Nano Biscotte Help

[Forgetful Jedi Knight]

Howdy all... way new to this. Running my Nano to the LED using a 1000ma buck puck. As soon as i plug in the batteries (running the 4 X AAA w/ the built in speaker) the LED comes on (solid, without the flicker). Once I hit the button (momentary) the sound and flicker comes on... what am I doing wrong?

So confused

It sounds like you have a bridge somewhere, either at the solder pads, or on the LED itself. Make sure you don't have any solder touching two pads simultaneously.

[mistersamsa]

It sounds like you have a bridge somewhere, either at the solder pads, or on the LED itself. Make sure you don't have any solder touching two pads simultaneously.

Dang... I haven't started soldering yet, and I bought all my internals pre-wired. Also, just went over all my connections and they look solid. Can't think of where I could have crossed a wire somewhere.

This sucks my saber is soooooo almost done.

[Forgetful Jedi Knight]

Dang... I haven't started soldering yet, and I bought all my internals pre-wired. Also, just went over all my connections and they look solid. Can't think of where I could have crossed a wire somewhere.

This sucks my saber is soooooo almost done.

Relax. Shoot Tim a PM, he should be back later this week IIRC, tell him your issue, and I'm sure he'll help you get it resolved.

[spits79]

To answer your questions:

1. No a buck puck is NOT necessary.

2. Think of it as a tiny surge protector. It may come as a surprise to you, but newbies do have a tendency to make a mistake here and there and either fry or blow something up. I'm just trying to give your wallet a fair chance, since this is an expensive hobby.

3. Yes. Resistors only come in certain sizes, so you will likely have to round up (or down) to get the value closest to your calculations.

How far can you round before you start getting into problems.... or is this like one of those "How long is a piece of string" questions.
I ask as I am having a hard time locating small resistors (like a 1Ohm 1W) and I know this site sell 1Ohm 2W resistors... if I understand the principals of electronics (and I probably don't) a higher Watt resistor is just a greater drain on the batteries, is that right?

[Silver Serpent]

Higher wattage resistors can handle more power flowing through them before they go "pop". Wattage doesn't affect battery drain, brightness, current, or any other electrical factor. You can use any wattage resistor you like, so long as it meets the minimum required for your application.

Don't go overboard and use a 10w resistor where a 2w will work. Larger wattage resistors are physically larger, and will take up a ton more room in your hilt. The saber will work the same way in either case, but space gets tight very quickly inside your saber.