Purple RGBA blade

[Bianchi]

Hey fellas, it's me again.

As you may know already, I have this purple saber project. But since I don't know much electronics (you surely know that by reading my posts), I tried to learn the stuff and ask for advice. So I was advised to use the following:

- 2 Li-Ion 18650 rechargeable cells
- a "stick-pack" (what is this?)
- 2 buckpucks (1000 mA)
- A 10W RGBA from LedEngin
- TCSS optics (copper heatsink, 8.7 deg lens, appropriate lens holder)
- A LED Driver
- A 3.3 Ohm resistor (for the red die).

The questions (if I'm not asking too much, of course):

- How to wire the driver?
- At which current do I set the driver? I'd try 700 mA because of this http://br.mouser.com/catalog/catalogUSD/642/97.pdf - it reads "Current: 700 mA"), but am I overlooking/forgetting anything?
- Even though I'm going to use the RGBA's blue and red dice, I only need one driver, right?
- How to wire the pucks (position, etc)
- In case I do not find a "stick pack" or I can't use it for whatever reason, is there any alternate way to wire the Li-Ions?

I hope I do not bother you with these questions. Thanks for your time!

[Jedi-Loreen]

A "stick pack" just means that the batteries are wired and heat shrunk end-to-end instead of side-by-side.

Why are you using 2 buck puck and an LED driver?

[DJMoonbass]

i just wire the red and blue in parrallel and pot the red man. you really dont even need a buck puck OR a driver. just hook them straight up. the 18650 can put out the current no problem. the blue can handle 3.7 volts as ive wired it no problem but the red will need to be resistored and hey, thats what the pot is for. all you got to do is adjust the pot to achieve the purple you are looking for and viola there ya go. lots of money, time, and brain energy saved. you also dont even need two 18650s that will give you hella run time but even just one will do. whats tims li ion 18650s? what like 2400 mah? well runing the red and blue at about 700ma a piece, 1400ma. heck you are looking at about an hour and 30 - 45 minute run time, possibly almost 2 depending on your red.

its all about how you wire your LED. hope this helps

btw incase youre wondering... a pot is potentiometer. and its bassically an adjustable resistor. just turn the little nob on it to allow more or less voltage to pass, thus increasing or decreasing the amount of red light.

well i need to get to bed i have work tomorrow. and the next day. and the next... for the rest of my life. lol.

[Bianchi]

I can't imagine someone heat-shrinking batteries :S how do you do it?

Why are you using 2 buck puck and an LED driver?

That's what the guys in FX Sabers told me to do.

So it's safe to go only with the 1000 mA pucks and no driver?

And in this case, since the RGBA specs say "Current: 700 mA", is it better to use a 1000 mA puck or a 700 mA? (this might look like an obvious question, but I frequently miss out on important details, so I'd rather ask dumb questions and not burn my LED, lol)

@ Moonbass: yeah, I want a helluva long-running saber
and I know what a pot is (thx anyway dude). If the 3.3 ohm resistor doesn't work right (read: in case I don't like the purple), I'm going to use a pot.

[Rafalema]

Heat-shrinking batteries?!?!?! DON'T DO THAT!

Shrink just the heatshrink, not the batteries

Just buy some heatshrink that can fit over the pack and heat it with a lighter spinning it around so you won't just heat-up one point.

IIRC it was possible with a hair dryer too, but I don't know about that.

[PhoenixReborn]

700mA on the blue, 350mA on the red. You use a 700mA 4 wire and a 700mA 6 wire to accomplish this on the RGBA. That gives a nice grape like purple

[RevengeoftheSeth]

Heat-shrinking batteries?!?!?! DON'T DO THAT!

Shrink just the heatshrink, not the batteries

I LOL'd ^.^

Just buy some heatshrink that can fit over the pack and heat it with a lighter spinning it around so you won't just heat-up one point.

IIRC it was possible with a hair dryer too, but I don't know about that.

Yeah, I use a hair dryer. Lowe's also sells heat guns specifically made for that purpose for about $30.

[Shadar Al'Niende]

i just use a cheap bbq lighter like this one:



Works great, just don't leave it on too long

[Allaerra Secura]

i just wire the red and blue in parrallel and pot the red man. you really dont even need a buck puck OR a driver. just hook them straight up. the 18650 can put out the current no problem. the blue can handle 3.7 volts as ive wired it no problem but the red will need to be resistored and hey, thats what the pot is for. all you got to do is adjust the pot to achieve the purple you are looking for and viola there ya go. lots of money, time, and brain energy saved. you also dont even need two 18650s that will give you hella run time but even just one will do. whats tims li ion 18650s? what like 2400 mah? well runing the red and blue at about 700ma a piece, 1400ma. heck you are looking at about an hour and 30 - 45 minute run time, possibly almost 2 depending on your red.

its all about how you wire your LED. hope this helps

btw incase youre wondering... a pot is potentiometer. and its bassically an adjustable resistor. just turn the little nob on it to allow more or less voltage to pass, thus increasing or decreasing the amount of red light.

well i need to get to bed i have work tomorrow. and the next day. and the next... for the rest of my life. lol.

So, you are going to wire the LED directly to a battery or batteries that puts out 5A? Hmmm...seems ill advised. @Bianchi, use a driver

As far as the potentiometer, that is fine to measure the resistor but is not a permanent solution. The potentiometer should be used to measure the resistance needed. It should then be removed and the appropriate resistor used on the red (if you are going to wire the blue and red in parallel). However, with the RGBA it puts out a decent shade of purple run at 1A with the red and blue in series, no resistor necessary (obviously you need a 1A buck puck for this).

700mA on the blue, 350mA on the red. You use a 700mA 4 wire and a 700mA 6 wire to accomplish this on the RGBA. That gives a nice grape like purple

At that point you are seriously underdriving the LED and would be better off with a 3W LED for a 10th of the cost because the 3W will be just as bright with that setup.

[PhoenixReborn]

At that point you are seriously underdriving the LED and would be better off with a 3W LED for a 10th of the cost because the 3W will be just as bright with that setup.

Actually, you're not underdriving the LED (when you're getting purple.) Each channel is supposed to be at 700mA maximum. This runs blue at 700mA (Maximum) and red at 350mA (half power). Yes, the red is being underdriven, but if you allow them both to run at full, you get a very pinkish hue.