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Malaki Skywalker
01-13-2008, 09:13 AM
Hi guys, I've got an MR Ani board which i thought i killed :lol: and i was wondering
what would be best for powering it? :-?

4AAA or 4AA? whats the difference between them run time wise?

Thanks guys :D

DarthFender
01-13-2008, 09:36 AM
The AA's will last in general about 2.5x -3x as long as the AAA's. The voltage will be the same. If you got the room I would go with the AA's.
Also, are you going with rechargable? if not, you definitely want to go with the AA's.

vortextwist
01-13-2008, 09:38 AM
ya mostly it will be runtime. I get/got pretty good runtimes(over an hour) with my 4AAA pack in my saber run by an ani board.

Dark Helmet
01-14-2008, 09:24 PM
my current setup is a mr luke board w/ a 7.2v li-ion, using a 5.1v regulator. the battery pack is the same size as 2 AA batteries, although i havn't really gotten a good average runtime yet. the pcb on the battery pack shuts it down at 5v, so with a 5.1v regulator, it starts making a "farting" sound about 15-20 minutes before it shuts down completley. i'm not sure if this is the smartest setup ( definitely the most potentially embarrassing one), but it is another option.

grayven
02-23-2008, 10:33 PM
Hello

Just to check, It's ok to run 4AA (6v) pack to an MR board?

I'm moding a Vader ANH, One of the first type with the switch at the shroud. I have built my board holder and battery pack using a 4AA holder and am hopping it wont blow it.

Thanks
Grayven

Hasid Lafre
02-23-2008, 10:41 PM
Should be, most MRs run at 6volts anyway if your using non rechargable batteries(w.5volts each, Rechargables 1.2V each).

Which I still dont see how an mr couldent take that other 1.2-1.5 extra volts?

CAuse everyone said that putting 7.2-7.5 volts to an mr board will kill it.

Who has killed an mr board with 7.2-7.5 volts?

Lord Maul
02-23-2008, 11:19 PM
jjshumpert has. Anything over 6-6.5V will fry a MR board in most cases.

Novastar
02-24-2008, 02:59 AM
To clarify for new folks reading: DO NOT give >6v (max!) to your MR board. Not unless you don't care if it lives or dies and/or you're just testing and don't care.

Hasid is incorrect: nearly every MR (LED) saber driving board is accepting 4.5v (rated). NONE of them are getting 6v from the packs from factory-made conditions, nor are they ever getting 9v... which some people seem to think when they see the 6AA packs.

The 6AA MR setups are just as Erv has mentioned before... technically 3AA + 3AA to get more run-time. In other words... 4.5v.

The fact that 4.5v RATED (Alkaline) may begin "higher" than 4.5v (and maybe more like 4.7v or even 5v)... means very little, seeing as giving the board 6v RATED... will already be pushing it. Additionally... giving the MR board 7.2v RATED (again, which may be 7.4 or even 7.8 let's say for the heck of it)... for just "a little while" may indeed "work fine".

BUT... over time... and it's no telling how long (or how short!) a period of time... YOUR MR BOARD SIMPLY WILL FAIL.

Why anyone would want to "push" this limit--I'll never know. If you're trying to get more from an LED in combination with an MR... you should be BYPASSING the MR's LED driving anyhow, or modifying it in some unique way. Or just power the LED direct drive on a different pole/circuit of the switch, and use the MR solely for sound. Or a relay. Or 2 entirely separate circuits. What-EVER.

But yeah. Pushing it... is like saying let's test out how long my car will perform without oil. Not a question of IF... but WHEN! :)

grayven
02-24-2008, 10:16 AM
Well that's the answer I was looking for. I wanted to know only because the only setup I could make is a 4AA pack. I know that all MR boards run on 4.5v and I was concerned with running 6V. I guess what I will do is just solder a wire connecting between the two post of one of the 4 battery holders.

Thanks every one
Grayven

Hasid Lafre
02-24-2008, 10:37 AM
My bros mhs with an MR ani board is running on 6volts no problem.

vortextwist
02-24-2008, 12:21 PM
no it's not. 4.8v rechargable

Hasid Lafre
02-24-2008, 12:33 PM
Oh yeah thats right. I forgot you went to the rechargable pack. But still it was running on 6V for a while.

vortextwist
02-24-2008, 12:34 PM
no, I have always used 4AAA rechargables 1.2v each

Corbin_Das
02-25-2008, 12:27 AM
my current setup is a mr luke board w/ a 7.2v li-ion, using a 5.1v regulator.


Hi guys.

Hey, Dark Helmet, how's the heat coming from the voltage regulator? The ones I've messed with tended to get pretty hot pretty quick when converting 7.2V to around 5V. If I remember right, one of the sabers I made for Novastar a couple years back was like that. The heat was interesting, but didn't seem to cause any problems. I suppose Nova can tell you how it lasted though. I think pretty much every saber used in BOP had to be repaired at some point or another, but still.

Oh, it's not something that will be ready right away, but I have a friend and fellow saber geek that's working on a low cost driver that piggybacks with the MR sound module to allow for the same features my driver does, but in a setup specifically made to be used with the MR boards. Ramping, shimmer, clash....it's all there. I hope to hear more soon and will definitely let folks know.


Corbin

Hasid Lafre
02-25-2008, 05:51 AM
Corbin I seen his post at fx sabers and I really like the idea.

Moordak
02-25-2008, 12:32 PM
I have a question for the experts related to this topic. If I'm going to be running a MR board and a Corbin driver with a DPDT switch, should I use 4 1.2v rechargeables or 5? I was sure I had read on here somewhere I needed to use 5, but I can't find it now.

Marsupial
02-25-2008, 02:00 PM
Hi guys.

Hey, Dark Helmet, how's the heat coming from the voltage regulator? The ones I've messed with tended to get pretty hot pretty quick when converting 7.2V to around 5V. If I remember right, one of the sabers I made for Novastar a couple years back was like that. The heat was interesting, but didn't seem to cause any problems. I suppose Nova can tell you how it lasted though. I think pretty much every saber used in BOP had to be repaired at some point or another, but still.

Oh, it's not something that will be ready right away, but I have a friend and fellow saber geek that's working on a low cost driver that piggybacks with the MR sound module to allow for the same features my driver does, but in a setup specifically made to be used with the MR boards. Ramping, shimmer, clash....it's all there. I hope to hear more soon and will definitely let folks know.


Corbin


http://www.fx-sabers.com/forum/index.php?topic=11377.0

http://forums.thecustomsabershop.com/showthread.php?t=4145

I'm looking at PCB design at the moment.

Also, I might be wanting to add a voltage regulator to the piggy board, with the idea to power the MR board from the daughterboard at fixed voltage (5V), and the luxeon at supplied higher voltage... anyone can tell me if voltage regulator are heat problem inside sabers?

Joe, I'd talk to you online this evening if I can catch you on MSN.

Dark Helmet
02-25-2008, 02:36 PM
so far the regulator i have doesn't seem to put out any heat at all, it's well insulated. when testing the electronics out of the hilt it never even got warm.although the one i use is rated up to 32v.

Marsupial
02-26-2008, 01:10 PM
I'm looking into integrating a voltage regulator to the design.

Marsupial
02-27-2008, 08:45 AM
Anyone know if I can power a cree XR-E Q5 the same way as a lux V?

I'd need to test the lux-V type power but have none. :(

Jay-gon Jinn
03-17-2008, 11:24 AM
I've usually run my MR boards on 6 volts as well, and haven't had any of them give me any trouble.

Sohryu76
03-25-2008, 10:02 AM
I tried to use a voltage regulator on my MR board with a 9v battery, but it didnt work...
so i just got frustraited and plugged the 9v directly up to the board... and it worked... no magic smoke...
now to be fair I had cut down the actual MR LED strip, and left just the first three sections intact and wired (I removed any excess wires from the board, and it worked.)
does the fact that it was still powering the LEDs have anything to do with the fact that my board survived? or did I just get lucky?

I used the programable one from radioshack, but I think tonight Im going to go get myself the regular 5v only regulator... It was out of an 06 Mace Windu Saber... but the punch date on the board was 2005...
it looks like the new board that Tim posted a picture of, but still looks different enough.

I will post a picture of the board when i get home...

Chris

Ghostbat
03-26-2008, 10:09 AM
I suspect that overdriving the board will work for a while, they were designed as a consumer toy so they had to have pretty good tolerances to keep the rate offailure down, but it's lifespan is likely to be pretty well reduced.

Sohryu76
03-26-2008, 10:23 AM
ok another thing...
here ya go... it has been copied from another thread so no one yell at me about that! it probably belongs here more!

my only issue is my friend was looking at my MS sound board... and managed to cut some of the LED wires out of the quick connector... i should be able to put some new ones in right? or do i need to get another stupid board...
I wanted to use a Lux V... but i dont think i can just pop that into a MR board can i? because it needs 6.7 as opposed to my board that maxes at 6... yes?
now Im all confused

xwingband
03-26-2008, 11:04 AM
Correct, you will not be able to power a V on the MR's leads. You will need another board or circuit to get that going.

For fixing snipped ones... I like to solder the pins at the back of the PCB. Just bridge the gaps with solder. I do this especially on sabers like Maul conversions which are short on space to put what would ordinarily be a bulk of wires.

Sohryu76
03-26-2008, 11:48 AM
Correct, you will not be able to power a V on the MR's leads. You will need another board or circuit to get that going.

For fixing snipped ones... I like to solder the pins at the back of the PCB. Just bridge the gaps with solder. I do this especially on sabers like Maul conversions which are short on space to put what would ordinarily be a bulk of wires.

so since i cant power a V with that board anyways... it doesnt matter... i can actually just pull the connector off all together? (not off the board, just the male end?)

xwingband
03-26-2008, 12:06 PM
If it's one that doesn't use the clash sensor through there... sure, pull it out.

Sohryu76
03-26-2008, 12:32 PM
my clash sensor plugs in somewhere else...
so I assume that means "I can pull it out!"

also Xwing, check the squadren boards.. for my post (after your last)... or ignore it... its up to you! :)