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Thread: BuckPuck vs Resistor ... And a q. About a Switch

  1. #1

    Default BuckPuck vs Resistor ... And a q. About a Switch

    Yes, it's me again. Sick of me yet? Lol. I have another few questions and just want to confirm the info that I have tried to take from other posts...

    So I plan to use a Tri-Cree LED(R,Gr,B) as I want the Lightsaber to change colours (YES, colours has a U in it :P haha). Now I'll be totally honest, the whole resistor thing went straight over my head! Not a clue! But with me using the Tri-Cree LED, each colour needs to be @ 1000mA. So to do this, it would be best to use a BuckPuck 1000mA.. Is that correct??... And is worth getting the 6 wire version over the 4 wires? I presume the 6 wires give you more option to do things? Such as adjust brightness, I think I read somewhere.

    Second question, For the switch am I correct that I want a latching switch. A latching switch is where if I want to turn on the light, I press the button and can remove my thumb and carry on and not have to bother with it till I want to turn it off. Then to turn it off, I press the button again.. is that correct? Or do I have it the wrong way round? Meanwhile. The AV Ring switch, is the colour a fixed colour, or can that be changed as you change the colour of the saber so they match? And is it worth me buying the MWS switch, or the Male/Female Connector Kit, as I'm tryin to keep it all modular...

    **I thought about adding this, so if someone can help, they have more of an idea of what I want to produce. More of the complete picture... Im starting to worry I'm adding to many LEDs for the LED Driver, with the Switch too. Am I pushing it to much?. But...
    I will be including a crystal chamber, that was my main reason of doing this for my nephew. I want a clear crystal that the a LED can change colour to match the blade


    After this I will be moving onto the power supply, so I am trying to work out which battery is best to use, and if doing something like a recharge port, or Battery packs, or Li-ion pack would be best. I know there is much to look up and to find out the best to use, but before that I would like to add.. Thank you to everyone who has helped and advised in me so far, I'm sure I'll have many more questions, but I would like to say thanks to everyone who has helped in what ever way possible!! I do really appreciate it!!
    Last edited by Bitchnerd; 01-24-2017 at 01:47 PM. Reason: Missing something.

  2. #2

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    If you are using a sound board, you don't use a BuckPuck. The BuckPuck needs a minimum of 5v to operate properly. The boards that run at those voltages typically have a LED driver onboard. The boards that don't have a LED driver will blow up at the voltages required by a BuckPuck.

    Also, you'd need one 'puck for EACH die of your LED. One for each of your Red, Green, and Blue. Resistors are WAY cheaper and take up much less room. It would be very difficult to fit 3 BuckPucks and a battery pack capable of running them in a hilt. See the links in my signature for help with resistor calculations.

    Latching switches are good for stunt sabers (sabers without sound), since those sabers lack the electronics to keep things running with a momentary switch. With the sound boards sold at TCSS, you can use a momentary switch, and you don't need to hold the button down. Press on, press off.

    The battery solution you choose will be greatly dependent on your sound board. The Nano Biscotte works best with a single 3.7v li-ion cell. The Petit Crouton works best with a 7.4v li-ion pack.
    We all have to start somewhere. The journey is all the more impressive by our humble beginnings.

    http://led.linear1.org/1led.wiz for the lazy man's resistor calculator!
    http://forums.thecustomsabershop.com...e-to-Ohm-s-Law for getting resistor values the right way!

  3. #3

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    You probably want a Prizm or better sound card for color changing.

  4. #4

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    So as usual, I seem to have everything backwards lol I always do, if I don't get it all spot on, I get it all bloody wrong! Lol...

    So [b]NO[//b] BuckPucks as I plan to use a soundboard and DO use resistors! And use the link you provided to work out the resistor calculations.

    Again I have the switches backwards, so a latching switch, is that a switch I have to keep hold of to keep on? And a momentary switch, I press to turn on, then press again to turn off?

    So decide on a soundboard before the battery as the soundboard will effect the battery I get?

    Ok, if I'd understood and got things corrected now, I think I have it to work out what I need next for my list.
    Also to go back to one of my original questions, the LED colour for the switch, I see there are many options in TCSS, including one that changes from red, to Gergen, then blue. But am I right that there isn't one that you can use to match the colour of the saber blade? So if one day I wanted red, then it could be red. Then the next purple, then free. And so on? It can't do that can it? So in your opinion, keeping with a nice clean white ring so it doesn't clash to much with the colour of the blade?

  5. #5
    Sith Warrior darth_chasm's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Bitchnerd View Post
    So as usual, I seem to have everything backwards lol I always do, if I don't get it all spot on, I get it all bloody wrong! Lol...

    So [b]NO[//b] BuckPucks as I plan to use a soundboard and DO use resistors! And use the link you provided to work out the resistor calculations.

    Again I have the switches backwards, so a latching switch, is that a switch I have to keep hold of to keep on? And a momentary switch, I press to turn on, then press again to turn off?

    Not exactly. A latching switch is always press on, press off. A momentary switch is press and hold for on, release for off WHEN THERE IS NO BOARD TO CONTROL IT. When there is a board to control it a momentary switch becomes a press on, press off.

    So decide on a soundboard before the battery as the soundboard will effect the battery I get?

    Yes

    Ok, if I'd understood and got things corrected now, I think I have it to work out what I need next for my list.
    Also to go back to one of my original questions, the LED colour for the switch, I see there are many options in TCSS, including one that changes from red, to Gergen, then blue. But am I right that there isn't one that you can use to match the colour of the saber blade? So if one day I wanted red, then it could be red. Then the next purple, then free. And so on? It can't do that can it? So in your opinion, keeping with a nice clean white ring so it doesn't clash to much with the colour of the blade?
    I don't use AV switches, so someone else will have to chime in here.
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  6. #6

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    Quote Originally Posted by rlobrecht View Post
    You probably want a Prizm or better sound card for color changing.
    Well I've been looking today at the options and there's quite a lot of detail with each sound card, I've been told about the Prizm already, and was looking at the Prizm Sound Module V4 but it's $115, I knew how much things were going to cost when I started looking into it, so I accept that, but for a first lightsaber, would this be the one to sound card to go to?i know there are some dearer, and some cheaper, that don't do as much and for what I want, well when you want more you tend to have to pay more, which is fine. So I get this is a variant of a Petite Crouton 3.x, it says that the power supply was designed for a single cell, I guess this takes up a bit less room? It has the colours and the sounds and many other 'bells and whistles' that come with it. So is there alternatives to use or would this be the best option?

  7. #7

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    Ah ok I'm starting to understand now!! As I'm using a soundboard, a momentary switch will become press on, press off. But without a soundboard, it would be hold down to keep on.

    No worries about the AV switch, I'm sure if I can't figure it out, someone will be able to help. Thanks so much for the input, really do appreciate it!!

  8. #8
    Sith Warrior darth_chasm's Avatar
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    There is actually a little more to switches and their behavior that involves sound board selection, sound board settings, and/or additional electronics but the simple info I gave you should suffice for now.
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  9. #9

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    Quote Originally Posted by darth_chasm View Post
    There is actually a little more to switches and their behavior that involves sound board selection, sound board settings, and/or additional electronics but the simple info I gave you should suffice for now.
    I haven't got round to reading the resistor calculation link you sent yet, but I did manage to look at part of the first post, I know I should of carried on reading but I just wanted to ask, would I be right that to work out the calculations for the resistor I need, for each colour, I'm going to need to know the battery I'm using, and to know what battery I'm going to use I'm going to have to decide on a soundboard? Would that be correct?

  10. #10

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    Correct. Pick your sound board first. The board you choose will determine your battery solution. Some work best at 3.7v, others work best at 7.4v. The sound card manual will tell you which is best, or if in doubt, you can ask us. Once you have a battery solution, you can work out the resistor values.

    Unfortunately, there are currently no RGB AV switches in the store that let you choose the color. The RGB AV switches available will just cycle through their colors on their own. If your Google-Fu is up to par, you may be able to find an individually controllable one somewhere online. Not sure, I haven't looked myself.

    For a color changing saber, the Prizm is probably the best starting option. The CF with Color eXtender works better, but it's a good deal more expensive. More complicated to wire up as well.
    We all have to start somewhere. The journey is all the more impressive by our humble beginnings.

    http://led.linear1.org/1led.wiz for the lazy man's resistor calculator!
    http://forums.thecustomsabershop.com...e-to-Ohm-s-Law for getting resistor values the right way!

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