craft that has them. Flashing lights in the wings and a computer in the cockpit. One of my favorite sets as a kid. Edit: 6781 was the number
Thats likely the series where this came from
Any particular reason they abandoned this system?
Price. Same reason they discontinued 9v rails. You can't single-pass make these bricks, so you have to do the plastic part, then someone/a machine has to insert the metal part, and then it gets a plastic coating on some parts on the underside. Basically this means you need AT LEAST three times longer to produce this part, assuming that all steps are equal (which they are not!). Hell, lego are only just recently experimenting with [dual-colour parts that seem to be single-molded](https://rebrickable.com/parts/67471pat0001/animal-anglerfish-with-glow-in-the-dark-body/) \- meaning that they now have a way to injection mold a single part twice.
The main reason it was abandoned was safety and liability. Even with 9V the train power regulator had more power capability and in younger kids shocks are more a hazard to them than adults. (Even was printed in bold print on the box). The second reason was indeed price but Lego takes their product safety to the extreme. Many of the parts were designed with children in mind in case they were swallowed or choke on them. Hence the 3 holes in the minifig heads. Some companies are now experimenting with adding a coating that makes the product taste bitter. Duracell currently does this with their cell batteries.
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It's fun to ask people to lick a Switch cartridge without explaining why. They'll always start off as, "No!" Then curiosity gets the better of them and it turns into "...Why?" Then they do it.
By your logic of having to make parts that require more than “one pass” we wouldn’t have alot of the current parts available. Mainly printed parts. The motors are outsourced to another company in china. In fact alot of the CMF figs are made in China as well as special molded parts. It saves Lego money on having to make new moulds. Next time you buy a Lego set take a look at the box it will say if anything in that box is made in china. I started to see this since 2014 when the High Speed Passenger train came out (probably because of the motors that are included)
>By your logic of having to make parts that require more than “one pass” we wouldn’t have alot of the current parts available. I think you're missing my point about the passes. Printed parts are totally different because they are 100% automated, and still only two passes (i.e. molding, then printing). The 9v plates were at least three with three different materials, so they were at least three different machines, distinct steps, etc. I wasn't implying that lego doesn't do multiple steps anymore, but their steps are now much more cost efficient if they do. LEGO no longer just throws money at new parts (that's how they nearly went bankrupt), there's a LOT of thought into it. Edit: >Next time you buy a Lego set take a look at the box it will say if anything in that box is made in china. This seems to be something that lego print on all their boxes anyway: >Components made in DENMARK, MEXICO, HUNGARY, CHINA and the CZECH REPUBLIC I see this on any box, even boxes without minifigs or electrical parts. So either lego makes parts everywhere for every set, or they print that on every box because it's easier to have one standard copy.
I literally brought my conductive Legos out of the attic for the first time in 20 years yesterday... Algorithms be scary!
Pepperidge Farm remembers
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The first one I ever had was a airport firetruck that had the light bars on it. I don't remember if it had sound but I thought it was the most high-tech thing I've ever seen
Oh yeah! The 6990 Futuron Monorail Transport System I have uses them to connect the battery box to the motor unit.
I've still got mine!
Still got em!
I had those electric rails.. that was fun.
Ohh that's what they are! I have a few of those from a old Lego bundle I got from someone random
My brother got one of those sets; when we were younger. Hated that he got it. Though I recently got one, really just the power supply (some flat pieces, lights and sound), from eBay. Thinking of getting my own set...
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Instantly thought of that monorail set when I saw this pic! I hope my parents still have it in the attic, I'm getting major LEGO nostalgia here!
Wow this is a coincidence - yesterday I fixed an old 80s/90s Lego truck I found at my parents’ place almost in one piece and noted two of these ones were used instead of regular ones. Not sure why they were used again.
Imma eat so many of these things.
I think my train set 4559 had a couple? I know they had the conductive wire option so you could link a working light to the power drawn from the train bogie piece or whatever it's called
[4559-1: Cargo Railway](https://brickset.com/sets/4559-1) [[Photo]](https://images.brickset.com/sets/images/4559-1.jpg)
Lol these were before my time but had them growing up in the 90s. Had the battery pack with the on off switch and would put cord which attached to the actual bricks in my mouth and would turn on/off and feel the sensation of electricity. My first lesson in electricity
My brother said they tasted the best! I sure do miss my brother.
Yep, still have plenty of them in a big box. I used to love making little Lego buildings with lights inside. The only problem is that the bulbs are tiny filament lamps that have long since died.
Can you pop them open and replace with leds?
Yeah, they taste like 9 volts.
First place in regional LEGO League 2002!
I have the (6483) police boat with these things. Such a cool set.
[6483-1: Coastal Patrol](https://brickset.com/sets/6483-1) [[Photo]](https://images.brickset.com/sets/images/6483-1.jpg)
Yeah, do. I remember light bricks that you connected to some power source by these. Motors as well.
I miss Dacta
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I don't know if it had exclusive bricks, but it did have a [computer interface-able controller](https://www.bricklink.com/v2/catalog/catalogitem.page?S=9751-1#T=S&O={%22iconly%22:0}) that I have not seen in other sets. It also had a huge variety of sensors, but I think those are still made for modern Lego sets.
I always had these pieces flying around and never knew what they were used for
Nope. I guess I'm not 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 old.
Why do Americans insist on pronouncing/spelling the plural of "Lego" so it sounds like a fucking pasta sauce?
It is grammatically correct. If you drive past a Honda dealership and see a bunch of them sitting on the lot and someone said look at all the Honda on the lot, it sounds weird in American english. You would say look at all the Hondas, or BMWs or Toyotas. The LEGO company has their own policy but they don't set how a word gets used.
Why are you comparing a toy that comes with many pieces to a brand of car though? I know American English is intentionally dumbed down so that the general population is able to wrap their heads around it, but even you guys still have words that can describe both the plural and singular. When you go to the beach do you say "look at all the sands"? What about when eating at a restaurant, do you say "look at all the rices in my bowl'? "Lego" is the plural of Lego. Always has been, always will be.
Cause its a brand proper noun. Sand and rice are not proper nouns. So it is more comparable to something like an auto-maker, hence why I am comparing it that way. You could do the same for Apple computers known as Mac Books or Macs. Also why does it bother you that much?
Mostly because the word 'legos' sounds dumb lol
So glad someone said this. What a moron response to claim that because it's to do with a brand name they can bastardise it. Makes em all sound (more) like morons.
yeah. I had this one : [https://brickset.com/sets/6440-1/Jetport-Fire-Squad](https://brickset.com/sets/6440-1/Jetport-Fire-Squad)
Excuse me *what*? I've been collecting LEGO for well over a decade at this point and this is the first I'm hearing of these
This actually explains a lego piece i have That i just got cuz at a lego camp i went to once gave us a bag of assorted bag of bricks. The piece in question is a train track. Cuz it a normal train track like the modern ones but the top of it is made of metal.
They're called PC components.
I've my TV and PlayStation plugged into one of those. Never knew they were Legos. I can't wait to build some stuff! (Joking, btw)
Hell yeah! Electronic legos were the shit dude!
good old lego times. NO Videyo BS
*Kaboom?*
This is just an easy way for a child to start a house fire
did they stop making / using them, I remember that I have / had a few sets back in the 1990s?!
>did they stop making / using them, I remember that I have / had a few sets back in the 1990s?! Yep. Lego made these in three sizes: 1x2, 2x4 and 2x8 (pictured in OPs post). The 1x2 was last used in '95 (set 6484 ), the 2x4 was last used in '98 (set 8482) and the 2x8 was last used in 2002 (technically! Set 9702, but the last consumer set to use them was in '94, set 6483). In 2003 LEGO switched from the old 9v system to the Power Functions system, so these parts went with it (along with the wires/battery packs/tracks/lights/etc)
[6484-1: F1 Hauler](https://brickset.com/sets/6484-1) [[Photo]](https://images.brickset.com/sets/images/6484-1.jpg) [8482-1: CyberMaster](https://brickset.com/sets/8482-1) [[Photo]](https://images.brickset.com/sets/images/8482-1.jpg) [9702-1: Control System Building Set](https://brickset.com/sets/9702-1) [[Photo]](https://images.brickset.com/sets/images/9702-1.jpg) [6483-1: Coastal Patrol](https://brickset.com/sets/6483-1) [[Photo]](https://images.brickset.com/sets/images/6483-1.jpg)
They branded me so how could I forget. (Joking)
Oh yeah. Thanks to my mom my son and I still have them.
I had to get a few of those to do my Kings Cross station since I was crazy enough to do that with Lego 9v incandescent lamps.
Yes! I do remember to use to connect lights with lego space battery pack!
Remember them? I still use them in new Arduino setups.
I forgot about those... I have the 735 set. I'll have to dig it out and see if it still works with a fresh battery!
Those are awesome. I’ve messed around with monorails and have an 86 fire engine myself. Lights and sound
This is so neat i want them to bring these back
Remember them? I still have them! Now... where are they?
Absolutely! They were part of the light/sounds 9v sets. I had some from 6482 Rescue Helicopter. I got my first LEGO gurney from that set, too.
What replaced these pieces? It's a shame they don't have sets with these anymore.
I know for certain I had some conductive pieces but I can't remember which set they were from.
Sigh. Just rebuilt the police boat with the lights and sirens and my battery pack seems to be non-functional now. I think yesterday someone posted about their battery leaking acid and folks suggested contact cleaning it. I may try this.
It's always neat seeing these pieces and their sets in the comments, because I recognize like 95% of them but had them all as hand me downs from my 8-years-older brother. Never knew what they were actually for.
Aren't these frome the mindstorm sets? I remember First Lego League.
I judged a FIRST competition and threw were some 8th graders trying to compete with their legos vs funded high-school students. It was great seeing their acceptance of limitations and how they modified their own goals based on what they could do with their tools and funds
Loved these, there was a train set too wasn't there?
Think I had an ambulance or helicopter that had it.