saber staff with 1 switch help

[prowless]

Hi first thanks for all the help this forum provides.

I am building a staff saber that will not split, so I basically want to wire the hilt like this:

http://forums.thecustomsabershop.com/showthread.php?t=326

but using 2 LEDS connecting to the switch, instead of just one.
But How??? Do I use 2 resistors? how does the 2 LEDS get wired?

I would prefer to stay with 4 aa batteries, run time is not a priority for me, but will voltage be correct?
Also, is there a diagram out there that shows how to wire it? I'm clueless on the wiring.
No sound either, ....not yet anyways.

I almost forgot, it'll be 2 P4 white LEDS, 1 switch and preferably, one 4 AA battery pack in a sink tube based MHS hilt.

thanks, I know this a lot to ask, but hopefully the answer is easy.

[Novastar]

Answers are never easy, but... hmm, the only thing I can tell you is: it depends. You can wire in series or in parallel.

Let's see. You have 2 P4s. I believe the fwd voltage of both is around 4v, so I'm just going to assume that for now b/c I'm not looking it up right now.

If your battery solution is going to be something like 6v (4AA as you said)... hmm... that will always be a waste of power any way you do it, parallel or serial... unless you use some kind of driver.

If your battery solution is going to be something like 7.4v, you might choose to split the voltage amongst the LEDs (each getting around 3.7v) and there you go. Your resistors would be very small (and less wasteful in this case).

Yet ANOTHER solution to help simplify things in some ways... would be to build two entirely separate circuits, each with their own battery solution (maybe 3.7v each), and use a single DPDT switch to turn them both on. Or two switches if you like that are close by (so you could flip them individually).

I did the Necrolosis staff for Balance of Power as follows:

* Circuit #1: Single Li-Ion + Red-O LED with tiny resistor + switch + charge port
* Circuit #2: Single Li-Ion + Red-O LED with tiny resistor + switch + charge port

The saber is not able to be "split" at the hilt--but you can turn either LED on separately and remove blades if you wish (naturally). Also, the switches are right in line with one another, so you can flip it "as one" switch or not--your choice.

This made things much simpler for me when I was first getting used to electronics (2006/2007), and it hasn't made the saber any worse for wear. In fact, it actually GAINS benefits with the 2 circuit solution.

[prowless]

Answers are never easy, but... hmm, the only thing I can tell you is: it depends. You can wire in series or in parallel.

Let's see. You have 2 P4s. I believe the fwd voltage of both is around 4v, so I'm just going to assume that for now b/c I'm not looking it up right now.

If your battery solution is going to be something like 6v (4AA as you said)... hmm... that will always be a waste of power any way you do it, parallel or serial... unless you use some kind of driver.



Thank you for your extremely quick response. Is there a diagram for running this in series or parallel? I don't understand how it is a waste of power, (wiring, electical, etc is my weak point), but the 6v solution is really what I want to go with.

In th future, I will reconsider this as more sabers are surely to come, but as it stands now, I have most of what is needed on hand to make this with what was described, ...I just don't know how to wire it in either series or parrallel.

Thanks again Novastar, that was VERY FASST

[Logan Cade]

If you’re stuck on using just one battery source, then I would run it in parallel like this.

Run times will be poor, but if that becomes a problem, do like Novastar said, get 2 battery sources and run 2 separate circuits with a DPDT switch. It might even help you with weight distribution and balance in a double saber.

http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/ee28/logancade_photos/Saberwiring.jpg

[prowless]

Ahhhhh, that's great, thanks.

Thank you so much.
So this doesn't effect the brightness of the LEDs? Just the runtime correct? 4AA batteries.

Do u have any idea an approximate runtime?

Thanks again for the diagram, that was awesome.

Going with 2 seperate setups is back "on the table" for me as I need a little filler or fluff to the hilt and an extra activator button would sure help.

[Logan Cade]

Run times depend on your battery and the amperage draw of your led’s.

For simplicity purposes, lets suppose your batteries have a 1000Mah (MilliAmps per Hour) rating and your led uses 500 ma’s.
In theory, it should run for 2 hours….500+500=1000ma’s…..which is the end of the battery’s charge. This is all theory of course, because over the course of those 2 hours the battery will get weaker and the led’s output will get weaker and weaker and the saber’s brightness will weaken along with it. The theory is basically full charge to full dead.

I think your supposed to set up the P4’s to pull 1 amp each, which is 2000ma’s for 2 of them, so your going to have to get a battery Mah set-up greater then that just to get them both to work at peak.

Honestly, 2 battery sources with 2 separate circuits using a single DPDT switch would work so much better.

[prowless]

Then I need to stop being so stubborn and listen to you guys when I request help, don't I?

I will use your recommendations, and choose the 2 battery supplies as my set up. Can they still a set of 4AA batteries and would I get peak performance, (brightness), from this? Or can I drop to 3 or 4 AAA batteries on each set?

Thanks

[Logan Cade]

Try to stick with 2 sets of 4 AA since you already have them. If the size and weight turn out to be an issue, go to 2 sets of 4 AAA.

There are other options, rechargeable, NIcad’s, Lithium Ion, but you’re going to have to investigate those yourself.

[prowless]

Thanks, I will start this as soon as the rest of my ordere from TCSS arrives using the 2 sets of 4AA battery packs.
I can't thank you guys enough for the help.

I will return here after I finish to let you how it turns out.
Thanks again.

[prowless]

Ok, I have all my parts
a dpdt switch, 2 aa battery packs, etc

how do i wire this dpdt switch?

any diagram would help


thx

[xwingband]

The DPDT is kind of pointless for your use but...

Follow the above picture. Pick any two adjacent poles. If the switch is a slider whichever side you pick will be the on side. If it's a push button it won't matter.

[prowless]

It's a small toggle type

The switch has 6 leads, but I would use only 4 of these correct, ....one pair for each circuit? Wired neg and pos across from each other?????

[Logan Cade]

Without seeing the switch and being able to check for continuity and how it works, this is going to be a guess. The first picture is off, the second is on. Hope this helps.


http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/ee28/logancade_photos/switchdownx.jpg

http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/ee28/logancade_photos/switchupx.jpg

[Lord Dottore Matto]

Nice diagram Logan Cade!:mrgreen:

[prowless]

Your drawing looks better than the switch, .....thats it lol.

Thanks,

will get to work on this tonight.


You guys are a wealth of knowledge.

thanks again.

[MoonDragn]

I actually would run that in series instead of parallel. Then you would just need to use one resistor.

If you use two identical LEDs, the resistor would just be halved. For example if you use a 2.2 ohm resistor on 1 LED, you would now use a 1.1 ohm resistor. Or in this case just a 1 ohm resistor or a 1.2 ohm resistor.

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a78/MoonDragn/circuitwiring.jpg

[prowless]

I do like that Moon, but I will be using 2 seperate power supplies for each LED.

I just wanted them on one switch, hence where the DP switch came into play.

But originally, I had talked about one supply one switch, etc, etc.

But your diagram is exactly what I will need for a future project, so off it goes into my saved files. Thanks.