A flashing LED at the doorstep of your garage or home will trick the thieves into believing that a sophisticated security gadget is installed. The circuit is nothing but a low-current drain flasher. It uses a single CMOS timer that is configured as a free running oscillator using a few additional components. As the LED flashes very briefly, the average current through the LED is around 150 µA with a high peak value, which is sufficient for normal viewing. This makes it a real miser. The 9V battery source is connected via ‘on’/‘off’ switch S1 to the circuit. When switch S1 is closed, the IC receives power from capacitor C1, which is constantly charged through resistor R1. As capacitor C1 delivers power to IC1, it saves the battery from drain. Simple Miser Flash Circuit Diagram Most LEDs consume a current of 20 mA, which in many instances is higher than the power consumed by the rest of the circuit. This is undesirable if the device is battery-powered. In this circuit, the en...