Magic switchbox...

[Externet]

Come up, bring your explanation. ----->

[pwagen]

Why doesn't he turn on all of the lamps simultaneously in the end?

[EdEarl]

Amateur radio operators are allocated EHF bands with wavelengths of 1mm, 2nn, 2.5nn, 4nn and 6mm.

 

If I were to build a magic switch box, I would make tuned cavities in the base of each light bulb that would receive signals from a 4 frequency EHF transmitter hidden below the table. The wiring, switches and batteries in the transparent box are fluff to mislead the audience.

 

When a visible switch is turned on, the magician activates a hidden switch on the floor to transmit the frequency for the light bulb of color corresponding to the color of the visible switch.

 

It is a clever illusion, and the inventor is talented.

[md65536]

I don't think this solves it, but it's something I noticed:

 

 

Almost always, the order that he turns the switches off is the order that the bulbs are lit next. This is especially useful for when he swaps the caps. It's just "almost" though because the first time the switches go off in order 3421 and are lit in order 3412... so I'm not sure if there's an extra trick to that or if it was all just coincidence.

 

They're just LEDs, they could be powered by thin button cells underneath the battery pack. You can tell the batteries are a ruse because the wires don't connect to both sides (You could connect 2 in parallel with the 3rd in series but that would be silly). You could hide wires through the table but I think the device seems pretty clever, and the I think all the magic is in the device and not anything hidden off-camera.

 

 

There are resistors connected to each switch, which can be used to have all the switch states represented as 16 different possible voltages, that some simple logic circuit could use. The logic in each bulb could be: When my switch is turned off, remember what the voltage was and only turn on my bulb at that voltage or higher, or something like that -- I haven't thought this part through but I imagine something like that could be implemented with a capacitor and a couple transistors or something.

 

 

[michel123456]

Why doesn't he turn on all of the lamps simultaneously in the end?

because there are 4 (or 6) batteries

Edited June 14, 2013 by michel123456

[pwagen]

because there are 4 (or 6) batteries

My point exactly (I think). Whatever battery or charge left in the box won't be enough to turn on all 4 simultaneously.

[michel123456]

 

I didn't find it completely but if you decompose there are four stages that go as following: with(R=Red, B=Blue, G=Green, Y=Yellow)

Stage1

lights R.B.G.Y

switches R.B.G.Y

Stage2

lights B.G.R.Y

switches R.B.G.Y

Stage3

lights B.G.R.Y

switches B.Y.R.G

Stage4

lights B.Y.R.G

switches B.Y.R.G

NOW analysis:

_Stage 1 and stage4 are the same because all color matches, the wiring go straight from the switch to the light

_In stage 2 the Yellow has not changed, the 3 others have changed.

_in stage 3 The Blue has not changed and the Red has not changed. The 2 others have changed.

So the trick resumes to inversion of

B.G.R to R.B.G (stage 2)

and

G.Y to Y.G (stage 3)

If there are 2 sets of 3 batteries that can be done, maybe by turning the light bulbs 90 degrees (touching other contacts) or simply pushing the bulbs deeper (also touching other contacts.