benefits of a buck puck?

[chase]

what are they? ive got a royal blue led and a 5w cyan that im using...will they make anything better? brighter? wha?

[xwingband]

They'll make better use of your batteries... if you combine it with rechargeables this would save a lot of money.

Constant brightness as it controls the current to whatever the voltage is.

Overall it's super efficient compared to a resistor.

[chase]

so you wouldnt even need a resistor then?

[xwingband]

Nope, driver always replaces a resistor...

I so need to add that to the FAQ right now.

[Novastar]

SERIOUSLY X...

It seems like we've all been saying this many times over, hahaha.

[xwingband]

I guess I get it though...

Once people familiarize themselves with the basic resistored setup they then want to get a better setup. It's then "How do I add a driver?"... Automatically they think addative vs. a substitute idea.

Same with Corbin's vs. all-in-ones like Erv's and Ultra's. It's always been an adding, especially with Corbin's.

[Strydur]

There are many more options with the buckpucks also which I will be adding to the descriptions eventually. Such as running multiple LED's easily. The ones we sell also have a extra set of wires that can be used to just attach the on/off switch or you can use a linear taper potentiometer to adjust the brightness from dim to max.

[Novastar]

Sweet!

Thanks Strydur...

[Firebird21]

you can use a linear taper potentiometer to adjust the brightness from dim to max.



Cool!

And when will those be in stock? lol

[DACOTA]

I dont fully understand electricity all that well,I know some but not all,so is ma milliamps or what?And that measurment is amps right?And how would you know whether to get the 700 or the 1000 buck puck?

Sorry, still learning deeper electricity knowledge.

[Strydur]

Look at the LED resistor chart where it says target mA. If it says 700 then use the 700. If it says 1000 or greater then you can use the 1000 but the ones listed as greater than 1000 will be slightly underdriven.

[Eandori]

To answer the question, a milliamp (mA) is 1/1000 of an amp (A). So...

1 amp = 1000 milliamps :)

[Novastar]

To chime in with what Eandori is saying, Dacota... then you have batteries... "mah", right?

What the heck is a "milli-ampere hour"?? It's nothing more than a general idea of how long the batteries will last given a current draw.

Based on Eandori's 1000ma (1A) example, the math is quite easy. If the LED is drawing 1A, and you have a 2400mah battery setup... you simply divide. Meaning you should get approximately 2.4 hours of usage before the battery is pretty much depleted of that charge.

Granted... this is for approximation only, and tons of other factors play in, including load, resistance, battery type, LED, blah blah.

If you have a board running an LED... your draw will generally be more than the 1A example. But I don't know... it depends on how things work... for example, Erv's board regulates the current to the LED... AND you might recall that it has "flicker" options, which effectively turns the LED on and off and/or varies the brightness by messing with the current draw all over the map.

Naturally, this should EXTEND battery life, as the LED is "off" sometimes, and also drawing less than the optimal current as well during flickers.

Corbin's board does this also--but it does this so fast, the human eye cannot see it. His board is something like: on 85% of the time, off 15% of the time.

Sorry for all the info, but... just trying to help someone learn. Heaven knows... I had to do so back in late 2005 / early 2006! :D

:lol:

[DACOTA]

Thanks guys that helps alot.I remember on mythbusters alot of times Adam Savage would say milliamps but I wasnt sure what that was exactly and if ma was the abrev. for it.Thank you.

[GFORCE13]

Ok let me first of all say I have never used a buck puck and only either resistors or Corbins board but seeing all the advantages I am thinking of installing one on my matched set of training sabers. My Current Setup is a White Cree which I am resistoring linke a Lux 3 and using a 4AA Battery holder with 4NiMH batteries, I did notice that in the description it mentions a 5VMin. but my set up freshly charged is only at 4.8V's, will a buck puck work for my setup???? Thx

[Jak'Kan-Ur]

So I wouldn't be able to use them on a K2 correct? Since the mA is 1500.
[?]
Thanks

[DarthFender]

So I wouldn't be able to use them on a K2 correct? Since the mA is 1500.
[?]
Thanks
If you wire 2 of the 700mA puckd together in series you should get 1400 from the outputs. You probably wouldn't be able to detect the diffrernce between 1400 and 1500.

One 1000mA puck will drive a k2, just a little dimmer than optimal. But at 1000mA a LuxIII will actually be brighter in most cases.

[Mad Hatter]

If you wire 2 of the 700mA puckd together in series you should get 1400 from the outputs.

Wire in parallel for extra current.

Series adds voltage (like making a 7.2v battery pack out of 6 1.2v cells).
Parallel adds current (and increases max current draw capacity, since the cells "share the load").

[Jak'Kan-Ur]

If you wire 2 of the 700mA puckd together in series you should get 1400 from the outputs. You probably wouldn't be able to detect the diffrernce between 1400 and 1500.

One 1000mA puck will drive a k2, just a little dimmer than optimal. But at 1000mA a LuxIII will actually be brighter in most cases.

Ok, I see, so you think i should in time go with two 700mA?
Or stick with resistor and call it a day?

[Hasid Lafre]

2 pucks are imo the best way to go.

[Jak'Kan-Ur]

Thanks Hasid.

[larams]

The problem with buck pucks is price. Especially if you use 2 of them. Thats 30 dollars just to light an LED. Thats a lot when you consider you can go over to dealextreme and pick up a pack of 10 current regulated drivers for less than $20. Or if your the DIY type you can make a current regulated driver out of 2 resisters and 2 transistors. Efficiency with the transistor driver gets worse the further away from the led forward voltage you get however.

[Obi-Dar Ke-Gnomie]

I agree with Hasid. I'm running two 700's, and it works well. I've been using that setup to overdrive a Seoul P4 four a couple of months, and I haven't had any sign of a problem.

As far as the price goes, I think it's reasonable. No offense, but I have no idea how to cobble together together a DIY current regulator, and I wouldn't even try. It took me less than 5 minutes to wire the two pucks together, and it was done and in my saber. No muss, no fuss.

I subscribe to the K.I.S.S. philosophy.

[DarthFender]

Wire in parallel for extra current.

Series adds voltage (like making a 7.2v battery pack out of 6 1.2v cells).
Parallel adds current (and increases max current draw capacity, since the cells "share the load").

I knew that. I must have had a brain fart.

[Mistikl]

So, If I have a 1000mAh power source, without a buck puck, so with just a resistor which would be brighter? A Royal Blue Lux 3 LED, rather than a K2 Royal Blue?

[madhorizons]

The blade I have for it is 40". It's using the standard 2.2ohm resistor that came in the kit. Presuming 1 buckpuck will will increase the juice and therefore the brightness, what about two, would that be needed? The green target is 1000mA whereas the red target is 1400mA. Would a 1000mA buckpuck be good for both?

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v694/madhorizons/My%20Nihilus/saber.jpg

I am looking for something to up the brightness to liven up the deader area of the blade and just all around give it more juice.

EDIT: standard, unaltered TCSS battle blade @ 40" used.

[Arm on Fire]

First off I would put a roll of cellophane in the blade to even it out a bit, but with a blade that long its going to be difficult to eliminate the dark area,a shorter blade is easyer to get even, What optics are you using? I think for the longer blades the 5 degree are better . I would also use (2) 700 mA pucks wired in parallel to give you 1400 mA ,that would overdrive the green and be just right for the red.

[Hasid Lafre]

Wow Ive never had a stock tcss blade sppear that dim before, what optics are you using? 5* or 10*?

[madhorizons]

This is what it has:

2.2ohm 5w resistor
4AAA battery holder
Luxeon III Electronics Kit Red (Red)
Luxeon III/V Lens Holder
Collimator Lens 5° viewing angle
Shouldered 1" thick walled blade tips
40" LED blade diffuser
LED "TCSS style" Battle blade 1" OD (40 inches)
3/4" Aluminum adhesive disc
1" Thick walled Polycarbonate 40" long

Wired in parallel = Buckpuck1(+) and Buckpuck2(+) both go to the battery(+) and vice versa for (-)?

Any schematic floating around? I was looking through the threads earlier, but didn't see anything.
EDIT: Found this from Arm on Fire.
http://i236.photobucket.com/albums/ff204/armonfiredesigns/Furysaber016.jpg

....which are the VIN(+) & VIN(-) in this pic? I think i can figure out the rest.

[Arm on Fire]

red +, black -

[Dark Navel]

Here's a problem with your setup..Your resistor is too big. With a 4.8V batt. pack using a red LUX III your resistor should be a 1.2ohm 3 watt resistor. Your resistor is "resisting" too much current to the LED that's why it's dim. I also agree with Arm..The 40" blade is a bit long, that is if you are measuring from the LED itself to the bottom of the shouldered tip where it reflects. The celophane wrap, between 4 to 6 feet will also help with evening the blade.

This is also a minor issue but the blade is a thick walled blade, great for dueling but it will allow less light to reflect inside.

[Klaatu]

http://www.dealextreme.com/ has LED drivers that run at 1450ma. I got a pack of three for like 6bucks. I am using one to run my K2 and so far so good. But in all fairness the saber has only be 'alive' for a few days now.

[Hasid Lafre]

With long thickwalled blades I highly recamend a mirror in the tip, hell I suggest every blade should have a mirror in the tip, way more effective IMO that reflective tape or any sort.

This is a 33" thick walled TCSS blade with 3 foot of ultra film inside the stock diffuser tube, mirror tipted, LuxIII cyan bin 2 that IRL is more greenish than the bin 1 blue that is so saught after and is driven at 1a on a corbin driver with a 4.8V2600mah battery pack.

Image taken in total darkness
http://i204.photobucket.com/albums/bb168/Sidneyious/Star%20Wars/My%20Saber%20Stuff/SD530359.jpg

[madhorizons]

If the resistor is wrong for the setup, why is the store selling it that way as part of a kit?

Isn't 4 AAA = 6v (4x1.5v....the side of the battery says 1.5v)??

Also, the blade was pre-assembled...does it have the mirrored tip? (I bought directly from the store as a complete blade)

Hasid - looks great.

Arm On Fire - thx...i'll try that when my BP (x2) come in.

Would mylar work on the inside of the diffuser that's in the blade by default and if so, would it be of any benefit?

[Dark Navel]

Yes it is 6V..Really, my bad. For some reason I was thinking 1.2V each..Wait (AAA and AA rechageables are only 1.2 volts. AAA and AA non rechargeables are 1.5 volts) So I guess it depends on which type your using. As far as the mirrored tip there are 2 types. A real mirror and then the small aluminum tape type stick-on that sticks to the bottom of the tip.

[madhorizons]

Yes it is 6V..Really, my bad. For some reason I was thinking 1.2V each..Wait (AAA and AA rechageables are only 1.2 volts. AAA and AA non rechargeables are 1.5 volts) So I guess it depends on which type your using. As far as the mirrored tip there are 2 types. A real mirror and then the small aluminum tape type stick-on that sticks to the bottom of the tip.

Ahh...gotcha...makes sense. If i could get the original tip off, i could probably find a mirror piece to fit it. We'll see when the 2 buckpucks get here if that'll help...i'll be posting new pics ;)