In-Hilt colour switching . . . mk2 (4 switch)

[JediXIX]

The other week I re-wired an Aeon v2 RGB and I learnt a lot . . . http://www.saberforum.com/index.php?topic=25995.msg389663#msg389663 . . . I also quickly wired up and tested a small dip-switch with that wiring, and last night I changed my plans and did another . . .

This Dark Initiate LE v4 is my daughters birthday present . . . and I know she really loves the Gold colour we get from our RGBA saber, so to give her that I had to do some special LED wiring anyway, and just thought this would be cool . . . and its worked out great

I'll try not to waffle on too much, and . . . I may get be a bit technical here, lol, just a warning  

I've been playing around with LED's and resistors to create colours and match some Emerald only colours, and I've also been testing different switches . . . In my tests I found that I could have 2 channels (switches) for the same colour with different resistors in line that are both wired to that one colour, using channel 1 has one affect and channel 2 a different affect . . . I'll use red as an example . . . If red channel 1 has a 2ohm 2w resister and its mixed with blue the result will be magenta (similar to BH), if red channel 2 has a 8.2ohm 2w resister and that is mixed with blue the blade colour will be purple, similar to VA, but a little bit pink-er . . . and this is what I've wired up here . . .

I've used a small 4way dip switch, 1 is red with 2ohm resistor, 2 is red with 8.2ohm resistor , 3 is green, and 4 is blue . . . This has a master switch for on / off, and I've used the same LED module that US use for AB (4 pad RGB with common negative)... I've used the micro JST connectors to save space, and I put connectors on these resistors because I found that the colours can change from testing to actual wire up and this way I can get some other resistors and swap them over without having to cut and re-solder, just make up a new resistor to plug in place, if i'm not happy with the results....

I've attached the 4way switch to the bottom of a AAA battery pack, so all my daughter has to do is unscrew the pommel, flick a few switches and she can change the colour whenever she wants.... The colours have so far worked out ok, of course, as the batteries drain the mixed colours can change, so we'll just have to wait and see how that turns out... I'm not completely happy with the purple colour, so I'll more than likely change that resistor to reduce the red in that mix a bit more....

Here's some pics

All wired up with connectors, because I like to make sure everything works before installing in the hilt . . . and the 4way switch attached to the battery pack



the 2 red channel in line resistors


Installed in hilt



Now the colours

red (ch 1), green and blue... the green colour on this LED module is closer to EG rather than CG


red (ch 1) + green = yellow (very close to Gold with this setup)
green + blue = AB
blue + red (ch 1) = magenta


red (ch 2) + green = lime (like a toxic green colour . . . I like it)
red (ch 1) + red (ch 2) + green = orange (very close to FO)
red (ch 2) + blue = purple (similar to VA to the eye, but a bit pink-er)


red (ch 2) + green + blue = pale purple
red (ch 1) + green + blue = pale pink



I've still got more plans for another . . . some time soon . . . cheers  

[curlrup]

Very very cool.  I never thought of that.

[Lord Canterbury]

+1

You should probably be opening the "UltraSabers - Australian R&D Department" anytime now . . .

[hazard502]

I think you forgot that the Dark Initiate was for my birthday lol... . Wonderful though and most certainly a point to you!

[Drahem]

I had a question. And your using both 2 w resistors for the red diode?
As the wiring goes.  The Black wire( from led)  w/ resistor is going back to battery?( or dip switch?) The triple strand is the positive from dip switch? The master switch is connected to dip switch and negative return?  Thanks.

[bigBear]

US may need to pay attention...could open more options in color here.

+1 well earned.

[RevanReborn]

That's frick'n cool!  Point to you for sure .  Love the unique colours, especially the dark blue, toxic green, and gold.  Looks so good- I wish I had that kind of know how when comes to the electronics, I guess now I know who to bug with questions when I eventually get to messing around with mine lol .  MTFBWY

[JediXIX]

Thanks for the points everyone

You should probably be opening the "UltraSabers - Australian R&D Department" anytime now . . .

haha . . . I'm just having too much fun experimenting with this stuff . . . I've swapped over the resistor on ch.2 to a 12ohm 2w, and more happy with the purple, very close to DVA now, and that changes the other colours that use ch.2 slightly but they're still fun . . .  

I think you forgot that the Dark Initiate was for my birthday lol... . Wonderful though and most certainly a point to you!

We have a saber family, lol . . . and my youngest daughter was the last to have her own, when she first saw it in Gold she was very happy and when I showed her that she could also change the colours herself her first words were "Dad, that is sooo awesome" . . . really happy she loves it  

I had a question. And your using both 2 w resistors for the red diode?
As the wiring goes.  The Black wire( from led)  w/ resistor is going back to battery?( or dip switch?) The triple strand is the positive from dip switch? The master switch is connected to dip switch and negative return?  Thanks.

The wiring is actually quite straight forward . . .

On a standard stunt saber the wiring goes ; AAA battery pack, Positive from battery > switch ; switch > positive on LED module ; negative from LED module > main resistor (2ohm 3w) > negative on battery . . .

What I have here is ; AAA battery pack, Positive from battery > switch ; switch > all 4 pins on dip switch (wire soldered across all 4 pins) ; red ch.1 > resistor (2ohm 2w), red ch. 2 > resistor (now 12ohm 2w) > both red channels then wired together > to R pad on LED module, green ch.3 > to G on LED module, blue ch.4 > to B on LED module (triple strand) ; common negative from LED module > main resistor (2ohm 3w) > negative on battery . . .

Just a quick note on the dip switch, I believe this is rated at 50V DC at 100mA . . . 4xAAA is 6v so thats fine, but there is the question on the mA rating . . . so far so good with my testing and in this hilt, and I've been told that the switch should be fine, but I'm no expert on that . . . perhaps someone with more knowledge could chime in here?

While I can understand normal wiring diagrams, my brain works better with how it all goes together, so I usually draw my own diagrams for my way of thinking . . . I have one scribbled out for my own benefit, but if you want I could re-draw it and post it here . . . let me know

That's frick'n cool!  Point to you for sure .  Love the unique colours, especially the dark blue, toxic green, and gold.  Looks so good- I wish I had that kind of know how when comes to the electronics, I guess now I know who to bug with questions when I eventually get to messing around with mine lol .  MTFBWY

Thanks RevanReborn

Although I had done some soldering in the past (audio cabling) I only started to modify the LED wiring in these US at the beginning of this year . . . I'd encourage you to give it a go, start simple, perhaps install some quick disconnect connectors so you can swap over your LED modules, and go from there . . . Although I'm still learning too I'm more than happy to help with any questions you might have . . . cheers

[Drahem]

Thanks alot JediXIX. The fun is tinkering with it. With the general gist I will work it out. If I have any questions i'll PM you.

[Esxdave]

I know this is an old topic but I am about to do a similar build with a dip switch. Did you have any trouble with the rating of the dip switch. Most will only take a small number of milliamps but the LEDs run best with close to 1000mA. Wondered if it worked fine long term of if you'd need to use transistors to get the current direct from the battery and just use the dip switch for low current switching on each transistor.

[JediXIX]

Hi Esxdave, welcome to the forum . . .  


I've done a couple now, this one my daughter doesn't use as much, but its been working fine with no problems . . .

This one here http://www.saberforum.com/index.php?topic=27654.msg409171#msg409171 I've been using LOTS . . . many time a week for the last few months, switching and changing blade colour without any problems . . . and I used a 1000ma BuckPuck in that one (with v4 sound) . . .

The dip switch rating was also my main concern before I did these . . . and no one could really answer my questions other than to say they don't rate . . . I was told that if there was going to be a problem with the switch blowing it would be in the first few times switching the channels on/off, and I spent a couple months with test wiring before I wired these up to be installed in a hilt . . . but so far so good, they have been working ok . . .

Good luck with your build, and let us all know how you go . . .


Just for fun, I've also experimented with this http://www.saberforum.com/index.php?topic=30735.msg461449#msg461449, thought you might like to check it out  

[Esxdave]

Thanks Jedi XIX, I checked out your other build using the board from the lightbulb. Very cool and definitely something I will try at some point. I have also been looking at using a rotary dip switch like this http://docs-europe.electrocomponents.com/webdocs/13f5/0900766b813f58d9.pdf in combination with an rb/g/r Cree should give 7 colour combinations and off with the 8 positions. I'll give it a whirl and let you know if it works.

[Calculon]

 Ingenious mod!+1 Great work!