HARDWIRE Force FX lightsaabers

[Silver Serpent]

The Nano Biscotte board is sold here at the TCSS store. http://www.thecustomsabershop.com/Na...e-V1-P806.aspx

I agree that running the sound through your audio system would be a good solution. A single NB board could provide sound, and then it becomes a matter of wiring up your sabers to operate on AC power (unless you want to change batteries all the time). You'll need an AC/DC adaptor that can provide 4.5v to each saber if you want them powered by the house.

[RM SAMURAI]

I agree, we will need to use a AC/DC adsapter to run them all. What is the current on the sabers. I could use one ac/dc adapter to run them all. How many Nano Biscotti boards will I need. One for each Saber. I noticed that they dont have any in stock.

[Silver Serpent]

If you're connecting the Nano directly to your sound system, then a single board is sufficient.

Each saber needs approximately 4.5v to run properly, if you're still using the original boards/blades. A little higher or lower than that is fine.

[hedgehog1]

Now THIS is white boarding! Every one contributes and the idea get better and better!

One NB to the Sound System - excellent cost savings and better use of materials. I think it would sound less crazy the eight of them firing off at once, too.

SO:

1) 4.5 volts DC to all the sabers from an AC adapter
2) Snip a wire to the speakers in the sabers to make them silent
3) One NB for sound to the AV system, with power-up and power-down sounds (all others silent WAV files)

Now - the 'other guy' who did this said he wired to the LEDs directly. I think he meant that he wired to the separate LED blade segments directly - and this allowed him to turn on each blade segment in perfect sync. Is this something you want to consider? Of so, you would remove the boards from the sabers, and use one of the boards to drive some PEXs (power extenders), one per blade segment, so the sabers are perfectly synced in power up and power down.

One PEX would drive all the first segments in all the sabers, the second PEX would drive all the second segments, the third PEX would drive all the third segments (and so on). The PEX boards would be easily driven by the output of a single saber board.

How does this sound?

[RM SAMURAI]

[QUOTE=hedgehog1;221385]Now THIS is white boarding! Every one contributes and the idea get better and better!

One NB to the Sound System - excellent cost savings and better use of materials. I think it would sound less crazy the eight of them firing off at once, too.

SO:

1) 4.5 volts DC to all the sabers from an AC adapter
2) Snip a wire to the speakers in the sabers to make them silent
3) One NB for sound to the AV system, with power-up and power-down sounds (all others silent WAV files)

Now - the 'other guy' who did this said he wired to the LEDs directly. I think he meant that he wired to the separate LED blade segments directly - and this allowed him to turn on each blade segment in perfect sync. Is this something you want to consider? Of so, you would remove the boards from the sabers, and use one of the boards to drive some PEXs (power extenders), one per blade segment, so the sabers are perfectly synced in power up and power down.

One PEX would drive all the first segments in all the sabers, the second PEX would drive all the second segments, the third PEX would drive all the third segments (and so on). The PEX boards would be easily driven by the output of a single saber board.

How does this sound?[/QUOTE

I am definatly for keeping as cheap and simple as possible. I dont have a problem gutting the sabers either. Having them synced would definatly be favorable. Plus having everything located in the media closet will help in control.
I am really liking this idea.
Where can I find the PEX you are talking about.
Just to make sure, can I use cat6 network cable for power wire. Or should I go with something else. Like Thermostat wire.
Now how do we actually do all of this.

[hedgehog1]

Normally I would get them from TCSS here: http://www.thecustomsabershop.com/Po...r-20-P652.aspx, but Tim is out of stock right now. The next source is the manufacturer in France here: http://www.plecterlabs.com/catalog/p...oducts_id=1151

The PEX acts as a 'powered switch' that turns on the bigger current when it gets over 3 volts. I think it draws 18ma, and can drive several thousand ma. We use them for FOC on PC sound boards, but they are good for many things.

You can ask Tim as TCSS if he is getting any PEX in soon - his sale price is cheaper compared to the euros exchange rate right now.

[RM SAMURAI]

So about how many of these do you think I will need.
Sorry for asking this again but wire should I use to run from the sabers to media room.
I am taking it I only need one NB. Where else can I find these.

Thanks so much.

[hedgehog1]

The NB are also available from TCSS: http://www.thecustomsabershop.com/Na...e-V1-P806.aspx. No, they are out of stock right now too. Dang! Well, the same web site in France has them right now. But Tim may be getting some soon.

You will need one PEX for each segment in a blade. I don't know how many segments the blades have. One PEX will drive every first segment in every saber, the second PEX will drive every second segment in every saber (and so on).

[RM SAMURAI]

What about the Wire.

[hedgehog1]

First - Tim says that an order of PEX have been shipped by Erv (Plector Labs) and are in route. He also has a batch of NBs ordered; they have been produced, but have not left France yet. So those should be in stock soon-ish.

I am assuming: Wire to the sconces is the question. The blades of the FX saber do not draw the kind of current the high-powered LEDs we use in custom light sabers do. This being the case, I think you can still use 10 base T network cable. It will have eight conductors - technically 4 'twisted pairs'. It is a common cable, so it is cheap (for copper) and plentiful. Folks call it 'cat-5' or 'cat-3' based on the speed of signal it can carry. Get whatever is cheap or on sale. For your purposes, you just need copper conductors in insulation. If the FX sabers have six or less blade sections, you can double up two wires for the common return; but even this may be overkill (but it never hurts).