Reverse battery protection.

[DarthFender]

I was thinking about putting a diode on the wire from the battery pack to the saber electronics, as a protective measure against hooking up a battery pack with the polarity reversed. I read somewhere on the threads that someone fried a US board that way, and I myself have fried a Hasbro board. Thank goodness it wasn't my CF. It's a long story...

But what I really want to know is... when wiring up a rectifier diode, all you have to worry about is the voltage drop right? Obviously I want to make sure to use a diode that can stand up to the current that a LUXIII or K2 will want, but other than that, are there any caveats?

[Dark Helmet]

why not use a quick connector? the leads are marked clearly, and it can only be connected one way. this may be much easier, and cheaper. also, some li- ions like mine, have a pcb that shuts the battery down if it shorts. the quick connector is the fastest way to reset it.this may take up less space too. sorry, i know it's not the answer you were looking for, but it has been a great safeguard fo me so far.

[Lord Maul]

A diode is smaller than a quick connector, but, I agree that a quick connector would probably be the easiest way to go. It can only be connected one way, and no amount of force will get it to connect backwards.

[Hasid Lafre]

But hes trying to make sure that the battery pack dosent switch its polatiry on him like momentary switches from radioshack do.

[Novastar]

But hes trying to make sure that the battery pack dosent switch its polatiry on him...

If that's true, than yes, the diode would be a good idea.

However, a quick-connector seems best if it's just a possible user error that is trying to be avoided. Um... a multi-meter would be even better for that too...

I am a total amature at wiring (despite what people may think), and I've never mis-wired + and - since I started working on sabers. Granted, I've done other bizarre things with kill switches where Li-Ion PCBs saved my butt, heheh

[DarthFender]

Um... a multi-meter would be even better for that too...

I am a total amature at wiring (despite what people may think), and I've never mis-wired + and - since I started working on sabers. Granted, I've done other bizarre things with kill switches where Li-Ion PCBs saved my butt, heheh

I never made a mistake until I got a multimeter. MY problem was using speaker wire. Clear insulator killed a Hasbro board. (Yeah, yeah I know that one of the wires has a white stripe, NOW) Since then I have invested in colored wire. But, I still think that the diode would make it even more idiot proof. Because the mistakes were never made while doing the initial wiring but during the upgrade process. I was adding a Corbin Board to the setup and I wire the Hasbro backward. I've said it before, and I'll say it again. Good thing it wasn't my CF.

[Novastar]

So... wait... you're saying you HAD the multi-meter... and you still wired it backwards?

[DarthFender]

D'oh! !&^#@*^%
And, NO! it wasn't me who sent that POS wire job back to Erv.

I was seduced by the Dark Side. It is quicker, Easier and more deductive. But in the end it is more painful. Just ask Vader or Palpatine.

I have learned patience since then.

EDIT: I think my tone was lost in translation to text. didn't think anyone actually thought I made that mess that went back to Erv.

This is just me kicking myself for making such a "rookie" mistake. The truth is that the more experience one has the more likely one is to make a mistake, because one thinks he knows all the shortcuts. But then you make the mistake, then you learn, and you don't make that mistake again.

You know I was telling a colleague of mine the other day about mistakes that can be made when constructing these things. He said.

"Man, it should be a lot easier to buld a lightsaber!" and I said.
"No, it shouldn't. Because then what sense of accomplishment would I have after building it?"

If it wasn't difficult I wouldn't want to do it. That's why I'm more proud of the sorry EL Saber I made, than the MR Saber I bought. And I really like my Icons crappy replica that I converted to Lux because it was a PITA. I did it because I wanted the challenge of making a working saber out of a one piece graflex look-alike. If I'm not much mistaken that is why most of us here share the same hobby. Not because it's easy, but because it's difficult, and it's FUN. So if I have to fry a couple of Hasbro boards to learn this stuff... so be it.