rgb resistor question

[UK Trooper]

Hello guys - although I'm beaten (very impressively) to building a colour changing saber, I'm still going to go ahead.
However, being electronics dunce that I am, I have a question to ask on the resistors and batterries to use.

I appologise if this has been asked before - I have looked but cant find it, but will brace for a forum kick in just in case.

Right - what is the best combination to use for a 3w rgb saber?
By this, I mean what would be the optimal battery and resistor combination.
obviously a 3w rgb is listed at 3w, but if I am right its 3 1w leds?
if this is the case, I just want to make sure I get it right.

Also, is it wise to use corbin's board for this setup?

Im guess the following

battery ---> corbins board ---> resistor ---> pot. --->led r
+----> pot.2 --->led g
+----> pot.3 --->led b

Does this makes sense, or am I going mad?

Thanks and please be gentle, if its kick in time... (first offence!)

Cheers!

Jon

[xwingband]

If you run Corbin's board you will divide the amperage and run them even lower than a 1W. You'd need to run them in series to keep the amperage the same. This means you'd need the 1W driver of his, BUT it screws the pots up that way. If you turned down the first one in the series the rest wouldn't light up either.[xx(] Basically Corbin's is a loss unless you want to run 3... at $40 a pop.[:0]

I had to think about this too for mine in the works. I settled on two parallel micropucks... and if that fails I'll just resistor each.[V]

Your thinking is messed up though... Corbin's board REPLACES a resistor. What I mentioned up top will work though. You need paralled connections, seperate positives (or negatives) for each and a common negative (or the opposite if you put the pots on the negative side).

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[UK Trooper]

Gah - the 'example' didn't come out right.

But the corbin board/resistor thing makes it easier.
IE - for this one, dont use it?

So, would ot be:
bat - res - pot x3 - ledx3 ????
or would I need 3 resistors?

if thats the case, can you give me a tip on the battery - resistor part?
The thing that confuses me most is the 3w/1w thing...
I'm in IT - I should be able to pick this sort of stuff up too but I seem to have a mental block when it comes to electronics!

Jon

Amazing facts about Jedi Jon:
No.34 Jon can hear you scream
No.65 - During the Clone Wars, Jedi Jon allowed himself to be captured. For torture, they made him eat his own entrails. He asked for seconds

[xwingband]

Yes, 3 resistors. They'd all go to the battery.

Let me try a simple text diagram...
Battery -> Switch -> Resistor -> Pot -> LED
________________-> Resistor -> Pot -> LED
________________-> Resistor -> Pot -> LED

Ignore underscores... I'm just trying to show that it would split into three after the switch.

Remember when you get resistor values that the RED can be run slightly higher at 380mA. Also all of the LEDs would have the negative going back to the battery.


<center>Read the FAQ or x-wing won't be happy.
Before posting did you check the Thread Index?.

</center>

[UK Trooper]

Thanks for clearing that up - I'll go speak to Tim about an order now!

Cheers!

Jon

Amazing facts about Jedi Jon:
No.34 Jon can hear you scream
No.65 - During the Clone Wars, Jedi Jon allowed himself to be captured. For torture, they made him eat his own entrails. He asked for seconds