I need help.

[Robb Mecaral]

Okay this my first working EL saber. Now the idea is to wire the inverter just like the one in the tutorial https://www.thecustomsabershop.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=15, but with another LED to show that the blade is getting power.
First off I need to know that if I wire everything like this will it work, if not what do I need to make this work. This will show how I will wire everything together
http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g166/Robtallica198/My%20Star%20Wars/wiring.jpg.
I'll take any help you guys give me.

[Strydur]

led on the left wont work as that is a/c power.

led on the right wont work. you have both leggs going to negative. One should go to black and the other should connect to the resistor which would then connect to red. This led would always be on by the way.

[Robb Mecaral]

Thanks, I'll try to see if I can make that work.

[LordArgyll]

Looks like your diagram is way off. I'm guessing that if you're using a basic inverter, it has a DC (battery) in/out and an AC (the blade, basically) in/out. Your switch then needs to go between the battery and the inverter... there's no separate input/output for a trigger-switch. This pretty much makes the power indicator LED redundant since you'll know the blade is getting power because it'll glow whe you switch it on. :) Like Strydur said, it appears that the way you intend to wire it, the red LED will always be on as long as the batteries are connected. If this isn't what you intend, then you'll have to introduce a second switch.

Also, the way you have it diagrammed, you have the resistor branching the pos and neg in a way that doesn't affect the LED. Also, you'll want to run the LED in parallel to the inverter or the resistor will reduce the voltage to the inverter to unusable levels. Here's what your wiring should look like:

http://darkside.sandwich.net/images/random/wiring.jpg

[Lord Maul]

Agryll, shouldn't the positive for the led be after the switch? that way when you turn on the saber, the led goes on. otherwise wouldn't it always be on :?:

[LordArgyll]

Yes, but in that configuration the LED comes on at the same time as the blade which defeats the purpose of having a power indicator (because you know you have power when you turn the saber on ;)). Ideally he needs a second "kill" switch between the LED and the batteries.

And oops, I realized that there should still be a resistor between the two AC leads.

[Robb Mecaral]

Now I got the inverter from the saber shop here,
http://www.thecustomsabershop.com/pc-624-18-4khz-inverter.aspx
and it has the leads to the mono jack, the battery, but what about the switch leads?

[Lord Maul]

http://www.thecustomsabershop.com/images/PRODUCT/medium/624.jpg

did you look at the picture :?:
sorry if that seems rude, but it says where they are right on it.
now, if you have the thing in hand and it doesn't have the switch leads then ya might want to pm tim with pics :wink:

[Robb Mecaral]

I'm just asking because of what LordArgyll is showing and I don't want to cut the wrong wires now.

[Robb Mecaral]

Never mind, I think that I'm going to leave the LED out, now. So now my question is that since I not going to use the LED that means I don't need the resistor, or sould I still have it.

[LordArgyll]

I'm a dummy when it comes to EL, I didn't know there were separate switch leads for the inverter. However, if you add a second switch where I indicated anyway, you'll have your master kill switch in addition to the on/off switch, which will make that power LED useful.

If you leave out the LED on the battery side, you don't need the resistor on that side, but I think you still need the one for the mono jack? Don't take my word for it, though, someone more knowledgeable in EL might have a different answer. :oops:

[elrond.406]

Now I got the inverter from the saber shop here,
http://www.thecustomsabershop.com/pc-624-18-4khz-inverter.aspx
and it has the leads to the mono jack, the battery, but what about the switch leads?

That saber shop is TCSS! :? Did you know that? Amazing how many ppl don't know that this forum is tied to the shop...both admins=Tim...

[Ryma Mara]

Nim again with the foot to mouth combo?

As for actual help for the topic maker I dont know, I dont think i have seen people add leds in with the el. maybe Jedi Ranger could help you with that.

[elrond.406]

Nim again with the foot to mouth combo?

As for actual help for the topic maker I dont know, I dont think i have seen people add leds in with the el. maybe Jedi Ranger could help you with that.

Just angry since it's obvious.

I saw one on Ebay, and parks does these LED displays on his sabers. There's a vid of it somewhere on Tim's sales site...

[Ryma Mara]

Again with the foot in the mouth. you like teh taste of your foot?

I know other saber makers do it but Iam talking about here. Why would i talk about someones other saber shop on this forum?

[Strydur]

You two need to stop..seriously

Robb send me a email if you still need help

[Lord Maul]

whats the saying elrond? sure of nothing but never in doubt :lol:

[elrond.406]

You two need to stop..seriously

Robb send me a email if you still need help

:oops: Sorry Tim...*pst, that's your cue ryma*

[Robb Mecaral]

I'm sorry guys if I'm asking basic questions, it's just that I'm new at this and I want to get this right. I didn't mean to start any trouble.

[Strydur]

Robb..nothing wrong with you asking questions.

[Lord Maul]

yeah rob, it's fine to ask questions.
old nimrod here was just trying to make you feel stupid or along the lines of that so we had to give him a good http://www.gaownersclub.com/forum/images/smilies/icon_tim.gif

[elrond.406]

::sigh:: :cry:

[Robb Mecaral]

yeah rob, it's fine to ask questions.
old nimrod here was just trying to make you feel stupid or along the lines of that so we had to give him a good http://www.gaownersclub.com/forum/images/smilies/icon_tim.gif

Well he did a good job of it. But whatever, I'm over it now, I just got a few scars for it.

[Lord Maul]

elrond doesn't really even carry sway here, so don't feel bad about it. he just posts for the sake of posting and is a major
http://www.gaownersclub.com/forum/images/smilies/icon_whore.gifhttp://www.gaownersclub.com/forum/images/smilies/icon_whore.gifhttp://www.gaownersclub.com/forum/images/smilies/icon_whore.gif

FB, don't ya remember when you used that one on me...

i think that this is the one smiliey that accurately describes Nimrod
http://www.gaownersclub.com/forum/images/smilies/icon_nothing1.gif
when he does the above simply go
http://www.gaownersclub.com/forum/images/smilies/icon_blahblah.gif

[Firebird21]

http://www.gaownersclub.com/forum/images/smilies/icon_nothing1.gif
http://www.gaownersclub.com/forum/images/smilies/icon_blahblah.gif



You just had to use the new ones didn't you...

At least you didn't use the other new one. And don't do it just because I said it. xwing will most definetly flog you.


Edit: Oh, and I've used the "Postwhore" one on xwing back in the day... (I wouldn't recomend trying it.) Ahh... The good old days...

[elrond.406]

http://www.gaownersclub.com/forum/images/smilies/icon_nothing1.gif
http://www.gaownersclub.com/forum/images/smilies/icon_blahblah.gif



You just had to use the new ones didn't you...

At least you didn't use the other new one. And don't do it just because I said it. xwing will most definetly flog you.


Edit: Oh, and I've used the "Postwhore" one on xwing back in the day... (I wouldn't recomend trying it.) Ahh... The good old days...

Xwing was a postwhore!?! And a mod at the same time too? ::faints::

[Lord Maul]

You just had to use the new ones didn't you...

At least you didn't use the other new one. And don't do it just because I said it. xwing will most definetly flog you.

yup, they fit the situation, and i liked them. and i won't be using the other new one any time soon :wink:

[Jedi Ranger]

Never mind, I think that I'm going to leave the LED out, now. So now my question is that since I not going to use the LED that means I don't need the resistor, or sould I still have it.

Well, your topic is getting a little derailed, but in case you are still uncertain, I'll try to help, since I WAS mentioned. :wink:

With my remaining (self-made) 3 EL-bladed hilts, 2 of those have LED power indicators. I installed these, since without a blade attached, you might not know if the main power is on or not, and if it is, there is a danger of frying your EL invertor, and killing the battery.

A basic EL-only setup, does NOT need any resistors. With my LED indicators, I went from battery to switch, and from the switch, had 2 outputs: 1 to the EL jack, and 1 through the resistors and to the LED indicator(s). Since I am running at least 9v through the system, those small LEDs need some heavy resistance. The blues can get insanely bright, and one of them that I installed has something like a 10 kohm resistor. I just tested till I got the led dim enough for what I wanted: just a glowing, not a side-ways mini flashlight.

Hope this helps.

[Robb Mecaral]

Well for anyone who cares, I fixed all of the bugs in my hilt and I just got my blade today. So now everythings is working, but for all of the help guys.