Posted on 09/18/2015 10:30:50 PM PDT by Ray76
UPDATE: In his own words Ahmed Mohamed, 14, an Irving MacArthur High student essentially states he knew taking the device to school was controversial. Listen at 1:26 video: “I closed it with a cable, so… because, I didn’t want to lock it to make it seem like a threat so I just used simple cable…. so it won’t look that much suspicious”.
Update#2 – We are not the only people to pick up on the admitted “intent”. Follow THIS LINK – To see exactly how it was engineered and the kids’ story gets even more sketchy.
(Excerpt) Read more at theconservativetreehouse.com ...
Are we talking about the same photo? If you are referring to Ahmed’s stupid “clock,” that is the guts of a Micronta alarm clock. If you are referring to the right side of that meme that someone said was a “suitcase bomb,” that’s a Honeywell security sales demo kit.
I worked in excavation for awhile back in the day. I've seen commercial blasting caps set off using a 6V lantern battery, so I'd think 9V should be quite sufficient.
I followed a couple of links and this one explains what it most likely is. Indeed, probably an 80s Radio Shack clock taken apart and put in a briefcase. Why?
Regardless, my bad. A clunky large mess of boards and wires that could be replaced by a much smaller clock kit board from Amazon for $20 that would fit in a real lunch box and still leave room for a couple pounds of malleable substance.
But the question now is why reinstall the guts of an alarm clock in a briefcase? Also, not easily seen in the photograph is a battery backup 9V connector.
There’s not 9v going to the piezo leads. The clock itself should be 5v, not 9v, and you drive the buzzer with a square wave. It would also be very low current.
Hi Gaffer,
I already posted that link in this thread.
Also, you don’t need a clock kit board to build a timer. You can do it with just a few components.
Of course there’s a 9v connector there (note that it doesn’t have a battery on it)...it’s part of the original alarm clock!
Yes. The link was buried in a second link within the original link of the OP at Conservative Treehouse.
I was giving an example of something that an ‘inquisitive’ harmless youth could build for little money. In the end, it was more work to take the clock apart and transition it to a briefcase than it would have been for a “clock kit”.
In any case, with enough battery power, this would have the capability to be made into a bomb.
Take it to class and make it conspicuous by plugging into wall outlet, making sure the alarm has been set to go off in class, assuring that it will be noticed.
Yes, if you added batteries, some additional circuitry, a detonator, and explosives, you could convert it to a bomb. I could also convert your digital watch or cellphone to a bomb if I added the same ingredients.
Should we call the police because you have a digital watch or a cellphone? Clearly not. The police should not have been called in this case either. The teacher should have told Ahmed to put his dumb toy away until after school, and that would be that.
The logic circuits might have been 5V, but I don't think it's save to assume the alarm circuit was. I think it's likely the display driver required more than 5V, so there was higher voltage available on the board. A quick search for component piezo buzzers show they're commonly DC powered and don't appear to need a driver circuit. If there's higher voltage available and you want it to be loud (remember this is an alarm clock), I think you'd want to tap into whatever the display driver is using, not the logic circuits.
Frankly, if you put it in a suitcase with room enough for C4 and a detonator like the example of this child's experiment, and take it to a school, yes.
Secondly, the driver circuitry for the detonator is probably already there in the alarm output that drives the buzzer.
I also fail to see what was “invented”. It still looks like someone took apart a digital clock and couldn’t put it back together; doubt this kid is MIT material. Why would an “invention” need two power supply sources? It has both an AC plug and a battery clip. Most prototypes would not be that sophisticated. It has a power supply, a circuit board(manufactured, not home brewed) and a display that seems to be connected with a cable curiously well made. I’ve made many a “home brew” device and none smacked of being as “manufactured” as this “invention”
I would have to see the clock to tell for sure. I assume it would have a regular piezo element driven by an oscillator on the clock board.
It’s not an invention. It’s a toy made from repackaged consumer electronics.
The only good mooselimb is a dead mooselimb?
The background of the dad does certainly weaken the son’s case as the dad has a public profile in the Islamic community.
The son @ 14 yo of age developed & constructed this “alarm clock” as a minor under his father’s domain .
Questions:
How did this child procure the materials to make this “clock”?
Did this child follow a pattern from a fixed set of plans?
Where did the pattern or a fixed set of plans come from?
Who paid for the materials used?
How were the materials paid for- cash or credit card?
Why did this child make the “clock”?
Was this “clock” a school related project or was it something constructed for *extra-credit*?
Was this “clock” an independent project for extra credit?
If this was a non-school related project why was this project brought to school?
Were any of this child’s teachers aware he was building
a clock?
Does this child have a academic advisor and were they aware
of the project?
It has been reported the child’s answers upon questioning
by police were qualified as “passive-aggressive” & at some
point asked for a lawyer.
I could go on & on but the dealbreaker here is this:
His father is a prominent muslim within the community and a public figure. At some point there had to be adult supervision or at least a eyeful of a briefcase containing the clock that would not have been a normal part of this child’s school gear.
Did his parents ever ask him what he was carrying around that day or was this kid lying about his gear or hiding it in full front of his parents?
****************************************************
Under the supervision of his father/mother in their home this child was allowed to transport a circuit board with wires extending here & there , all askew with a very faint resemblance to a alarm clock until ultimately connected
together on a stable surface.
It appears there is a extreme lack of sensitivity to public safety protocols especialy in light of events of 9/11 during the time this project was transported to a school where the potential for great harm to many students and the
lack of sensitivity to public safety by his father’s hand’s off approach speaks volumes and again re-inforces parental supervisory abandonment parental disregard for school rules; their conduct and negligent behavior on part of both parents.
It is disheartening the parents of this child do not seem alarmed ,express regret nor apologize & “let’s get back to educating our son” track.
Moreover, the lackadaisical attitude of the classroom teacher who sequestered this “alarm clock” should be
called into question .
There seems to be a serious lack of judgement on all parental and school supervisories (other classroom teachers,classroom aides, other staff, etc.)
It is truly heartbreaking to think in one’s mind this young man is not aware of what is going on around him and his own life- HIS Life- and HIS Life in relation to others who may or may not understand his motives yet this young man has somehow in a very odd way now that has revealed himself thru his passive-aggressive destructive intentions thru “innocence”and this innocence has been facilitated by his parents who are Muslim, his direct teachers and those on staff at school within periphery.
The link I have provided seems to be a first hand report yet there are other links you can search out for in-depth reporting.
In taking up my response to this thread I also strongly believe in profiling and I do believe “when the son of a muslim with Mohammed in his name...I digress to say there are many many many muslims that are not named Mohammed and
muslims should be profiled in this country and they can & will bring fake or real suitcase bombs to school.
Profiling muslims is a good thing for our country and yes, we don’t need their type here. What are we going to do when state budgets are strained to the seams in sanctuary cities and otherwise? There needs to regulation & control and it starts with all borders of the entire United States.
I rest my case.
A astute reply- & to the point ! thanks
WOW...great idea....I'm glad you thought of that...!!
That’s a victory sign; not a peace sign.
Everybody is too dumb for Dino. Why he’s here at FR with all the rest of us is beyond me.
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