Petit Crouton Sound Module and Ultrasaber's Bane with VA

[Rezolution]

OK, maybe someone can explain this to me

Sooooooooo I slapped a meter on my VA Bane ('Resistorized Red' + 'Blue' on a DX RGB). I get 0.65 Amp with Sanyo Eneloops and 0.75 Amp with Energizer E2 Lithiums.

That didn't seem right, based on what was posted above, so I got out my RGB Prophecy (R,G,B with 3 direct drive toggle switches). I put a meter on that and i got:

Sanyo Eneloop 4.8V Nominal, 4.7V under one or two die load, 4.6V under three die load
Green die only = 0.50 Amp
Blue die only = 0.50 Amp
Red die only = 0.60 Amp
Green+Blue dies = 0.60 Amp
Red+Green dies = 0.70 Amp
Red+Blue dies = 0.70 Amp
Red+Green+Blue dies = 0.75 Amp

I was told that (by someone at the Ultrasabers forum) when you turn two on, it uses twice the current of a single die and if you turned 3 on, it uses three times the current of a single die. It doesn't appear that way...

I'm really at a loss here...

[Skottsaber]

Interesting...
Where were you testing at?

[PhoenixReborn]

You're going to want to read the amperage of the individual dies themselves up by the LED, not down by the battery, as well as the voltage. (If you want to stick with ultrasabers configuration)
However, you dont even need to do this with the PC-L. Take a 25 OHM potentiometer and hook it up to the red die. Then set the amperage of the soundboard to one amp. Turn it on, and change the resistance to a point where you like the shade of purple you're using. Then turn it all off, and read the amount of resistance on the pot, and use a resistor close to, if not exactly that resistance on the red die. (This will permenantly give you that shade.)

For example, on my RGBA 10w, i use a 3.3 Ohm resistor on the red, no resistor on the blue, hooked up to a MR Board.

OK, maybe someone can explain this to me 7

Sooooooooo I slapped a meter on my VA Bane ('Resistorized Red' + 'Blue' on a DX RGB). I get 0.65 Amp with Sanyo Eneloops and 0.75 Amp with Energizer E2 Lithiums.

That didn't seem right, based on what was posted above, so I got out my RGB Prophecy (R,G,B with 3 direct drive toggle switches). I put a meter on that and i got:

Sanyo Eneloop 4.8V Nominal, 4.7V under one or two die load, 4.6V under three die load
Green die only = 0.50 Amp
Blue die only = 0.50 Amp
Red die only = 0.60 Amp
Green+Blue dies = 0.60 Amp
Red+Green dies = 0.70 Amp
Red+Blue dies = 0.70 Amp
Red+Green+Blue dies = 0.75 Amp

I was told that (by someone at the Ultrasabers forum) when you turn two on, it uses twice the current of a single die and if you turned 3 on, it uses three times the current of a single die. It doesn't appear that way...

I'm really at a loss here...

[Rezolution]

Interesting...
Where were you testing at?

I was reading/breaking the connection where the positive terminal on the battery pack was. I really don't understand why its not pulling 2x the current if the voltage isnt dipping on the pack.

The ONLY thing I can think of is that the batteries aren't able to put out more than 1C (800mAh). The only way I could test this would be to hook up 4AA cells instead (2500 mAh).

Maybe Fender would be able to explain this. He really is the expert on all things diode

[Azmaria Dei]

you need to measure at the LED itself - not at the battery. battery draw will vary based on configuration.

also, while i agree that Fender is an expert in this, he's not the only one, and you've had some really good answers to questions from other people too.

as for your batteries, they may only be 1C models, but i doubt it. i'm betting they're a bit higher than that, even by a little.

and phoenix's method of using a pot is the same one that a lot of people use to mix colors with. though Fender was the one that helped me out by linking me the right pot i needed in the first place. ^_^

[bk_renesis]

I think it would be great if Tim stocked pots and rgb LEDs in the store. See what different shades and combos people come up with. Considering the increased use of rgbX LEDs in the hobby. Meh...Just my two cents. But I've read somewhere that some people leave the pots in as no two LEDs are the same. So what you use for one will not necessarily give you the same shade for another. Leaving the pot on the die allows for fine tuning I guess.

[Rezolution]

Yes, I saw everyone's advice about measuring the current at the diode itslef and not at the battery. My last question that I was asking about (where I listed the voltages and currents at the battery) was more of "why?". I wasn't asking about how to configure the board at that point.

I don't understand why the die (which are hooked up in parallel) aren't pulling more current as you turn them on. I was hoping Fender had some knowledge about this particular DX RBG LED and could let me know what my limiting factor is, and why when multiple die are on, the current draw is not increasing. Like I was saying earlier, the only thing I can think of is that the AAA batteries can only be drawn at 1C.

Maybe Fender might know if it's something to do with a common ground or something else with this type of LED.

[Azmaria Dei]

alkalines are notorious for not putting out like other batteries. they kinda suck TBH. have you switched to NiMHs and tried the readings again? a few people here have built sabers with alkaline batteries in them and they were pretty dim until they swapped to a rechargeable battery that can put out more than a trickle.

what i'm trying to say is, yes i think the average current output of an alkaline AAA is ~1C due to the higher internal resistance.

[Rezolution]

I get almost the same current readings with Energizer E2 Lithiums (Primare Lithium Disposable) as I do with Sanyo Eneloops (NiMh LSD). The only thing I haven't tried yet is temp wiring up a battery pack with 4AA in it. I have a 2 year old and a 2 month old so I don't have a lot of time to experiment LoL. That's why I was hoping somoene may have come across this before.

[Arkhan]

Lithium Primaries have similar discharge rates to NIMH. Several times higher than Alkaline batteries.