Recharge port, 616 and you

[xl97]

the activator/control boxes can be canibalized to fit a custom LED strip or a PLI form the store.. fits perfect..

actually if you wanna sell 'em I'll snag 'em..

[Dark Navel]

Well I thought I would get this done tonight but I ran into a snafu. I guess I spoke too soon before when I said this worked. I made the recharge port just like the diagram in post #20 of this thread and then attached everything like the other diagram shows. It works but then the LED gets dimmer and dimmer. I am so frustrated. I checked the batteries and they aren't aneywhere near dead, 1.1V each on the meter. I even changed out the batteries with other rechargables and it did the same so it's not the batteries. I don't know why this is happening..it's like it's not getting enough juice to the LED over time or the LED and 616 board are trying to draw too much power..Uggh..

Are the diagrams right? I connected the two leads coming off the 616 board just like Arm on Fire had posted. I also disconnected the wires coming off the 616 board from the DPDT switch. I powered the saber on with the DPDT switch and the LED does the same dimming effect. I then depressed the original white plunger switch too make sure I had sound and that worked as well. (obviously I know that it won't work from the DPDT switch if it's not connected...just trying to test to see what's going on here)

I'm stumped!

Well we have spaghetti! And oh yeah it's working too..One minor change, you want to connect the speaker wires to the red and brown wires coming from the 616 board. In the original diagram it was connected to the black and brown. The recharge port diagram works as well...so for those that are looking to connect a resisted LUX III and SW-616 soundbaord (for sound only) then here are the working diagrams.

REMEMBER: DO NOT go over 6V total or you will fry your soundcard..The MR soundcards can't handle over 6V. I am being redundant and I know it's been said in other posts but I want to reiterate that more than 6V WILL FRY the soundcard.

Thanks for the help eastern, I really appreciate it. I also attached a teaser of the build I'm working on. Props to Frost that made the original design but I am going to make some modifications further down the hilt and to the pomell as well.

[eastern57]

Humph... the diagrams are right - did it work at all? I mean, did it work at first and then farted out after the fact? If there's a power overdraft, then the batteries should get warm/hot and then should be dead afterwards.

Actually, you're not the only one who's been having issues with these boards. And unfortunately, not all of it stems from my assistance - otherwise, I could claim responsibility for being the idiot...

But the things that I hear are:

"it just stopped..."
"it worked, BUT..."
"out of nowhere..."
"sometimes it doesn't..."

And that tells me that there's either 1) a connection fault, or 2) equipment/component fault. And if the connections are solid and working, then, logically, it must be a faulty component. Because if it works perfectly and then has problems later, that suggests that, yes, you did it right, but then something happened... i.e. connection or component

I guess what i'm trying to say is... these sound boards are meant to stay inside the toys - toys that after how long on the shelves, are now down to what? $40? in other words, not the most reliable...

I apologize if I'd steered you wrong, but I stand by my advice... so I guess I'm stumped too

[Dark Navel]

I really don't think it's a prob with the board..It must be the way I have it connected. I had it connected some other way before and when I depressed the white plunger it was much brighter but it was still dimming.

Here is the diagram of how I have everything connected:


The connections that I have on the diagram are exactly how I have it connected right now. Anybody see any problems here?

[Dark Navel]

Added a new diagram..See above

[Arm on Fire]

I dont know about the recharge port, Ive never done one, but the rest looks right. I have one on the bench right now that ive been playing with. your LED is on its own circuit so the board has nothing to do with the led, unless there is a short drawing all the juice, but if that was the case I would think the board wouldnt be working if there was a short.try it without the recharge port.

[Strydur]

Try it without the resistor.

[Dark Navel]

Try it without the resistor.

If I run it without the resistor that's going to cook the LED, won't it? I am looking at an extra 1.8W driving that LED..unless it can handle it I just won't get the 200,000 hours of runtime or whatever that ridiculous amount of time is. If I can run it without the resistor and it fixes the problem I'm good with depleted runtime overall.

[Strydur]

It sure wont blow it in the time it takes to test it. Also you are using a resistor based off 4.8v direct drive and not accounting for the sound module. Just give it a try for a minute and see what happens. I did not read everything you have done but if this doesnt help at all then E-mail me your phone number and we can walk through it all.

[Dark Navel]

Yeah..I guess the sound module is taking some of the power, good point. I'll try it later today/tonight to see what happens. It could be the resistor but who knows...the dimming sure is acting like the resistor could be the culprit.

At this point I would like to keep the recharge port in place and try the resistor route. If after I pull the resistor and I still have issues then I guess the next logical route would to pull the recharge port.

Tim, I'll let you know if I still have probs. (By the way my wife's surgurey went good except for the fact that they nearly OD'd her on pain meds. I wasn't too happy about that fact..12.5 hrs at the hospital took its toll on both of us but she's doing well today and I get to play Mr. Mom.)

The one thinhg that I wish I knew is was the connections on the 616 plunger switch are..What's pos and neg and if that has something to do with it.