Double ended "Glow Staffs": Input on design and electronics

[darthdan]

It also kind of depends on how much room you want to have for your hands. With a twelve inch hilt, with thumbscrews on each end is going to take off an inch on each side right? And even if the switches are recessed you're going to want them towards the ends and out of the way I would imagine. Not a problem, just may want to add one more short section depending on what your hand placement will be.

I would also second the notion that you will want to use the MHS for your performance pieces. Doesn't get much sturdier than that. Once Tim gets the 1-1/4" sink tube blade holders done(hint, hint) you could probably use those to make cheaper staves for practice pieces.

On that note, is there a good way to make a sink tube staff where it is easy to access the innards? I know there are threaded connectors, but they all seem to protrude from the hilt too much. Is there a good way to do this and still have the hilt be smooth all the way across?

Oh, I also spin poi and have been thinking lately about some kind of lightsaber/poi amalgamation. Basically a 1 foot blade with maybe a 1 watt lux and a couple batteries stuffed into as small a hilt as it would fit with an attachment for a short chain at the butt end. It might be weird getting used to, but it should produce more of the large disc effect when spun instead of trailers(you know what I'm talking about?)

[Bescherman]

Thanks for the input DD. I did think about the handle length but then I also reason that you could use set screws which would stop that being a problem. I think that 12" would be long enough as the majority of the time you only need contact with the centre portion for standard spinning, unless you're doing body contact stuff wich really wouldn't be so great with a glow staff. I suppose that the beauty of the modular system is that If the "Handle" needed to be longer then I could always easily insert more sections.

I'd also like to add some sort of grip tape and that could be done in bands around the sections.

I did think about the switch too. Although it will be recessed, I definately don't want it in the middle! I want to wire them up to a single switch. Tim, How recessed could it be and can you show me a link of the switch you have in mind?

The poi idea sounds v cool. Would bee some excellent visuals (I understand what you're saying). Would also be V bright with that short a blade!

[Angelus Lupus]

Saber-spinning jugglers certainly sounds worth a look, as do the recessed sliding switches. As another UK resident considering making a MHS saber I was shocked to see the customs charges, I just bought a Do-Clo saber on ebay and have yet to see if I get charged import fees.

[Bescherman]

Hi Angelus. Let me know whether you get hit for customs charges. Sometimes you can randomly avoid it.

Ok. I have a reasonable Idea how to put these staffs together mechanically. I'll need to look into the wiring more thoroughtly once I've figured out a couple of other points first.

I have a question. Could I make the staff with a switchable strobe option? I've searched "strobe" on the boards but only came up with problems people had where the blade strobed intermittantly and they didn't know why!

My understanding of wiring is as follows:

- I could simply wire the 2 K2s up from the power source with the appropriate resistor(s). This is the least efficient option because you are draining battery power through the resistor and I would (probably) have to use more voltage than in the next scenarios.

- I could wire up through Corbin's driver which does the fast voltage switching thing and strobing so fast that the eye cant see and the blade looks brighter and the batteries last longer because the LEDs are actually off for part of the cycle.

- I could use a micropuck. I'm not sure what the implications of this are yet. I'm still reading around trying to educate myself. Will this do a similar job to Corbin's driver?


So...
1) Does anyone know how to make the blade strobe and will it work with any/all of those options above?

2) Could the strobe be triggered with either a momentary or latching switch? (I think latching would be more useful in the context of the staff use).

3) Would it be possible to wire up a potentiometer to adjust the strobe speed? I suspect that this would depend on how the strobe effect is created.


I might have to start a new strobe topic if I don't get the attention I need here! It might be useful for other users too.

[Angelus Lupus]

I'm no electronics whiz, but it should be possible. I know erv's buttered toast (Crystal Focus Saber Core) does varying strengths of flickering, but that's a lot of electronics just for that effect.

I'll let you know asap if I get charged by customs. Meenwhile I'm (im)patiently waiting for my first ever saber.

Edit: his custom luxeon driver also does shimmering without all the extras of the buttered toast and for less

[Bescherman]

Since the strobe function isn't really a feature that saber builders are interested in I don't know how much response I'll get here. However, I've since been doing some research and have some very good leads on building strobe circuits using a 555 chip. I also remembered that I have a friend who used to be an electrinic engineer of sorts!!! D'oh!

I'm also looking into strobing EL as a possible separate product.

If anyone is actually interested then I'm happy to post updates of what info I find and what progress I'm making. If not I won't trouble you all!

Tim, I'll email you separately about this, but I will almost certainly buy a modular hilt from you to construct a prototype. I'll work out what I need on it (by way of recessed switches and the like) and email about details and costing.

I'm looking into the possibilty of getting hilts custom machined to my needs. This is a whole new field to me and it seems I'll need to learn CAD software at some point!

Cheers for all the help so far everyone!

[Bescherman]

I've had the following idea to help solve the problem of having no access inside a tube hilt with a luxeon at each end once the thing is constructed.



It would simply involve finding pipe of the correct diameter to fit snugly inside. You would then tap enough holes for set screws to make the whole thing secure.

Has anyone tried this already? Does anyone have any input?

[xwingband]

That's exactly what Tim's old double connector did.

[Bescherman]

Great minds eh!!!

So you used the word "old" which leads me to believe he doesn't use them anymore. Is that because they've been totally superseded by a superior machined part or because there was an inherant problem with the design? I'm really interested to learn from others' experience on this.

As it is, I'm strongly considering building the prototype from MHS parts for ease of assembly and adjustment of the design. I just need to find a cheaper way to mass produce them than ordering MHS parts from the states!

[xwingband]

It's old in the sense that he hasn't restocked them after he ran out.

You can do a similar thing with the double male MHS part and two sink tube adapters. Then it would just screw apart while each side still has the screws. You could use one sink tube adapter exactly like you want also, but it's not very fast.