Question on power source...converting Vader ANH 03 to ESB 05 hilt using RS LED

[darthfoster]

Hello everyone. I'm using a ESB MR Vader conversion kit from TCSS and I've opened up the ANH sound board, gutted the speaker and battery box,relocated the activation switch and clash sensor. Currently Im using 2- two AAA 1.2v recharchable NIMH batteries to keep the power in parallel like it was originally wired. Everything works but the question is can I go with more voltage and add a BP with a pair of 3.7 trustfires? Will there be a big difference? I'd like to change to a 2w speaker in the proccess as well and keep as much power going for both the speaker and LED. I spent some time reading and saw that the MR board already controls the output..just can't find that thread to be honest..

[Jay-gon Jinn]

The MR board cannot handle 7.4 volts...it will burn out and end up a smoking ruin. The most you can put to one of those boards is 6volts. You can use a 5volt voltage regulator though, to step down the voltage from the batteries to the board. I forget, does your ESB battery pack take three or six batteries?

[darthfoster]

Hi Jay-gon! The tricky part is that the ESB uses only three AA batteries whereas the ANH used 6 AA and there was no way to fit the 6 into the ESB hilt. It seems like the diameter is a bit smaller and the switch relocates from the top (ANH) of the hilt to the center (ESB). This didnt allow enough room to fit the battery pack in the space left from the conversion kit. With the 6 batteries they must have had more than the 4.8v Ive got wired to it now. Is it because it was paralleled..6v/6v with the previous 6x1.5v AA's?

Does Tim sell the regulators? I couldn't find one?

[Jay-gon Jinn]

Yeah, Tim doesn't sell 5 volt regulators, you'll have to go elsewhere for that. Most Radio shack's have them. The battery pack that takes 6 AA's was wired in series/parallel....essentially you have two 4.5v packs wired together to increase the run time. The battery pack is a hold over from the original designs that were supposed to be EL blades which require 9volts, and got changed to led string's at the last minute. I'm not surprised you had fitment issues with the parts because the two hilts are not the same, even though they are supposed to represent the same light saber. Even the actual props were different from one film to the next. with a real graflex, you can assemble it either way, with the switch box on "top" or off to one side.

Personally, if you can get a 4-AA battery holder to fit in that saber now, I'd stick with the 4.8v rechargeable batteries, or simply go with a single 18650 Li-ion for 3.7v. Mrt's run just fine on that, especially if you're using a blue P4 or Rebel for the main blade led.