First build, pvc saber

[RikuHaruno]

Hello,
I'm going to be building a pvc saber soon, and just wanted to get my parts checked out to make sure I didn't forget anything.

I'm just posting a list of my electronics and hardware, because the hilt will be all pvc.

Electronics
Rebel Star Deep Red
thermal tape
lens holder
lens
3/4 copper end cap for heatsink
2AA battery pack
standard latching switch
micropuck (350mA output, takes as little as .8 volts)

Hardware
Set screw for blade
Trans white polycarbonate tube
trans white round tip
clear gift wrap

Am I missing anything from the electronics? Also, would it be better to get a colored blade, or will trans white work best?
Thank you!

[cwbrownie]

Maybe go with the clear tube and quad wrap blade film for diffusing the light
I just feel like a colored blade makes it look more like a toy

from my understanding, you'll need a buckpuck closer to 700mA as thats what the rebel runs at

[Forgetful Jedi Knight]

Welcome to the Forums.

You will need at least a 5V power source to run a BuckPuck (which requires at least 5V to run).

[RikuHaruno]

Okay, so you think the clear blade with the cellophane will look better than the transwhite? Also, the reason I was planning on getting a 350mA micropuck is because that's what Jay-Gon used in his tutorial, so will that not work?

The micropuck I was looking at (that I believe is what Jay-Gon used) only needs a minimum of .8V.

[Forgetful Jedi Knight]

Okay, so you think the clear blade with the cellophane will look better than the transwhite? Also, the reason I was planning on getting a 350mA micropuck is because that's what Jay-Gon used in his tutorial, so will that not work?

The micropuck I was looking at (that I believe is what Jay-Gon used) only needs a minimum of .8V.

If you use a micropuck, the LED won't be very bright.

[RikuHaruno]

Dang, that sucks. So should I look at getting another 2AA holder and wiring the two in series, and then getting a normal buckpuck?
Edit: I see that the 4AA battery holder would fit in the saber, so that would give me 6V input, and that would be enough to run the buckpuck, correct?

[Forgetful Jedi Knight]

Correct. Or you can use a single Li-ion battery and a resistor, which might last a lot longer.

[RikuHaruno]

Hmm, that's a nice option, because the ability to recharge it would be sweet. What kind of battery/resistor combo would you recommend?
Edit: By Ohm's Law, If I got a 3.7V battery, I would need a 2 Ohm, 1W resistor, and if I used a 7.4V battery, I would need about a 7 Ohm, 3.5W resistor. Is this correct? And is there any benefit to running off the 7.4 packs versus the 3.7? It seems like they have similar mAh.

[Generic Jedi]

The value of the resistor you'll need is based on the voltage of your batteries, the forward voltage of the LED you use, and the curent you want to run the LED at.

If you use a 7.4 volt pack, you could use a buckpuck instead of a resistor.

[RikuHaruno]

Yes, so with a deep red rebel star, 2.4V @700mA, I believe those calculations are correct. Just wanted to get them checked haha.