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Thread: Darth Vader ANH MPP 2.0 Kit + NBv4 + Tri Cree DR/R/W - First Build!

  1. #21

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    Quote Originally Posted by DarthVTX View Post
    So I will take your advise and bridge the neg & pos pads. That will reduce the wires through the hole to 4 instead of 6. Since I have to use 26AWG wire, space through the heatsink hold is limited.

    Here is the setup I will use.

    Attachment 15696
    Your bridge diagram is correct in this photo (with the positive feeds), which is MY method. Each negative pad on LED star needs its own wire and resistor. DO NOT BRIDGE the negatives on the LED star if you bridge the positives! There are several ways to do this to arrive at the same place. Your original method will work as well, except for the single resistor on both red diode lines.

    So, either keep things the way you had them, but add separate resistor to the other red LED line, then common them up


    OR

    Tom's method: which is to bridge all the positives to a single wire that goes straight to battery +, and then independently wire your negative feeds for each LED. You can double up the red negative feeds after you add independent resistors to each! Think of those resistors as dams, which control how the water flows through the circuit. I visualize electricity like water, it flows. Resistors only allow so much water to get through the river at a given time period.

    On a tri cree, you are controlling 3 rivers of electricity. All 3 rivers (power to each LED, or power from each LED) needs its own dam. After the river flows through the dam, its going to the ocean. You have controlled the flow, once the flow goes through that control, it all flows together at the same rate.

    The 4 wires coming out of LED with the positives bridged:
    1. Positive Wire with no resistor, feeds all LED positive pads! Destination + pad on Board with + line from RC Port.
    2. Deep Red Diode negative wire with 1.2 ohm resistor. Destination L1 Pad
    3. Red Diode negative wire with 1.2 ohm resistor. Destination L1 Pad Unless you're using power extender.
    4. White Diode negative wire with .47 ohm resistor. Destination L2 Pad (FOC) Unless you're using power extender.

    You can merge wires 2 and 3 AFTER you place a resistor on each of them. I typically leave the resistor tails long, and twist them together to solder to my single common wire, and shrink.

    I'm reading all my previous posts, hoping I haven't confused you. How you wired it initially, when the wires fell off was kind of correct for that method, except for the fact that you didn't independently resistor your positive feeds from each red diode. You commoned them up to a single wire, and then put the resistor on, which you lose 1/2 the resistor value doing that, which means you will be over-driving your red and deep red diodes. That was your only error on your initial wiring, which is one way to do this.

    My way is a different way of doing it. Which places the resistors on the negative legs. The water doesn't care where it gets dammed up at, its flow is restricted by the dam. Which is why I said negative or positive legs can be resistored, because the river flows through both. But you can't resistor both positive and negative legs, its either positive or negative. In your initial wiring of this LED, you had the positives resistored. Which is fine (except for notation about how you did that on the red positives). If you use my method, the positive wire feeding the positive bridges on the LED Star will get NO RESISTOR, because you will be resistoring each negative wire independently. That will regulate the water flow through each LED.

    I hope this is all clear as mud. I have a Deep Red, Deep Red, White tri cree here on my saber that I'm going to solder up tonight to take pictures of to try and make this all photographically clear. Words seem to be eluding me to make sure I clarify this for you before you begin soldering! I've had a bad day at work today, so a soldering iron is calling my name!

    Tom
    Last edited by Tom Tilmon; 07-18-2017 at 04:15 PM.

    "Mistakes are our greatest teacher."

  2. #22

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    Excellent explanation! You are correct - my method which was from a Rob/TCSS video showING the resistors going on the + wires and you are correct I missed the resistor for the Red diode (I bought the correct amount but somehow missed adding it).

    I believe the 6 wires through the heatsink hole for 26AWG is too much and it causes a log jam of wires.

    I will look into your method to help me reduce the wires coming off the pad. I will have to re-wire the + & - leads and add the resistors to the neg wires (1.2 & 1.2 & .5) but that will not be a big deal as I need to add more wire to them anyway.

    I hope this build thread helps others who plan to tackle the MPP 2.0

  3. #23

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    I'm tackling it soon. I'm building my chassis right now (Darth Ryo sith Master). I'm ordering my hilt next week from TCSS! I appreciate all your photos of the internals that are helping me get my plan in place for the final assembly.

    Tom

    "Mistakes are our greatest teacher."

  4. #24

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    Make sure to order the heatsink/holder for 7/8" and the blade plug if you are planning to buy them from the UK - it took 7 business days from UK to TX.

    The accuracy screws were shipped out quick and I received them in 3 business days.

    I also did not mention but the bubble strip is loose even with the clamp tight. I ended up using a silver covered flap from a Venom Disposable Gloves box and cut a rectangle to place under the plastic bubble strip - and it was secure.

    I'm also curious what others have done with the recharge port location. I did see it under the bubble strip but it does show and not hidden well.

    I was also considering the Goth 3D designs - https://www.shapeways.com/shops/goth-customsabers that may have made things easier, but that would have increased my costs.

    Cheers!

  5. #25

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    I already have the .875 module for it from TCSS. I guess I'm part of the problem with wiping out their stock! I got a bubble strip fix. My rc port goes in my chassis in the back.


    Some other LED accents in chassis from tonight.


    My MPP Build Thread

    Tom
    Last edited by Tom Tilmon; 07-18-2017 at 06:53 PM.

    "Mistakes are our greatest teacher."

  6. #26

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    I did this anyway for poops and giggles. Shoulda got the camera a bit closer, but you get the idea.

    Tom

    "Mistakes are our greatest teacher."

  7. #27

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    Process update.

    I have re-wired the Tri Cree according to the enclosed diagram and I am happy to say it is working as expected. I have included photos of the final build and will add a YouTube video of the working MPP 2.0 Darth Vader ANH lightsaber.

    Tri Cree Wiring









    Finished Saber






  8. #28

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    Awesome job VTX! I replied in more detail on SLD! Small world.

    Tom (Megtooth Sith on SLD)

    "Mistakes are our greatest teacher."

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