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Ok. I am using a 4 AA battery pack that has REGULAR batteries in it.
I dont need rechargables because I have a SPECIAL device that recharges DISPOSABLE ones,,,
ALSO, i thought i needed a power xtender if im using the LED engine... right?
ok. so here is what i think i need.
Led engin Blue
PC-L
illuminated switch
a resistor for the switch
power xtender??
4 AA battery pack
anything else i NEED??
You don't really need the puck with the PC. If you do it right, things will not go wrong. ;)
If I remember correctly, you will need a resistor (or equivalent) if you plan on using FoC circuitry, however. Pulling straight power from the battery pack (which is what the Power Xtender does) will fry your LED. The only difference I've seen between a resistor and BuckPuck is that the latter is known to be more efficient.
I am not sure if BuckPucks are compatible with the FoC circuit or if it's literally required to use a resistor. If using a resistor, you'll need to match up not only the mA requirements, but the Ohms as well. I've not done enough research on that topic to assist you. I can point you toward the tutorial sections to learn more. I definitely remember reading something about them there.
As to the recharge port: Need is a very relative word to use. Any saber will function perfectly well without an in-hilt recharge system. I made my battery pack out of two 3xAAA battery modules scavenged from a couple of cheapie flashlights, even though I did wire my electronics with a recharge port. I wanted the challenge of learning to wire the port, but did not want to sacrifice the convenience of removable batteries.
If you do not wire a recharge port, you will need to plan for the removal of your batteries. It seems foolish to me to install a permanent pack if the batteries will need to have the ability to be charged separately, through the use of a wall charger. You will also need to know the difference between protected and unprotected cells, as well as decide on either NiMhs or Li-Ions. NiMh should not need a protection circuit, but the Li-Ions will. If the cells come with built-in protection circuitry, they'll need to be fully charged via smart-charger, prior to installation. If you do not prime the batteries this way, they could develop an imbalance which will shorten the battery's life (one cell could be less charged than the other, which would cut off the power when the cell with more charge tops off, leaving the other battery without a full charge).
The illuminated switch will need a resistor for the LED which lights it up. There are diagrams in the tutorial section for wiring these. Kill switch plugs can be purchased from TCSS store, or made from any compatible material. They do recommend that you not use anything conductive.
I will admit that I did not consider how the components would be mounted to the inside of the hilt until I ran across several "chassis" threads on the forum. If you are the same way, I would strongly suggest reading up on those. Chassis parts are plentiful in TCSS store and will help you to keep your innards from knocking about too much. I even had a plan for a modular chassis system which would allow me to swap entire component sets without detaching any wires.
The last thing I can recommend to you is to bookmark every single tutorial page you find relevant to your needs, then read and reread them all before touching anything. These components are extremely delicate and easily damaged, not to mention expensive and relatively rare (some parts have been out of stock for months). Familiarize yourself with the best soldering tutorial you can find and practice on some DIY kits (Radio Shack has them for as little as $20US). You may also want to draw up a blueprint of your own, just so that you have everything the way you want it.
I wish you luck. This hobby is definitely a challenge, but it's worth it.
DPDT switches are very long, if you can find the same switch in SPST I would switch to that (with the PC you can use either Latching or Momentary, just change the setting in the config file to tell the board which you are using)
You haven't told us what you are using for power so we don't know if you should have a recharge port or not. Largely it is up to personal preference. It is much easier with a rechargable pack to just charge in hilt through a recharge port, but if you are using individually protected cells or standard batteries then it makes much less sense to charge in the hilt.
Unless I missed it, I don't see any mention of a momentary switch for an Aux. switch for the PC.
i re edited my post
You're scaring me Dano. I'm pretty sure you should NOT try to recharge disposables. :eek:Quote:
Originally Posted by Danocrunch
Agreed. "Primary" batteries specifically say they are not to be recharged. The difference between disposables and rechargeables is basically that, once the chemical reaction has been expended in a disposable, there's no way to get it back. Charging disposables can lead to fire, leaks, even explosions. You're far better off with NiMH than this, especially when a pack of four costs the same as two packs of four disposables. First time you recharge the NiMHs, they've paid for themselves.Quote:
Originally Posted by Sunrider