first time builder: basic questions

[Thanamira]

Hey, everyone. Got some newbie questions.

I'm hoping to build a staff kinda like the attached TCSS Builder image: style 22 emitters with style 5 bodies. Yes, the bodies are flipped from usual: I want the activation buttons to be near the center, so if you're holding the staff in one hand, an activation button rests underneath your hand. Additionally, I'm hoping to get the body modified in a few ways:
* shorter by 0.5", so that of an overall 72" length, the blades are notably longer than the staff hilt;
* reverse sound, which would require some of the fluted section to be drilled out as sound holes.

I've attached a second image of me examining the design elements.

So my immediate questions are:

1, the parts I'm referring to are listed as out-of-stock. Does that mean they'll never be in stock, or do I just need to wait, or do I need to send email asking about them?
2, can you glue a soundboard to the bottom of a 14500 battery holder and have the whole thing fit into a main body tube?

Thanks in advance for any help. :)

---

Edit to add clarification:
* I'm looking to have each saber have its own sound board.
* I'm presuming I'll need to have a battery for each hilt.

[jbkuma]

Any part still listed in the store is theoretically intended to be restocked. The parts you have used seem to be fairly common parts, so I wouldn't worry.

There are plenty of builds that the sound board and battery side by side, and the TCSS chassis discs are specifically designed to accommodate this if you want things tucked in there nice and securely. The 14500 (14mm x 50mm, round) is a rather small battery, especially for powering two blades (or are you duplicating all of the items in each side?). Is there a reason you aren't using the 18650? The hilt will still be able to accommodate the larger battery and you will have a much longer run time.

The image you posted is really small, so it's hard to tell exactly what is going on.

I strongly recommend looking at some other build threads to get an idea of how to fit things. You should also very definitely check out the TCSS youtube channel and watch the videos. It will give you a much better idea of how these things go together and Madcow does a spectacular job of presenting.

[Silver Serpent]

To solve your hilt length issue, you could use the double female extensions from here: http://www.thecustomsabershop.com/Extensions-C59.aspx They come in a variety of lengths, some are fluted already, and fluting can always be added as a custom order. Switch holes can be added to nearly any extension piece. It's not necessary to use a "Main Body" piece in a saber.

[Thanamira]

Any part still listed in the store is theoretically intended to be restocked. The parts you have used seem to be fairly common parts, so I wouldn't worry.

Awesome! Whew, that's a relief. :)


There are plenty of builds that the sound board and battery side by side, and the TCSS chassis discs are specifically designed to accommodate this if you want things tucked in there nice and securely.

Aha. Nrrr I forgot to mention which soundboard; I was thinking of the Nano Biscotte Sound Module v3. I don't think there's a chassis disc for that and a 2x14500 battery holder, though. :(


The 14500 (14mm x 50mm, round) is a rather small battery, especially for powering two blades (or are you duplicating all of the items in each side?).

Yes; each side would be a duplicate. I was assuming I'd need 2x14500 batteries.


Is there a reason you aren't using the 18650? The hilt will still be able to accommodate the larger battery and you will have a much longer run time.

My understanding is that the 18650 battery holder is 3.3", as opposed to the 14500's 1.96". The extra 1.3" would smack into where I'd want the activation switch, not to mention pushing the speaker closer to the emitter (and thus reducing the resonance cavity, which I assume is bad). But it's really about not having enough space for the AV switch.


I strongly recommend looking at some other build threads to get an idea of how to fit things. You should also very definitely check out the TCSS youtube channel and watch the videos. It will give you a much better idea of how these things go together and Madcow does a spectacular job of presenting.

Ooooh, youtube channel. That I haven't done yet. Thanks!

[Thanamira]

To solve your hilt length issue, you could use the double female extensions from here: http://www.thecustomsabershop.com/Extensions-C59.aspx They come in a variety of lengths, some are fluted already, and fluting can always be added as a custom order. Switch holes can be added to nearly any extension piece. It's not necessary to use a "Main Body" piece in a saber.

Oh, win. Thanks for the tip!

[rlobrecht]

The 2xAA battery holder with 14500's in the store isn't going to work for a NBv3. You will have too much voltage. It's not clear if you are trying to run both blades off a single soundcard, or if you will have 2 soundcards.

[FenixFire]

The 2xAA battery holder with 14500's in the store isn't going to work for a NBv3. You will have too much voltage. It's not clear if you are trying to run both blades off a single soundcard, or if you will have 2 soundcards.

If running both main LEDs off of a single NB, keep in mind the 2A max. For example this basically means you could run a single Blue die at 1000mA on each star. With an additional die as the FoC on each star. If color mixing the combined amperage for the two dice cannot exceed 1000mA per star.

Some have found ways around this through use of additional components and boards, though you will need to locate those suggestions.

Also you have 20 inches of space to put the battery and components. The battery could be placed anywhere within either hilt, so the largest capacity 18650 or other 3.7v cell could be used. For a staff placing the board/s in the center of the staff between the buttons may not be the ideal location. As you want the boards placed as far from the center of rotation for maximum performance of the motion sensors. On single blade sabers this is near the pommel.

[Thanamira]

Just edited the top post with clarifications:



Edit to add clarification:
* I'm looking to have each saber have its own sound board.
* I'm presuming I'll need to have a battery for each hilt.


I'm now trying to find stickied threads on electronics/wiring. I'm presuming that each hilt will need its own battery (as opposed to, say, one battery pack powering both LEDs and both soundboards). Yay research! :)

[Thanamira]

Oh wait, someone suggested the TCSS youtube channel. browses... Oh wow, I feel like I'm cheating. Okay, I bet that's where all my answers are! Now to find the time to watch a bunch... :)

[TheSilverDark]

Within both hilts you'd have ample room for a 18650/NB, the AV switches, and your LED. You really don't need deep resonance chambers. Maybe couple millimeters can get you some good sound. Of course the deeper the resonance chamber, the better the sound.

[Thanamira]

Yeah, the problem is due to how I want to do switch setup. The graphic I tried to attach got scaled down really small, so it's hard to see.

What I want to do is flip around the main bodies, such that the AV switches are 2 * 2.875" from each other, or 5.75" total. 18650's are 3.3" long, so then I don't have room for two, but I should be able to cram in a 2x14500 battery pack (probably wired in parallel, since I don't think I need the ~7v drop).

With where I want the switch, I then have ~3.5" of space, which should be plenty: 1.5" for LED module, 1" resonance cavity, 0.75" speaker length.

Another problem then might be if I'm mounting the soundboards under the battery packs, and the battery packs are in the center, then they'll be too close to the center of rotation. Although I can bias them as much as possible -- I think the NBv3 is 1.12" long, so then the center of the board is ~1.5" from the center of the staff. Will that be enough? Not sure. Any thoughts?

[FenixFire]

14198

The 18650 is 65mm long, roughly 2.6", NB stacks on the back of it with the disks in the store. Speaker could go on either side of the switch see illustration. The creativity will come in figuring out a way to lock it in place. I would order both a v4 and v5 speaker holder and see what works. if the v5 wont work just shave off the lip and you have a v4. If the speaker is on the board side of the switch you will need to use 30ga wire for the switch and lightly dremel channels in the side of the speaker holder to pass the wires. If it will always be a staff I would put the NB as close to the blade ends as possible. O1 and O2 are the two speaker options. If you went with the flat style heatsink you would gain about .5" of additional room as well. The illustration has the 16mm vandal so a 12mm would be even better fit for the O1 speaker placement.

[FenixFire]

The more pressing issue I see is placing the recharge port or ports...did not see any mention of that in your posts either.

[Thanamira]

Oh interesting -- so the sound would then be channeled around the battery/NB combo?

No plan to add recharge port, as I don't like the current state of the art with them. I'm used to taking the pommel off my sabers and extracting the battery pack, so I'd be doing similar here.