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Thread: too much cram and not enough fu

  1. #1

    Default too much cram and not enough fu

    I thought I should share this experience even though I'm not finished or ready to show my work in progress till done.

    I'm working on my first saber with a mid hilt choke and the area with full MHS ID is only 5.5" from choke connection to the grill in the pommel. I really wanted to have long run time so I can duel and show it off nice and bright with out recharge so I opted for 4AA thinking I had room. I planned for battery pack with US 2.5 on the back of it and a reverse sound speaker in front of the choke. No big right?

    Well...I got it wired and working and fit but the hilt wasn't finished as it still had some rough edges so I was sliding it in and out for testing..bad idea! After one too many times I damaged a speaker, then another. Then I damaged a solder pad and had some careful work to restore the connection. Thankfully it worked and I'm sooooo greatful for every ones help in advising me how to fix it. I learned a lot.

    Now the thing I failed to mention and thought I could still squeeze in was a recharge port which would save the in and out damage to my wiring overall..poor US 2.5. I is too hard on it. I got that working great. Cut off and charged perfect.

    After reworking some of the exterior parts of my hilt I realise I was dropping my clunky thumb screw and LED holder to keep it clean and lean. Now I had an extra accent LED to place and thought...lol you guessed it lit pommel. What a bad idea. I mean it will be great but now I need to switch to a 4AAA pack and I did a number on my quick connects already. So now it appears I'm going with little or no quick connects.

    Now the revised cram-fu Kata..lol ....will be...recharge port/accent LED and light diffusion/4AAA battery pack/reverse position speaker, and a US 2.5 in the choke. This should give me a few inches play for wiring and will be well worth the run time sacrifice. My next mid-hilt choke saber will be running lithium-ions I think.

    The overall lesson learned is design the hilt with space for extra wires, around a wiring plan that works for the design concept, and don't install in hilt until hilt is FULLY finished.

  2. #2

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    I'm sure you'll get it worked out CC .... Have confidence !!!
    U can do it !! LOL
    “He's a friend from work.”

  3. #3

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    Thx! I'm very optimistic but it's been a rollercoaster. I've been an artist my whole life and a graphic designer for roughly 14 years so I love the design. I pick up new thing quickly so I took on quite a challenge but I'm sure it'll work out. I just wanted to share my experience and save others from making the same or worse mistakes. It could be much much worse.

  4. #4

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    Quote Originally Posted by Crystal Chambers View Post
    I thought I should share this experience even though I'm not finished or ready to show my work in progress till done.

    I'm working on my first saber with a mid hilt choke and the area with full MHS ID is only 5.5" from choke connection to the grill in the pommel. I really wanted to have long run time so I can duel and show it off nice and bright with out recharge so I opted for 4AA thinking I had room. I planned for battery pack with US 2.5 on the back of it and a reverse sound speaker in front of the choke. No big right?

    Well...I got it wired and working and fit but the hilt wasn't finished as it still had some rough edges so I was sliding it in and out for testing..bad idea! After one too many times I damaged a speaker, then another. Then I damaged a solder pad and had some careful work to restore the connection. Thankfully it worked and I'm sooooo greatful for every ones help in advising me how to fix it. I learned a lot.

    Now the thing I failed to mention and thought I could still squeeze in was a recharge port which would save the in and out damage to my wiring overall..poor US 2.5. I is too hard on it. I got that working great. Cut off and charged perfect.

    After reworking some of the exterior parts of my hilt I realise I was dropping my clunky thumb screw and LED holder to keep it clean and lean. Now I had an extra accent LED to place and thought...lol you guessed it lit pommel. What a bad idea. I mean it will be great but now I need to switch to a 4AAA pack and I did a number on my quick connects already. So now it appears I'm going with little or no quick connects.

    Now the revised cram-fu Kata..lol ....will be...recharge port/accent LED and light diffusion/4AAA battery pack/reverse position speaker, and a US 2.5 in the choke. This should give me a few inches play for wiring and will be well worth the run time sacrifice. My next mid-hilt choke saber will be running lithium-ions I think.

    The overall lesson learned is design the hilt with space for extra wires, around a wiring plan that works for the design concept, and don't install in hilt until hilt is FULLY finished.
    Man would I love to see the pics of the wiring for this.

    So you've squeezed a US 2.5 on the back of a 4aa batt holder in the first instance, then inserted it in the choke for the revised plan while using a revised 4aaa holder.

    Reverse position speaker which is..... in the top half of the saber???

    And you're adding a accent or recharge port in the pommel.

    Ha ha ha. You should have read more, I did near on the same thing only I thought I pop the switch in the pommel and have the sound normal end.

    Too much time, too eager, not enough planning and not enough reading. Yes yes. A flaw more and more common among Jedi. Too sure of themselves they are. Even the older, more experienced ones.
    Obi-Wan: "If you spent as much time practicing your saber techniques as you did your wit, you'd rival Master Yoda as a swordsman"

    Anakin: " I thought I already did"

    Obi-Wan: "Only in your mind, my very young apprentice"


  5. #5

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    no the first draft had everything in 5.5" pommel end and then the choke empty for speaker resonance and extra wire. I tryed adding recharge port and lit pommel. the only thing in front is the switch and sound holes.

    the revised will have the 4AAA and the sound card in the choke

  6. #6

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    Quote Originally Posted by Crystal Chambers View Post
    no the first draft had everything in 5.5" pommel end and then the choke empty for speaker resonance and extra wire. I tryed adding recharge port and lit pommel. the only thing in front is the switch and sound holes.

    the revised will have the 4AAA and the sound card in the choke
    Do you have the parts? What choke will get those in it?
    Obi-Wan: "If you spent as much time practicing your saber techniques as you did your wit, you'd rival Master Yoda as a swordsman"

    Anakin: " I thought I already did"

    Obi-Wan: "Only in your mind, my very young apprentice"


  7. #7

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    I need new batteries a holder and some more wire.

    Oh..I get it now. I used a 1.25 sinktube for the choke and just chopped a MHS extention tube in half, put the choke in the middle and bolted it. This is why I wanna wait to post it finished cuz I'm doing a few things I haven't seen before. At least not quite how I'm doing it. Just the sound card is going in the choke. This will still leave plenty of resonating space in front, behind, and around it.
    Last edited by Crystal Chambers; 01-09-2010 at 07:29 AM.

  8. #8

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    Quote Originally Posted by Crystal Chambers View Post
    I need new batteries a holder and some more wire.

    Oh..I get it now. I used a 1.25 sinktube for the choke and just chopped a MHS extention tube in half, put the choke in the middle and bolted it. This is why I wanna wait to post it finished cuz I'm doing a few things I haven't seen before. At least not quite how I'm doing it. Just the sound card is going in the choke. This will still leave plenty of resonating space in front, behind, and around it.
    Ah I see I thought it was a MHS choke. Now i'm with you.

    Well, I'm looking forward to seeing what you've done.
    Obi-Wan: "If you spent as much time practicing your saber techniques as you did your wit, you'd rival Master Yoda as a swordsman"

    Anakin: " I thought I already did"

    Obi-Wan: "Only in your mind, my very young apprentice"


  9. #9

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    Sounds very interesting. I want to see this one too!

  10. #10

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    I hoping to finish it by the end of next weekend. If all goes well I'll display my new cram-fu kata for the other students and masters a week from this monday. lol. I've been studying the forms but need to practice it all together and work on my finishing move.

    It's like I just joined the dojo and I'm trying to skip a few belts..lol

    However I wouldn't be too surprised if other complications arise so we'll have to see how it pans out.
    Last edited by Crystal Chambers; 01-09-2010 at 09:03 AM.

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