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Thread: HARDWIRE Force FX lightsaabers

  1. #21

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    First thanks for checking on the equipment.
    I have plenty of cat 6, so I can use that.
    I really like all the ideas. Is there anyway we could use the original boards. It would save me a bit of money. If there are only 3 segments a saber it won't be so bad. Any more than that it will add up fast. Don't get me wrong I am willing to do whatever I need to to get it work.

    I have no knowledge in wiring up the boards. I know I can do it but I want to be sure how exactly this would be done.

    Thanks
    Last edited by RM SAMURAI; 03-05-2013 at 09:07 PM.

  2. #22

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    You're overthinking this. Just disconnect the speakers from all your sabers, hook them up to 4.5v DC power, and flip the saber switch to ON. Then you just switch the 4.5v power supply on and off to activate all the sabers. If you're using the Nano Biscotte connected to your audio system, you'll want to come up with some way to trigger it simultaneously with the powering on of your sabers.

    Or you skip the NB, and leave all the speakers connected in the sabers. Just wire them to power, and let their own speakers do the work for you.

    The other person who did this didn't use the segmented LED blades. Their wiring and controls were significantly simpler.
    We all have to start somewhere. The journey is all the more impressive by our humble beginnings.

    http://led.linear1.org/1led.wiz for the lazy man's resistor calculator!
    http://forums.thecustomsabershop.com...e-to-Ohm-s-Law for getting resistor values the right way!

  3. #23

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    Silver Serpent
    I do agree with you on just Hard wiring the sabers. But how do I bypass the timer that shuts them down after 2 minutes.

  4. #24

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    Quote Originally Posted by RM SAMURAI View Post
    First thanks for checking on the equipment.
    I have plenty of cat 6, so I can use that.
    I really like all the ideas. Is there anyway we could use the original boards. It would save me a bit of money. If there are only 3 segments a saber it won't be so bad. Any more than that it will add up fast. Don't get me wrong I am willing to do whatever I need to to get it work.

    I have no knowledge in wiring up the boards. I know I can do it but I want to be sure how exactly this would be done.

    Thanks
    OK - keeping it simple (and more cost effective) is fine (it is your project after all). Silver Serpent's (very cost effective) idea to leave them turned on and apply power to them all at once will give you the start-up sequence, but no the shut-down sequence when you cut power to the sabers (and that may be fine for you, but it wasn't on your wish list that way).

    Part of the reality is that using FX sabers for sconces sound like a great idea at first, but in reality they are not the best choice for lighting. You are seeing the complexities if you want power-up and power-down sequences and custom sound with only power-up and power-down sequences making noise. You are entering into the complex world of 'stage lighting'; and that is a science/art unto itself. Disney does this kind of thing very well, and they need a team of imagineers to program sound and lighting for attractions (even the waiting areas for rides are carefully lighted and given ambiance sounds to match the ride).

    There are other solutions - but the 'cooler' they look, the more expensive/complex they become.

    If I were doing this (warning: more over engineering coming up) I would use RGBW (Red Blue Green White) LED Engines in sabers made from TCSS parts from that were designed to mount on the wall. Then, i would control the sabers LED from a single controller have them 'fire up' in the colors to match their look (RED for sith and so on), but then slowly transition them to a dim white for gentle theater lighting during the movie. Power-up & power-down sounds would come from in hilt speakers - But they would all have the same sound sent from the central controller. These sounds would go to 'saber hum' after power-on and then fade out. This would cost serious money and time. It would look cool. My wife would kill me. Seriously, she would kill me. I have done silly things like this before.

    Cheap and cheerful for you: snip a speaker wire in the hilts, leave them turned on, apply 4.5v to them all to get the power-up sequence and have no saber sound at all. You can later modify them further if you so desire using the extra conductors in your cat-6 wire. In the meantime, you get most of the 'cool factor' from them.

  5. #25

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    If I loose sound, I can live with that. I know the sabers could be gutted and hard wire that way. Not preferred. I really want to keep the start up sequence. I have found a few references in using a IC 555 timer but never how they actually wired it in with the saber electronics. I want what will work best.
    Would it be possible to use a 1 PEX on all the sabers first string, 1 on the second and so on. Or is to much load for the Pex to handle

  6. #26

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    Quote Originally Posted by RM SAMURAI View Post
    But how do I bypass the timer that shuts them down after 2 minutes.
    They turn off after two minutes? I knew the cheap plastic sabers had a timer built in, but I never noticed it with my MR saber. Then again, if it's on, I'm swinging it.

    I assume a clash or swing event will prevent it from shutting off. So long as you don't have the saber speakers hooked up, you could always hardwire the swing or clash sensor shut. That should prevent the idle timer from kicking in. You *could* do it if the speakers were still connected, but you'd end up with a ton of chained clash/swing sounds.
    We all have to start somewhere. The journey is all the more impressive by our humble beginnings.

    http://led.linear1.org/1led.wiz for the lazy man's resistor calculator!
    http://forums.thecustomsabershop.com...e-to-Ohm-s-Law for getting resistor values the right way!

  7. #27

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    Ok so
    1. I need to bypass the motion sensor to keep the saber on all the time.
    2. I could use NB to pump sound through my audio system. (For effects)
    3. By leaving the saber power switch on I will keep the start up sequence but I will loose the shutdown sequence.
    4. Do I need some kind of transister to keep from frying the sabers.

  8. #28

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    1. That should work. The clash sensor is connected to the sound board at two points. Disconnect the sensor, then solder a wire connecting those two points together.
    2. Yes, you can do that.
    3. This is true.
    4. Not if you're only giving 4.5v to each saber. (You can go a little over that. 5v is still in the safe range)

    Unless you're willing to gut the sabers, purchase a LED sequencer, and rewire the connections to the LED string blades, this is probably going to be the best solution.
    We all have to start somewhere. The journey is all the more impressive by our humble beginnings.

    http://led.linear1.org/1led.wiz for the lazy man's resistor calculator!
    http://forums.thecustomsabershop.com...e-to-Ohm-s-Law for getting resistor values the right way!

  9. #29

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    Quote Originally Posted by RM SAMURAI View Post
    ...Would it be possible to use a 1 PEX on all the sabers first string, 1 on the second and so on. Or is to much load for the Pex to handle
    The PEX can handle more power then the total 8 FX sabers combined can draw. They do 1000ma easy, and 2000ma are not outside thier operating range. So they can handle the power. You don't have to use the PEX for this - Any silicon relay (no moving parts) with the proper trigger voltage will work, but the PEX are used and understood by forum members so you have more support for it here (plus it is a nicely implement design).

    555 timer circuits are very common for many tasks. But as to how they are wired into an FX saber, I would have to study the schematic of one of the units. I have never owned an FX saber to have experimented with.

    I hesitate to mention this, but there is one more option: Erv at Plector Labs also has a very new Crystal Focus board for LED segmented blades (CF6-LS). It has 7 mini-PEX units on board (to support up to 7 segments in a blade). He did a short production run of about 35 units. Only Experienced saber smiths bought them to test the new design. They are out of stock on purpose right now to allow the feedback and micro-code bug fixes to happen before a larger and more generally available run is done. Its biggest advantage is it is the sound board AND the PEX drivers all in one package, already integrated. Your biggest issue with this solution is: it is bleading edge technology. There are risks with being an early adopter.
    Last edited by hedgehog1; 03-06-2013 at 02:09 PM.

  10. #30

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    Quote Originally Posted by Silver Serpent View Post
    1. That should work. The clash sensor is connected to the sound board at two points. Disconnect the sensor, then solder a wire connecting those two points together.
    2. Yes, you can do that.
    3. This is true.
    4. Not if you're only giving 4.5v to each saber. (You can go a little over that. 5v is still in the safe range)

    Unless you're willing to gut the sabers, purchase a LED sequencer, and rewire the connections to the LED string blades, this is probably going to be the best solution.
    Starting with this solution might be best. With it, you get up and running now, and you can always go fancier later. For your situation, Silvers idea is really the best of both worlds. Quick implementation now, with the ability to get fancy later is you still feel the need.

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