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View Full Version : Help: replacing LED's in a Hasbro FX



Obi1
06-14-2014, 01:39 PM
I need help: I would like to upgrade my existing Hasbro FX saber. I love them, but they pale in light intensity compared to my single LED sabers, simply because Hasbro uses crappy LED's in those otherwise cool sabers. So now I'm thinking about swapping those LEDs for better ones. I have already those better ones, they are amazingly bright (I recall Forgetful Jedi Knight's warning that Padawans should not try to blind demselves...).
Only thing I'm not sure about is how the brighter LED's will change the optic of the blade. What I mean is, I assume that the blade and diffuser combo in a Hasbro FX is optimized for the LEDs they use to manufacture the things. Now if I stick to this combo but use brighter LEDs, it might turn out that instead of getting a much brighter and a smootly lit blade I end up seeing all the single LEDs in the blade because the diffuser will not be able to cope with the output any more.

Is it a reasonable and legitimate worry? Has anyone experince with LED-swap?

Forgetful Jedi Knight
06-14-2014, 02:15 PM
It can be a worry, but it all depends on how you construct your new blade. They need to spaced close together. I know that's how slothfurnace (and one or two others) do theirs. Most people just convert them, so that they can have a bright blade and can fight with it, and have the bonus of blade removal, so wear on a costume, or display in a display case easily.

Obi1
06-15-2014, 12:09 PM
Yeah, I had a look at slothfurnace's beautiful sabers, increadible! I researched this topic to some extent about a year ago (then my focus turned back again to single LED sabers), I bought 100 ultrabright 5mm LED's. I was a bit unsure how to cut them, because in one point all the expert opinions agreed: one needs to cutoff the dome of the LED so that the light is distributed more homogenous in a wider angle. Now I had a look at slothfurnace's LED string, and it seemed to me that he kept the dome and chained the LED's while still intact. I guess that it all comes down to experimenting.
Spacing like you mentioned is key, the FoC LEDs I distributed along the blade of my Vader removable blade saber at every 3rd LED in the string produces a cool effect, but at closer scrutinity one can see the individual LEDs. So I need to find out the right combination of:
- modification of the beam angle of the LED
- diffuser
- spacing

If anyone has some rule of thumbs to be followed, I would be very grateful for hint!

Ps.: very often I get the question why I do not use/convert to single LED sabers. I do, I have already a couple of them. They are good to fight without the fear of breaking something. BUT I can't help it: for me the scrolling effect IS an essential part of the lightsaber feeling.