Make: Easy 1+2+3 Projects

Cup Speaker and Microphone

By Cy Tymony ■ Illustrations by Mark Frauenfelder

You will need

Cup

Magnet

Thin insulated wire

1⁄8" plug cable

Radio or music player (with earphone jack)

Turn a cup into a speaker and a microphone. People seldom think about the common devices they use everyday and even less about adapting them for other purposes. Anyone can learn real-life MacGyverisms using everyday items—you just have to be a little sneaky.

1. Turn a cup into a speaker.

A typical speaker consists of a coil of wire attached to a paper cone with a magnet mounted close by. When an audio signal travels through the wire, it creates a magnetic field. ...