My Obi Wan TPM lightsaber.

[chaos]

Well here’s my Obi Wan TPM lightsaber, I finally got round to converting it from an EL blade to a LED blade.

I used a blue Luxeon Rebel, this is the first time I’ve used one and damn are they small! To power it I managed to squeeze in a MR Luke ANH board and a 4.8V AAA 1000mAh NIMH Rechargeable battery pack, so this saber even has sound.

It still uses the stock 3/4’’ blade holder but I’m going to try and get a 1’’ blade holder made some time soon. The only problem with the 3/4’’ blade holder is that I only have one 3/4’’ blade, which I’ve had for years, and I’ve lost the tip off it so the light just shines out the top!

So here's some pics:

http://img45.imageshack.us/img45/3366/dscf5700je5.jpg
http://img142.imageshack.us/img142/6389/dscf5718hx1.jpg
http://img135.imageshack.us/img135/8338/dscf5720xu1.jpg
http://img143.imageshack.us/img143/1399/dscf5722js8.jpg

Now heres a close up of the grip area where the sound comes out. You can just see the small gap under the outer sleeve. Its not the loudest saber I've got but its not the quietest either.

http://img48.imageshack.us/img48/6765/dscf5713vo6.jpg

And just to prove it has sound here's a short video, notice when I cover up the sound hole it gets quieter.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=hNXWWu9Krtg

Well I hope you like it, as I said before the next step a 1'' blade holder!

[Tom Starkiller]

WANT!

Very nice.

[Dark Navel]

Nice!:p I want to do the same conversion to mine as well. Do you have any tips on how you converted it? I.E.: How you mounted the LED (on a star and heatsinked), where does the speaker sit, did you use the original switch that powered the EL blade, did you use pucks or resist the LED etc??? I am VERRRRRYYY interested on how you did this!!! Please let me know or PM me so we could talk.

I REALLY WANT TO DO THIS TO MINE AS WELL!!

[xwingband]

If he has sound from an MR he more than likely used the output from there just like a conversion. I imagine he used the PCB'ed Rebels from led-tech too. It's nicer for him to get them in the UK.

[Dark Navel]

If he has sound from an MR he more than likely used the output from there just like a conversion. I imagine he used the PCB'ed Rebels from led-tech too. It's nicer for him to get them in the UK.

Then you mean he's running the LED from the board then? I guess he's under driving the LED since it only spits out about 900MA? Wait...I guess if it's a a PCB'd rebel then it's overdrining it a bit (I saw on the specs that mA max is 700mA). Well here's another question: Is there a lense for that LED? I have only used the star LUX III's in the past. I see the viewing angle is 160 degrees so is a lens necessary, available or if I use the same LED can I just go without the lens and use a Corbin film with 4'-6' of cellophane and a mirrored tip?

This thread got my blood running and I am on a mission to convert this Obi.

[Drichar Deis]

SWEET! Very nicely done!

[chaos]

Nice!:p I want to do the same conversion to mine as well. Do you have any tips on how you converted it? I.E.: How you mounted the LED (on a star and heatsinked), where does the speaker sit, did you use the original switch that powered the EL blade, did you use pucks or resist the LED etc??? I am VERRRRRYYY interested on how you did this!!! Please let me know or PM me so we could talk.

I REALLY WANT TO DO THIS TO MINE AS WELL!!


If he has sound from an MR he more than likely used the output from there just like a conversion. I imagine he used the PCB'ed Rebels from led-tech too. It's nicer for him to get them in the UK.

As always xwing is correct, the LED is running of the MR board just like a normal conversion, no pucks or resistors. He's also correct about where I got the Rebel LED and that its PCB'ed. The lense I also got from led-tech. Heres the lense:

http://www.led-tech.de/en/High-Power-Supply/Polymer-Optics/Polymer-Luxeon-Rebel-lense-6°-LT-1089_106_108.html

As for your other questions Navel. The LED is mounted on a 1.5'' peice of 3/4'' aluminium round bar, which acts as a heatsink. The speaker, which I got from the store and fits in perfectly, sits right in front of the pommel. Yes I used the original switch that came with the saber.

If you want I can take pics of the holes for the sound but I won't be able to do that until Monday as I going camping this weekend.

[Dark Navel]

That would be great if you could snap some pics!! I'm sure that others could benefit from seeing them as well.

Enjoy your camping this weekend..I always did when I went. Looking forward to the pictures and thanks for replying.

[xwingband]

FYI Led-tech says 700mA, but it will do 1A. I don't know why they say that... Rebels in that bin are spec'd to 1A.

[Dark Navel]

Good to know..thanks xwing. This conversion should be fun but I have to finish my current saber that I'm working on. Man this is addicting...

[chaos]

Well heres the pics of the sound holes.

First showing where the sound is coming out. Theres a small gap that isn't to obvious, its only about a few millimetres.

http://img169.imageshack.us/img169/9213/dscf5734cy0.jpg

I had to file the inside of the outer sleeve to create the small gap.

Next is a pic of where the speaker is. As the pommel is hollow for the first inch or so when the speaker sits up against it, it creates a resonance chamber. The speaker sits in between the end of the inner sleeve and the pommel.

http://img170.imageshack.us/img170/5069/dscf5737ha3.jpg

And finally the holes that are covered by the outer sleeve.

Their not the prettiest to look at but you don't see them when the sleeve is on. The holes in the main body of the saber match up with the holes in the pommel, which lets the sound out.

http://img504.imageshack.us/img504/2786/dscf5749tf8.jpg

Hope that helps with your conversion Navel.

[Dark Navel]

Thanks for the pics and getting back to me. That helps a bunch!! I just need to get my hands on a card, which I should get soon, and then let the conversion begin. Now if I could only get my hands on a decent Obi blue LUX. I think I'll have to test a couple since I promised I would. I'll have to see how I can mount the LUX wheter it be on the existing aluminum inside the saber, make something or have something custom made.

Thanks again!

[xwingband]

I've done mine like he did and just made a slug of aluminum the "heatsink". Parks pretty much does the same thing with the EL jack so you just have to swap it. Unless you're dying for a 1" blade socket it works fine with what's there.

For sound conversions I put holes on the first step of the pommel. It's the 45 degree step below where the main body is. It's out of the way and when you paint the insides black it's pretty much impossible to notice from past an arm's length away.

[Dark Navel]

I like the idea of not being able to see the holes at all but I'm sure the sound is a bit muffled. I guess I'll re-use the slug of aluminum that's in there right now as the heatsink and then reuse the 3/4" Park's blade until I can get the funds to bore out the emitter and get a new "slug" made for the heatsink.

What degree lense would you reccommend for a 3/4" blade? I guess I would go with a mirrored tip, 1 wrap of Corbin's film and then a couple of feet of cellophane like I usually do in my 1" blades.

I guess an e-mail is in order to Arm on Fire to see what he would charge..(I know Tim's really bust and probably wouldn't be able to do custom work right now)