My First PVC Saber...Electronics question

[Romeo622]

Hello Everyone,

I am new to the Saber building community (and this Forum...LOVE IT by the way!!!) and have decided to try my hand at building a pvc saber for starters. I have been pouring over the forums for a few days now, and have really learned more than I expected to. I have tried to research on my own to find the answers to the questions I have, but have been unable to find answers that make me feel confident that I am ready to proceed with the parts ordering. I just want to do a simple setup without sound, and just a single LED for the blade. So here is what I have so far...


Red CREE XP-E2
BuckPuck 1000Ma (4 wire)
16mm AV Latching Red Ring Switch (this is the switch I want to use)

The questions I have are...

1.) The switch description states that I will need a resistor because the switch does not have a built in resistor. Is this the case only when you go with a resistor setup instead of a BuckPuck setup? Or is a resistor needed even if you have a BuckPuck?

2.) I am not really sure what would be the best route as far a battery (or batteries) for this setup. The Buck Puck will limit the voltage to the led, but will not boost it right? So if I supply more voltage to the blade LED, than required, the BuckPuck will only supply what the LED needs correct? Or have I got it all wrong?

Any help will be greatly appreciated. And I really did try to find the answers myself...I swear!

[Sevinzol]

1) the resistor on the switch is for the light on the switch, the buck puck is for the main blade LED. You can use a dyna-ohm

2) The buck puck will provide constant current. this means the blade will stay light longer than with a resistor. Unless you want to over drive the LED, a BP will be a good option. (its larger than a resistor and you it has a voltage threshold (5.0 volts I think))

[Romeo622]

So I will still need a resistor between the power supply and the switch correct? And the rest of the wiring should be the same as if I were using just a regular switch with no light in it right? I found some very helpful wiring diagrams on here, but none that show the exact same setup as I wish to do. I believe I am headed in the right direction...possibly.

[Jay-gon Jinn]

So I will still need a resistor between the power supply and the switch correct? And the rest of the wiring should be the same as if I were using just a regular switch with no light in it right? I found some very helpful wiring diagrams on here, but none that show the exact same setup as I wish to do. I believe I am headed in the right direction...possibly.
Yes, you will still need a resistor between the switch led and the power supply. Or, if you want it to come on when you activate the blade led, you can wire it in parallel to the Cree Red, again, using a resistor. The Dynaohm would be an excellent choice for that set up, but any standard resistor will work as well, provided you use the correct one.

[Romeo622]

Thanks Jay-gon! One last question... If I use the 4AAA holder with non rechargeable batteries that should be enough to power my blade LED as well as my switch without being too much correct? The BP requires 5V minimum, and this will only be 6V so I know it will be okay for the BP, but will it be enough to power the blade LED and the switch LED sufficiently? I want to make sure they will be nice and bright. Also is that LED suitable for this build? I do not plan to use it for very long at a time, mainly for game room display not dueling...although I may smack the wife with it a time or two if she gets out of line. :D

[Sevinzol]

Quick answer: yes. 6 volts will be fine.

The CREE LED will pull 1000mA and the switch LED will pull about 20mA. I don't know what the runtime will be with a Cree LED but I think it will be about an hour, maybe a little more. The reason I suggested using the DynaOhm variable resistor (http://www.thecustomsabershop.com/20mA-DynaOhm-Variable-Resistor-P847.aspx) is because it works like the buck puck. Its output is fixed at 20mA so regardless what voltage you put into it, you will get a steady current output. That means you can use alkaline or rechargeable AAs.

If its going to be a game room display, you might want to consider adding a port so you can plug it into a wall with a step down transformer (i.e. brick/wall wart). Maybe save that for your second build. get one done and under your belt and then you can get fancy .

You need to do a little reading about electricity to understand making sabers. Look up "Ohm's Law"

[Romeo622]

Thanks Sevinzol! I have been doing some research and have found a ton of information on the forums here, but sometimes I can tend to over analyze things and then start to questions things that I'm pretty sure are correct. So I usually ask questions just to hear someone else agree...it makes me feel better about it. And as far a charger, yeah I will probably save that for a future build. Since this one is PVC I have fashioned a threaded adapter so I will be able to quickly remove the batteries for replacement.