How to... Install Quick Disconnects

[Groovidad]

James, BRAVO!  Very nice!  Thank you for taking the time to put together a very informative and interesting technical piece!  I wish I could buy you a pint!  Many points to you, good sir!

[James Casey]

Glad it's still a helpful topic

For those of you trying to track down quick disconnects and for whatever reason not able to buy from US directly, look for JST connectors at electrical merchants and the like.

I paid £6 for 100 sets of the black plugs; They're named '2 pin light cables' or similar, to make sure you get the same ones US use.

I paid £3 for 20 sets of the red plugs; They're called 'JST connector plugs' or similar.

Make sure you get gets with the male and female ends if you want to wire them into your hilt and LED units

[hazard502]

Last night I successfully installed QD's in my Dark Initiate LE V3, stunt Dominix V4 and my son's Prophecy V3.  Now we can freely exchange SRD, CG, and GB between them.  I'm pretty excited actually.  My son will wake up this morning to all 3 sabers switched around and with all my MHS parts set out for him.  He's really gotten into creating his "own" lightsaber and it's super fun to watch. 

[James Casey]

Congrats, hazard! Hope he enjoys all the possibilities!

[Inzane]

Great thread James.

Thanks to you I finally understand what was meant by quick disconnects and why so many were saying it's an easy DIY you can install in many sabers US doesn't offer it in.

For some reason I was picturing socketed LED units that "plug in" to something, but I was obviously wrong.

[JediXIX]

Last night I successfully installed QD's in my Dark Initiate LE V3, stunt Dominix V4 and my son's Prophecy V3.  Now we can freely exchange SRD, CG, and GB between them.  I'm pretty excited actually.  My son will wake up this morning to all 3 sabers switched around and with all my MHS parts set out for him.  He's really gotten into creating his "own" lightsaber and it's super fun to watch. 

Awesome work my friend +1....... It is exciting and rewarding....... I remember my first, my second, and now I've lost count. hehe....... It started my obsession with buying stunt sabers with different premium and forum colours just so I could collect the LEDs...... now I have all 14, plus a couple special ones too, and it hasn't stopped there...... lol 

[hazard502]

Awesome work my friend +1....... It is exciting and rewarding....... I remember my first, my second, and now I've lost count. hehe....... It started my obsession with buying stunt sabers with different premium and forum colours just so I could collect the LEDs...... now I have all 14, plus a couple special ones too, and it hasn't stopped there...... lol 

Thank you. And you're right it is rewarding! That's a good idea with the stunt hilts and LEDs. Getting a new hilt plus colour for a good price really. Well done with acquiring all of the blade colours as well that's a big job in itself. +1 for 14 

[JediXIX]

Thank you. And you're right it is rewarding! That's a good idea with the stunt hilts and LEDs. Getting a new hilt plus colour for a good price really. Well done with acquiring all of the blade colours as well that's a big job in itself. +1 for 14 

Yea, this was my logic........ An LED module with quick disconnects is $35 + $5 for a forum colour........ a spare 32" MG or UE blade is $29...... thats's $69....... sometimes a DotD stunt comes up, like a Sentinel or Aeon or Dominix for $59.99 (that comes standard with 32" or 36" blades) +$5 premium colour + $5 forum colour totals $69.99...... essentially I got a new hilt I didn't have before for 0.99c....... solder in the quick disconnects myself, and I can now swap out the LED colour with my other hilts that US put quick disconnects in or that I did myself (as you know you can unscrew the LED board and put into an MLS module if that's what the saber requires)....... I know I still had to pay shipping and such, and it is still the money I spent, but hey, it's worked out really fun because I swap over my LEDs all the time, lol.....

My favourite this week...... Banes Heart
(here on a Sentinel next to a Prophecy in GB)

[Groovidad]

Yea, this was my logic........ An LED module with quick disconnects is $35 + $5 for a forum colour........ a spare 32" MG or UE blade is $29...... thats's $69....... sometimes a DotD stunt comes up, like a Sentinel or Aeon or Dominix for $59.99 (that comes standard with 32" or 36" blades) +$5 premium colour + $5 forum colour totals $69.99...... essentially I got a new hilt I didn't have before for 0.99c....... solder in the quick disconnects myself, and I can now swap out the LED colour with my other hilts that US put quick disconnects in or that I did myself (as you know you can unscrew the LED board and put into an MLS module if that's what the saber requires)....... I know I still had to pay shipping and such, and it is still the money I spent, but hey, it's worked out really fun because I swap over my LEDs all the time, lol.....

My favourite this week...... Banes Heart
(here on a Sentinel next to a Prophecy in GB)

All my sabers will be equipped QD's.  Started doing this 4 sabers ago.  Purchased a bunch of QD's and JSF's and will be converting the rest.  Ordered 3 additional MLS w/FoC to swap as well.  It does make for a more inexpensive way to get what you want without going Emerald on several or more sabers!

[Inzane]

Does your prophecy have a hole on the opposite side of where your covertec wheel is currently installed?

[hazard502]

My favourite this week...... Banes Heart
(here on a Sentinel next to a Prophecy in GB)

That is great logic! Purchasing a DotD stunt also ensures you're getting a hilt you are interested in too, though a surprise grab bag has its merits.

And those are two beautiful looking weapons(so shiny!)   Maybe you should start getting a few a little dirty there? Though I must admit that I baby my Archon cause well...it's my baby!
Another appreciation point JediXIX

[JediXIX]

Does your prophecy have a hole on the opposite side of where your covertec wheel is currently installed?

Nope.... The Prophecy was my second US purchase, and I didn't even know I could request the placement of the covertec back then, lol...... On the Prophecy I have seen some on the LHS of the switch and some on the RHS, lucky for me mine is on the RHS as my natural grip is RH on top LH on bottom..... I know exactly why your asking..... Many of the hilts that have a covertec as standard have the hole for it pre drilled and if you ask it to be placed in a different spot you are left with the pre drilled hole..... My Archon has the covertec on the LHS and I took it off and put a very small button screw in its place, that does the job for me..... If you want a specific location, best to check with Emory before you order..... Inzane, I know you're thinking of a Prophecy with sound as a raffle entry, from the discussion in the raffle thread, It's one of the reasons I took this pic last nite, and was going to post it over there too..... The Prophecy is a great hilt..... you'll love it 

That is great logic! Purchasing a DotD stunt also ensures you're getting a hilt you are interested in too, though a surprise grab bag has its merits.

And those are two beautiful looking weapons(so shiny!)   Maybe you should start getting a few a little dirty there? Though I must admit that I baby my Archon cause well...it's my baby!
Another appreciation point JediXIX

Lol, yep I did that too....... ordered 3 grab bags with the LED specific colours, and got 3 v3's...... 

My Sentinel there is one of my most used, lol, it actually has lots of little scratches, and it's my test saber with the recessed switch that I'm still working on, and at the moment it's one of my favourites, lol..... dropped it so many times with my spinning practice, lol....... It's a great thing with the regular aluminium hilts, they hide a lot of the "character thru use" and still look great in photos...... I want to put a Li-Ion and Buckpuck in it soon because I'm going thru lots of AAA's in that one..... 

[Inzane]

I know exactly why your asking..... Many of the hilts that have a covertec as standard have the hole for it pre drilled and if you ask it to be placed in a different spot you are left with the pre drilled hole.....

Yup.  That's exactly why I asked.   

Inzane, I know you're thinking of a Prophecy with sound as a raffle entry, from the discussion in the raffle thread, It's one of the reasons I took this pic last nite, and was going to post it over there too..... The Prophecy is a great hilt..... you'll love it 

Thanks.  That was a great pic.  And your Sentinel looks very nice too.   Speaking of bane's heart, that was one possible color I was considering for the Prophecy, based partly on Prowl1701's youtube review of his. 

I want to put a Li-Ion and Buckpuck in it soon because I'm going thru lots of AAA's in that one..... 

Don't forget about rechargable NiMh as an alternative.  I picked up a bunch of Energizer NiMh rechargables and charger on a local sale recently, enough for all my stunt sabers (and my padawans') for now.

[alljiang]

If you're looking to buy the quick disconnects, I found these:

http://www.amazon.com/Electop-Pair-Female-Connector-Light/dp/B0140JW3VK/   ---   $5.58 10 Pack
http://www.amazon.com/RGBZONE-20Pairs-2-Pin-Connector-Female/dp/B013WTV270/   ---   $6.09 20 Pack

 There's a lot of leeway even if you constantly mess up 10 times in a row somehow, and it's really cheap . I'm planning to buy these for my Dark Initiate LE v3.

[Groovidad]

Also, TCSS for QD's.