anybody add L.E.D?

[goldenboy_forever]

Hello mwers

i need some expert advice on how to wire my yamie vf-is head. I have the wires, l.e.d., soder, dremel kit, and tiny watch battries, but I need to make a simple on and off switch. I dont know how to make one, non the less to find one thats so small I sould intergrate it with the vf-1s. I have a Master piece skull leader as an example but still no luck on where to find a on and off switch that small. I kinda get the concept of the hy2m gundam headsthat light up. But does anyone know how to make a small circuit breaker like that? shoot does anybody sell light up macross heads?

Help!!

thanks

[David Hingtgen]

Got a resistor? While the LED+watch battery method works, it doesn't last long. As in, hours.

[goldenboy_forever]

nope don't have a resistor. whats is that any ways? Don't worry I don't plan to leave it on for hours on end. Besides battries are replaceable right.

I got most of my material at radio shack(led,batries,) But the cool thing I found was my $20 dollar dremel kit. Its worth it because its rechargeable and comes with 50 demel bits. I bought at the as seen on tv store. Saved about $100 bucks.

[imode]

The best way is by incorporating some standard double or triple a's and then wiring up a circuit with resistors so you don't pop the LED. The last person to try this (sorry, I don't remember your name!) had a setup where he stored the batteries in the missile pods and had conductive paint running along the bottom of the wings to the clear plastic pieces on the 1/48's wings where he had some flat leds.

Lighting the visor is a little difficult due to the contruction of the 1/48's S-type head and the way it's situated on that little black hinge piece. I'm sure if you're creative enough however, you can get something working.

[David Hingtgen]

goldenboy--I mean hours TOTAL before it blows. Use it 20 times for 10 minutes each time, and it'll be gone. The LED itself. That'll quickly add up $, plus it'll be burning hot while used (depending on how much you're overloading it). And you'll have to re-wire it every time it blows, replacing the LED. And yes, they literally do blow into pieces if you way over-shoot them. Many toys/cheap lights etc use no resistor, but that's because they don't ever get used more than 5 secs at a time, and have a total life expectancy of a few hours, plus they tend to use metal strips with high resistance, not wires.

If you don't know what a resistor is, might I suggest not trying to install LED's in a valk without reading up on the subject a bit more?

Though basically, resistors lower the voltage running through a circuit (by increasing RESISTANCE). To get the right one, you need to know what voltage the LED wants, how much current it draws, and how much voltage you're sending it. Most batteries are either 1.2 or 1.5 volts each--though that difference, when using 2 or more batteries, is enough to fry a small LED in 5 minutes. LED's run forever when conditions are right. They will run on almost any anything, but their life will be cut to 1/100,000th of normal if you get outside of their preferred range.

I got my light-up USS Lakota down to just one resistor for saucer section, and it runs cool for hours on end. When testing out the deflector's LED though, with no resistor, it got so hot you'd burn your hand in about 5 secs. (To the point that it started making noise---it glowed VERY brightly though)

Of course, all this is dependent on the LED and power suppply. They just might match as they are (unlikely). You can run a 3.5v LED at 4.0v with almost no probs, and most people (me) wouldn't bother with a resistor. But 3.5v at 5v will have problems, and 3.5v at 6v will get real hot real fast.

PS--don't wire it backwards, that'll blow it REAL fast, even if the voltage is right.

Edited October 27, 2003 by David Hingtgen

[goldenboy_forever]

Hmmm very educating

Dude your the greatest. Thanks for saving me tons of time. I wasn't to clear on voltage. I've tried before to wire my digi-q but it wasn't working to well. Thank you for all the details. I messed around with a few leds becasue they sell in bulk. Everything you said happened, but man I didn't know the leds could litterally shatter? No more trial and error for me. I try to make one with out a resistor, but if can't match the right voltage I guess I have no choice to buy one. I still need to buy a on and off switch or make one where did you get yours?

thanks for all the info

[David Hingtgen]

For itty-bitty switches, I can't help. But remember a switch is nothing more than a movable piece of metal that completes a circuit path.

As for LED's:

Most every LED you buy will say right on the back what voltage is best, what's the max voltage, and how much current. (Radio Shack's sure do, the individual ones at least) Dunno about bulk packs though. Just buy one (green?) and see what it wants. Or just look at all the ones they have. Green usually wants about 3-4 volts. (Yes, color affects voltage--it goes red/yellow/green/blue/white for least to most)

Also, every battery will say voltage, even a duracell or something. (Anything that's AA/AAA/C/D alkaline is 1.5v each, most rechargable/nicad etc are 1.2v each. A 9v battery is literally 6 1.5v's wrapped together in one case)

So see what fits best. If you get a 3v LED, with a 3v battery, it'll be fine without a resistor. (or 2 1.5v, etc) +/- 0.5v is usually ok, anymore and you'll have to figure out what resistor you need. A 2.5v LED with 2 1.2v batteries will be fine, it's close enough, just a tiny bit low. (Don't go TOO low, it might not light up at all).

There's lots of LED calculators out there, but the formula is simple:

voltage you're sending it, minus the voltage it wants. Then divide by the current it sucks up (in amps).

Example: You have 2 1.5v batteries and a 2.2v LED that sucks up 20 milliamps.

Thus 3v from the batteries minus the 2.2v the LED wants. 0.8 volts you need the resistor to take care of. Then divide by the 20milliamps (.002 amps) the LED uses. .8/.002=40. You need a 40ohm resistor. (Ohm is just what the term is---it's the only way a resistor is rated). Well there's also watts, but there's no way you'd be sending enough power to worry about it at all.

LED 101: http://members.misty.com/don/ledd.html Just text, but it explains it.

Finally, as for shattering: never witnessed it myself (and don't plan to) but some blow more violently than others. Most will just act like a lightbulb--a big flash and then it's dead. But older/bigger ones can really go AFAIK. A plastic-lensed one probably can't do anything, but anything with brittle stuff could be nasty. Better safe than sorry, IMHO. (Even the tiny piece of metal from the electrode when hot could really suck if it hits your eye)

Edited October 27, 2003 by David Hingtgen

[Lightning]

I was kinda wantin to do that with my Low Vis -1A, but i dont wanna mess it up. I might get one of the redone Hikaru's when they come out to try that out on.

is there any other kind of light u can do this with besides a LED?

Edited October 27, 2003 by Lightning 06

[David Hingtgen]

There's really itty-bitty bulbs. Like 1mm x 3.5mm or so. Micro-mini is the term I think. But they'll only take 1.5 volts, aren't very bright.

[indigofx28]

have you tried the http://www.hlj.com/cgi-perl/hljpage.cgi?BAN908849

HY2M-MG series and tried to mod it up to fit in the vf-1's

[Lightning]

NICE!! i could seriously try those...

[Jasonc]

I was thinking of doing this, and I have a degree in Electrical engineering. Using those small, thin watch batteries is best, and where to put it is difficult. I have designed it to where storing them in the latch where you pop the arms out and bring the head throug is best. You could use conductive paint, but I could use a wire in that design too. Using conductive paint and a resistor is very difficult to construct. As far as resistor size, they do have high rated leds that'll handle the batterie I believe, but if it's not available, I'll have to test out which resistor size will run the led cool. I have hundreds of those things here, so I'll let you know in a few days which one will do you justice.

[goldenboy_forever]

hey jasonc If you accomplish on doing that . Maybe you can make a kit for the mwers here. You know some wireing, resistor, led and, some instruction book let. You could coner the market hahaha . Put me first on you list.

best regards Richard

[Jasonc]

HMMM, sounds very interesting. I wanted to do this for awhile, and the schematics I have do work. Maybe I'll give it a shot, but at the MW con 3, that was led power, for those who know what I'm talking about.

[turd]

Save all those hassles n get the Toynami 1/55 Robotech MPC.

[Lightning]

Save all those hassles n get the Toynami 1/55 Robotech MPC.

ummm......no

[ComicKaze]

Go look in a toystore for a cheap toy that lights up. Steal it's on-off switch. I've done it many times when I needed a switch smaller than ones that I could make on my own.

You should also try conductive paint instead of wires.

[Jasonc]

Conductive paint works really well. I tried it on a test run and it's good stuff. This task is a hard task and could be done, but takes up way too much valuable time.