multiple LED's

**scaloth** · 12-13-2005, 09:50 PM

would it be possible to wire additional LED's for the outside of the hilt to the same activation switch/battery source? i'm looking to put decorative LED's on the outside of the hilt on my next saber and wanted to know if this was possible. if it is, would you wire them parallel (if that's right) or not? meaning, something close to this poor diagram:

switch---\led---\led----\led (for blade)
battery--/------/-------/

sorry i'm way off base with this, but didn't know how else to word it

**vadeblade** · 12-13-2005, 10:18 PM

I am assuming you are talking about regular radiosmack dimebag LEDs for decoration and one Luxeon LED for the blade.

My suggestion would be to use a DPDT (double pole, double throw - is that right?) switch. A switch that can turn on two seperate circuits with one flick. The string of decorative LED's will be on one circuit and the Luxeon on the other. And now my feeble attempt at ascii art...

Notice the battery has two lines going to the switch. This could indicate a seperate smaller, less voltage battery pack for the decorative LEDs.

The decorative string should be wired parallel with a resistor for each LED

But I could be wrong, I am just about to embark on LED lightsabers too.

Lightsaber Warning Label: "CAUTION: Do NOT attempt to sharpen blade."

**xwingband** · 12-13-2005, 10:21 PM

Yup, you'd have one connection from the battery to the switch. Next you could connect each LED to the switch and have a resistor for each one or one resistor that you'd have to calculate the value for connected to the the switch. I hope that wasn't confusing either.[:I]

EDIT: vadeblade beat me to it.[

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**vadeblade** · 12-13-2005, 10:35 PM

I'm learning a lot from here. I'm waiting for my ebay auctions to end and I am using my profits to make Strydur richer. Dual Luxeon here I come...[

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Lightsaber Warning Label: "CAUTION: Do NOT attempt to sharpen blade."

**scaloth** · 12-13-2005, 10:45 PM

vade - yes i am talking about using regular radioshack LED's for the decorative part. i'd seen them used on other sabers, and how they were wired for that particular saber, but i had never seen them in conjunction with a blade.

xwing - any idea what size resistor i'd need for each LED?

**xwingband** · 12-13-2005, 11:16 PM

Strydur at one point had a link up for a resistor calculator in the LED Q&A forum, but I believe he just replaced it with a list of all the ones needed for the 3W LEDs. *points to>>>* www.google.com

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**GeluKhanGharr** · 12-14-2005, 04:49 AM

Vincent, in your diagram you put all leds in paralel. This would be accomplised with a SPST switch as well. Here is a simpler version of your diagram:

battery_____switch________________________________ _________
...|...................|...........|...........|...........|
...|................resistor....resistor....resistor....resistor
...|...................|...........|...........|...........|
...|..................LED.........LED.........LED.......Luxeon
...|...................|...........|...........|...........|
...|___________________|___________|_____ ______|___________|


What you want is 2 circuits running in paralel off the same (logical) switch - one for the Luxeon and the other for the LEDs aranged in series. That way the LUX gets the full voltage, whereas the LEDs share it. Here's how I see it:


................../------resistor-----Luxeon-------------------\
battery-----switch................................... ...........-
...|..............\------resistor-----LED------LED------LED----/.|
...|................................... ..........................|
...|_____________________________________ ________________________|


Edit:
<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">
This could indicate a seperate smaller, less voltage battery pack for the decorative LEDs.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

I missed this line, sorry. Anyway, small decorative LEDs don't draw much current, so my setup would save you from having a second battery pack.

Born of Sith, seduced by the light.

**scaloth** · 12-22-2005, 01:23 PM

GeluKhanGharr,
do you think you could show which lead off the battery and the switch would go to each circuit? i know the battery pack will have pos/neg leads, but which one would go to the switch? i may be mistaken, but i thought that the standard on/off switch has the same pos/neg leads, and which would go to the luxeon led, and which to the decorative LED's?
thanks!

**GeluKhanGharr** · 12-24-2005, 11:45 PM

scaloth
the line from the battery to the switch is the pos(+). the other lead off of the battery is the neg(-). Consider the switch a simple SPST, just a latching single contact on/off. Both resistors shown connect to one side, one pole of the switch and the battery to the other. The negative is permanently connected, it is only on hte positive wire that you install the switch. I better show you:


................../----->resistor>-(+)Luxeon(-)----------------\
battery(+)--switch................................... ...........-
...(-)............\----->resistor>-(+)LED(-)(+)LED(-)(+)LED(-)-/.|
...|................................... ..........................|
...|_____________________________________ ________________________|


Born of Sith, seduced by the light.

**scaloth** · 12-25-2005, 01:54 PM

thanks a bunch!!!

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