2 New Sabers Parts List (Noob as well)

[SilverLiquid]

Hey guys, here's my shopping list to make the following sabers. I'm looking for something very basic that will light up but also be able to upgrade easily in the future. What do you think?
Thanks for your help in advanced!

8725
Rebel Star LED & MHS Heatsink Module Luxeon Rebel Star (Green)
SPST Latching Guarded switch with silver button
LED "TCSS style" Battle blade 1" OD (36 inches) ** Clear Bullet Shaped
Hilt style 2 with guarded style switch hole
Screw on LED blade holder style 9
MHS choke style 3
MPS Pommel style 8

8726
Rebel Star LED & MHS Heatsink Module Luxeon Rebel Star (Blue)
SPST Latching Guarded switch with silver button
LED "TCSS style" Battle blade 1" OD (36 inches) ** Clear Bullet Shaped
7" Fluted with guarded style switch hole
Screw on LED blade holder style 13
MHS choke style 1 short
MPS Pommel style 4

2x MPS Insert style 7
2x 8-32 x 3/8" Set Screw
2x MPS Clip
2x 4AA Battery holder
2x BuckPuck 1000mA 4-wire
2x Super Lube Synthetic Grease
8-32 Tap & drill set
Tap handle
1/8" Adhesive lined heatshrink tubing

[Silver Serpent]

I don't see anything missing. Looks like you've done your homework. Should be easily upgradable in the future.

Also, just in case you weren't aware: You can get 10% off your order on May the Fourth.

[SilverLiquid]

Great, thanks!!! Very excited to get this project underway.

Yeah, I'll be placing the other once the discount is available.

[Johannes Huber]

Welcome to the most dangerously addictive of hobbies:D (Really, I can stop anytime. No seriously, why are you all laughing?) Look forward to seeing these come together. Keep us posted.

[Forgetful Jedi Knight]

Welcome to the most dangerously addictive of hobbies:D (Really, I can stop anytime. No seriously, why are you all laughing?) Look forward to seeing these come together. Keep us posted.

That statement is probably why... :D

[SilverLiquid]

Haha, I can tell this will get addicting! Thanks!

[SilverLiquid]

Got it all up and running! Piece of cake! My only
Question is, if I'm using the regular screw to hold the blade in, should it go in all the way so it's flush? Do I need to cut the screw or go buy a shorter one?

[Silver Serpent]

Tighten the screw *just* until it is snug. That's it. Any more than that and you'll eventually risk stripping out the threads on your saber.

If it's sticking out further than you'd like, you can either get a shorter screw or cut it down a bit. Either way is fine. I personally prefer to just get a new screw, since I'm good at buggering up the threads when I'm cutting them.

[SilverLiquid]

Will do a Depot run later and see what they have. Thanks!

[SilverLiquid]

Hey guys! Got everything going but now my heart (and saber) is calling for some sound!

Is there a thread here with a parts list for the PC 2.0? I can't seem to find anything with specifics.

[Silver Serpent]

As far as internals go, with the PC 2.0 you'll need two switches (at least one must be momentary), your main LED, a speaker, and preferably a 7.4v li-ion pack.

The PC drives your main LED by itself, so you won't need a resistor or buckpuck on the main LED. If you want accent LEDs, illuminated AV switches, etc., then you'll need resistors for those.

The aux switch on the PC must be momentary. The main switch can be either momentary or latching, and you configure it in the settings on the PC's SD card.

Read through the PC manual a couple times, if you haven't already. You can find it here: http://www.thecustomsabershop.com/Petit-Crouton-Sound-Module-V20-P612.aspx

[SilverLiquid]

Thanks for the info. I've been reading through it and still can't make up my mind between the NB and the PC. The cost is almost double and I'm not sure Ill be using all the features of the PC. But I would love FOC!!! I don't have a tri led, but the effect is still desirable. Hmmmm...

[Silver Serpent]

Do you *really* think you'll only be building a single saber? ;)

Start with the NB if you're not sure. You can always upgrade to a PC later, and then use the NB in another saber. Or keep your NB saber and build a new one with a PC. Either way is fine. You'll need a multi-die LED like the Tri-Rebel or LEDEngin to get FoC, but you still get great flickering effects with a single die LED.

[SilverLiquid]

Haha, I already have two working at the same time, hahaha.

That's what I was thinking. Just keep moving the NB around. I thought that FoC was possible with a single LED though. Something about diminishing the output at the regularly on time and when it goes into FoC you can increase the output to 100% therefore looking like its flashing. No?

[Silver Serpent]

There is a flickering effect with single die LEDs on clash events. It works by decreasing the light output while flickering. The blade normally runs at full power. FoC works by activating additional LED die(dice) during a clash event, and it increases the brightness of the blade.

It looks cool in either case. One of the great features of FoC is that you can use multicolored LEDs to have the blade change color during a clash event.

[SilverLiquid]

So I decided to go with NB for now. My question is, can I use a buck puck since ill be using 4 nimh's? I've read that a resistor has to be used because the voltage is normally not high enough to run the buck puck, that it needs 5v. But I'll be running 4.8v. Or do I also have to subtract the accent led voltage and the speaker voltage?

Also, does anyone have the height of the 2.1mm power jack?

[Silver Serpent]

4 NiMH is not enough for a buckpuck. Trust me, buckpucks get really flaky once they drop below the 5v mark.

Resistors are easy enough to use, and simpler to install than the puck. I have a link in my sig to the resistor calculator that I use.

[SilverLiquid]

The setup I have now does use 4.8v and the buck puck. No problems yet. That's why this wasn't making sense to me. But then again i have nothing else connected. I could see that adding the sound board and speaker and additional led would drop the volts going to the buck puck though.

I did already calculate the resistors for my setup with the calculator you've used. Thanks!

[SilverLiquid]

These are the resistor that were calculated. Does it look correct?

Using a blue lux rebel
Blue ring momentary switch

8840
8841

Reeeealy don't want to kill my LEDs!

[Silver Serpent]

Looks right to me.

[SilverLiquid]

Thanks a lot SS! You've been the most helpful member and its highly appreciated.

[SilverLiquid]

Alright, so I've hooked up everything and when I tested the volts going to the led, I'm getting 5v before and a 1.5 ohm 5 watt resistor. I don't get it. Shouldn't the voltage have dropped? I'm using 4 enloop aa.

[GFJedi]

What is the current running across the LED (mA reading) That's what you are looking for and using the resistor on the LED for.

[SilverLiquid]

Well, I was going to test that but my meter only goes up to 250 mA. It's not a digital and way over due for an upgrade :-S

[GFJedi]

Instead of mA, can you read amp? You should be able to read about 1 amp on a blue rebel, which would be the same as 1000mA, that you are trying to get from that resistor.

[SilverLiquid]

No, just 250mA is all I've got.