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View Full Version : Double ended "Glow Staffs": Input on design and electronics



Bescherman
01-24-2007, 11:20 AM
Hi. Please feel free to move this if it belongs in another forum.

I'm part of a transient community of jugglers and staff/poi/fire spinners. Last night I was chatting to one of the other staff spinners about getting into hilt building because I use my double Maul FX for staff spinning. I realised that there is a market for glow staffs built with luxeon technology (basically a double ended saber) which would not need any sound or fancy ignition effect so should be reasonably cheap and straightforward to build.

I'd really like to sound the idea out with those of you who have experience of double staff construction (or even just have any ideas).

My design criteria are as follows:
- Double ended removeable blades.
- Does NOT need to be split into two sabers.
- Varying lengths to be constructed, from about 3'6" to 7'
- Hilt must be as plain and unobstructive as possible.
- Ignition switch must NOT be easy to hit accidently (possibly with "safety" dual switch)
- hilt should be as thin as I can reasonably make it.
- Rechargeable battery pack to feed BOTH luxeons simultaneously.
- Would like to use at least a LuxIII and maybe a K2 where it's going to be appropriate (i.e. brighter but not significant battery drain)


I have a good idea on how to start this but have a few questions:

1) Can anyone point me towards a guide to wiring up a rechargeable battery pack to two LEDs? Searching "double" and "double saber" doesn't bring up very specific results!

2) Would it be possible to run 2 LEDs off the same circuit board/driver? (Sorry if the answer is obvious. I'm new!)

3) Practical consideration: I don't need the hilt to separate into two, but I DO need to be able to access the guts to construct and (inevitably) repair it. I could use a double male threaded part and two female sink tubes. However as things stand I'm having real trouble getting hold of chrome sink tubes in the UK and I want to avoid ordering too much from the US as I get charged 17.5% by customs and about £18 by the courier for processing through customs! I could always look into non chrome sink tubes and see if I can get the connectors. Is it easy enough to manufacture the whole thing inside one solid piece of pipe and just remove the remove one LED assembly to access the guts?

4) I need to look into switches properly yet but does anyone have a suggestion of a good recessed switch or to low profile oses that I could wire up as a safety?

5) Is there any reason I shouldn't use K2s as they seem to be brighter (although people say a Lux III is brighter in red?), need less keatsinking and I will have enough room in the hilt for all the batteries I need! Will it be too much driving 2 K2s of the same electronics? Where should I look for wiring guidance of K2s in this arrangement?


Thanks for any help you can offer. I've checked out the main tutorials (inc Corbin's Site) so I have seen how to wire up standard arrangements. I just can't find the answers to my other questions.

Strydur
01-24-2007, 11:25 AM
I could make a double staff like you want using the MHS parts and do recessed slide switches. This would be allot more durable than sink tubes.

There would be nothing wrong with using 2 k2's.

Here is the best site I have found for wiring led's
http://metku.net/index.html?sect=view&n=1&path=mods/ledcalc/index_eng

supertrogdor
01-24-2007, 11:36 AM
Strydur is too quick on the draw for me most of the time, but definately use MHS parts. IF you are going to be doing serious spinning, the eventual drop will happen. The MHS builds that i have done can take a pretty good beating and i think everyone here that has tried them will concur. If it was me i would get Strydur to do the recessed switch for you, as that would prevent any accidental turning off during a performance. The internal guts are relatively easy to do, and very accessable as the parts all screw together so any repairs(which are not likely needed if you do it right the first time) would be a snap to make.
other than that good luck and happy spinning

james3
01-24-2007, 12:09 PM
I have done two MHS staffs now and I will tell ya they are right on for what you want.

I did the first staff for the exact reasons that you mentioned and it turned out great. I still get to see it and play with it every now and then. Both of the ones I have done have been "Jedi" colors so I have not yet ran in to the issue that Corbin did when he made the red staff. If you want to do those colors though it is easy enough to take care of.

My next staff I want to do will be a dual 5w setup and I was thinking of using the buttered toast on it. That would be a big jump for me since I so far have not been the biggest fan of sound.

Bescherman
01-24-2007, 01:10 PM
Picture edited to work now

Tim, is this the kind of setup you're talking about?
http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u194/Bescherman/MHS2.jpg
...or can you suggest a better (and/or cheaper!) arrangement?
What's the cost implication of installing (or cutting the slot for) recessed slide switches?

Would the postage be going at $15.53 (or is that US postage costs only?) without blades?

I'd like to do a prototype and if there's sufficient interest make a few. Although I'd prefer to find my own housing to make these staffs to save on costs (about half again in tax and courier costs), the MHS hilts do look a great way to go to start. I'd also probably order a few MHS parts for myself to construct my first "normal" saber hilt.

By the way, what was the issue with Corbin's red staff? I didn't see that post.

Strydur
01-24-2007, 01:15 PM
I cant see that picture.

Bescherman
01-24-2007, 01:17 PM
It should come up as a shutterfly link. I uploaded in a rush and i can't find anywhre on the page that has the direct link. If it really doesn't work let me know and I'll try something else.

Strydur
01-24-2007, 01:18 PM
brings me to a create account page. You can just upload pics here using your album space.

Bescherman
01-24-2007, 03:59 PM
James 3 and supertrogdor (Quality Homestar Runner reference BTW!), thanks for the staff input. It's good to have some others who know where I'm coming from.

Tim, I'll sort that link out asap. I'm away from home at the moment so can't fix it here. I'm interested in any suggestions you may have.

To explain anyway, It was the plain emitters with one short midsection, one male to male connector and one long midsection with the hole. The whole thing is about 14". That's what I'm imagining you'd put together.

This should work now: http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u194/Bescherman/MHS2.jpg

Strydur
01-24-2007, 08:41 PM
http://www.thecustomsabershop.com/images/temp/staff.jpg

As long as you dont want any design to it. Or with ribbed sections if you did.

darthdan
01-24-2007, 11:56 PM
It also kind of depends on how much room you want to have for your hands. With a twelve inch hilt, with thumbscrews on each end is going to take off an inch on each side right? And even if the switches are recessed you're going to want them towards the ends and out of the way I would imagine. Not a problem, just may want to add one more short section depending on what your hand placement will be.

I would also second the notion that you will want to use the MHS for your performance pieces. Doesn't get much sturdier than that. Once Tim gets the 1-1/4" sink tube blade holders done(hint, hint) you could probably use those to make cheaper staves for practice pieces.

On that note, is there a good way to make a sink tube staff where it is easy to access the innards? I know there are threaded connectors, but they all seem to protrude from the hilt too much. Is there a good way to do this and still have the hilt be smooth all the way across?

Oh, I also spin poi and have been thinking lately about some kind of lightsaber/poi amalgamation. Basically a 1 foot blade with maybe a 1 watt lux and a couple batteries stuffed into as small a hilt as it would fit with an attachment for a short chain at the butt end. It might be weird getting used to, but it should produce more of the large disc effect when spun instead of trailers(you know what I'm talking about?)

Bescherman
01-25-2007, 02:14 AM
Thanks for the input DD. I did think about the handle length but then I also reason that you could use set screws which would stop that being a problem. I think that 12" would be long enough as the majority of the time you only need contact with the centre portion for standard spinning, unless you're doing body contact stuff wich really wouldn't be so great with a glow staff. I suppose that the beauty of the modular system is that If the "Handle" needed to be longer then I could always easily insert more sections.

I'd also like to add some sort of grip tape and that could be done in bands around the sections.

I did think about the switch too. Although it will be recessed, I definately don't want it in the middle! I want to wire them up to a single switch. Tim, How recessed could it be and can you show me a link of the switch you have in mind?

The poi idea sounds v cool. Would bee some excellent visuals (I understand what you're saying). Would also be V bright with that short a blade! :)

Angelus Lupus
01-25-2007, 07:16 AM
Saber-spinning jugglers certainly sounds worth a look, as do the recessed sliding switches. As another UK resident considering making a MHS saber I was shocked to see the customs charges, I just bought a Do-Clo saber on ebay and have yet to see if I get charged import fees.

Bescherman
01-26-2007, 03:50 PM
Hi Angelus. Let me know whether you get hit for customs charges. Sometimes you can randomly avoid it.

Ok. I have a reasonable Idea how to put these staffs together mechanically. I'll need to look into the wiring more thoroughtly once I've figured out a couple of other points first.

I have a question. Could I make the staff with a switchable strobe option? I've searched "strobe" on the boards but only came up with problems people had where the blade strobed intermittantly and they didn't know why!

My understanding of wiring is as follows:

- I could simply wire the 2 K2s up from the power source with the appropriate resistor(s). This is the least efficient option because you are draining battery power through the resistor and I would (probably) have to use more voltage than in the next scenarios.

- I could wire up through Corbin's driver which does the fast voltage switching thing and strobing so fast that the eye cant see and the blade looks brighter and the batteries last longer because the LEDs are actually off for part of the cycle.

- I could use a micropuck. I'm not sure what the implications of this are yet. I'm still reading around trying to educate myself. Will this do a similar job to Corbin's driver?


So...
1) Does anyone know how to make the blade strobe and will it work with any/all of those options above?

2) Could the strobe be triggered with either a momentary or latching switch? (I think latching would be more useful in the context of the staff use).

3) Would it be possible to wire up a potentiometer to adjust the strobe speed? I suspect that this would depend on how the strobe effect is created.


I might have to start a new strobe topic if I don't get the attention I need here! It might be useful for other users too.

Angelus Lupus
01-26-2007, 04:13 PM
I'm no electronics whiz, but it should be possible. I know erv's buttered toast (Crystal Focus Saber Core) (http://www.plecterlabs.com/index.php?option=content&task=showblog&id=31&Itemid=51&PHPSESSID=1f5577078379be273539f3f4f4fe88a8) does varying strengths of flickering, but that's a lot of electronics just for that effect.

I'll let you know asap if I get charged by customs. Meenwhile I'm (im)patiently waiting for my first ever saber.

Edit: his custom luxeon driver also does shimmering without all the extras of the buttered toast and for less

Bescherman
01-28-2007, 02:48 PM
Since the strobe function isn't really a feature that saber builders are interested in I don't know how much response I'll get here. However, I've since been doing some research and have some very good leads on building strobe circuits using a 555 chip. I also remembered that I have a friend who used to be an electrinic engineer of sorts!!! D'oh!

I'm also looking into strobing EL as a possible separate product.

If anyone is actually interested then I'm happy to post updates of what info I find and what progress I'm making. If not I won't trouble you all!

Tim, I'll email you separately about this, but I will almost certainly buy a modular hilt from you to construct a prototype. I'll work out what I need on it (by way of recessed switches and the like) and email about details and costing.

I'm looking into the possibilty of getting hilts custom machined to my needs. This is a whole new field to me and it seems I'll need to learn CAD software at some point!

Cheers for all the help so far everyone!

Bescherman
02-08-2007, 01:22 PM
I've had the following idea to help solve the problem of having no access inside a tube hilt with a luxeon at each end once the thing is constructed.

http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u194/Bescherman/Miscellany/StaffCentreSection.jpg

It would simply involve finding pipe of the correct diameter to fit snugly inside. You would then tap enough holes for set screws to make the whole thing secure.

Has anyone tried this already? Does anyone have any input?

xwingband
02-08-2007, 01:40 PM
That's exactly what Tim's old double connector did. :wink:

Bescherman
02-08-2007, 01:59 PM
Great minds eh!!! :wink:

So you used the word "old" which leads me to believe he doesn't use them anymore. Is that because they've been totally superseded by a superior machined part or because there was an inherant problem with the design? I'm really interested to learn from others' experience on this.

As it is, I'm strongly considering building the prototype from MHS parts for ease of assembly and adjustment of the design. I just need to find a cheaper way to mass produce them than ordering MHS parts from the states!

xwingband
02-08-2007, 07:23 PM
It's old in the sense that he hasn't restocked them after he ran out.

You can do a similar thing with the double male MHS part and two sink tube adapters. Then it would just screw apart while each side still has the screws. You could use one sink tube adapter exactly like you want also, but it's not very fast.

vortextwist
02-08-2007, 07:40 PM
probably quicker than 4 screws.

darthdan
02-08-2007, 10:35 PM
It kind of depends on how fast you need them to break too. If you want to be able to break it in the middle of a routine, then the MHS is going to be about your best option. If you just want to have both possibilities though, I think the hardware version will be OK.

And definitely post any progress on the strobing option. I'm not sure how a really fast strobe would work with luxeons, but it might be very cool.( I think the best results will come from something that strobes so fast it almost looks constant while still)

Bescherman
02-09-2007, 06:47 AM
Thanks for the suggestions chaps. I appreciate the input.

My problem with MHS parts and sink tube adaptors is that you simply cannot lay your hands on sink tubes in the UK. It doesn't seem to be a standard part.

I'd love for the two halves to be able to screw apart but I can't find a practical and cheap enough way of achieving yet. I'm chasing a quote on aluminium pipe to see how feasable that is as a hilt option. I think I could keep the thickess of the inner connector section thin enough to not take up too much space.

I'm not looking at making these products that you can break in two and use as single sabers. My plan is to run the two ends off communal electronics and batteries: one on/off switch, one recharge port, 1 buckpuck(?) (I need to look into the electronics more, I just have been dealing with the practical construction stuff first.)

I'm also confident that I could make a strobe circuit. I'll let you know what success I get doing this with luxeons when I get my hands on all the parts and a breadboard to play around with. I don't anticipate a problem though as I think I've seen at least 1 video of a momentary strobe effect using a luxeon. Also corbin's driver works on some sort of fluctuating principle. I know it's not on/off but it's hight then low so fast that the eye can't differentiate.

In terms of strobe speed, I've had a play with pieces of Aerotech juggling equipment in the past. That stuff strobes at different speeds so I have an idea of the visual effect I'm looking for (just not the actual frequency!).

I might quiz Erv' as he's a fellow EUer so might have some suggestions of suppliers. It's simply not feasable to try and market this product if I have to order weighty and/or expensive stuff from the US. I'll get hammered for import tax and delivery.

darthdan
02-09-2007, 11:34 PM
My problem with MHS parts and sink tube adaptors is that you simply cannot lay your hands on sink tubes in the UK. It doesn't seem to be a standard part.

What do you guys have under your sinks then? If you brits have developed black hole technology to get rid of drainage I really think you should share it with the rest of us...

vortextwist
02-10-2007, 07:16 AM
i beleive they only use pvc or plastic.

Angelus Lupus
02-10-2007, 08:03 AM
Yup, that's correct. No handy cheap supply of saber tubes for us brits. Trust me, I've looked too, in the hopes of building my own saber

vortextwist
02-10-2007, 08:53 AM
there's no way to order a bunch of sink tubes from the us and then sell them to your friends? or you just can't get them?

LordArgyll
02-10-2007, 12:32 PM
You could try finding electrical conduit. Not sure how cheap an option it is, though.

Angelus Lupus
02-10-2007, 02:26 PM
If I could be sure of enough sales to justify the cost, then maybe....
As for an alternative, I'm still looking. I thought metal vacuum cleaner hose tubes might be one answer, I even made a junk (non-functional) saber out of one I had lying around:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v41/AngelusLupus/Lupus-projects/th_mysaber.png (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v41/AngelusLupus/Lupus-projects/mysaber.png)
But I've not been able to find anything in either 1 1/4" or 1 1/2" OD. It all seems to be smaller.

elrond.406
02-10-2007, 03:45 PM
If I could be sure of enough sales to justify the cost, then maybe....
As for an alternative, I'm still looking. I thought metal vacuum cleaner hose tubes might be one answer, I even made a junk (non-functional) saber out of one I had lying around:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v41/AngelusLupus/Lupus-projects/th_mysaber.png (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v41/AngelusLupus/Lupus-projects/mysaber.png)
But I've not been able to find anything in either 1 1/4" or 1 1/2" OD. It all seems to be smaller.

Metal vacuum cleaner hoses? I thought they were all made of plastic. :? Anyway, they luke pretty neat

vortextwist
02-10-2007, 05:14 PM
If I could be sure of enough sales to justify the cost, then maybe....
As for an alternative, I'm still looking. I thought metal vacuum cleaner hose tubes might be one answer, I even made a junk (non-functional) saber out of one I had lying around:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v41/AngelusLupus/Lupus-projects/th_mysaber.png (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v41/AngelusLupus/Lupus-projects/mysaber.png)
But I've not been able to find anything in either 1 1/4" or 1 1/2" OD. It all seems to be smaller.

Metal vacuum cleaner hoses? I thought they were all made of plastic. :? Anyway, they luke pretty neat
most of them here are, the cheap ones anyhow.

Angelus Lupus
02-10-2007, 05:42 PM
Well this one was also a carpet shapoo-er.
Thanks for the compliment, but really that saber is way too light and narrow in real life. Still, seeing as I built it just to see if I could, and long before I discovered here and found out about luxeons and such, I guess it's not too bad.
I wonder what erv uses for his chromed tubes. I'll most likely be buying from Tim when I eventually build my own saber, so I guess adding a sink tube won't be too much extra. If only he had an outlet in the uk...

vortextwist
02-10-2007, 05:45 PM
I thought he said something about vaccum cleaner hose. I'm not sure exactly but I know he mentioned it. I beleive he machines his stuff or has it done.

elrond.406
02-10-2007, 06:33 PM
Well this one was also a carpet shapoo-er.
Thanks for the compliment, but really that saber is way too light and narrow in real life. Still, seeing as I built it just to see if I could, and long before I discovered here and found out about luxeons and such, I guess it's not too bad.
I wonder what erv uses for his chromed tubes. I'll most likely be buying from Tim when I eventually build my own saber, so I guess adding a sink tube won't be too much extra. If only he had an outlet in the uk...

For the bolded word(s?) did you mean shampoo-er?

Lord Maul
02-10-2007, 06:37 PM
it shampoos the carpet...duh :?

darthdan
02-11-2007, 02:16 AM
Think he was refering to spelling there, fetcher...

Angelus Lupus
02-11-2007, 05:03 AM
Dang, I can't beleive I futzed that one up. :oops:

Bescherman
02-12-2007, 01:00 PM
My problem with MHS parts and sink tube adaptors is that you simply cannot lay your hands on sink tubes in the UK. It doesn't seem to be a standard part.

What do you guys have under your sinks then? If you brits have developed black hole technology to get rid of drainage I really think you should share it with the rest of us...

It's been answed by now. As everyone says: plastic!

I've beenl ooking round for alternatives, but the other thing to consider is that everything is in metric sizes. As I said, I'm looking at extruded aluminium as weight will be a factor for me. I want to keep the centre sections as light as possible so there's proportionately more weight towards the end.

Question: What Thickness (in mm if poss!) are the MHS hilt walls? I'm guessing that 2 mm would be a good thickness but that's based only on me going "ummmmmm...." and staring at the ceiling! I need as thin as possible to be structuarally sound and have enough for the screws to bite into.

I may have to see if I can try a few different thicknesses and test to destruction!!!! :twisted:

Firebird21
02-12-2007, 01:14 PM
I may have to see if I can try a few different thicknesses and test to destruction!!!! :twisted:



I like your way of thinking!

http://www.gaownersclub.com/forum/images/smilies/icon_firedevil.gif

supertrogdor
02-12-2007, 01:39 PM
As you are going for double ended spinners, i would not be too worried about how much the hilt weighs. Balance would seem to be far more important, from what i can surmise. From the spinning i have done with the single and double sabers that i have made, the single is more cumbersome, but that is due mainly to the balance. The double saber i have the same amount of crud inside both halves of the hilt, and it spins just dandy, i don't get tired out from it like i did with my single saber before i made adjustments with it to achieve better balance.

Bescherman
02-13-2007, 01:21 AM
I may have to see if I can try a few different thicknesses and test to destruction!!!! :twisted:



I like your way of thinking!

http://www.gaownersclub.com/forum/images/smilies/icon_firedevil.gif

Hey, it's gotta be done! Once you've made 'em you've gotta break 'em to find out what they can take!


As you are going for double ended spinners, i would not be too worried about how much the hilt weighs. Balance would seem to be far more important, from what i can surmise. From the spinning i have done with the single and double sabers that i have made, the single is more cumbersome, but that is due mainly to the balance. The double saber i have the same amount of crud inside both halves of the hilt, and it spins just dandy, i don't get tired out from it like i did with my single saber before i made adjustments with it to achieve better balance.

I agree that balance is by far the most important criteria and that's my main aim with the "hilt" section. However, in brief discussions with another local staff spinner he was firmly at the opinion that the weight should be at the ends and most staffs were too light.

I'm not taking this as something I HAVE to do, as I'm aware that thick polycarbonate has a reasonable amount of weight. However it's food for thought so I want to keep the hilts as thin and light as poss. I'm also thinking of investigating some sort of rubber "balls" on the end for extra protection and weight.

I reckon that I'll be in a position to order a stock of MHS parts from Tim soon to build a prototype.


Another 2 Questions that occured to me last night:
- Do I need different battery/ LED configurations for different Luxeons, if so what?
- What is the implication of running two Lux III, K2 or Lux V LEDs off the same battery pack?

I know that K2s require more milliamps and Vs more voltage. K2s will drain a battery quicker than Vs due to the mA draw.

If I run the batteries in parallel then the Voltage stays the same but the mA (current) increases so I'm guessing this would be better for K2 LEDs.

Batteries in series = higher voltage but lower current so I'm guessing this would be more suitable for Lux Vs.

I am aware that you can run a mix of series/parallel to increase both voltage and current.

As for running 2 LEDs off the same pack, I'm not really sure if I need to run them in series or parallel or how this affects the voltage and current. I'm an electronics newb so I get confused easily!

Any help on any of the above topics would be appreciated! Thanks

supertrogdor
02-13-2007, 08:21 AM
I don't profess to be an electronics genious, but as long as you have the right resistors between the power and the LEDs you should be fine. If it was me i would pick a battery pack with sufficient voltage and run your positive lead strait to the switch and split the line after that with the resistors that correspond with the appropriate LED. You shouldn't have a problem running 2 LEDs off the same pack, unless a spinning show requires your staff to be illuminated for a really, really long time.
there are charts here that will tell you what resistor to use for what LED, or you can go here (http://metku.net/index.html?sect=view&n=1&path=mods/ledcalc/index_eng)

Bescherman
02-13-2007, 12:14 PM
Thanks for the link supertrogdor (BURNINATION!). Tim gave me the same one in a different thread so it's obviously well referred to!

I'm reluctant to use resistors to bring the voltage/current/whatever down as they gobble up power and lead to a shorter runtime.

I'm looking at buckpucks but I don't fully understand them yet. I need to do some more reading before I start asking questions.

I'll probably need to use resistors in the 555 circuit (for the strobe), in fact I'll DEFINATELY need a variable resistor (potentiometer) if I want to make the strobe speed variable. However, the fewer the unnecessary resistor the better! ....probably.

I'm looking at potentially making my own NiMh battery packs (with a shrink wrap casing) depending on the whole voltage/battery chemistry/different luxeons/blah blah blah issue.

jjshumpert
02-13-2007, 03:39 PM
now dont quote me on this but i believe that if you are running like luxs' then the wiring will be nearly identical to a single blade setup... lets say you picked up tims 5w green electronics kit plus an extra 5w green, you should be able to wire it as you would in a single blade hilt, with 2 leads past your resistor, each going to a positive on a lux. then you could come from your negative terminal on the battery pack and do the same split to each lux and it should lite up. doing that will allow you to run both lux on one switch.

it might also be a good idea to have two battery packs wired together in sequence like what mr did on the luke and mace led sabers. the power and resistors would all be the same but you would have twice the battery life

LAN-ED-TUL
02-13-2007, 10:59 PM
im not sure on that, let the pro guys answer that one.

i think trogs more on the line tho.

and if your tryin to use one large pack to run 2 lux's, sorry, you'll HAVE to resistor them im sure. on a buckpuck, do-clo has used them, and still runs a resistor on it as well.

if you dont well, POP go the LEDS

Bescherman
02-14-2007, 03:30 AM
now dont quote me on this but i believe that if you are running like luxs' then the wiring will be nearly identical to a single blade setup... lets say you picked up tims 5w green electronics kit plus an extra 5w green, you should be able to wire it as you would in a single blade hilt, with 2 leads past your resistor, each going to a positive on a lux. then you could come from your negative terminal on the battery pack and do the same split to each lux and it should lite up. doing that will allow you to run both lux on one switch.

it might also be a good idea to have two battery packs wired together in sequence like what mr did on the luke and mace led sabers. the power and resistors would all be the same but you would have twice the battery life

It would be interesting to run more batteries in whatever configuration if it allowed for a longer battery life with no "bad" effects. I'll have to look into it.


im not sure on that, let the pro guys answer that one.

i think trogs more on the line tho.

and if your tryin to use one large pack to run 2 lux's, sorry, you'll HAVE to resistor them im sure. on a buckpuck, do-clo has used them, and still runs a resistor on it as well.

if you dont well, POP go the LEDS

"POP" goes the weasel! :lol:

I suppose that I'm thinking the more resistors I run the more it gobbles up power. I need to educate myself now then come back with more specific questions once I know what I'm talking about. I guess some of this stuff will be on the forums if I look in the right place.

If anyone can give me some leads on my last questions that would be great. A point in the right direction will be fine, I don't necessarily need it spelled out in this thread.

Thanks so much to all who have chipped in so far. I'm gradually pulling together all the pieces of the puzzle!

EDIT: Found this about the series parallel thing. The question has been asked/answered before: http://www.thecustomsabershop.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=2203&highlight=buckpuck

Not too much joy on finding out more about Buckpucks or drivers but I'll have a look round after work... ormaybe tomorrow since it's Valentine's day and I'm going out with the lass!

If anyone has anything to add to this from experience though, please do. I'm still not sure if one setup is better for Vs and one for K2s but I think I can work it all out from the info I have. Just have to go to work now.

supertrogdor
02-14-2007, 08:18 AM
I need to educate myself now then come back with more specific questions once I know what I'm talking about. I guess some of this stuff will be on the forums if I look in the right place.

This is soooooo refreshing, keep us posted on your questions Bescherman, we are more than happy to answer anything we can for someone with this attitude.