Minimum Voltage for Master Replicas Anakin ROTS Soundboard?

[Zip_Kicker]

I am looking to use my MR Anakin ROTS soundboard in my next conversion. I will only be utilizing the sound aspects of the card. The LED will be powered independently. My question is could I power the soundboard and speaker with 3 volts, (2 x AA) and still get optimum sound quality? Or would I be better off, using 4.5 - 6 volts even though the LED will be powered seperately? I'm just not sure how much voltage I need for just sound.

[Arkhan]

The LED can certainly be powered separate from the soundboard, if you need more than the roughly 1000ma that the MR will put out for you at 3.6V (using 3 x 1.5v batteries).

My question is... Where are you planning to put two different sets of batteries?

Or.... Are you going to run your LED at 3V?

Pretty much any LED sold hereabouts should tolerate the 3.6v regular output of the MR.

I'm running a Lux III red-orange, which has a lower vMax than the white/blue/green, and it seems fine on 3.6V (properly heatsinked).

Perhaps a smidge more info on which batteries you are planning to use for LED and soundboard?

[Zip_Kicker]

I know this will take up a huge amount of space in the hilt. Would like to use AAA batteries whenever possible. (not rechargeable) I was reluctant to mention my LED choice because I have seen this idea shot down many, many, times before. I'm going to be using a Tri-Rebel with an 18 deg lens. To maximize space I was hoping to mount the speaker, soundcard and batteries as one unit at the end of the hilt. As for the seperate LED controller and batteries for the LED, they would be located in another section of the hilt. I am going for more of a longsword feel for the saber anyway, so the longer hilt adds to the effect.

But my question still remains, can the Anakin board be run without an LED at 3 volts? While maintaining optimal sound quality?

[Skottsaber]

But my question still remains, can the Anakin board be run without an LED at 3 volts? While maintaining optimal sound quality?

I think you're just going to have to do a bench test, there are no stats because not many people do this. But be careful, some electronics can be damaged by low voltages.


that the MR will put out for you at 3.6V (using 3 x 1.5v batteries).

:confused::confused:
1.5+1.5 = 1+1 + 0.5+0.5
= 3

3+1.5
=4.5

How did you get 3.6? :confused: Is my Math wrong?

[Rhyen Skytracker]

I haven't tried one at 3 volts but I do know when I use a 4.8V battery pack and they get low on charge that the sound board starts to act kinda crazy by making distorted sounds and sometimes not powering off like it should. I would suggest using at least 3.7 - 4.5 volts.

[Arkhan]

1.5x3 does indeed equal 4.5

however, the MR board, when fed with 4.5v, puts ~3.6V out to the LED itself.

[Skottsaber]

Its because you said 'at'. I see now. ;)

[Zip_Kicker]

Okay, thanks for the input guys.

I also had another question, I don't know if this is dumb but could I use a Buckpuck to regulate the current going into the soundboard and speaker? That way I can use just 1 battery pack (8 x AAA) to power the Tri-rebel and the soundboard, while not overloading it. I don't even know if thats possible.

[Arkhan]

Okay, thanks for the input guys.

I also had another question, I don't know if this is dumb but could I use a Buckpuck to regulate the current going into the soundboard and speaker? That way I can use just 1 battery pack (8 x AAA) to power the Tri-rebel and the soundboard, while not overloading it. I don't even know if thats possible.

Is there a reason you want 12V as you power source. (or 6V if you wire the batteries in a 50/50 mix of series parallel).

The rebel tri star, if wired in SERIES does have a fairly high Voltage requirement, but you can always wire the individual LEDs in PARALLEL instead (which is what I did on my daughter's). You still need the same current, but your voltage requirements are much lower. Instead of perhaps needing 6-9V of forward current depnding on LED, you only need 2-3V forward current. (this WOULD change the resistor you need, btw)

The wiring is barely changed (from the resistor, run 1 wire to each LED +), and all the "-" can be tied together and sent back to whereever.

Sorry if this isn't helpful.

[Zip_Kicker]

It is helpful thank you.

So if what you say is true I can run the Tri-Rebel Leds in parallel and would only need for example 3.2 volts overall to power all three Leds? That would be perfect. Will the Leds brightness suffer when wired parallel and does the battery life suffer much?

[Rhyen Skytracker]

That will affect your runtime because in parallel instead of splitting the voltage like you do in series you are splitting the current. I normally wire my RGBA LEDs in parallel or in a series parallel configuration.

[Zip_Kicker]

Okay thanks.

Would you mind elaborating a little more on what you mean by running the Leds in series parallel.. I understand both concepts but how exactly are you suggesting combining them. Sorry if it's a dense question.

[Skottsaber]

Well it really depends what color you want. Or do you have all one color?

[Rhyen Skytracker]

In paralle you run the + from the power source or sound card to the + of all the LEDs and the - from the power source to the - of all the LEDs and that will split the current from the power source. If the voltage of all the LEDs is 3Volts each then you will only need a 3 volt power source, but the current draw will be the total of all 3 LEDs combined. If all 3 LEDs are 1000 mA then you will 3000mA which will decrease your runtime.

For series you run the + from the power source or sound card to the + of the 1st LED and the - of the 1st LED to the + of the 2nd LED, the - of the 2nd LED to the + of the 3rd LED and the - of the 3rd LED to the - of the power source. If each LED needs 3 volts then you would need a 9 volt to power source to feed all the LEDs and the curren draw will be the current of the highest power LED. Usually around 700 - 1000 mA.

A combination circuit will be running 2 LEDs in series and then parallel with the other LED.

[Arkhan]

It is helpful thank you.

So if what you say is true I can run the Tri-Rebel Leds in parallel and would only need for example 3.2 volts overall to power all three Leds? That would be perfect. Will the Leds brightness suffer when wired parallel and does the battery life suffer much?

I'm pretty sure you're going to get the rebel's full 700ma x 3 = 2100ma out of any AAA battery. As a rule of thumb I usually figure a discharge rate around 1x, so you'd only be getting <350ma per LED, minus the sound board.

so yes, not as bright if you use a 3xAAA setup and wire LEDs in parallel.

However, in the same space you were going to do 6xAAA in series, you could wire TWO 3xAAA packs in parallel.

You'd get enough current to run all three stars at full power, and the same runtime as the 9V solution. This would require a slightly different resistor most likely.

I run a tri-rebel red-orange off a single 3xAAA battery pack and resistor in my daughter's saber, getting about 300ma per LED, and it is pretty well as bright as my LUXIII running at 1000ma.

AAA batteries just don't put out the current that a AA can, but....they are smaller, which is why I end up using them.

So many possibilities, makes the head spin

[Rhyen Skytracker]

I normally just use 4 AA NiMH battery pack. It has a mAh of 2300, so if you wired the LEDs in parallel you would get about 1 hour of runtime.

[DarthPawley]

Okay, thanks for the input guys.

I also had another question, I don't know if this is dumb but could I use a Buckpuck to regulate the current going into the soundboard and speaker? That way I can use just 1 battery pack (8 x AAA) to power the Tri-rebel and the soundboard, while not overloading it. I don't even know if thats possible.

I know this is a bit of threadomancy, but I thought it could be a useful datapoint:
What you suggest is perfectly feasible IF the soundboard will run on 20 mA.
The six wire buckpucks have a regulated 5V reference line for the dimming pot which can be used to drive microprocessors etc. So you can put the puck in between the battery pack and the board and led, use the led+ and - to run the led and the 5V ref and the led- to run the soundboard.
I haven't been able to find the min current required for an MR board though...