First-Timer looking for a design proofread

[Jono87]

I've purchased two pre-made sabers before, and feel it is time to build my own.

I've become accustomed to sound in the sabers I've purchased, so while I know it isn't necessarily advised for a first build, I feel a bit ambitious.

Compared to other builds, I am trying to keep it on the simple side.

16301

I believe I've listed the basic details of the components. What I'm most concerned about it the viability of merging the Accent LED with the primary in that fashion, as well as a confirmation that those resistors will be suitable. I have no desire for the Accent to be on while the primary is off.

There is also a possibility that the non-LED 16mm switch may be exchanged for a 16mm Blue Ring. In the case of that hypothetical, could I just duplicate the wiring of the Accent LED and merge is with the other two?

Thanks in advance. Any direction is incredibly appreciated.

[Warlock]

Well firstly without seeing your hilt design itself, be mindful that all those JST connectors will take up a huge amount of space. Also I used a prewire Nano for my first build back with the NBv3,....you'll have to modify any chassis as they aren't build to handle that board connector.

I'd suggest posting a mock up for your hilt as well. You can use the MHS Builder and post images if you're using parts from here.

Folks here are really helpful so don't worry,...you'll do fine.

[Forgetful Jedi Knight]

Yeah, the actual hilt design would be very helpful here.

[Jono87]

Yeah, the actual hilt design would be very helpful here.

Ah. As you wish.

16302

[Jono87]

Alrighty, Warlock. Posted the mock up above. Honestly, I'm planning on using 100% of my saber's pieces from TCSS. The pictures above are the parts I was planning on using. I'm not married to using JST if it'll take up space. I really only love the idea of the pre-soldered NB board, since I've never soldered before in my life. With that said, I have access to a soldering iron and had considered using it to solder wires, and seal them with heat shrink.

[Warlock]

Can totally understand the soldering concerns. Soldering wire to wire is really easy so I'd suggest at least doing that to remove the space/cost of the JST jumpers. Thou with some practice, boards aren't too difficult.

[Jono87]

Can totally understand the soldering concerns. Soldering wire to wire is really easy so I'd suggest at least doing that to remove the space/cost of the JST jumpers. Thou with some practice, boards aren't too difficult.

Awesome. As far as the actual components, circuitry, and resistors, does the wiring design look viable, qualifying any ruling with the assumption that soldering is done competently?

[Forgetful Jedi Knight]

Awesome. As far as the actual components, circuitry, and resistors, does the wiring design look viable, qualifying any ruling with the assumption that soldering is done competently?

Yeah, it’s doable. You should seriously practice your soldering skills on scrap wires, scrap circuit boards, etc.

[Jono87]

You should seriously practice your soldering skills on scrap wires, scrap circuit boards, etc.

Will do. Thanks guys!

[Warlock]

Go to Youtube, look up TCSS and just start watching. Madcow did a ton of awesome tutorial videos, covers all the basics, super helpful. Also should be tons of basic soldering videos out there that will surely help you.

[Forgetful Jedi Knight]

Go to Youtube, look up TCSS and just start watching. Madcow did a ton of awesome tutorial videos, covers all the basics, super helpful. Also should be tons of basic soldering videos out there that will surely help you.

Ya know, he wasn’t the ONLY one to do videos for the shop. :roll:

[Jono87]

Go to Youtube, look up TCSS and just start watching. Madcow did a ton of awesome tutorial videos, covers all the basics, super helpful.

Dude, that's what I've been doing for the past two weeks. I'm not even going to pretend my design isn't a combo of stuff I've seen him do, because it is. It does however include a few things not explicitly shown together or confirmed in his videos, that I just wanted to confirm as viable. Honestly, I'm not worried about soldering in general, because of his videos. I do think it would be foolish to attempt it without the caution someone who has never done it probably should have. Definitely gonna take FJK's advice though and practice. As it is, I'm still waiting for my hilt parts to be shipped, and will probably wait for that to be delivered before ordering the electronics. I just like to have as many ducks in a row as I can.

[Forgetful Jedi Knight]

As long as you have shrink wrap, the proper wire strippers and such, the “hardest” part (for you) will likely be adding the resistors into your circuits.

[bigkevin61]

I’ve used the MHS speaker mount V6 (http://www.thecustomsabershop.com/MHS-speaker-mount-V6-For-28mm-Speakers-P892.aspx), and it locks in between the body and the pommel. In order to get to the Soundcard and the SD card (if you want or need to change settings) OR to get to the battery to swap, or recharge, you are going to need to pull the speaker holder out of the body several inches to get clearance.
Stuffing the extra wire, AND all the JST connectors in the part of the body below the switches will be a challenge.

I know you said you haven’t soldered before. Neither had I before this hobby! My profile pic (the TARDIS) was my first practice project. It isn’t too expensive to get a iron, and parts to practice on are cheap (old broken electronic toys, 20 year old motherboards collecting dust, etc). Being able to do even basic soldering opens SO many more possibilities for saber configuration!!

I’d suggest viewing Madcow’s (Rob Petkau of Genesis Custom Sabers) Tutorial video on a Basic Saber with Sound (http://forums.thecustomsabershop.com/showthread.php?17377-Video-Detailed-tutorial-for-a-basic-saber-with-sound) as his example uses Speaker Mount 6, and shows a creative way of wring with a different connector.
In fact, ALL the tutorial videos (http://forums.thecustomsabershop.com/forumdisplay.php?51-Informational-and-Tutorial-Videos) are insightful!

[Squimboos]

I'll go ahead and throw my experience in here. I just finished wiring up my fist build (neopixel) and I have never soldered a thing in my life except for one wire like 15 years ago. It seems daunting at times but once you get the hang of it, it's absolutely worth doing yourself. Not to mention it just feels great knowing you did it with your own hands.

[Warlock]

Ya know, he wasn’t the ONLY one to do videos for the shop. :roll:
Wasn't meaning to discount anyone, Madcow just happened to be the one doing pretty much every TCSS video I watched.

[minorhero]

I just finished my second saber. For my first saber I used a crystal focus sound board (wouldn't recommend this as a first timer simply because I didn't use all the functions) but it is an expensive sound board with tiny pads etc. I successfully wired it up on my first try with zero soldering experience from anything else ever unless you count doing some minor plumbing repairs in my house. Certainly no wiring before. So yea, its pretty easy to do if you don't mind going slow and taking your time.

[Jono87]

Hey guys.

So I've been doing some thinking over the past week, and really like the idea of a chassis/internal battery build after all. I did some measuring and believe I've got more than enough space for what I'm considering chassis-wise.

I was already planning on using a gender changer to connect both extender pieces as the primary portion of the hilt. I'm now thinking of using the gender changer to lock the chassis to the extender piece that will house the switch box. I was considering dropping the accent LED and throwing the charge port in there as well, as I thought an external kill key might give the appearance of the hilt a little more aesthetic, until I remembered that the kill key would need to be out for me to use the saber. Therefore, I rolled back to keeping the accent LED on the switch with the charge port in the hilt as part of the chassis. Ideally, this build is going to enable a rolling off of the bottom "half" , leaving the chassis connected to the portion with all wiring, switch, LEDs, etc.

The question that has arisen is the viability of the wiring once again. I believe on standpoint of things connected as they are, the theory is the same as my original schematic. With all of the wiring though, I do find myself questioning the efficiency of a build with 3 resistors.

I don't necessarily mind that, but from what I've been able to pick up in the most basic sense, I began questioning whether a buck puck might be something to consider instead. Unfortunately my familiarity with them is simple, and begins and ends with the premise that they might be a suitable one stop shop power management alternative to multiple resistors, and I'd be lying if I said I was confident in that description of a buck puck being accurate.

Would anyone mind letting me know if it is in fact accurate, and if so, if using one as an alternative would be something I should consider, or if going with the concept as it currently stands is a better idea?

16322

[Silver Serpent]

You don't use BuckPucks with sound boards. They require 5v minimum to operate, and that is not compatible with any of the boards that run off 3.7v single cells. All the boards that run off 7.4v battery packs have a LED driver built in, so they don't need them.

There is this: http://www.thecustomsabershop.com/1000mA-37V-Li-ion-Single-LED-Driver-P1211.aspx which could work, but it'll take up a lot more room and it's significantly more expensive than a resistor.

[Jono87]

You don't use BuckPucks with sound boards. They require 5v minimum to operate, and that is not compatible with any of the boards that run off 3.7v single cells. All the boards that run off 7.4v battery packs have a LED driver built in, so they don't need them.

There is this: http://www.thecustomsabershop.com/1000mA-37V-Li-ion-Single-LED-Driver-P1211.aspx which could work, but it'll take up a lot more room and it's significantly more expensive than a resistor.

So probably better just to go with the 3 resistors then?

[Silver Serpent]

That's what I'd recommend.

[Jono87]

Follow up:

I went with this wiring scheme in the end.
16357

I successfully got the primary LED, Switch LED, Switch, and speaker functioning as intended.

On one level, I am happy I was able to complete the build, but unsatisfied that everything didn't work as intended. Therefore, I am already looking into going back in and tweak the guts, if not rebuild them entirely.

The Accent LED did not work despite being wired the same as the other LEDs that did. Would anyone be able to provide insight as to why that may not have been the case?

On top of that, the Bass speaker seemed quieter than I expected, but also flatter. Has anyone used the Bass and Premium speaker? How were they different, and which did you prefer?

[Forgetful Jedi Knight]

Did you attach the Dynaohm resistor the right way on the accent LED?

[Jono87]

Did you attach the Dynaohm resistor the right way on the accent LED?

+ Power NB ----- Recharge/Batt splice ----- In End of DynaOhm - Out End of Dyna Ohm ----- Accent LED

The question I have is if the two prongs of the LED are interchangeable (as I recall having been led to believe) or if there is a dedicated + prong and a grounding one.

[Greenie]

The polarity of the LED matters. They should be marked as + and -
The polarity of the switch is 'interchangeable'

[Jono87]

The polarity of the LED matters. They should be marked as + and -
The polarity of the switch is 'interchangeable'

Well, I guess I need to go back and check again. Hopefully the LED didn't get blown. :(

[PCModulus]

Well, I guess I need to go back and check again. Hopefully the LED didn't get blown. :(

It wont.

[bigkevin61]

On top of that, the Bass speaker seemed quieter than I expected, but also flatter. Has anyone used the Bass and Premium speaker? How were they different, and which did you prefer?

Are you doing a bench test mock up, outside the body of the saber? Or possibly with the speaker not in a speaker mount?

I noticed when I did my mock up, a completely exposed speaker doesn’t have the “loudness” of a mounted speaker in a hilt with a resonant chamber (space between the speaker and end of the pommel).

Also, there is a volume setting in the configuration file of the NB. I don’t believe (at least in the prior versions I’ve used) that it is set to max by default.

[Jono87]

Are you doing a bench test mock up, outside the body of the saber? Or possibly with the speaker not in a speaker mount?

No, sir. That was my impression with the speaker wired, housed, chassised and in the hilt. I even put in putty per Madcow's recommendation to minimize any adverse vibration.

I'll definitely check out the sound settings

[Jono87]

The polarity of the LED matters. They should be marked as + and -
The polarity of the switch is 'interchangeable'

16358

So these were all the markings I could find.

At first I thought the mark on the bottom might be a + but upon further review it looks more like a 4, most likely to compliment the LX up top.

Besides that though, I couldn't find anything else. Maybe inside the housing?

[Greenie]

Ah, my mistake. I thought it was the LED of the AV switch, they are marked. Just swap your wires round on the LED, if it still doesn't work, it may have burnt out.

[Jono87]

Ah, my mistake. I thought it was the LED of the AV switch, they are marked. Just swap your wires round on the LED, if it still doesn't work, it may have burnt out.

Tim got back to me earlier and confirmed something I learned this past weekend, which is that the longer pin is the positive one.

Unfortunately (and foolishly) I removed the wires soldered to the original accent LED without making any note of what was where, and don't know how it was wired, and therefore how to rewire it.

I have a new one coming my way via a reorder though. Before trimming it down, I was thinking of seeing if I might be able to use the new one to identity which pin would be the positive on the original. Would it be a safe assumption that the placement of the pins with relation to the LX 4 marks would be the same?