Hello from Germany & first Question

[Whiskey2015]

Hello everyone,

I'm new here in the forum. My name is Matthias, I am from Germany and am so old that I have seen the original of "ANH" in the age of ten years in the cinema.

Now, 39 years later, I thought it was time to build a Lightsaber.

And since here in Germany / Europe there are only a few shops and forums on this topic and the stores have almost nothing in stock, I have found the site of CSS and this forum in search of a soundboard.

A big compliment to Josh and the whole team. The service is really great, and the high shipping costs to Germany are the guys not to blame.

So I ordered a Nano Biscotte. Since it is my first and I do not want to do anything wrong, it would be nice, if someone with more experience times would check my calculations to the resistors :

Cree XP-E RGB LED

* red: 500mA, 2,1V, 625nm
* green: 700mA, 3,7V, 525nm
* blue: 700mA, 3,4V, 470nm

Red
R= (3,7-2,1) / 0,5= 3,2 Ohm
P= (3,7-2,1) * 0,5= 0,8 W
Resistor 3,3 Ohm/1W

Green

R= (3,7-3,7) / 0,7=0 Ohm
P= (3,7-3,7) * 0,7= 0 W
No Resistor needed

Blue

R= (3,7-3,4) / 0,7= 0,43 Ohm
P= (3,7-3,4) * 0,7= 0,21 W
No Resistor needed, current adj. by drive parameter:
drive= 1023*(3,4/3,7)=940


Here a few pictures from my first saber. The Hilt comes completely from the home improvement market and from Ebay (leather band). I'm very proud of the loudspeaker cap! the thread is the closure of a milk pack ...

Now I barely wait for the package from the states. It has light, it has vibration, now it needs sound!

Greetings from Germany!

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[Tom Tilmon]

Welcome to the forum Matthias! I am old as well, I saw ANH in theatre the ripe age of 6, so you have 4 years on me!

Hard to follow your math, your resistor on the red is a bit heavy. 1.2 Ohm 3 watt is pretty standard there for red LED's running off a 3.7-4.2 supply. Are you using a PEX on the NBIV for RGB?

Tom

[Whiskey2015]

Hi Tom,

Thanks for your Reply, good to know not to be the only old man here. ��

My calculation for the Resistor follows the Instructions in NB Manual. So it will be interesting, wheres my mistake. Will you show me your way? Battery is, as recommended, a 3,7V 18650 LiIon with PCB.

Yes, PEX will be used. I Try to install two Vibration Motors. A tiny one, starting to work when activate the Saber, to get a little tingle, like feel the "flow of Energy" to the Blade. I added this to my other Saber with a "Frogsinger" Soundboard. (Do you know this Board? Comes from Spain, sounds really like a singing Frog, and for "Blade off" Sound you need to install & press a second momentary switch. But it's cheap, about 15$. And better than that the saber is quiet. However, the Plecter-Board for this saber is only a Question of time & Money.) And a bigger Motor for foC-Vibrations. I must see how to realize that with the NB.

By the Way, excuse my writing, learned English in school, but it's back so long. Often use Google to translate what I mean.

Greetings from cold, foggy Germany!

[Tom Tilmon]

I replied about your board issue as well. I use this calculator for my resistor calculations: https://www.digikey.com/en/resources...eries-resistor I learned math in school a long time ago, but I'm not that good at it, and have to use the internet to translate for me! Good luck on your build!

Tom

[Tom Tilmon]

Of course if you're not using a tricree from TCSS, your FV might be different than my calculations. I was thinking you were using TCSS tricrees. TCSS Red Diode has these numbers: Red Cree Part# XPEBRD-L1-0000-00901
80.6 Minimum Luminous Flux @ 350mA
Forward Voltage @1000mA = 2.65v

When I use your numbers on your red and 4.2 volts (max charge on a 3.7 battery), I get: 4.2 ohm 1 watt resistor. What LED are you using?

Tom

[Whiskey2015]

Ahh, thats it!

I use a Cree XP-E, red: 500mA, 2,1V, 625nm

This Question I asked to me before...Better to calculate with average Current (3,7V) or fully load (4,2V)?

[Silver Serpent]

I always use 3.7v in my calculations. The voltage drops pretty quickly from max, and the LEDs we use are robust enough to handle the brief period at 4.2v.

[Whiskey2015]

Ahh, good to know!

NB arrived yesterday, and of course can't wait to wire it.

It works! Swing, Foc, on-off sounds. everything works. I am really excited. Now I have to see how I get it all into the hilt.

It only seems a little "quiet" to me. "vol" preset is already "4". I use a Visaton K28 Speaker. In my other saber I use a Visaton K23 (5mm smaller in diameter), but with the "Frogsinger"-Board (ok, sounds weird in comparison with the NB4) it is still a little louder. Does anyone know a small amplifier that can be installed between the board and the speaker?

Or is there another way to make it a little more "noisy"?

By the Way, thanks to you all for your friendly help and advice to a newbie. Seems I've found a good community.

[Silver Serpent]

The speakers seem quiet when they're outside the hilt. Once you install them with a little room for the sound to resonate, they get MUCH louder.