Page 1 of 2 1 2 LastLast
Results 1 to 10 of 15

Thread: El outside wiring?

  1. #1

    Default El outside wiring?

    Hi I was looking at a few pictures of peoples custom lightsabers, and they had El wiring on the outside. What do I need to just make an el wire glow?

    Thanks!

  2. #2

    Default

    an inverter and a battery is all you need. If you are doing an EL saber all you need is to calculate the length of wire between both spots.

    <center></center>

  3. #3

    Default is there more info on this someplace

    I'd like to do this also on my hilt.

    probable set up will be...

    Battery->Recharge Port->BLI->US2(IfICanGetHoldOfOne)->led

    Momentary switch.

    I'd like to wire it so the momentary switch turns the hole thing on.

    Do I need a second battery/switch set up in the hilt for this?
    Can it be wired off the same 4.8V AA 2600mAh I'm useing for the rest...(plus inverter wired in someplace)

    Can anyone point me to some info on how to wire this?

    Am I asking to many Questions at once?

  4. #4
    Council Member
    Jedi Council Member
    Jedi-Loreen's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2005
    Location
    Not of this Earth
    Posts
    6,077

    Default

    An EL inverter needs at least 9V to run, 12V makes the wire brighter, so no, it won't run on 4.8V.

    Take a look at the How to make and EL Blade tutorial for an idea of how the EL wire is wired up, you just won't use a mono audio connector. You can use a bit of stereo wire to connect it to the inverter, just be sure to stagger the connections and cover them with heat shrink, so that you don't create a short in the wire.

    If I were you, I'd look through the gallery and PM the guys who have done this to and LED saber and ask them directly.
    In order to see the Light,
    you must sometimes risk the Dark.
    TCSS MODERATOR


    BLUE 8 Ready to ROCK and ROLL!

  5. #5
    Council Member
    Sith Lord
    Lord Maul's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2006
    Location
    Seattle area, Washington
    Posts
    5,169

    Default

    It was Jedi Ranger who did a lot of them if memory serves...Ti El did a staff with EL in the hilt I think...
    Aluke123 on every other forum - Old grumpy moderator here

    Thread Index, The Saber Building Dictionary, and The Basic Saber-Build Tutorial - Read Them!

  6. #6

    Default

    Sounds like you'd need two battery sources (one for the LED setup, one for the EL) but sounds like a DPDT switch could do the trick?
    Momma in law: If this printer keeps printing the same thing I'm going to spit nickles!

    Me: if you start spitting nickles I'm coming over with a bucket!

  7. #7

    Default

    I've got a low-voltage inverter that I picked up for doing something like what you want, but never got to it. It will run off 3 to 12 volts and can supposedly power up to 3 feet of EL wire. That's not a bunch, but if you're doing wraps around the MHS, it would give you a shade over 7 wraps around the hilt.

    PM me if you're interested in it.

  8. #8

    Default

    I've found a bunch of 3v el wire drivers that look like they could be pulled apart for the interals and work within a hilt.

    I was hoping to wire this up to my battery with a resistor but there is very little info on what the current draw on these things... besides very little.

    They all run on button cell batteries or 2 1.5v AA batteries...

    I'm going to be useing a 7.4v 2600mah battery pack and I'm trying to figure out what resistor I could/should use.

    Can anyone help?

    Jonitus- this is probably the same or very similar to the one you have

    PS why do some sites say do not use with rechargable batteries, mine has a pcb but why can or shouldn't you use rechargables?
    Last edited by Jase Kala Maris; 04-14-2010 at 04:12 PM. Reason: added extra question

  9. #9
    Council Member
    Jedi Council Member
    Rhyen Skytracker's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2009
    Location
    Covington, GA
    Posts
    2,550

    Default

    I have used the low voltage EL inverters with pretty good success. Here is one I used on my Mando helmet around the t-visor. http://forums.thecustomsabershop.com...464#post166464

    Live long and...I mean May the force be with you. http://saberconcepts.50.forumer.com/index.php

  10. #10

    Default

    The costume rocks and the el wire in the helmet looks awesome.

    But I still need some help with the resistor and current needs to drive this off my battery pack.

    You prob got one of them mini drivers to power that length of el wire correct. Unless your driving it off a battery pack in the helmet that runs everthing else, in that case I'd love to hear how you figured out what the current needs would be and resistored it.

    I tried to email a few of the el suppliers but they havn't gotten back to me.

    I'm thinking that it draws very little I've read that 2 AA batteries can run 3-6 feet for 6+ hours at 3v's so I'm guessing the current draws gotta be like 100-200ma tops but I really don't want to hook this up wrong and burn out the wire or driver so I'm just going to hang in there.

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •