The Force Fx MHS

[Maliki Skywalker]

I know this has been posted somewhere else but i cant find it :lol: But one of them surprisingly has appeared on eBay!! :shock:


http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/STAR-WARS-MR-FORCE-FX-LIGHTSABER-CONSTRUCTION-SET_W0QQitemZ200164780083QQihZ010QQcategoryZ99971Q QssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Sorry had to fix the link :)

[xwingband]

Stuff ends up on eBay... how is that special?

[Maliki Skywalker]

Stuff ends up on eBay... how is that special?

Could be considered a rarity now that its getting closer to MR license being dropped, there could be a very short amount, very helpful for us collectors :wink:

[Nightwing]

It may have been pulled... the link isn't working anymore.

[Maliki Skywalker]

The link is now fixed :lol:

[Nightwing]

Ah. Well nvm then. Haha.

Hmm... now I'm wondering about the validity of this eBay posting. The pics look very, very similar to the "leaked" ones we got a few months ago. Are they the same?

[Do-Clo]

The MR kit saber is available through Radio Shack, and most of the stores should have them in stock soon.

[pipster79]

very interesting, i c radio shack has them cheaper, and of course no shippin charges :) think ill have to make a trip there and check it out

[Luar Selbor]

i found some more pic for u all to see

http://simplytoys.blogspot.com/2007/08/preview-master-replicas-sw616-force-fx.html

[Kamurah]

Just in case you cannot tell from the pics....

all the pieces are plastic except for the screw in pommel....


FYI....


I was kinda hoping they would be metal, but no go.

[Tom Starkiller]

It even looks cheap. They should really have done one last saber, Obi TPM or Qui-Gon :D

[Treadingwolf]

yeah i seen a few of these at radio shack last weekend, mostly plastic, not sure spending the money just to rip it apart is worthwhile imo....

[pipster79]

how do you know there mostly plastic? has anyone here actualy bought one?

[Ghostbat]

yeah i seen a few of these at radio shack last weekend, mostly plastic, not sure spending the money just to rip it apart is worthwhile imo....

Someone will have to get one to see how the sound board is I suppose, with there being a kind of freeze right now on being able to get any kind of board $99 is not looking all that unreasonable, heck some of the hasbro sabers are starting to be put on ebay for that much!

[Luar Selbor]

i know that the sound board has three diffrent sets for each color

well thats what they said at the store

i would say that they are more for little kids

it's like a Lux so there is not leds up the blade

but do you think it would be worth to buy it just for the sound and the led?

[Ghostbat]

That's my thought. If the sound is as god as my annakin or my friends windu then I will consider these a source of sound boards with some bonus switches, LED and detail parts for other projects :)

[Ghostbat]

Ok, I have one on order, I'll let y'all know how it behaves in 3 to five days :)

[TorLinWaDur]

Ok, I have one on order, I'll let y'all know how it behaves in 3 to five days :)

oh. okay. let us know.

[Arm on Fire]

I went to radio shack today and they had one on display, all plastic except
for pommel, basicly its core that houses the electronics with interchangable plastic sleeves that fit over core between emiter and pommel. very cheap feeling, sound is good, same as other MR's, same thin walled blade as other MR's but no mirror in end so all the light escapes out the end. not very bright. :cry: I dont think its worth $99, not even for the electronics ,more of a toy for the kiddies this x-mas. i was hoping for more. maybe it will go on sale or better yet clearence. :D

[Ghostbat]

Aww, I was hoping a few parts would be metal, ah well I have uses for plastic greeblies as well :)

Mine should be here tomorrow, I'll add my review once I have a chance to play with it a little.

This month is going to be stupidly busy, but I hope to do a teardown asap as well.

[Luar Selbor]

Is the obi like emmitter plastic?

[Ghostbat]

What it LOOKS like is that it doesn't really have modular emmitters quite like we would think of them, it's more like a bare stunt saber with an integral blade holder and everything else is just a sleeve that fits over it. The emmitters in this case are decorative shrouds and it's looking like they are indeed plastic. It doesn't look like the blade is removable either (which I guess makes sense from a liability standpoint).

Arm on Fire, when you checked it out at the store were did you notice if the core of the hilt was plastic as well? (I guess I'll know the answer pretty soon, but I am impatient :)

On an aside, it looks like radio shack is carrying the spring loaded hasbro sabers as well so there is at least another holiday season worth of these things for those using the soudboards.

[valeon]

So what functions do the soundboards have? Different fonts? I'm assuming it has some sort of RGB LED in it.

[Ghostbat]

The close up pics show a selector switch for three different colors. That would lead me to believe it's an RGB LED or they have three ultrabrights which would be way below a luxeon on actual brightness but above most toys... I am going to assume lux or similar LED. It should make for some interesting issues converting it/using the board in an MHS hilt.

It's meant to have a different set of sounds for each color, My early guess would be that they are the same sounds pitch shifted, but they could surprise me :)

Other than that it looks to have te standard set, power up/down, hum, swing noises, clash noises. No lock sound or other fanciness.

[Ghostbat]

Ooh, did't notice this page had videos http://simplytoys.blogspot.com/2007/08/preview-master-replicas-sw616-force-fx.html

The powerup/down sounds in the videos actually do have pretty different sounds, good for them to not just pitch shift!

[Luar Selbor]

Ya...that's what they said at the store.

Every color has their own sound.

[GFORCE13]

Yeah they are Radio Shack Online Exclusive it kinda reminds me of the Plastic Ultimate Lightsaber which I got my wife, from what I understand it uses 3X 1w luxes and as with the Ultimate when you change the color the sound changes. But bottom line is it worth $99.00 I don't think so but maybe after Christmas it will be on sale that is what I am waiting for.

[Arm on Fire]

Ghostbat , i actually took the display model apart in the store to see the differnt pieces and how they went together, the "core" is mostly plastic with some metal inserts for the threads and such, i was thinking last nite that it wouldnt be to hard to make your oun metal "sleeves" to use with the "core" and make it more custom and less cheap but still get good use of the sound card. although the led is still pretty crappy.
also, i am pretty sure the blade is removable it had a blade retention screw but they had it so tight i couldnt loosen it with my fingers the must have used pliars so nobody would do what i was trying to do.

[Ghostbat]

It's at the store now and I'll be off work in a few minutes to get it. Hopefully I will have pics and an initial review tomorrow.

[Treadingwolf]

how do you know there mostly plastic? has anyone here actualy bought one?

They had one on display and i played with it. :D
The switch was already starting to go bad i think too, either that or the batteries were dying.

[Ghostbat]

First quick review.

More later when pics are uploaded.

While this saber looks pretty good it feels a lot like a toy. There are more metal pieces than I thought, the core tube, the emmitter shrouds, and the pommels are all aluminum, everything else is plastic. (note the inner and outer diameters are completely useless for MHS without some serious grinding)

Brightness is good, almost identical to my converted annakin, so less bright than a well driven lux but surprisingly good.

Sound is good, three sets i assume all three are from previous sabers. Blue sounds just like my anakin, red has the single clash sound that has been described, green is similar to blue but different enough to be interesting.

And yes, the blade is shorter.

If they had made the core a little heftier and if the sections had more aluminum or if these were $40 cheaper I would run out and buy another one immediately. As it stands it's main value lies in the sound board with a few interesting parts for other projects. If there was a good supply of Ultras or Plecters I wouldn't even be considering these, but given the current scarcity of sound boards these are a heck of a lot better than a hasbro. I'll see what it looks like when I tear it down.

pics to follow.

[Ghostbat]

Ok, now the pics.

As mentioned it looks a lot better than it feels. If these go on sale I wouldn't hesitate to get a couple as wall hangers or to bulk up a collection. I'm still iffy on how good a toy it is, I am feeling like any kid who has held an FX will not be impressed by the weight and plastic feel of these. The loose fitting parts also make it kind of slip and clatter adding to the cheap feel.

In a couple days I'll start the teardown and we will look at it as a source of parts.

Forgive the poor lighting, my on camera flash is not ideal for product work and I had nothing handy to use to diffuse it.

So... Here are a couple of configurations I put it in, changing parts is pretty quick and easy and while all the configurations look pretty classic there is room for some creativity.

http://www.plushdeath.com/stuff/pics/sabers/fxkit/darthesque.JPG
http://www.plushdeath.com/stuff/pics/sabers/fxkit/obiesque.JPG
http://www.plushdeath.com/stuff/pics/sabers/fxkit/mhsesque.JPG

Here is the bare hilt along with all the parts that are aluminum... except my cat he's made of fur and meat.

http://www.plushdeath.com/stuff/pics/sabers/fxkit/Catito.JPG

I will get a better pic of the switch during teardown, but it's difficult to use when the covers are off. Of course the color selector is right next to it and can ONLY be gotten at when the cover is off, which is tolerable but it would have been nice to be able to switch without having to remove the pommel and slide parts out of the way.

I will note hear that the saber actually feels halfway decent when swinging just the bare hilt.

People were interested in the emitters so here are some closer shots, remember these do not fit around an MHS section so don't get all exited like I did when I discovered they were metal. Maybe they can find use with some kind of adapter, but I suspect I will be using them on a ray gun or something.

http://www.plushdeath.com/stuff/pics/sabers/fxkit/emitter1.JPG
http://www.plushdeath.com/stuff/pics/sabers/fxkit/emitter2.JPG
http://www.plushdeath.com/stuff/pics/sabers/fxkit/emitter3.JPG

And a closer look at the pommels

http://www.plushdeath.com/stuff/pics/sabers/fxkit/pommels.JPG

The hilt has three cover sections and three of each. the sections are in three different lengths so you are kind of forced into using them in their intended slot if you want the switch to line up and the pommel so screw in. There is nothing keeping you from trying though which could frustrate younger kids.

Here are the foregrips (between switch and emitter) These are all plastic.
http://www.plushdeath.com/stuff/pics/sabers/fxkit/foregrips.JPG

Here are the grips, same deal. They do look pretty good though, on first glance you would expect to feel rubber.

http://www.plushdeath.com/stuff/pics/sabers/fxkit/grips.JPG

The switches are kind of the most interesting arts from a propbuilding perspective, I can see finding uses for these although the clip levers are just sad. In each case the switch is a button pushing straight in, these then hit the recesses switch in the hilt proper. It's pretty easy to get a false hit, so it tries to power up then immediately powers down, it's also easy to power down when spinning the saber.

http://www.plushdeath.com/stuff/pics/sabers/fxkit/switches.JPG

This one may be the most interesting of the bunch, it has a bubble strip! It's also the button so it would need to be gotten out and cut down, but if you have the part anyway...

http://www.plushdeath.com/stuff/pics/sabers/fxkit/switchbubble.JPG

A quick comparison of the length then on to colors.

http://www.plushdeath.com/stuff/pics/sabers/fxkit/length.JPG

It's shorter, not cripplingly so, I actually like the length as an off hand blade, i may have to make a shorter saber for fighting two fisted.

The colors are actually pretty impressive and bright enough to be noticed. I am sure it wouldn't stand up to a properly driven lux, but it's going to be enough to get some "Whoas" and to get that awesome look in kids eyes when they see it for the first time.

http://www.plushdeath.com/stuff/pics/sabers/fxkit/colors.jpg

And finally a side by side with my Annakin with a Luxeon driven straight off the MR board, as you can see they compare quite favorably with me thinking the Lux is a touch brighter and my wife swearing they are identical.

http://www.plushdeath.com/stuff/pics/sabers/fxkit/brightness.JPG

So, any details you all want me to go back and photograph, or any questions about the parts so far?

.

[Lord Maul]

Great pictures man!

So on the control boxes, you push the entire bubble strip or circuit card down? That seems really hasbro like.

[Ghostbat]

Yep, but the post is right in the middle so pushing down on the edge just gives you the rapid on/off burst.

[Lord Maul]

Man, is that a crappy setup or what?

The Obi pommel is waaaay to short as well. Doesn't look good AT ALL in this picture:
http://www.plushdeath.com/stuff/pics/sabers/fxkit/mhsesque.JPG

[Ghostbat]

OK, I got tired of scaring the cats with it so here is the breakdown.

http://www.willrobot.com/projects/lightsabers/pics/P1000497.JPG

Here we have the bare hilt with the switches (which are latching by the way). You will need to remove the plate which is quite easy, just loosen the three screws and it comes right out.

http://www.willrobot.com/projects/lightsabers/pics/P1000498.JPG

Now we can clearly see the board and switches

http://www.willrobot.com/projects/lightsabers/pics/P1000499.JPG

Now we have to pop the black switch cover off the RGB switch and push the power switch down or they will not clear the opening (oops).

http://www.willrobot.com/projects/lightsabers/pics/P1000500.JPG

The power switch is actually kind of fragile, and by experience I can tell you it's not easy to put back together if you knock it apart. Oh well it will probably be replaced by a better one when this goes in an MHS hilt.


http://www.willrobot.com/projects/lightsabers/pics/P1000501.JPG

Now we have to knock these two pins out with pin and hammer.

http://www.willrobot.com/projects/lightsabers/pics/P1000505.JPG

They each have one knurled end so you want to make sure that's the one you knock out, if you go from the wrong side just knock them back in.

http://www.willrobot.com/projects/lightsabers/pics/P1000506.JPG

Yank those pins out and the inner sheathe can slide free.

http://www.willrobot.com/projects/lightsabers/pics/P1000507.JPG

But look! Another pin! Same drill as the last two (IE a hammer, an actual drill is really overkill here)

http://www.willrobot.com/projects/lightsabers/pics/P1000508.JPG

This one had the knurled end on the opposite side of the first two, but there is no guarantee they stuck to that across the board.


http://www.willrobot.com/projects/lightsabers/pics/P1000511.JPG

Now we need to remove the screws holding the board in, easy as pie.

http://www.willrobot.com/projects/lightsabers/pics/P1000516.JPG

Prop up the board and you can unplug the blade.

http://www.willrobot.com/projects/lightsabers/pics/P1000517.JPG

Now the entire blade slides free.

http://www.willrobot.com/projects/lightsabers/pics/P1000519.JPG

There is another plug holding the board to the battery terminals/speaker but it's too far in there to be dealt with easily, we will wait until we have cracked the inner sheathe in half to get that out.

http://www.willrobot.com/projects/lightsabers/pics/P1000522.JPG

Oh look, another pin! Now this one is just plain mean. It's only on one side so when you knock it out it falls into the lamp assembly and can't be gotten out until you open that. This is the last chance to turn back, after here reassembly may be tricky.

http://www.willrobot.com/projects/lightsabers/pics/P1000523.JPG

But then what fun is that? With the pin knocked in the lamp slides easily from the blade.

http://www.willrobot.com/projects/lightsabers/pics/P1000524.JPG

Through the lens you can kind of make out what looks like a Luxeon star.

http://www.willrobot.com/projects/lightsabers/pics/P1000528.JPG

With the number of wires going into this I am guessing the impact sensor is in here as well. A test of the board minus the lamp proves this to be true.

http://www.willrobot.com/projects/lightsabers/pics/P1000529.JPG

Crack! One swift tap with a hammer and a little prying with a screwdriver and there they are, one star mounted LED minus ANY sort of heat sink and one impact sensor.

http://www.willrobot.com/projects/lightsabers/pics/P1000534.JPG

Thanks to tireless detective work I suspect this may be a prolight! I do some hunting and track them to here: http://www.led-bulbs.com/eShop/10Browseprorgb.asp?Category=Prolightrgb This appears to be their 1watt RGB which I guess they are underdriving to get away with having no heat sink? Or do they just not care if it has a pretty short lifespan?

http://www.willrobot.com/projects/lightsabers/pics/P1000535.JPG

I have cracked the inner sheath apart and liberated the board and battery terminal. Here's what we were after!

http://www.willrobot.com/projects/lightsabers/pics/P1000538.JPG

Here are the other sides in case you have some use for that information.

So in summary, a very easy breakdown, an interesting LED, and a sound board.

From here my next question will be what is the output of the board, unlikely it would be enough to drive a LUX in a really satisfying way, I think I would want to run the LED in parallel and just use this as sound. On the other hand it seems a waste to have these nice ramp up and ramp down outputs just sitting there. I think telltale LEDS letting me know which sound I am using may be in order?

So $100 for a sound board that will still require a LUX driver and the attendant hardware for that. I think my final conclusion is that these are a very poor value compared to an Ultrasound or Erv, but may at times be a viable option when they are unavailable (which according to my statistical sampling is so far 100% of the time :)

Look out for these on sale, either as a toy for the nephew or a source for a sound board when all other sources have failed.

[xwingband]

Neat... I guessed it was an RGB. Prolight was a good guess too. It's a 1Wer. Heatsinking is a non-issue with it. No need to underdrive, it produces very little heat anyway.

Good to know if one ever comes my way.

[Luar Selbor]

How big is the sound board?

[Ghostbat]

How big is the sound board?

Oops, yeah I should have tossed a quarter in there for scale or something :)

The last pic is fairly close to life size at 72dpi so about 1" by 3" I would estimate.

[Luar Selbor]

So you think it will fit in a saber with a 1" ID?

[Ghostbat]

It should, I'll get a better measurement when i get home but the inner sleeve complete with board fits inside an MHS section (which saves me some effort figuring out what I am going to make an electronics holder out of :)

[Ghostbat]

It's 7/8ths of an inch wide so no worries on a 1" ID.

[Novastar]

Thanks for doing this Ghostbat! Excellent, excellent help to people out there.

How does the board sound? Would you say it's still pretty much the "same" Force FX board that everyone is used to (Yoda, Anakin, Obi-Wan, blah, blah)? If so, any new sounds? Or... is it that horrible Vader/Maul board with only one (irritating) clash sound... which sounds like the power on sequence of the emperor/dooku sabers...

[xwingband]

Thanks for doing this Ghostbat! Excellent, excellent help to people out there.

How does the board sound? Would you say it's still pretty much the "same" Force FX board that everyone is used to (Yoda, Anakin, Obi-Wan, blah, blah)? If so, any new sounds? Or... is it that horrible Vader/Maul board with only one (irritating) clash sound... which sounds like the power on sequence of the emperor/dooku sabers...

From the initial vids we got the sound switch between the two sets we are familiar with... not sure on clashes and swings. I haven't seen any video where it's not just siting there.

[Ghostbat]

How does the board sound? Would you say it's still pretty much the "same" Force FX board that everyone is used to (Yoda, Anakin, Obi-Wan, blah, blah)? If so, any new sounds? Or... is it that horrible Vader/Maul board with only one (irritating) clash sound... which sounds like the power on sequence of the emperor/dooku sabers...

Blue and green are very similar but I think the clash noises are slightly different. Blue is the same as my annakin and green a little crunchier.

Red sounds like the generic sith people are complaining about. I really like its idle, a nice intimidating sound, but the single clash sound gets mighty old unless it's being hit against another saber with more sounds.

One thing I have noticed when playing with this one and the annakin at the same time is that the clash noises aren't random, they are sequenced. I hit both at the same time and keep up the same tempo and they do the same clashes, iiinteresting.

[Ghostbat]

Thanks for doing this Ghostbat! Excellent, excellent help to people out there.

How does the board sound? Would you say it's still pretty much the "same" Force FX board that everyone is used to (Yoda, Anakin, Obi-Wan, blah, blah)? If so, any new sounds? Or... is it that horrible Vader/Maul board with only one (irritating) clash sound... which sounds like the power on sequence of the emperor/dooku sabers...

From the initial vids we got the sound switch between the two sets we are familiar with... not sure on clashes and swings. I haven't seen any video where it's not just siting there.

Blue and green power up and idle are nearly identical, but the clash sound on the green is, I think, a bit crunchier.

I'll see if I can get an mp3 up over the weekend.

[Luar Selbor]

hey thanks for the info Ghostbat :D

[Sadden]

Where can I get these in Canada without shipping?
We don't have radio shacks here.

[Ghostbat]

Ok, blue and green are the same, it was just wishful thinking that had me hear differences :)


Where can I get these in Canada without shipping?
We don't have radio shacks here.

Right now they seem to be exclusive to radio shack. Someone is selling them on ebay for $50 above retail but at that point you might as well order them and deal with shipping charges.

[ti-el_terall]

Where can I get these in Canada without shipping?
We don't have radio shacks here.

The source by Circuit City, they bought out RS :( But they most likely wont sell it.

[X]

Has anyone used one of these boards in a MHS yet? Cuz I got one for 80 bucks a Radio Shack (there on sale right now) and I want to know how to wire it. (I'm new to wiring)

[Ghostbat]

Has anyone used one of these boards in a MHS yet? Cuz I got one for 80 bucks a Radio Shack (there on sale right now) and I want to know how to wire it. (I'm new to wiring)

I have two on deck now but I'm in the middle of moving so it will be a while :)

Here's my current plan.

I am going to wire a battery pack to both the sound board and a buckpuck (until I can get an LED driver board for nice ramping). I am going to run the current blade wires to some incidental LEDs and run the blade off the buckpuck.

For now I am going to use the inner sleeve from the ForceFX since it fits inside MHS rather well, I'll cut it short, hack a little compartment for the buckpuck, and everything should be cozy.

[X]

Awesome ghostbat and thx for the tear down I'll do mine sometime this weekend.

[Kamurah]

Ok so follow up question (now that this subject got buried):

Is the switch momentary or latching? and can it be removed?

I have a friend who wants me to convert his to a MHS hilt, and I need to know how to approach this...

Another question....does this board drive the same amount of current as the regular FX boards.....In other words....will it drive a Lux III or will I need to wire in a buckpuck or resistor separately?

Thanks!

[savyas]

I chose to buy a 1.5 inch sink tube from Lowes that was threaded on both ends rather than flanged on one end and straight on the other because I thought it might turn out to be useful, and I could always hack off the threads if not... but I just held the three emitters from the construction set up to the end of the end of the pipe and it looks promising! The Obi-Wan emitter could definitely be tapped or machines out to fit the end of the pipe with plenty of clearance, but the other two are just too skinny.

The obi-wan emitter's bottom measurements are:
ID: 1 3/8" OD: 1 7/8"

and the other two are:
ID: 1 3/8" OD: 1 9/16"

Now... if I just had a tap that big, I'd try it out. Not likely that'll happen anytime soon though.

The pommels are 1 1/4" OD at the threads, for what it's worth.

[Malaki Skywalker]

I chose to buy a 1.5 inch sink tube from Lowes that was threaded on both ends rather than flanged on one end and straight on the other because I thought it might turn out to be useful, and I could always hack off the threads if not... but I just held the three emitters from the construction set up to the end of the end of the pipe and it looks promising! The Obi-Wan emitter could definitely be tapped or machines out to fit the end of the pipe with plenty of clearance, but the other two are just too skinny.

The obi-wan emitter's bottom measurements are:
ID: 1 3/8" OD: 1 7/8"

and the other two are:
ID: 1 3/8" OD: 1 9/16"

Now... if I just had a tap that big, I'd try it out. Not likely that'll happen anytime soon though.

The pommels are 1 1/4" OD at the threads, for what it's worth.

Sounds good, if the boards do turn out useful it would be a good way to make do with the parts :D

Good job!

[savyas]

kamurah - the switches are dpdt latching.

I've been reading through the technical data sheets on the RGB LED inside this kit
http://www.led-bulbs.com/html/prolight/Low%20Profile/1W%20RGB/Anode/1W_PG1N-1LUX_v2.1.pdf
just for grins. That thing really doesn't pull much power, nor does it put out many lumens or require much forward voltage. So driving a Lux III, K2, or V straight off the board is right out.. But, reading the data sheet from the buckpuck 3121/3123 E models:
http://www.leddynamics.com/LuxDrive/datasheets/3021-BuckPuck.pdf
It might very well be possible to use the MR board's LED power output to control the brightness of a Lux, for a good powerup/powerdown.

But of course, I'm still new to this, so I could be completely off my rocker. My only experience is with linear taper potentiometers, which is what the buckpuck calls for. I'll have to do some research to see if a potentiometer exists that let's the resistance be controlled by a voltage or current rather than a mechanical dial. Surely one exists. It's times like these that I wish I had spent more time in analog circuit design instead of digital :)

[xwingband]

They make plugs with built in pots for buckpucks. They are for the pinned ones so they don't really work on the wired ones Tim has, but they do exist.

The thing I don't like about putting it on the LED output is that it would want to pull more current through the MR board than it was meant to. I'm not an electrical engineer, so until someone tries it I'd hold off. I'm certainly not paying for one of those kits... I held one at Radioshack and they feel like crap. At least with the normal MR sabers I get a nice solid hilt.

[Darth_DevilGuy]

I'll admit they do feel like crap but they make way better dueling blades than the other MR ones do, they're lighter and they don't tear up your hands when you try to swing them around. I wouldn't want one for a show piece but it's nice to have something that you can actually play with.

edit: has anyone done a sinktube conversion on one of these? I'd like to see the results on that, I'd think it would be an easy project.

[savyas]

I agree with xwingband, that they are pretty much utter crap as far as how they feel in your hands. Plastic toys.

Darth DevilGuy, I'm in the process of doing a sink tube conversion with one, so I'll let you know in a week or two.

As far as using the LED output from the MR board to power a potentiometer, I'm no EE as well (I'm a computer engineer, which is only half electrical engineering, and almost all of it was digital, not analog), but I think the amperage drawn to control a potentiometer should be less than that drawn from a 1W LED. I'll let you know though!

I'm going to have to do math that I swore I would never do again!

[X]

Ok so follow up question (now that this subject got buried):

Is the switch momentary or latching? and can it be removed?

I have a friend who wants me to convert his to a MHS hilt, and I need to know how to approach this...

Another question....does this board drive the same amount of current as the regular FX boards.....In other words....will it drive a Lux III or will I need to wire in a buckpuck or resistor separately?

Thanks!

They are laching just like every other MR board it's only removeable if you desoilder it or you can just solder thw switch wires to the pins on the back.

The led in the saber is a tri color 1w so it's not going to be as bright.

I have put one of these board into my MHS with a 3w driver and a DPDT slide switch.

[savyas]

crap, I fried the prolight LED trying to measure amperage across it.. sound board still works though. I'll order an externally controlled buckpuck on Monday and let you know how it works out.

**EDIT** Better yet, the buckpuck I ordered from Tim on Friday is externally controllable.. When it gets here I'll try using a digitally controlled pot instead of a linear taper.

[Kamurah]

Sorry about the ProLight....

But the info using the BuckPuck would be most appreciated! :D

Cheers

[Kamurah]

Anybody able to measure current draw to the LED yet? If this works the way it seems, I would think each of the prolight led's is a separate circuit (hence the selection switch)

I am assuming they draw somewhere in the neighborhood of 300mah, but confirmation of this would be cool.....

and if that is the case, any way to maybe modify the board to provide less resistance to the led section so you could drive a 3w at close to 1A.



Or is it just easier to wire in a separate puck?


Sorry for all the ??????? Just want to make sure I don't fry my buddy's board.

Cheers

[savyas]

the tech specs of the LED says it draws 100ma average, so I wouldn't plan on powering a lux of any size straight off the board without something else.. as for modifying the board itself, I don't know how good of a solderer you are, but I personally wouldn't even attempt to change out those itty bitty surface mounted resistors.

I'm waiting on my buckpuck to arrive - estimated to show up on the 17th. I'm going to drive a K2 using the buckpuck, but I have been toying with the idea of using the led output from the board to control the buckpuck's output for the powerup/down fade in/out... I just haven't figured out how yet. I'm looking at digitally controlled potentiometer (instead of a linear taper that the buckpuck calls for) as one option.

I haven't been able to find any tech specs on Plecter labs power extender, only a quick mention of it in the Crystal Focus documentation - but it might be an option to drive a lux straight off of the MR board. If anyone has a link to the power extender's technical specs, I'd love to see 'em.

The safest bet would be to go with a buckpuck.. If I can figure out how to control the output of the buckpuck using the MR board's LED output, I'll post it back here and you can add the effect in later. Or, if you have the money to spend, you could always buy a luxeon driver/dimmer and get the powerup/down AND shimmer effects.

On a side note, it wasn't the prolight LED that I fried while trying to measure the amperage - it was the MR board's LED driver... so that board is definitely going to have to use a buckpuck with no powerup/down effects. But I bought another one and ripped it apart to see if I can get the powerup/down effect out of it.

[xwingband]

You bought a $100 or so saberjust for the effects? Corbin's or erv's does that at a fraction of the cost.

Correction, the Pro-light LEDs like almost all 1W ones are 350mA. I would expect the MR board to output around there.

You'd have to bypass the board for full power most likely... basically I think this is all not worth it. There are a bunch of other option that aren't a pain in the arse to get what you want.

[savyas]

nah - I bought the (on sale) $80 saber just for the sound card.. although it would be neat to be able to utilize the effect.

[Kamurah]

Correction, the Pro-light LEDs like almost all 1W ones are 350mA. I would expect the MR board to output around there.

You'd have to bypass the board for full power most likely... basically I think this is all not worth it. There are a bunch of other option that aren't a pain in the arse to get what you want.


I agree....

But he saw my Mara Jade (which I run off a regular MR FX board) and begged me to convert his Force FX to a MHS. I told him I would look into it, but I am wondering if the juice is worth the squeeze with this thing....


Thanks for the info Xwing.

[Darth_DevilGuy]

You bought a $100 or so saberjust for the effects? Corbin's or erv's does that at a fraction of the cost.

Correction, the Pro-light LEDs like almost all 1W ones are 350mA. I would expect the MR board to output around there.

You'd have to bypass the board for full power most likely... basically I think this is all not worth it. There are a bunch of other option that aren't a pain in the arse to get what you want.

I thought erv's cowt $140? if it's less than 100 I'll be looking at getting one of those.

[xwingband]

No, erv also has a stand alone driver that does the same lighting effects.

I'm confused with all the people now...

[savyas]

unfortunately erv is sold out of the CF boards as well as the MR compatible (I think that means latching switch compatible, correct me if I'm wrong) luxeon driver boards, so we're forced to improvise.

Erv's driver board is ~$50.

[Do-Clo]

For reference the MR sound board powered at 4.5 volts and all of the ground wires connected together will give you a current output of around 900 ma, if you increase the the voltage to 6 volts then the output current is around 1100 ma

Corbin's led driver will give you some very nice effects also

[strengthofrage]

Corbins driver is also a bit less expensive and available in the USA, shipping would be a little less. I have seen a demo of Erv's driver and it is pretty darn nice, great effects and options but I for one am awaiting Corbin's driver to be available in the store to match with an MR sound board for my latest MHS. I am saving my first trip to Plecter Labs for when Erv (possibly) releases another wave of his CF board.

[Do-Clo]

I have used Corbin's driver and a MR sound board combination in many sabers and it works really nice, and if you use a blade with corbin's film in it you will get a decent looking power up and power down effect (the blade will appear to extend and retract)

[savyas]

assuming the LED is in fact 1W, I believe this is the proper data sheet (note the positive terminals for R,G,B with a shared ground. http://www.prolightopto.com/datasheet/3_2_RGB%20Star/1W_PG1X-1LFS_v2.7.pdf

[savyas]

alright, after playing around with various options for wiring this board up, I've settled for this configuration for the board that no longer can drive a lux by itself. I started out by using a relay, but decided to try and use the ctl and reference inputs on the buckpuck, and it works like a champ when the whole setup is driven by 6V. When I tried this using the stock 4.5V MR battery pack, the buckpuck would stay lit (albeit dimly) when the power was off. For now I'm using the power button that came on the board.. I might move it off eventually, but I do want to be able to access the slide switch so I can change sounds... and if the slider is going to need to be exposed...

So basically, this is a white K2, 1A Buckpuck, 6V battery pack, MR SW-616 sound, and a hasbro speaker - just to prove it works. The CTL and REF connections are hooked to the MR switch. I'll make it pretty later :)

P.S. This wiring configuration results in "instant on" lighting, but it does do a powerdown sequence that fades the LED out.

[Arm on Fire]

I found some flexable pvc conduit that fits perfectly over the MR force fx mhs set. it has a 13/8 id and a 1 5/8 od
http://i236.photobucket.com/albums/ff204/armonfiredesigns/2008_0126lani31bday0008.jpg

I think it gives it a better look and feel (not so cheap) i still used the plastic switch section but i think it matches well.I tried some of the other parts but liked this config the most.

http://i236.photobucket.com/albums/ff204/armonfiredesigns/2008_0126lani31bday0007.jpg
http://i236.photobucket.com/albums/ff204/armonfiredesigns/2008_0126lani31bday0009.jpg

I suppose you could use it on any hilt for a grip material, the did have other sizes
if any one is interested
http://www.mcmaster.com/
search for part # 7609K6

also just a tip if you use it cut a piece slightly longer than you need so when you assemble your saber it will kind of compress like a spring and take up any gaps.

[xwingband]

Savyas, the buckpuck requires a 5V min. That's likely why the LED stayed on with 4.5V. The circuitry provides 5V reference so it's not suprising.

The puck also sometimes likes to not work with the ctrl and ref pin so I hope more try that to confrim it working.

[savyas]

yup xwing. 5v min is why I had to boost to 6v (and because I had no other options). It's nice to have the fade-out, but the buck-puck wired this way will not provide a fade-in. Now that corbin's board is back in stock, I may go that route on a 2nd saber.

While the wiring that I'm using now may be neat and was a fun experiment, when the batteries get low the blade will stay lit until the batteries burn out completely - which is certainly untenable. A single DPST switch to power both the board and the LED at the same time would be a better solution, but would sacrifice the powerdown sequence.

Some other notes. A 1-1/4 inch threaded sink tube will screw right into the pommel end of the hilt that comes with this saber.

I've been experimenting with using a MHS blade holder #1 inside of the obi-like emitter that comes with this kit. It works out pretty well with an O-Ring or two to hold it and a couple of screws to make it permanent. I'll post some pictures in the next day or two to get some opinions on how it looks.

So far besides the pics I posted earlier, I've changed the 4XAA for 4XAAA, hot-glued the MR speaker to the battery pack, hotglued the impact sensor and buckpuck to the board, mounted it all back up on the plastics innards, and slid it back into the aluminum hilt. I cut the hilt down some and am going to slide that inside ofa 1.5 inch sink tube.

I'm still working through some details and of course this _IS_ my first custom saber. I'll post some pics in a separate thread in the next couple of days to get some feedback from you all, and perhaps some direction.

[savyas]

I suppose I might as well post some pics here. I cut the original tubing down some to save on space. I'll slide that whole rig into a 1.5 inch sink tube in the near future.

Also attached are a couple of pics of the obi-like emitter sitting on a MHS blade holder style #1. How do you think that looks?

[Darth_DevilGuy]

any Ideas on how to wire the corbin with this for sound? I just picked one up for cheap, so I'm thinking of using corbin's board with it for sound.

[X]

any Ideas on how to wire the corbin with this for sound? I just picked one up for cheap, so I'm thinking of using corbin's board with it for sound.

Use a DPDT switch and wire the driver and the mr board seperately. oh hey and make sure the driver is latching or you'll need two different switchs.

[Arm on Fire]

alright, after playing around with various options for wiring this board up, I've settled for this configuration for the board that no longer can drive a lux by itself. I started out by using a relay, but decided to try and use the ctl and reference inputs on the buckpuck, and it works like a champ when the whole setup is driven by 6V. When I tried this using the stock 4.5V MR battery pack, the buckpuck would stay lit (albeit dimly) when the power was off. For now I'm using the power button that came on the board.. I might move it off eventually, but I do want to be able to access the slide switch so I can change sounds... and if the slider is going to need to be exposed...

So basically, this is a white K2, 1A Buckpuck, 6V battery pack, MR SW-616 sound, and a hasbro speaker - just to prove it works. The CTL and REF connections are hooked to the MR switch. I'll make it pretty later :)

P.S. This wiring configuration results in "instant on" lighting, but it does do a powerdown sequence that fades the LED out.

hey Savyas, can you send me the pic of that wiring so i can blow it up ,i cant quite make out where the wires are going. armonfiredesigns@comcast.net
i'm working the same type setup but i am using 2 700ma bucks in parallel.Thanks

[savyas]

The original picture is heading your way. But honestly, if I didn't already have the saber all re-assembled and put back into the original hilt (pins and all), I would probably be wiring it up differently. Rather than wiring the buckpuck's reference and control wires to the MR switch, I'd just use a relay (attached to the MR switch) to control the power to the buckpuck.

The powerdown sequence is nice and all, but you won't get a powerup sequence. More importantly, when your batteries get less than 5V, the LED will stay on regarless of whether or not the MR board is powered up with this wiring configuration.

[Arm on Fire]

Thanks, I have not done anything yet so i will look into that option.

[Arm on Fire]

savyas, would this work? http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2062480&cp=&sr=1&origkw=relay&kw=relay&parentPage=search
and more importantly how would you wire it in?

[savyas]

I think that'd work. I bought one, thinking I might use it. Also bought a http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?parentPage=search&pg=2&summary=summary&cp=2032058.2032230.2032277&productId=2062478&accessories=accessories&kw=relay&techSpecs=techSpecs&currentTab=summary&custRatings=custRatings&sr=1&features=features&origkw=relay&support=support&tab=techSpecs which is electrically the same concept, just in a different package. I started to wire up the reed relay, but can't recall if I ever finished it or not.

The reed relay has 4 connectors. like so:
B
A-|------C
D

where A would go to the Vin on your buckpuck, C would be positive from your battery, and B and D would be connected to the switch of your MR board in the same way I connected the buckpuck directly to the switch in the pictures I posted.

This thread has some diagrams for the relay you linked http://forums.thecustomsabershop.com/showthread.php?t=2219&highlight=relay+diagram
where they used the LED output of the MR board to trip the relay, which works as well - but since the electronics that power the LED on the first MR board I wired up were dead, I didn't go that route.

[savyas]

heh - ascii art doesn't come through very well - but you get the idea.

[Arm on Fire]

Theres no diagrams on that thread. but anyway, if the electronics that power the LED on the first MR board you wired up were not dead, would it trip a relay or would the ramp up screw things up?

[savyas]

post #8 by madcow had 2 different links to diagrams.

If you're using a 5V relay, any voltage across the coil of roughly 3.75V (call it 4) should close the circuit, providing power to your buckpuck. But the relay isn't going to like having more than about 7.5V given to it (call it 7). The ideal is obviously 5V. Depending on your batteries, you could always use a voltage regulator like (since we're linking radioshack) http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2062599&cp=&sr=1&origkw=voltage+regulator&kw=voltage+regulator&parentPage=search

But in the interest of keeping things simple, the relay with a 4xAAA, 4xAA, or MR (3xAAA) battery pack should suffice.

This is all assuming you plan on using the switch that's on the MR board. There's always options of replacing the switch with a DPDT or DPST switch so you wouldn't need relays and (potentially) voltage regulators.

[Arm on Fire]

savyas, just wanted you to know i really appreciate all your help ,im a CAD designer/machinist by trade so i just know enough about circuitry to get myself in trouble. I havent even broke down the saber that the board is in yet , i want o make sure this is going to work before i do.I am using a 4 aaa pack and i have a switch in mind that i really want to use. I dont want to use the switch on the board so could i just leave the switch on and break the battery lead with my own switch? is not dpst, its spst but since every thing is the same voltage dose it mater if the leads for the buckpuck and the board are on the same poles?

[savyas]

After this past weekends debacle with a Dremel and a sink tube, I've discovered I'm no machinist. We should swap services.

Then again, I'm no analog electronics guru either. I specialized in processor design no amount of pipelining and prefetching are going to help me remember the 1000 level analog courses I took :)

I wouldn't run both the buckpuck and the soundboard off of a single SPST. 2 SPST, a DPDT, a DPST, or a relay is the way to go.

You're making me want to pull out textbooks that have been packed away for years. This hurts. :P

[Arm on Fire]

well savyas, if you need any machining advice let me know :)
I think i'm ready to break it down now, i got a good feeling about it, thanks again.
Ill post my progress, see ya in the trenches.

[savyas]

I am using a 4 aaa pack and i have a switch in mind that i really want to use. I dont want to use the switch on the board so could i just leave the switch on and break the battery lead with my own switch?

Nope - that won't work. Tried it last night. If you put the switch between the battery and the MR board, you'll get powerup sounds, but no powerdown sounds. I ended up desoldering the original switch and soldering on leads to a new switch. And while the original switch has 6 pins, you only need to connect your new switch to two of them. If you number the pins
1 4
2 5
3 6

you can solder your switch to 1 or 4 and 2 or 5.. doesn't matter.

[Arm on Fire]

Thanks Savyas, but im not that brave with a soldering iron, i might have to make that sacrafice to insure i dont f-up my board. but thanks for the update, i saw another post of yours on another thread that said you were going to put a diagram of what you have so far with the reed relay, looking forward to seeing it. anyway, if i get brave enough ill let you know how it turns out..;)

[Ghostbat]

You can also just leave the switch on the board in the off position and solder a new one to the pins on the backside of the switch. Essentially just bypass the existing switch with your new one. It's an easy solder and you don't have to deal with desoldering the old one.

Just remember when you are troubleshooting the saber later to check the old switch :)

[savyas]

dang, why didn't I think of that! So much simpler. But then again, it gave me an excuse to use the desoldering iron :)

So - armonfire.. I'm terrible with drawing applications like Gimp and Photoshop, and my laptop with visio on it is at home.. But connecting the reed relay is really quite simple. There are 3 pins on one end of the reed, the one on the tip is power out to your LED and the ones one the side activate the relay. On the other end of the reed is a single pin, which is where you connect positive from your batteries. For the two pins on the sides, the easiest thing to do is use the existing wiring harness that came with the MR board. Cut off the old LED and hook the red, blue, and green wires together on one of the side pins and the brown wire on the other side. I don't think it matters which side the bundle vs brown goes - but double check the back of the packaging of the relay to make sure.

If you only ever plan on leaving the RGB switch on one of the colors sounds, you only need to use that wire... but since I figure you might change it around, you might as well splice them together.

Hope that helps.

[Arm on Fire]

Savyas, thanks for the info , i understand now, it will be easyer to just use the rgb bundled, ill post when i get it done.
ghostbat, i think i may do that as well, thanks

[BlackDOG]

Arm...thanks for the heads up on this.....I missed Savyas post somehow......any hooo...the idea of the relay was exactly what I was thinking so you could select the sounds.

Savyas......you used a buck puck to drive the LED? So if I have this right .... use MR board with another switch to bypass the existing on/off.....The relay is hooked into the rgb leads off the board and positive power goes to the input for the buckpuck?

I have trouble following the configurations in my head.........

BD

[savyas]

right - just solder a new switch to the existing switch pins on the MR board (or in my case, I desoldered to old switch and took it off). Then bundled the R,G,B wires together to activate the relay (with the brown wire on the other side of the relay). Vin from battery, Vout to buckpuck.

An alternative way to wire it would be to use a DPDT switch like AoF did here: http://forums.thecustomsabershop.com/showthread.php?p=78310#post78310