Parks EL Qui_gon: LED ready 9/15/07

[vortextwist]

I finally got it apart. 5 phillips head screws and that was it. Anything else I should measure? should be just as easy as the obi to convert.. Heck even one of my spare soundboards fit it. From the look of it an 4AAA or even an 6AAA pack (trangle shaped) will fit with room to spare.
http://i74.photobucket.com/albums/i259/vortextwist/Parks%20Qui-Gonn/qui-gon1.jpg


http://i74.photobucket.com/albums/i259/vortextwist/Parks%20Qui-Gonn/exploded_qui-gon2.jpg
http://i74.photobucket.com/albums/i259/vortextwist/Parks%20Qui-Gonn/exploded_qui-gon1.jpg
http://i74.photobucket.com/albums/i259/vortextwist/Parks%20Qui-Gonn/exploded_qui-gon5.jpg

[xwingband]

Bummer... I was hoping it'd be like the Obi where the emitter was an insert. That means I'd have to stick to 3/4".

Oh well, it's great to see that the insides are quite open. The pommel is definately going to be rather easy to get sound into compared to the Obi. Can't wait to find one that fits my budget.

[vortextwist]

I do think the shank will come apart. I just didn't want to go that far. I can see where the 2 layers of metal come together where the set screw is. But then how do you attach eht blade holder?

[Lord Maul]

great pics vortex.

personally, i wouldn't of had the guts to take apart 300$ a couple days after i got it, but it's nice to have someone do it for me :lol:

[vortextwist]

ehh, it wasn't that bad. It's not anyworse than spending 300 on a saber and putting it together. :D

[Jay-gon Jinn]

I thought that grip section would go together like that. I was thinking about how one would machine that, and I figured that would be the best way to do it. It looks like it shouldn't be too difficult to convert. might need a custom led mount/heatsink....or maybe the one in the store will fit?

[vortextwist]

yea I will just take some time and figure out he best route to go.

[987654321a]

dude either you have huge fingers or that hilt is really thin. ID

[vortextwist]

well you know what they say about guys with big fingers?





























They wear big gloves. :lol: the od is the same as an sinktube. trick photography, or bad angle :lol:

[Jonitus]

Nah...you just have big sausage fingers. :)

[vortextwist]

lol. :lol: ya i guess i do :lol:

[vortextwist]

Well I'm in the process of getting this thing ready for a Luxeon kit.

here is what I got so far. I trimmed down one of tim's heatsinks but I still need a bit of room, seems the nylon screws are a bit tall. I am thinkin of just using the thermal epoxy to secure it, or would the old 1/4 inch jack holder be enough heatsink with the thermal epoxy?
http://i74.photobucket.com/albums/i259/vortextwist/qui-gonheatsink.jpg

This is what it all looked like when I took out he guts. The plastic jack piece just pushed out.
http://i74.photobucket.com/albums/i259/vortextwist/light%20saber%20pics/newlightsabers082.jpg

Anyone got any tips or things to watch for I may be missing?

[vortextwist]

well got my reflectors in today. here's how it looks so far. Now I just gotta get some thermal epoxy to stick it all together.
http://i74.photobucket.com/albums/i259/vortextwist/light%20saber%20pics/qui-gonheatsink002.jpg
http://i74.photobucket.com/albums/i259/vortextwist/light%20saber%20pics/qui-gonheatsink001.jpg

[Jetsi]

Looks very nice, can't wait to see it all put together.

Although, I think you should be more reverent to the Donkeys and not put your stuff all over whatever that is (I think it is a mousepad). I mean, you wouldn't do that to the Big Red Machine, would ya? :P

[vortextwist]

lol, ya it's my mousepad. I suppose not. lol

[Kyp Durron]

Are you still going with the 3/4 inch blade set up?


-Kyp

[vortextwist]

yea, I pretty much have to. there isn't enough metal there to go 1".

[Kyp Durron]

Yoda is working on a way to use a one inch blade...I'm going to wait and see if this can be done. If not, then I will see about converting mine. ;)

Are going to have sound in yours? MR, Erv's, Ultra's...?


-Kyp

[vortextwist]

not sure, I might see how much sound comes out without altering the pommel. or have another one made so I can have the original and the one with sound holes. with the way I'm doin it now, if yoda does have something then I'll see about that.

[xwingband]

I don't think 3/4" is that bad. You loose dueling and brightness, but the balance is fantastic.

I think I'm just going to lathe down some of the custom heatsinks to 3/4" and setscrew them in place. Bloody simple.

[Jay-gon Jinn]

Hey Vortex, if you use a 3/4" blade try Ultra's DIY film. Just tell him it's for a 3/4" blade and they'll roll it tight enough to fit. I have it in two sabers at the moment and it works very well for those blades. Here's my green one:
http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o141/Jay-gon_Jinn/000_0023.jpg
That's a 1500 ma K2 driven on an MR Vader board in the middle of the afternoon in my living room. Once I get a the Ultraboards I've ordered, I'll be installing one in that saber amd the other in the RLSA I recently converted.

[vortextwist]

I don't think 3/4" is that bad. You loose dueling and brightness, but the balance is fantastic.

I think I'm just going to lathe down some of the custom heatsinks to 3/4" and setscrew them in place. Bloody simple.

yup, I don't think a 3/4 blade will be that bad.

thanks jay, I got 2 more sets of film coming.

[xwingband]

hehe! :D

I got my Qui-gon in the mail today. It is a Hez saber, but constructed by Parks. Meaning... it's slightly older? Also it has a switch on the back like the Larbel sabers.

Otherwise it's the same. I actually like the switch there because I will find a way to make one go in the traditional spot. Then where the switch was I'll probably mount a recharge port.

I had it apart within 30 minutes of getting it. :twisted:

[Madcow]

I haven't seen that switch on the back. Can you post a pic X-wing?

MC

[vortextwist]

Awsome X!! hows the guts set up?

[xwingband]

It's constructed the same as every other parks I own for the electronics. That little resin filled tube and a slug screwed into the bottom of the blade holder...

It came apart a lot easier than my other Parks'... except for the fact the screws were so tight I needed a power drill. :x

Unscrew the pommel, covertech and switch (smaller version of the TCSS one). Then the shroud slides off and reveals a single set screw and four phillips screws near the top of the shroud. Take all those out and the grips tube slides out... and the emitter comes out exactly like yours.

http://www.incomsabers.com/images/qui_hez_el1.jpg
http://www.incomsabers.com/images/qui_hez_el2.jpg
http://www.incomsabers.com/images/qui_hez_el3.jpg

There is a bit of an indent milled out of the shroud for the switch to be easily screwed in and out, but that's not biggie. Means I wont have to attempt any modify to mount a recharge port there.

The actually switch is just a screw. I'll probably dremel off the threads and make it a cap for a momentary. Then I'm thinking a "tactile" for a second switch... drill a small hole for it's head then pressure fit it with the blade holder. I'll put it in the back at the very top of the shroud.

Plans, plans... not quite going to be Madcow's, but I'll make it awesome anyway. :wink:

[vortextwist]

i'm sure you will. very nice X!

[Kyp Durron]

Wow...I wasn't aware that the older parks sabers had the switch in another location. Pretty neat that you got an older version, I like your idea of making the switch into a recharge port when you Lux it up.




-Kyp

[xwingband]

Yeah, It really won't make a difference to me. If anything it's less work I have to do.

It's really a tangle since I wasn't paying attention to exactly who was doing what back when these were being made. Like I guess the ones with switches on the back are Hez sabers (designed by Hez commissioned to be built by parks though). Then there are Larbel's and Park's normal ones... quite confusing. I notice the Larbel's (?) have the little notches visible at the top although the Larbel Qui-gon is the easiest to spot... it has the correct grips!

Well, I like to make drawings or something to map out my ideas...
http://www.incomsabers.com/images/qui_hez_el4.jpg

Mine will be similar to vortex's. I'm having my own heatsink slug made to replace Park's plug. I shouldn't have to mod anything inside that way. I ordered some of those Rebels on PCB's. While not the best bin they still will beat a III and match a K2 blow for blow with less amperage. I can easily fit it 3/4" too.

All that is great so that someday I could feasibly just bore out the emitter to 1" without impact to anything else.

[vortextwist]

Hey X, I don't know if you have read anything over at fx sabers but yoda and parks I guess is getting together to design something for parks' sabers to convert them to lux. Not sure how long it will take em or if I can wait that long but it's an idea. I'm thinkin I would love to put erv's board in there, (if it fits) my luke board fits perfectly.

[xwingband]

Eh... I'm not going to wait. I can get what I want done faster. Whenever I get a lathe I can handle boring it out.

Hmm... I was hoping it fit snugly... I just tried one of Erv's boards. :cry: It's the exact size of the inner tube so it doesn't fit.

Shoot... oh well. A solution will present itself.

[vortextwist]

well that sucks.can tim make an rechargable 6aaa batt pack, if I decide to go with ultra's? the mr one might be good enough though.

[Kyp Durron]

Oh man, that blows that Erv's board won't fit....maybe you can use Ultra's board when he does the second run of them, or just use a MR sound board.

I plan on waiting till Yoda is able to convert mine since I don't posses the skills or tools to make a one inch blade fit let alone convert mine.

I can't wait to see how both of you finish yours. :D




-Kyp

[xwingband]

I guess I could go for Ultra's, but I prefer Erv's and would rather forgo sound if I can't get it to work. Especially for Qui-gon's. All the auxilllary button features are things that Obi and Qui-gon did. All that stuff is really PT stuff.

After looking at my V1.2 and pics of the V2's (mine is already installed) I think I can shave it down. I'll have to do it by hand unlike the not so delicate dremel work with Corbin's. It'll fit like a fat person in daisy dukes, but I think it'll do.

I'm not to keen on waiting for a 1" blade solution either. Buying a whole new emitter section would blow. These weren't cheap in the first place. 3/4" is not bad... Between a Rebel, the smaller optics it uses and I plan on a quad wrap of Corbin's film I think it will be fine.

[Lord Maul]

X, i envy you. :evil:

now you have a parks qui gon, obi wan, and obi wan ANH :x

[Jedi Ranger]

Eh... I'm not going to wait. I can get what I want done faster. Whenever I get a lathe I can handle boring it out.

Hmm... I was hoping it fit snugly... I just tried one of Erv's boards. :cry: It's the exact size of the inner tube so it doesn't fit.

Shoot... oh well. A solution will present itself.

Hey Xwing - I have not dismantled my Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon Ep.1 hilts, nor do I have an Erv board (yet) so this idea may not work, but here goes. In order to get the Erv board to fit, what about cutting 2 grooves/slots in the inner tube big enough and long enough to hold/support the board, starting right at the pommel end? You follow?

[Hasid Lafre]

Kinda like how the inner sleave has the notches for the 9V to fit snug in the parks VT has.

[xwingband]

The grooves extend slightly below half so I'm afraid it would show through to do that for the whole board. I am going to cut it a bit though as I believe the SD holder will add some complication but it's far enough down I'd be able to cut it.

I'm also going to cut a few mm for a speaker. The "deluxe" one is 28mm too so it will likely also be a tight fit.

I guess this another good thing in disguise. With such a tight fit I really don't have to think of any "mounting" methods so it doesn't knock.

[vortextwist]

Well with some much help from Xwing, I'll share this little video. Right now I don't have any film to put in the blade but with stickin with the 3/4 inch blade I'm thinkin of using Ultra's or corbins, not sure yet. I am using the Ultra sound, and kept the pommel off so you could hear the sounds, still have to get the pommel modified., but the hard part is over. I'll need to find a diff switch as this momentary doesn't work the greatest. hey X I might need another set up for my obi. :oops: anyway my video skills are lacking a bit so I don't say anything.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yVFwDbdawjE

[xwingband]

Awesome. Get a blade in that sucker. The Rebel LED is so nice.

I need to get more Rebels and heatsinks anyway for myself. I'll probably keep a few around for doing Parks conversions.

For the blade... Go "Erv's style" or Ultra's. I wouldn't use Corbin's alone in 3/4 after trying Erv's.

[Hasid Lafre]

VT remind me when I come over tomorrow to get my dowel and we shal try my corbin film in that 3/4" blade and see how it looks.

Persionally if you can find a momentary switch thats like the latchingones in the quigonn that would be sweet.

I thought of maybe seeing about taking the switch apart and removing the latching mechanisim but that switch is tiny as hell and wouldent want to risk damaging it.

What led did you use VT? I forgot to ask earlyer.

[Jay-gon Jinn]

As far as the film goes, Vortex, try using both Corbin's and ultra's. I've had decent results in a 3/4" blade with that combo. It's what I did with my Ultrasound in my RLSA with a blue K2 in this vid:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bYxo1nyUDEo

[vortextwist]

Again thanks for all the help X! I'm gonna order some film this week, corbins and ultras. Sid it was a rebel led.

[Hasid Lafre]

So yeah I just put my doube wrap of corbin film in the blade and man what a pain in the neck that was.

How would vt go about getting a reflective material in there? These thick walled el bades are pritty trickey.

[xwingband]

Eww... you're using a thickwalled? Why not thin?

Anyway... since getting the tip off is really not a good option just get a dowel. Stick one of the "glass" mirrors you can buy at a craft store on it. Put some glue on it and shove up.

[Hasid Lafre]

Well vt is using the origional parks blade, IT is a pain in the butt to get any kinda film in there.

[Hasid Lafre]

delete

[vortextwist]

well right now it's the only thing I have at the moment.

[vortextwist]

I wanted to post a pic of the led heatsink X hooked me up with.

http://i74.photobucket.com/albums/i259/vortextwist/light%20saber%20pics/bluemacewindu004.jpg

[Sethski]

Hi - as I'm coming to the end of the honeymoon period with my Parks Qui Gon (same-hilt-as-this-one), I'm looking for some pointers and stuff on converting it to luxeon.

Mostly I'm concerned about getting the LED, heatsink and optics setup right. There were some pics earlier in the thread that have disappeared that may have been helpful - any further pointers greatly appreciated.

I'm also looking at a couple of possible options for the LED. a green Seoul P4 looks like it has the potential to be brightest, depending how it's driven. I was looking at this one here:

http://www.led-tech.de/en/High-Power-LEDs-Seoul/-3.5W-Seoul-LEDs/Seoul-3.5W-Star-LED--P4-Version--LT-1166_121_78.html

I'm not sure if it's preferable for it to be mounted on a "star" or not, I assume there's something to this as all the LEDs for sabers sold here at TCSS are of that variety...

...but Vortextwist, I noticed that the one you use in your saber appears to be on a smaller square board. I wondered if this was anything to do with space limitations in the hilt/bladeholder and if it was advantageous or otherwise or just how it came.

The place I saw the P4 above also offers green Lux Rebels on a board like yours, as well as selling them unmounted and with separate "star" board in (regular) 2cm and (smaller) 1.5cm sizes.

Also, re the optic and holder - do they sit inside the blade holder tube or underneath it?

Hope all the questions is OK, any help greatly appreciated. I am trawling through the good info here a bit at a time, so apologies if the answers are elsewhere and I've not found them yet. Also scuse any foot-in-mouth wrong tech talk. I'm new to electronics and stuff...

Cheers. :D

[xwingband]

That Seoul P4 you linked is a WHITE LED! Not green... Seoul's colors aren't anything to bother with yet as they are unproven and on paper aren't even close to what luxeons can get.

The LED itself... the Rebel you saw at LED-tech is what he's using. That's what I sent him. :wink: I tested it and it actually was kicking a K2's butt despite the supposedly superior lumens of the K2.

Optics... LED-tech used to have them. FutureElectronics has then though. Look up part "120/180". LED-tech also has a holder for normal optics like TCSS sells but I'll get into why that's not going to work in a bit.

Heatsink... Don made the slug for me. It's simple and efficient. I'm going to get more made.

Pommel... Acerocket has my saber to make new hollow pommels. I've got a lead on anodizing them too. I was planning on getting an extra, if you want in on this PM me.

Size in general... without working the blade holder to 1" a normal star is not going to fit! This is why I started looking at the Rebels. They're SMALL! I ended up with them because as I tested they proved to be better and I didn't want to mess with emitter verions of K2's or something.

[Sethski]

Hi X Wing. Thanks so much for the quick and helpful response.

I'll follow up your advice for the optics.

That was actually a green P4 I linked to - if you check the part number on the page before http://www.led-tech.de/en/High-Power-LEDs-Seoul/-3.5W-Seoul-LEDs-c_121_78.html
You'll see it's the same as in the link in my previous post (LT-1166).

From what you said with the star being too big for the setup with the narrower blade holder, it looks like that wouldn't be an option anyway.
I wonder if anyone has used this for other projects though i.e. with 1" blades? On paper the Max lumens of the green star P4 (LT-1166) is nearly twice that of the green PCB-mounted rebel (LT-0158)(182 to 95).

Then again the emitter/unmounted rebel (LT-0158) is listed as max lumens 145, which makes me wonder if it's fairly straightforward to mount it to one of the smaller 15mm stars (LT-1100) and if this would make it suitable for the narrower 3/4" blade/holder setup? And would it keep the higher lumens output in this setup?

I don't expect anyone to answer all these, as much as anything I'm thinking out loud in case it's of interest to others as well...

And I do also appreciate you saying that what's on paper isn't always what our eyes tell us.

I'll PMed you re pommel and heatsink. Thanks again.

[xwingband]

Ooops... I guess I didn't read close enough. I'm also a bit ticked at LED-tech as I just got an order from them and they shipped the wrong stuff! I orded the Rebels on PCB, but they sent me the plain ones. Now I've got to ship it back. :evil:

The Rebels do so much better though... here's a pic I took when I first futzed with a Rebel. K2 is on the right.

http://www.incomsabers.com/images/rebcomp.jpg

Not very great pictures, but it's the same blade and regulated drivers on all. The difference is way apparent. The K2 was weak and puny.

You can try that Seoul LED but in the emitter form. I didn't like that idea because they are much more likely to come off in extreme uses. Standard optics are going need a trim too I believe. Polymer optics has a small hex optic just like I used on the Rebel though, I don't know the part number though.

I'd only consider the unmounted Rebel if you have the equipment. I've tried my best and the lumen difference isn't as apparent. I'll assume it's because I'm kind of "hacking it" without proper equipment.

[Angelus Lupus]

The Rebels do so much better though... here's a pic I took when I first futzed with a Rebel. K2 is on the right.

http://www.incomsabers.com/images/rebcomp.jpg


Nice! Looks like rebels are definately the way forwards, at least for green and blue.

[Sethski]

That does look impressive - and it's not like the K2 is shabby either.
I think the rebel will fit the bill fine.
I can always order some stuff for experimenting with as well...

[vortextwist]

the rebel works real well.