Any reason US doesn't use removable "plug-in" battery packs?

[Galef]

Not sure if I'm explaining this correctly, but the only lightsaber I've ever had from 'the other guys' is coming up on 20yrs old now and it has a removable 3 AA plug-in battery cell.  No wires, just  untwist the pommel, slide out the cell, replace the batteries and you're good.

As I wait for my first US to arrive, I've been doing tons of video research and seeing the battery pack still attached by a very breakable wire makes me nervous. Especially since most reviewers, including Emory showing you how to remove the pack on the official site, advise extreme caution not to remove the pack too far.
Why would such a durable brand of sabers have such a vulnerability to be careful off? Especially when the tech to make a completely removable cell that could never risk ripping the wires exists?

Does it have to do with economics of US making them? Do they just assume we will all be careful enough?
Is there something about hard-dueling sabers that might shake the connection loose and deactivate the saber? This last point can't be it since you can make it fit snuggly to never come loose unless the pommel is removed.

I am just really curious why this kind of setup isn't standard for US.

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[firehand10k]

It is more complicated to make in order to ensure proper pin alignment when inserting and removing. And it is less practical in modern sabers than the type you mentioned because we use more current and it would need to be able to handle that through the pins that are subject to wear with each removal and insertion.

[Galef]

It is more complicated to make in order to ensure proper pin alignment when inserting and removing. And it is less practical in modern sabers than the type you mentioned because we use more current and it would need to be able to handle that through the pins that are subject to wear with each removal and insertion.

I guess that makes sense, though I'm no electrician.  It just seems like it should be an option at least, or there should be some kind of "stopper" preventing the pack from moving past the pommel end unless tools are used.
I've got a fairly destructive son that I could easily see ripping those wires out trying to swap the batteries. And he's too old for me to always do it for him.

Would having a "quick release" wiring work as well?  As-in the wires are still there and not meant to be removed, but if you accidentally pull too far, they disconnect in a way that is easily reattachable? Or would that have the same wear/tear issue as the pins?

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[chalion]

I guess that makes sense, though I'm no electrician.  It just seems like it should be an option at least, or there should be some kind of "stopper" preventing the pack from moving past the pommel end unless tools are used.
I've got a fairly destructive son that I could easily see ripping those wires out trying to swap the batteries. And he's too old for me to always do it for him.

Would having a "quick release" wiring work as well?  As-in the wires are still there and not meant to be removed, but if you accidentally pull too far, they disconnect in a way that is easily reattachable? Or would that have the same wear/tear issue as the pins?

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The issue, as I see it, is build time vs build cost. The simpler the build, the faster it can be completed and the overall cost is lower. The way US hilts are made (v2, v3 & v4 line), they look to be machined in 1 piece - outer surface machined, switch hole drilled, then the center reamed out and finishing touches completed, then the electronics installed. To add a removable chassis style set up, it adds to the complexity, which would increase build time and cost.

Note: Other builders can and have modded US hilts and are quite readily found online and will at a cost modify the hilt.

With Quick Disconnects as you describe, vs a pin attachment. If the QD's are used with the thin wires normally used, then there's wear and tear on those wires, which can break. Pins also have a wear factor before they eventually become unusable. Anything built will eventually fail at some point. electronics even more so.

[Galef]

Anything built will eventually fail at some point. electronics even more so.

True, as much as I dislike it.  I'm just looking at my 20yo Anakin/Luke saber and how with fresh batteries, it looks as bright and sounds as great as it did the day I bought it. Didn't realize it was an anomaly for the pins not to have worn down by now.

Side question: how often/likely is it for the battery pack wire to break if you're careful with it? And if it does break, short of sending it back to US, how easily is it to fix/reattach yourself?

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[chalion]

True, as much as I dislike it.  I'm just looking at my 20yo Anakin/Luke saber and how with fresh batteries, it looks as bright and sounds as great as it did the day I bought it. Didn't realize it was an anomaly for the pins not to have worn down by now.

Side question: how often/likely is it for the battery pack wire to break if you're careful with it? And if it does break, short of sending it back to US, how easily is it to fix/reattach yourself?

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I also have the FX lightsabers you are talking about and they still work as if they're new, except my Mace Windu, which has a short in the battery pack. But I don't duel with them. They're more show pieces these days as I don't trust the blade electronics not to break if used.

How often? If proper care is taken, it should last years. If it used a lot, dropped, smacked or forbid, THROWN, the battery pack or wires can get broken.

Personally, I've only had 1 stunt saber battery wires break, but the battery holders themselves are somewhat fragile. (broke a couple of them myself). There's other threads about how to mitigate this, by using different methods to pad or re-enforce them. When my stunt sabers have outlived their warranty, I remove the 4-AAA holders and replace them with a removable 18650 battery pack. You can look up online on how to do this as it can be done with JST quick connects. But the wires can break at any bending point - at the pack, at the switch, in between. If you're somewhat proficient with a soldering iron, it's annoying, but simple enough to repair yourself. Or replace the wires. If you don't have the skill, don't want to chance messing it up and voiding the warranty, or lack confidence, then sending it in to UltraSabers would be a wise choice.

For my lightsabers with premium sound or the Diamond controller, i've yet to have major problems with the electronics. I tend to tinker with the electronics though, so they get broken by me doing this.

[Cyclops942]

When my stunt sabers have outlived their warranty, I remove the 4-AAA holders and replace them with a removable 18650 battery pack.

Uhhh... what?  4xAAA will give 6v, but an 18650 will give 3.7v, and if you’re using an Initiate v2 or something similar, I don’t see how you could fit the two 18650 cells you’d need to “replace” the 6v.  In the longer hilts, I can see where there is room to fit two of them, but not in the shorter hilts.

OBVIOUSLY, since you’ve done this, I’m missing something.  Is the minimum voltage to fire the LED lower than I think it is?  Is there more length in those hilts that I can see?  Are you using longer hilts than the Initiate v2 hilts that I’m looking at?

Please educate me, within the limits of what’s allowed on this forum, and the amount of effort you want to put into it.  (Some things are hard to make me understand.)

[Sakura No Kaze]

True, as much as I dislike it.  I'm just looking at my 20yo Anakin/Luke saber and how with fresh batteries, it looks as bright and sounds as great as it did the day I bought it. Didn't realize it was an anomaly for the pins not to have worn down by now.

Side question: how often/likely is it for the battery pack wire to break if you're careful with it? And if it does break, short of sending it back to US, how easily is it to fix/reattach yourself?

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I have yet to have any of the wires break in any of my twelve (12) sabers and I am NOT careful with them. This includes my first saber, which has Obsidian V3 sound, and gets used for heavy sparring at least once a week, and is going on 5 years old.  Being careful with an Ultrasaber is like only driving a McLaren one mile to the grocery store and back once a week. It's just not what they were made for. (By the way, one of my 12 is an Archon v3.1, and I'm not careful with it either. Nor have I bent the emitter yet, and it's 4 years old.)

When Emory says not to pull the battery pack out too far, he means don't play "how far will the wires really stretch?" I've never had to remove any of the battery packs more than an inch or two past the end of the hilt for any reason. Maybe that counts as being careful as I'm not actively trying to destroy the wires?

As far as fixing it, it depends on where it breaks. If it detaches from the battery pack, you should be able to just solder it back on. If the wire itself breaks in two, then it depends on how far into the hilt it is. If you're lucky it won't require complete removal of all the electronics in the saber to get to.

[chalion]

Uhhh... what?  4xAAA will give 6v, but an 18650 will give 3.7v, and if you’re using an Initiate v2 or something similar, I don’t see how you could fit the two 18650 cells you’d need to “replace” the 6v.  In the longer hilts, I can see where there is room to fit two of them, but not in the shorter hilts.

OBVIOUSLY, since you’ve done this, I’m missing something.  Is the minimum voltage to fire the LED lower than I think it is?  Is there more length in those hilts that I can see?  Are you using longer hilts than the Initiate v2 hilts that I’m looking at?

Please educate me, within the limits of what’s allowed on this forum, and the amount of effort you want to put into it.  (Some things are hard to make me understand.)

Sorry, I was unclear. I was not talking about anything v2 line. I give those away when I get them during raffles. I'm more about the stunt v3 or v4 line. TCSS sells 18650 with JST connectors on them (3.7volt), so all that is needed is to cut the US battery pack off and add a JST connector on to correctly fit the battery. Alternately, you can connect in a 18650 battery holder and use one of the batteries and be able to recharge it in an XStar VC2 Plus charger. Yes, 3.7 volt is lower than the 6 volt the 4 AAA would put out, but the 18650 lasts a whole lot longer and is rechargeable.

Also, I was using the wrong terminology. I was using the term Battery pack when I should have been using the term "JST connected 18650 battery". I was working on making a 2 cell 18650 battery pack for a Diamond controlled lightsaber and I had that stuck in my head. I think I used that in other threads in these forums too. Sorry for the confusion I was causing. I was exploring using some 18mm ID/20 mm OD  carbon fibre tubing I have to make a battery holder for 2 cells. Note: This won't be a practical application since the carbon fibre tubing is not cheap.

[Cyclops942]

Sorry, I was unclear. I was not talking about anything v2 line. I give those away when I get them during raffles. I'm more about the stunt v3 or v4 line. TCSS sells 18650 with JST connectors on them (3.7volt), so all that is needed is to cut the US battery pack off and add a JST connector on to correctly fit the battery. Alternately, you can connect in a 18650 battery holder and use one of the batteries and be able to recharge it in an XStar VC2 Plus charger. Yes, 3.7 volt is lower than the 6 volt the 4 AAA would put out, but the 18650 lasts a whole lot longer and is rechargeable.

Also, I was using the wrong terminology. I was using the term Battery pack when I should have been using the term "JST connected 18650 battery". I was working on making a 2 cell 18650 battery pack for a Diamond controlled lightsaber and I had that stuck in my head. I think I used that in other threads in these forums too. Sorry for the confusion I was causing. I was exploring using some 18mm ID/20 mm OD  carbon fibre tubing I have to make a battery holder for 2 cells. Note: This won't be a practical application since the carbon fibre tubing is not cheap.

AHHHHHHH!!!!  See, I just KNEW I was missing something! Thank you.

Okay, so with a single 3.7v 18650 cell, how is the performance of the LED?  I’m assuming that you lose some initial brightness (this assumes there’s no buck puck involved, and it’s just a straight-out replacement of the 4xAAA pack with the 18650 source), but as you say, the 18650 cell can store much more juice.

[chalion]

AHHHHHHH!!!!  See, I just KNEW I was missing something! Thank you.

Okay, so with a single 3.7v 18650 cell, how is the performance of the LED?  I’m assuming that you lose some initial brightness (this assumes there’s no buck puck involved, and it’s just a straight-out replacement of the 4xAAA pack with the 18650 source), but as you say, the 18650 cell can store much more juice.

You know, I just checked all my modded stunt sabers and all are resisitored, no buckpuck/14450 li-ion battery setup. Yes, they're a little dimmer, to my eyes at least, but they do stay working a lot longer. Even the 2- Obsidian v4 sabers I have are resistor set up.