BMP Props
Active Member
- Member DIN
- S114
Got a cell phone charger?
Yes...can I just splice the micro end to a battery pack?
"Help!" for: Electronics
- Thread starter 23Magnum
- Start date
- Status
Yes...can I just splice the micro end to a battery pack?
thatdecade
Well-Known Member
Ah, I understand.
Splice a 4.5 volt battery pack into vcc and ground.
or or use the barrel jack and a 9 volt
http://playground.arduino.cc/Learning/9VBatteryAdapter
Splice a 4.5 volt battery pack into vcc and ground.
or or use the barrel jack and a 9 volt
http://playground.arduino.cc/Learning/9VBatteryAdapter
I'm taking the lazy route on this, because I did so much research on pepping and resin and fiberglassing and bondo and sanding and even on painting that I'm just tired of reading, especially seeing 85 pages on this thread. I will go back and read through it, but I am going to ask anyway just in case I don't find the answer I'm looking for...
Is there a decent tutorial on wiring up LED lights properly?
I'm doing the typical Master Chief Mark VI armor set, but I don't want to take the book light approach. I'm hoping to learn a little something about LED lights, wires, batteries, and switches. I'm also hoping for a good place to buy them. I know that the parts are cheap, but I haven't done any simple electronics work. I've done some googling, and LED lights always talk about traditional household bulbs. I've done some searches for mini LEDs, but always come across stuff about breadboards. I'm willing to read, to spend time learning, providing I'm learning the right stuff. So link me, if you will, and in the meantime I'm going to go back and begin sifting through this 85-page thread.
Thanks in advance for any responses!
Is there a decent tutorial on wiring up LED lights properly?
I'm doing the typical Master Chief Mark VI armor set, but I don't want to take the book light approach. I'm hoping to learn a little something about LED lights, wires, batteries, and switches. I'm also hoping for a good place to buy them. I know that the parts are cheap, but I haven't done any simple electronics work. I've done some googling, and LED lights always talk about traditional household bulbs. I've done some searches for mini LEDs, but always come across stuff about breadboards. I'm willing to read, to spend time learning, providing I'm learning the right stuff. So link me, if you will, and in the meantime I'm going to go back and begin sifting through this 85-page thread.
Thanks in advance for any responses!
RobotChicken
Well-Known Member
Not sure what you have against book lights, but component-wise they're the same parts as if you were to buy them separately (LEDs, resistors, switches, etc), except that you can get it all in a compact book light for only $1 per light at a dollar store and then you don't need to mess with determining the proper resistor inline with the LED (it's already calibrated in the book light). Simply take it apart, upgrade the battery to something larger (but same voltage rating), extend the wiring as needed, and done! But here's the best part (no pun) - just the LED alone can end up costing you more than a whole book light, and that's not accounting for separately-purchased resistor and switch. Unless you're wanting something other than white light, $1 book lights are the most economic for mere costume accent lighting.
thatdecade
Well-Known Member
Book lights are great if you are lighting up one or two areas and have no prior experience. See the tutorial video in my signature.
For the more advanced, you can wire the LEDs yourself. Which is about half the requests that get put in this thread.
Go out and buy some LEDs that you want, come back here and we will tell you what you will need to wire them to a battery.
Basic Parts
-Some LEDs
-one resistor for each LED
-battery pack of at least 3volts (blue and white LEDs need more than this)
Wiring diagram generator: http://led.linear1.org/led.wiz
led_array by thatdecade, on Flickr
You can see the calculator recommends 82 ohms. That is not a common resistor value, just pick the nearest ones you can find.
General rule, I use is 100 ohm resistors with a 4.5 volt battery pack and 500 ohm resistors with a 9 volt battery pack.
For the more advanced, you can wire the LEDs yourself. Which is about half the requests that get put in this thread.
Go out and buy some LEDs that you want, come back here and we will tell you what you will need to wire them to a battery.
Basic Parts
-Some LEDs
-one resistor for each LED
-battery pack of at least 3volts (blue and white LEDs need more than this)
Wiring diagram generator: http://led.linear1.org/led.wiz
led_array by thatdecade, on Flickr
You can see the calculator recommends 82 ohms. That is not a common resistor value, just pick the nearest ones you can find.
General rule, I use is 100 ohm resistors with a 4.5 volt battery pack and 500 ohm resistors with a 9 volt battery pack.
RobotChicken - you may have talked me into the booklight idea. I just thought people who stuffing booklights into their suits, which sounds kinda make-shift. But taking them apart and applying larger batteries... all good stuff. I'll look into it!
thatdecade - very informative. Thanks for taking the time to post that. I'm going to spend some time learning this stuff over the weekend, I think.
Thank you both for your responses.
thatdecade - very informative. Thanks for taking the time to post that. I'm going to spend some time learning this stuff over the weekend, I think.
Thank you both for your responses.
RobotChicken
Well-Known Member
I agree that separately purchased parts provides for more flexibility (that's what I do when installing lights into model kits - I like Digi-Key as a supplier), and especially if colored lighting is needed. Booklights come in one light color - white. Period. You can filter it, but that can potentially cut down on light transmission. But we're talking about costume accent lights, not consumer appliance electronics displays. A booklight puts out enough light to see in the dark, and Master Chief has four of them just on his helmet alone. The reason I like the booklights isn't because they're better than parts purchased separately (they might actually be slightly inferior, but again, we're talking costume lighting), but rather the economics and simplicity. For $1 you get everything you need for one light. Add a little bit for battery pack and wiring (stuff you would have had to buy anyway if not using booklights) and you've got everything you need, including resistors which are designed to work with the LEDs in the light. If you buy the LEDs separately, say Radio Shack, Digi-Key, etc…they'll cost you more than the book lights, and you still have to get the other parts (resistors, switches, etc). A lot of people here seem to be tight on funding for their builds, so $1 booklights are a good way to keep the electronics budget in check. But you're still probably going to have to wire them up anyway. (I wouldn't rely on a booklight battery lasting very long.)
- Member DIN
- S980
On my Spartan Laser I used an RC aircraft landing gear retract servo to retract and extend the shroud. To do so, I removed the electronics from the servo and wired the motor directly using a DPDT switch to control direction and a limit switch to cut off power. The limit switch has proved less than reliable, leading to a burnt out servo motor. Is there a SIMPLE way to pulse the new servo and get it to do its business as intended without me gutting it and having to rely on my analog cutoff?
Someone suggested buying a servo tester and gutting it for this functionality, but those are geared for calibrating standard servos, not testing retracts.
Redshirt
Someone suggested buying a servo tester and gutting it for this functionality, but those are geared for calibrating standard servos, not testing retracts.
Redshirt
spartan 060
New Member
I have no idea how to put LEDs into my halo 4 helmet spotlights I have a battery pack I gutted from a RC car I'm thinking of getting individual bulbs and attaching them to wires then the wires to the battery pack
BlertZ
Active Member
if you have a Radio Shack nearby you can get some 9V battery connecters so you can take out the battery pack when you don't want the lights on.
EVAkura
Well-Known Member
You can not necessarily just take any battery and hook it up to LEDs and expect them to work properly. You will first need to get your LEDs and find out what voltage they are rated for... then you will need to find out what voltage the RC car's battery pack is. You will then need to (most likely) put in the correct resistor to lower the voltage from the battery so as not to fry your LEDs. I would also suggest installing a two lead on/off rocker switch inline with your positive from the battery pack to the resistors/LEDs. If you need help figuring all this out.. give us a bit more information please (voltage of battery pack, how many LEDs and what they are rated at.
dheighto
New Member
" they're having us do projects of our own choice"
I'm going to put a stereo amp into my helmet (to hear better), but I'm afraid of it amplifying loud sounds too much. So I've been looking for a Auto Gain Control circuit, to squelch the volume when needed, but haven't found one that meets my needs.
How about that for a project?
I'm going to put a stereo amp into my helmet (to hear better), but I'm afraid of it amplifying loud sounds too much. So I've been looking for a Auto Gain Control circuit, to squelch the volume when needed, but haven't found one that meets my needs.
How about that for a project?
dheighto
New Member
"i was going to wire up some LEDS soon but was curious as to what resistor i would need."
May I recommend this site:
http://www.hebeiltd.com.cn/?p=zz.led.resistor.calculator
May I recommend this site:
http://www.hebeiltd.com.cn/?p=zz.led.resistor.calculator
thatdecade
Well-Known Member
Thinking about you guys . You could twist wires onto LEDs for your light project, but if you want a long term solution you HAVE to solder the wiring.
This is the best soldering tutorial I have ever found. Way better then most college classes on the subject.
. You could twist wires onto LEDs for your light project, but if you want a long term solution you HAVE to solder the wiring.This is the best soldering tutorial I have ever found. Way better then most college classes on the subject.
Last edited by a moderator:
Hey is anyone here Any good with building computer systems or writing code to make stuff work? I want to add a few things to the helmet for LCF purposes and but I lack the technical ability to do what I want. I've seen a few of you guys put cool looking comms attachments on your helmet and I was watching The Forgotten Spartans on YouTube (machinima) and one of the dudes had a com unit on one side and what looked like a projector on the other. I thought that would be cool to have a working com unit so if you go with buddy's you have Coms. And the projector would be near to display a map and set an objective or RV point if any one got lost. Idk if anyone can help let me know.
eckoe17
New Member
@SgtPearce:
I am an electronics Engineer...
Com system isnt that complicated. You could buy a motorcycle com system and attach it inside your helmet. Done.
I am not sure, what exactly you want to do with a projector. If you have a stationary map and want to point sth out. No problem.
But if you have a map in your hand or even want a "display" inside your helmet like the real spartans... That would be really difficult and most of all very expensive. And I mean very very expensive.
I am an electronics Engineer...
Com system isnt that complicated. You could buy a motorcycle com system and attach it inside your helmet. Done.
I am not sure, what exactly you want to do with a projector. If you have a stationary map and want to point sth out. No problem.
But if you have a map in your hand or even want a "display" inside your helmet like the real spartans... That would be really difficult and most of all very expensive. And I mean very very expensive.
SuperFly1414
New Member
Thinking about you guys
This is the best soldering tutorial I have ever found. Way better then most college classes on the subject.
Thank you for this wonderful video!
Last edited by a moderator:
- Member DIN
- S980
I destroyed another servo. I could use some ideas . . . .
Repost from 1 March:
On my Spartan Laser I used an RC aircraft landing gear retract servo to retract and extend the shroud. To do so, I removed the electronics from the servo and wired the motor directly using a DPDT switch to control direction and a limit switch to cut off power. The limit switch has proved less than reliable, leading to a burnt out servo motor. Is there a SIMPLE way to pulse the new servo and get it to do its business as intended without me gutting it and having to rely on my analog cutoff?
Someone suggested buying a servo tester and gutting it for this functionality, but I believe those are geared for calibrating standard servos, not testing retracts.
EDIT 27 Mar: I ordered up a pair (plus a spare) of mini servo testers hoping I can set one to deliver an open pulse (pulse length well above neutral) when powered and the other to deliver a close pulse (Pulse length well above neutral) when powered. I'll keep the DPDT switch to power/depower the two circuits and drive the unmodified servo. Anyone with actual RC or robotics experience please tell me why this will or won't work. Any tips or pointers would be welcome.
Redshirt
Repost from 1 March:
On my Spartan Laser I used an RC aircraft landing gear retract servo to retract and extend the shroud. To do so, I removed the electronics from the servo and wired the motor directly using a DPDT switch to control direction and a limit switch to cut off power. The limit switch has proved less than reliable, leading to a burnt out servo motor. Is there a SIMPLE way to pulse the new servo and get it to do its business as intended without me gutting it and having to rely on my analog cutoff?
Someone suggested buying a servo tester and gutting it for this functionality, but I believe those are geared for calibrating standard servos, not testing retracts.
EDIT 27 Mar: I ordered up a pair (plus a spare) of mini servo testers hoping I can set one to deliver an open pulse (pulse length well above neutral) when powered and the other to deliver a close pulse (Pulse length well above neutral) when powered. I'll keep the DPDT switch to power/depower the two circuits and drive the unmodified servo. Anyone with actual RC or robotics experience please tell me why this will or won't work. Any tips or pointers would be welcome.
Redshirt
thatdecade
Well-Known Member
Wish I could help. I have used servos exactly once. I will say this on reversing the motion, shouldn't you be using an H-bridge to reverse the voltage to the motor?
- Member DIN
- S980
Thanks. I'm using a DPDT switch circuit to reverse direction and cutting power in one direction with a limit switch (raised) and cutting power in the lower position with the master power switch. I wiki'd H-Bridge, and believe that the DPDT meets the definition, but realize MOSFETs and other advanced tricks also meet the definition. I hope that by cannibalizing the two cheapie servo testers I can use the DPDT to send the distinct open and close signals to the servo via the signal wire and just wire the supply wires with constant power. I'll use an ammeter to make sure there's no draw at the limits to burn up the servo. Here's hoping it works . . . .
Redshirt
- Status
