Weaver
06-23-2013, 01:25 AM
Hi, saber fans.
To start with, I am proud to say that this is my second saber. Please keep that in mind while you read this thread. I started about a year and a half ago, gathering parts, studying everything I could get my hands on, theorizing and puzzling out what went where, why it worked that way, etc, etc. I hit a lot of bumps in the road, ended up damaging two boards, and learned a lot along the way. Although it has taken me longer than others to learn, I used my time wisely and planned my second saber much more thoroughly than my first. As a result, the saber was completed in a single day, is fully functional, and needs only a couple of minor tweaks before it is complete.
The saber is MHS-based, composed of the following parts (non-exhaustive list):
- 5" Double female threaded connector
- Ribbed / Choke Combo
- Screw on LED blade holder style 5
- MPS Pommel style 10
- MHS "new style" Heat Sink V4
- Acrylic Chassis Disc for PC 2.0 and 14500 side by side pack (Black)
- Activation box style 14
- Box 14 Mounting holes service (As if I could do this myself...>_>)
- 3.5mm R.I.C.E.™ Port Style 1
- 2.1mm Power Jack
- MHS speaker mount V4
- 2W Bass Speaker
- Petit Crouton Sound Module V2.0
- MPS Insert style 1
- 1-3/16" ID Black O-ring
- 16mm Anti Vandal Momentary Nickel Plated Switch (2)
- Various other obvious components (wiring, battery, etc)
As noted in the title, I am running the Plecter Labs Petit Crouton v2.0 with Dark Meat sound font. The LED is one of Lucien Kane's new X-2 RR/RR LEDs, wired in series/parallel for maximum brightness.
Without further delay, I am proud to present my second saber, Malefactor (Be kind):
http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii81/BlessedWrath/DSC00649_zps659a2a0f.jpg (http://s262.photobucket.com/user/BlessedWrath/media/DSC00649_zps659a2a0f.jpg.html)
http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii81/BlessedWrath/DSC00650_zpsd30443e7.jpg (http://s262.photobucket.com/user/BlessedWrath/media/DSC00650_zpsd30443e7.jpg.html)
http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii81/BlessedWrath/DSC00651_zps593fe98a.jpg (http://s262.photobucket.com/user/BlessedWrath/media/DSC00651_zps593fe98a.jpg.html)
http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii81/BlessedWrath/DSC00652_zpsb1b06cf7.jpg (http://s262.photobucket.com/user/BlessedWrath/media/DSC00652_zpsb1b06cf7.jpg.html)
http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii81/BlessedWrath/DSC00654_zpse0596ade.jpg (http://s262.photobucket.com/user/BlessedWrath/media/DSC00654_zpse0596ade.jpg.html)
So...what can I say about this saber? The very first thing I noticed, once the hilt was together, was how it felt like it was made for my hands. I can grip the ribbed section single-handed, using the weight of the overlong handle to counterbalance the blade, or I can comfortably grip with both hands. The control box is not overly clunky, thus does not get in the way of my hands while wielding; it also allows for my little finger to slide down and trigger the activation switch if wielding single-handed. Placement of the Covertec Wheel insured that it would not interfere with wielding either, though I did manage to misalign the <CENSORED> thing. The choke provides either a leverage enhancement for my index finger, or a solid gripping point if I want to go with the more popular style of wielding.
The LED is much brighter than I anticipated. I don't have my Igniter saber up and running at the moment, so I cannot do a side-by-side, but the X-2 LED is being driven to its maximum limits; it easily overpowers the single Red channel offered by my LED Engin 10W. I'm saddened by the fact that running a color-change saber means diminished single-color blade brightness, but it's a tradeoff. I am extremely happy with how the X-2 is performing. Thank you, Lucien, for preparing it for me. I will want more of these marvels soon, I think.
The speaker, as noted, is a TCSS 2W Bass, though I ran into trouble with the V4 speaker mount I had intended to use. When I attempted to fit the electronics inside, I discovered that the 14500 quad pack would not fit under the AV switches! Not to be undone, I moved the speaker, sans mount, into the ribbed section and held it there with a pair of PVC c-clips (I cut about .75" out of a 1.25" PVC pipe, about 1/4" thick). This worked incredibly well, providing a tight friction fit to hold the speaker in place. It also gave me a notch through which to run the LED and speaker wires, without risk of pinching them during assembly. I was honestly surprised that I didn't lose more sound than I did by doing it this way; I figured it would be muffled, but more than enough sound comes through even without additional venting. I may still add sound vents later.
Aside from the look of the hilt and its optical/audio performance, I simply enjoy the sound and color. This hilt looks, to me, like the beginning of many fallen Jedi. It has a presence I thoroughly enjoy. It feels "right", both in my hands and on my belt. It's 13" long (a bit too long for me, or so I thought), but I'm rapidly growing attached to it.
I did run into trouble with the R.I.C.E. port, though not for the reason you might think. I got it all wired, heat-shrunk the terminals to prevent shorting, fastened it all up, booted the program and downloaded the drivers, etc, etc, etc, ad nauseum, and...nothing. No matter what I attempted to change, or how many times I attempted to connect, the saber simply would not change. I couldn't even get the program to tell me, conclusively, if the saber was even connected at all (there should be some form of error message, communication, something...). Naturally, I did the only thing I could think to do: I checked my wiring. Well...for once, it was all good to go; no mistakes anywhere. I was baffled. I searched the forums, read and reread the manual, I even checked the program itself for directions. Nothing answered the question.
Then I reread a thread posted on TCSS forums about connectivity problems with the R.I.C.E. port. Right about now you're probably thinking that I ran into the issue with the ground loop Erv described in his response to a R.I.C.E. question over at FX-Sabers. Nope. I had already moved the R.I.C.E. ground directly to the battery negative, so no problems there. The answer ended up being one little thing that absolutely no documentation ever told me to do: Turn the saber on.
Well, naturally, after I did that, everything worked out all right. All functions and features have been tested and confirmed, including the charge port and R.I.C.E. capability. I am honestly pleased with my work this time. If I ever do get around to listing it for sale, I'll be sure to take photos of the wiring, since it actually looks halfway decent.
What's Left To Do:
-Drill and Tap Blade Retention Screw
-Drill Sound Vents (Optional)
-Add Retention Screws for Internal Chassis Discs/Rings
-Add Quick Disconnect for LED
Comments and questions welcomed.
To start with, I am proud to say that this is my second saber. Please keep that in mind while you read this thread. I started about a year and a half ago, gathering parts, studying everything I could get my hands on, theorizing and puzzling out what went where, why it worked that way, etc, etc. I hit a lot of bumps in the road, ended up damaging two boards, and learned a lot along the way. Although it has taken me longer than others to learn, I used my time wisely and planned my second saber much more thoroughly than my first. As a result, the saber was completed in a single day, is fully functional, and needs only a couple of minor tweaks before it is complete.
The saber is MHS-based, composed of the following parts (non-exhaustive list):
- 5" Double female threaded connector
- Ribbed / Choke Combo
- Screw on LED blade holder style 5
- MPS Pommel style 10
- MHS "new style" Heat Sink V4
- Acrylic Chassis Disc for PC 2.0 and 14500 side by side pack (Black)
- Activation box style 14
- Box 14 Mounting holes service (As if I could do this myself...>_>)
- 3.5mm R.I.C.E.™ Port Style 1
- 2.1mm Power Jack
- MHS speaker mount V4
- 2W Bass Speaker
- Petit Crouton Sound Module V2.0
- MPS Insert style 1
- 1-3/16" ID Black O-ring
- 16mm Anti Vandal Momentary Nickel Plated Switch (2)
- Various other obvious components (wiring, battery, etc)
As noted in the title, I am running the Plecter Labs Petit Crouton v2.0 with Dark Meat sound font. The LED is one of Lucien Kane's new X-2 RR/RR LEDs, wired in series/parallel for maximum brightness.
Without further delay, I am proud to present my second saber, Malefactor (Be kind):
http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii81/BlessedWrath/DSC00649_zps659a2a0f.jpg (http://s262.photobucket.com/user/BlessedWrath/media/DSC00649_zps659a2a0f.jpg.html)
http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii81/BlessedWrath/DSC00650_zpsd30443e7.jpg (http://s262.photobucket.com/user/BlessedWrath/media/DSC00650_zpsd30443e7.jpg.html)
http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii81/BlessedWrath/DSC00651_zps593fe98a.jpg (http://s262.photobucket.com/user/BlessedWrath/media/DSC00651_zps593fe98a.jpg.html)
http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii81/BlessedWrath/DSC00652_zpsb1b06cf7.jpg (http://s262.photobucket.com/user/BlessedWrath/media/DSC00652_zpsb1b06cf7.jpg.html)
http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii81/BlessedWrath/DSC00654_zpse0596ade.jpg (http://s262.photobucket.com/user/BlessedWrath/media/DSC00654_zpse0596ade.jpg.html)
So...what can I say about this saber? The very first thing I noticed, once the hilt was together, was how it felt like it was made for my hands. I can grip the ribbed section single-handed, using the weight of the overlong handle to counterbalance the blade, or I can comfortably grip with both hands. The control box is not overly clunky, thus does not get in the way of my hands while wielding; it also allows for my little finger to slide down and trigger the activation switch if wielding single-handed. Placement of the Covertec Wheel insured that it would not interfere with wielding either, though I did manage to misalign the <CENSORED> thing. The choke provides either a leverage enhancement for my index finger, or a solid gripping point if I want to go with the more popular style of wielding.
The LED is much brighter than I anticipated. I don't have my Igniter saber up and running at the moment, so I cannot do a side-by-side, but the X-2 LED is being driven to its maximum limits; it easily overpowers the single Red channel offered by my LED Engin 10W. I'm saddened by the fact that running a color-change saber means diminished single-color blade brightness, but it's a tradeoff. I am extremely happy with how the X-2 is performing. Thank you, Lucien, for preparing it for me. I will want more of these marvels soon, I think.
The speaker, as noted, is a TCSS 2W Bass, though I ran into trouble with the V4 speaker mount I had intended to use. When I attempted to fit the electronics inside, I discovered that the 14500 quad pack would not fit under the AV switches! Not to be undone, I moved the speaker, sans mount, into the ribbed section and held it there with a pair of PVC c-clips (I cut about .75" out of a 1.25" PVC pipe, about 1/4" thick). This worked incredibly well, providing a tight friction fit to hold the speaker in place. It also gave me a notch through which to run the LED and speaker wires, without risk of pinching them during assembly. I was honestly surprised that I didn't lose more sound than I did by doing it this way; I figured it would be muffled, but more than enough sound comes through even without additional venting. I may still add sound vents later.
Aside from the look of the hilt and its optical/audio performance, I simply enjoy the sound and color. This hilt looks, to me, like the beginning of many fallen Jedi. It has a presence I thoroughly enjoy. It feels "right", both in my hands and on my belt. It's 13" long (a bit too long for me, or so I thought), but I'm rapidly growing attached to it.
I did run into trouble with the R.I.C.E. port, though not for the reason you might think. I got it all wired, heat-shrunk the terminals to prevent shorting, fastened it all up, booted the program and downloaded the drivers, etc, etc, etc, ad nauseum, and...nothing. No matter what I attempted to change, or how many times I attempted to connect, the saber simply would not change. I couldn't even get the program to tell me, conclusively, if the saber was even connected at all (there should be some form of error message, communication, something...). Naturally, I did the only thing I could think to do: I checked my wiring. Well...for once, it was all good to go; no mistakes anywhere. I was baffled. I searched the forums, read and reread the manual, I even checked the program itself for directions. Nothing answered the question.
Then I reread a thread posted on TCSS forums about connectivity problems with the R.I.C.E. port. Right about now you're probably thinking that I ran into the issue with the ground loop Erv described in his response to a R.I.C.E. question over at FX-Sabers. Nope. I had already moved the R.I.C.E. ground directly to the battery negative, so no problems there. The answer ended up being one little thing that absolutely no documentation ever told me to do: Turn the saber on.
Well, naturally, after I did that, everything worked out all right. All functions and features have been tested and confirmed, including the charge port and R.I.C.E. capability. I am honestly pleased with my work this time. If I ever do get around to listing it for sale, I'll be sure to take photos of the wiring, since it actually looks halfway decent.
What's Left To Do:
-Drill and Tap Blade Retention Screw
-Drill Sound Vents (Optional)
-Add Retention Screws for Internal Chassis Discs/Rings
-Add Quick Disconnect for LED
Comments and questions welcomed.