"Help!" for: Electronics

[Revenant1988]

Just ordered my LEDs for the suit with a few extra of each piece to play with. I am holding off on my helmet until I have enough practice. Thanks for all your help. I will link or post pictures so you (and others) can see how bright (or not bright) the violet LEDs are.

I am excite!

 

[thatdecade]

Sweet, sounds like you have a good plan. Have fun experimenting

 

[flashyink]

hello, im currently working on a fallout vetren ranger helmet and for ligting up the eyes i want to use flylites light tubes, from what i read they use a 6 volt battery. my question is, is there a transformer/ adapter to get a 9 volt battery to work for the 6 volt lights. and if there is where to buy it?

 

[Revenant1988]

hello, im currently working on a fallout vetren ranger helmet and for ligting up the eyes i want to use flylites light tubes, from what i read they use a 6 volt battery. my question is, is there a transformer/ adapter to get a 9 volt battery to work for the 6 volt lights. and if there is where to buy it?

I don't know the character but I do know what flywire is, so I'm assuming the character you are doing has illuminated eye outlines? That's what this stuff does. If that's the case and look you are doing, I would skip trying to do the transformer and adapter and just use some EL WIRE. It does the same thing, you get a lot of length, and its wired into its own power supply with a toggle switch. It is also cheap, and runs off 2 AA batteries.

Here is a link on amazon (many colors). http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_1?url=search-alias=aps&field-keywords=el+wire

I used it in my Halo MK V and its pretty sweet, and bright. You can also cut any excess off if you don't need it, just cap the end with hot glue or electrical tape, or rubber.

 

[flashyink]

I don't know the character but I do know what flywire is, so I'm assuming the character you are doing has illuminated eye outlines? That's what this stuff does. If that's the case and look you are doing, I would skip trying to do the transformer and adapter and just use some EL WIRE. It does the same thing, you get a lot of length, and its wired into its own power supply with a toggle switch. It is also cheap, and runs off 2 AA batteries.

Here is a link on amazon (many colors). http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_1?url=search-alias=aps&field-keywords=el+wire

I used it in my Halo MK V and its pretty sweet, and bright. You can also cut any excess off if you don't need it, just cap the end with hot glue or electrical tape, or rubber.

ah that will work amazingly well thanks!

 

[thatdecade]

I do love the look of using EL wire on ranger builds.

As you suspected, that transformer box that comes with the EL wire needs to be matched to the batteries you want. This can't be changed afterward. However, they come in lots of sizes, 12V is most common followed by 6 volt. Glad you found the two AA size (3V).

The reason for these higher voltages is battery life. The transformer box bumps up the voltage to ~100 volts. High enough to sizzle skin, but is battery operated so is not strong enough to do real damage (death).

Anyway... the higher voltage you start with from the battery pack, the more power the transformer has to work with and.... sorry for the lecture, let's get to the point... longer battery life.

An EL kit with four or six AA will last longer than a kit with two AA.

/Edit: Reviews on that amazon link say battery life is several hours. All good!

 

[Dani Girl]

Hi all, anyone know or can help me with some electronics ideas?

I'm looking to find something or create something that is sound activated, and then move an item up and down, based on inflection/strength/loudness of sound.

I'm not a person who understand electronics or can program something to work the way I want, so looking for help in this area.

specifically, I'm working on a "robot" whose speech is signified by blinking lights and flaps that move up and down and based on how loud or stressed the sound is, the flaps move accordingly. Its small movements. So looking to create something that is responsive to sound for movement.

I have the lights covered (ELWIRE has a sound activated battery pack that will turn on/off the light), but the sound activated movement is where I'm at a lost.

Anyone can provide help?

 

[dokr1]

LCD scope

Hey all,

I have a small question.
I have a small video camera, and i am currently building the halo 3 sniper. My plan is building the cam into the scope, for the aunthentic feeling. I was wondering if anyone got any tips on how to build the camera into the scope.

Greetings,

Dominique

 

[thatdecade]

Dominique,
your project would require some special skills to modify your digital camera and turn into a camera scope for your sniper prop. Open the camera and remove the LCD (make require de-soldering), lengthen / replace the LCD connector cable so the camera portion and display are now separate.

An easier method would be to take a lens and direct it at a white opaque viewscreen. The screen would show you an image of what your looking at, but would only work when pointed at something bright (outdoors on a sunny day).

Dani-Girl,
It sounds like your project includes some minor audio processing. Look into a circuit kit called a Light Organ. It works similar to a synthesizer display. When the Light Organ hears different frequencies, it will light up a certain light. Most kits come with at least three lights.

You could take one of those kits and wire it to 2 or 3 motors, giving you motion for your chosen frequencies. A motor attached to a piston attached to the arm would give the arms continuous up down motion.

This one should be powerful enough to run your DC motors.
http://www.goldmine-elec-products.com/prodinfo.asp?number=C6948

 

[Dani Girl]

Thanks thatdecade, but what you have stated is way beyond my understanding or "how-to-do". I wouldn't even begin to know how to build what you're describing. Looking for more a "ransack" and use type of thing, than to build my own, unless someone can build it for me (of which I do not know anyone who can).

 

[thatdecade]

Sorry, I don't know of anything off the shelf that will do what you want. The Color Organ was the closest I could think of, the modification is very minor.
Get kit, cut off light wiring, connect motor.

 

[Dani Girl]

Sorry, I don't know of anything off the shelf that will do what you want. The Color Organ was the closest I could think of, the modification is very minor.
Get kit, cut off light wiring, connect motor.

What kind of motor? sorry, treat me as if I were a 6 year old and the only thing I know is that the on/off switch magically turns on a light.

If you can provide a list of what exactly I need, I may be able to get my cousin to work on it for me.

also, I need it to be able to handle 4 flaps.

This:
http://www.goldmine-elec-products.com/prodinfo.asp?number=C6948

says its needs a car battery? um.....can it run off of 9 volts or AA batteries instead?


And how would the motor work? I only need it to move flaps up and down, and from that site, I don't see anything that would work.

 

[rasendori04]

I'm making a Mass Effect suit and want to put in the lights on the back, but I can't order EL Wire online and I don't really know how to do LED wiring. Can I have some tips on how to start the wiring and setup for it?

 

[Dani Girl]

You can't order online because you're in another country?

 

[LoneHowler]

I picked up a string glow thing but I'm not sure what to do with it for my Mark VI build. This is what I got http://www.bikeglow.com/ battery pack is already installed on it so pretty much all I have to do is add it to the suit but how, and where is now my dilemma

 

[Revenant1988]

OK so quick update, my violet LEDs (and a few others) arrived and I finally had a chance to try playing with the wiring, and I think I got the setup I need! I have 2 violet LEDs connected to a couple of resistors to a slide switch to a battery pack holder. They are about as bright as I expected them to be, and they diffuse nicely behind the plastic I'll be using as "windows" in my suit. They look the best in the dark, but they illuminate the window pretty good with average lighting.

EDIT: I got them installed last night on one shoulder piece, I am VERY happy with how they look. I used 2 to increase the output and I think that was a good call. You can see them in normal light!

 

[thatdecade]

This:
http://www.goldmine-elec-products.com/prodinfo.asp?number=C6948
says its needs a car battery? um.....can it run off of 9 volts or AA batteries instead?

And how would the motor work? I only need it to move flaps up and down, and from that site, I don't see anything that would work.

It is a 12 volt kit, but from the looks of it I would guess that you can connect it to anything up to 12 volt. A 9 volt battery would work just as well. Get the kit with a 9 volt battery and a 9 volt motor. Motors come in lots of types and sizes. You will need to choose one that is sized to match your project.

Moving flaps up and down with a motor can be tricky, but the concept is straight forward. Do research in how a crankshaft / steam piston works. The motor spins a shaft in a circle. This circular motion then gets converted to an up down motion through a crank (attached to motor shaft). The piston then attaches to the crank. When the crank spins in a circle, the piston moves up and down. Here is a picture of a Simple Crank.

Other notes... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crank_(mechanism)

I don't really know how to do LED wiring. Can I have some tips on how to start the wiring and setup for it?

There are some good videos on youtube. Also here is a link to my site with a quick diagram of LED wiring.

I got them installed last night on one shoulder piece, I am VERY happy with how they look. I used 2 to increase the output and I think that was a good call. You can see them in normal light!

Your pictures are awesome, thanks for posting.

 

[Revenant1988]

Thanks. I never thought I'd be so happy to make two things light up, but here we are haha!

I have another problem. I'll be wiring my backpack/chest soon and that piece has several more LED's in it, 14 by my count. I'm curious if a 3(AAA) or even a 4(AAAA) box will be enough to supply power to them all, and if yes how long would it last...

Should I look at a larger power supply and different resistors? Or is there a formula I can use to figure out how many LED's I can attach to one source for best life?

I appreciate your thoughts!

 

[Dani Girl]

It is a 12 volt kit, but from the looks of it I would guess that you can connect it to anything up to 12 volt. A 9 volt battery would work just as well. Get the kit with a 9 volt battery and a 9 volt motor. Motors come in lots of types and sizes. You will need to choose one that is sized to match your project.

Moving flaps up and down with a motor can be tricky, but the concept is straight forward. Do research in how a crankshaft / steam piston works. The motor spins a shaft in a circle. This circular motion then gets converted to an up down motion through a crank (attached to motor shaft). The piston then attaches to the crank. When the crank spins in a circle, the piston moves up and down. Here is a picture of a Simple Crank.

Other notes... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crank_(mechanism)

so much like a horse on a carousel (the crank above it moves it up and down).

however, I would have to mount this "sideways" (not up and down). What would you recommend (the area where this must fit, is only the size of a Pringles can in width and there are four flaps around this circumference)? and each flap reacts to its own movement from sound (they don't all move at the same time), hence, I have to make 4 separate units.

I couldn't find the 9volt kit for the Organ kit on the site.

 

[thatdecade]

I couldn't find the 9volt kit for the Organ kit on the site.

oops, I'm confusing, the 12 volt kit with a 9 volt battery.

is there a formula I can use to figure out how many LED's I can attach to one source for best life?

Yep, there is an equation for that. Go down to the table on the wiki page below, in the mAh column there is a number for each battery type. Alkaline AAA have a capacity of 1200 mAh (mA hours). Three batteries in series, like in your drawing / pictures, will also have 1200 mAh.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_battery_sizes

Figure out the mA used by your LEDs.
(Battery voltage / resister ) x number of LEDs x 1000 = mA current used by LEDs

Example
(4.5v / 300 ohms ) x 10 x 1000 = 150 mA

Then you divide the battery capacity
1200 mAh / 150 mA = 8 hours