Led/resistor q RED star specific

[djbordie]

Hey guys, seeing as there are about 3-4 diff types of luxeon 3 star RED
do they all take the same resistor? or how do i know...?

I bought the 3star red from tcss so....? i know how to calculate resistors and stuff, but dont know what the specs of the 3star is from tscc...they just supply the resistor, but thats not what im using...


ALSO, if i go with a luxeon driver or equiv, is the resistor needed? Cause with diff battery setups thats when you need to be carefull with resistors right? so does the luxeon driver allow any kind of battery or what?

[supertrogdor]

the resistor you need depends on your battery pack's supply voltage, the specs are there for the searching, and Tim has conveniently put in a chart here (http://www.thecustomsabershop.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1624&highlight=resistor)

[djbordie]

geeez if people would bother readin the post instead of just being arrogant about it.

dude re read the post! notice i say "I KNOW THE RESISTOR VALUES!"

THE QUESTION WAS NOT ABOUT RESISTOR VALUES!


so re read the question and maybe you can come up with an intelligent answer for me...sorry i snapped.

[supertrogdor]

have a look at the link i provided you, it gives the necessary specs on the led about which you inquired. Don't go flying off the handle before you have a look at the response, unless you want people to not offer you assistance... but then why would you post a question?

[djbordie]

ya man but my question was about drivers, if you need resistors when using a driver? because from what i see, driver takes place of resistor...so what battery do you use with a driver or whatever

[supertrogdor]

I reccommend you spend some time reading. Search through the threads on drivers, buckpucks and the like. You are still new here, so we can grant you some allowances, however you should make good use of the tools available, such as the search button at the top of the forum page. Read first, ask questions second.

[djbordie]

ya i use search all the time...its a fairly common forum tool lol...but even in my wiring diagrams i have found ive seen resistors used with drivers and without so.,....iim trying to clarify somethin that i have seen in many areas dude.

and on the note of the different types of LUXEON 3 STAR REDS ? there is no info on that anywhere man....so newbs like me wont find this info.
Do they have different resistor needs or are all red 3 stars the same?

and notice i said i am not using the provided resistor, because i know with my rechargable 7.2v pack i need a 3.3ohm 10watt resistor (luxeons resistor calculator, real handy)....but do i still use resistor when i hook up my luxeon driver and possibly hasbro sound board?

i think these questions are a bit past newb...?

[vortextwist]

ya i use search all the time...its a fairly common forum tool lol...but even in my wiring diagrams i have found ive seen resistors used with drivers and without so.,....iim trying to clarify somethin that i have seen in many areas dude.

and on the note of the different types of LUXEON 3 STAR REDS ? there is no info on that anywhere man....so newbs like me wont find this info.
Do they have different resistor needs or are all red 3 stars the same?

and notice i said i am not using the provided resistor, because i know with my rechargable 7.2v pack i need a 3.3ohm 10watt resistor (luxeons resistor calculator, real handy)....but do i still use resistor when i hook up my luxeon driver and possibly hasbro sound board?

i think these questions are a bit past newb...?

yes becouse I got lost too. I think when using a driver and or mr board that takes place of an resistor? with the mr boards I used, it didn't use a resistor. I can be wrong.

[TimeRender]

Perhaps I can give you a little help. First of all, there is only one kind of luxeon 3 star in red. I don't know where you are hearing that there are different types. Perhaps you are reading the chart wrong. Secondly, if you are using Corbin's or Erv's driver, you don't need a resistor for the lux. You only need a resister if you are adding decorative leds. Third, and I think most people here would agree, don't even bother trying to use a hasbro board with 7.2 volts and corbin's driver. That's a huge hassle. In Trogdor's defense, these issues have been covered before and searching the forums would have answered your questions. Still, everyone needs to stay calm and try to help each other out a bit. Cheers!

A little more info for you... I double checked and the hasbro boards operate best at around 4.8 volts, considerably lower than your 7.2 volt power source. Synchronizing the activation of your sound and lights can also be a big problem. Please do try searching for more information, as there have been MANY threads concerning these issues.

[Jonitus]

There is no definitive answer whether a resistor is needed if you are using a driver or not. Sometimes, yes. Sometimes, no.

If you don't have one, I would recommend going to Radio Shack or someplace similar and buying a multimeter. It's not much money and you'll use it a lot if you keep building sabers. Once you've got everything wired except for your positive and negative to the LED, measure the current and voltage. If they are within the LED's specs, you're alright. If not...THEN get a resistor to compensate.

[djbordie]

sweet thanks guys...so i guess for now im just going to use the 7.2 nimh with a resistor...then buy a driver later...cause it sounds like a headache, but i have sooooo many 7.2 1600mah nimh battery packs from my rc cars...and a wicked charger , this would be cool to use in the saber ya know?

i guess when it comes to makin sound/driver i need to research the power consumption...

but do the drivers that dont need resistors require a certain power source? or can you use any battery and it compensates? I understand you said 7.2 was a pita...or is there an ideal voltage for the corbin board or somethin...

now wouldnt using a resistor always be good? that way i could use 7.2v with corbin board?

[TimeRender]

The LED drivers have different power ranges. I'm using a 7.2v in erv's driver and it works just fine, although he has to calibrate the driver specifically for the power source and the led. I believe Corbin's board can handle 7.2 also but you may want to check with him. As for using a resistor with a driver, no, it isn't always a good idea. Corbin's board doesn't need it, and neither does Erv's. Putting a resistor between the board and the led will only make your blade less bright. Now you said that using a driver sounds like a headache, but I would disagree. The wiring isn't significantly more complicated and the end result is much nicer, in my opinion. Where things get tricky is when you try to add sound. Again, just do a few searches here and you'll find a wealth of info, or ask someone with experience to help you out.

[djbordie]

cheers man, good help in these forums...
Someone early just said that 7.2 is problematic with corbin, but ill check that with him.

And whoever was saying there is only 1 luxeon 3star...my bad there are a few variations like side emmitting and so on, i didnt quite catch that...
http://www.luxeonstar.com/sub_category.php?id=198&link_str=196::198

[neophyl]

For a general run down on the differences between resistor and drivers read my post here http://www.thecustomsabershop.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1801&start=0

As for red leds. Yes there are 2 types, the main difference being the lambertian or side emmitting patterns of light produced. Lightsabers use the lambertian pattern leds so that is what TCSS sells.

Generally a driver only needs about 1v more than the leds forward voltage to operate so the needed input voltage will vary from led colour to colour. 7.2v is fine for a driver though. Ive used it several times as like you I have a history with R/C packs. Corbins driver (sold in the shop) would run fine. I tested one at 12v for a brief period using the lab power supply but I wouldnt run one at more than 10v or so for a long duration YMMV. Erv's buttered toast is fine up to 9v according to Erv. Ive only used mine at upto 6v but I trust his word on that.

There are other very small basic drivers out there that will carry on working at 24v but that voltage isnt likely to be seen in a sabre.

Extra voltage is a good thing when using a driver as it means the operating current is reduced. Extra voltage with a resistor is a bad thing as it means more power is wasted as heat by the resistor, meaning larger wattage resistor needed too. Id always go with a driver. You'll get better run times and a more consistant brightness from your led along with no worries about damaging it.

[elrond.406]

Boy, SOMEONE got up on the wrong side of the galaxy...

[djbordie]

haha elrond again, man do you just sit in the forum lookin through every post hoping, just hoping that you can finally post something valuable, or is it the same reduntant posts as we all see

[Jedi-Loreen]

He very rarely has anything of value to contribute, I think he just likes to post.

Hence, how he got the name "Post Whore" for a while.

[djbordie]

ok thats tooo funny man, im a newb here so didnt know about that...

GO POST WHORE!

hahaha