Starship Modeler Discussion Forums

I've had a TOS circuit set designed and ready to market since that big KTM fiasco some years ago. It's still DIY and also Made in the USA!. But I don't think they teach electronics and solduring in HS industrial arts anymore.

This is fun stuff to learn and experiment with. Flaring the end of a Fiber Optic (FO) gives a wide lens effect. I use a hot soldering iron or the glow at the end of my cigi (cough) An effective way to interface a FO from a LED is to drill a hole into the top of the LED about half way into it above t...

I enjoy reading your reports... and successes
My guess is that you had a very good HS electronics instructor.
And the fact that you were like "into it" and kept a interest for it.

This was a timely topic... I got an order in from Sprue Brothers today for two rattle cans of MR1000 and a 40ml bottle of Mr Primer Surfacer 1000 The sniff test was that is smelled like model airplane dope...a lacqure base paint. I wanted to shoot it (the bottle MR 1000) through an airbrush. I have ...

Flo Tubes....DIY http://www.flickr.com/photos/30727025@N02/4666176115/in/set-72157623684139354 http://www.flickr.com/photos/30727025@N02/4666798706/in/set-72157623684139354/ http://www.flickr.com/photos/30727025@N02/4668667245/in/set-72157623684139354/ Costs less than a coffee @ Starbucks. It's not ...

The LM3909 chip is still one of my favorite chips. It will make a LED or GOW lamp flash like a strobe light. They are used in several of the circuit boards that I etch out. Features a 470 capacitor, resisters and a trim pot. The chip I still can buy @ wholesale. Some simple DIY circuits schematics s...

I got this circuit video going. On a ready made board. It uses the 555 and a 4.7 Cap that flashes like arch welding. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nkT-GlzQAMs Sold as bare board, kit with parts or built and tested... http://www.dlmparts.com/images/600_KBOP_Eng_dr_2.jpg Can be mounted as a bulkhead ...

OK for the record LightSheet is a brand name only when my good friend Mike Emory ran it. Unfortunately LightSheet is long time been out of business. Miss ya Mike! It looks like Being Seen is gone with the Dodo birds as well. So all that kinda stuff is really named Electroluminescent Lamp... Let's ju...

It means that 16000mcl is 4 times brighter than 4000mcl
It is better to poke around at DigiKey about LEDs rather than on the E-Bays.
You can look on each specific LED spec sheet... Most are PDFs
Those varieties are in the thousands.

My "Bad Self" electronics mission statement is still Old School All my stuff is High School or Freshman 101 Industrial Arts level (If you took IA back in the 70's - 80's.) Still hand etched in my kitchen sink. Kit parts come to me overnight from Digi-Key in Minnesota. After my boards is et...

As I read it, seams that the duty cycle is on and off for equal time.
So the circiut would be good for Left-right-Bow saucer lights (red-green-white)

Or are you looking for a circuit kit to work like a strobe... like a camera flash? Adjustable rate?

A good chapter on lighting the AMT MF is in Matt Ushers Kalmbach books A Galaxy Far Far Away . The intire book is about Star Wars models and most build topics have easy lighting tips for new to model illuminators. The Falcon chapter is the most advanced as it uses a resin upgrade kit (like Blue Moon...

FYI for all that Dave got his stuff 3 days later.
My bad at the clerical error that I missed his and two others to invoice orders and print mail labels.

brandomack wrote:
The problem was solved in what best way I could - I used R4 to run the strobe.

So you did not use the LM3909N side of the board at all?

You can get a strobe flash if you add a diode to a 555 circuit. OK cool.... then show me a picture or schematic so I can prove that. I'm not a AE engineer here... but I did stay awake in shop class. Google this then... LM3909N I think the "N" stands of National Semiconductor. We have not ...

Try twisting the R10 50K pot left or right? LM3909 notch or dot oriented on top? I can only guess until I see pictures. I have run across LM3909 duds before. I have replacement chips The happy news is that LM3909 chips are now NEW MADE again. A petition of popular demand was forwarded to have these ...

I'm all right... still frozen in place, but busy. But I 'am way behind on my electronic kits. Pour resin or do electronics... can't do both at the same time. And...Why am I reading of this complaint by anonymous, unknown screen name, 1st time ever post here rather than my private SPAMfree e-mail whi...

When salvageing and Re-purposing parts from appliance circuits I can get more agressive with a propane torch and a set of pliers.

Wear eye protection and gloves now!

I have... did it in the early 90's I'm not pleased about the kit provided elelctronics worked. I added a LM3909 to strobe some white grain of wheat bulbs wired onto the same circuit. But in the end result... plus the wrong sounds...meh! I went onto a second kit that was a old smooth AMT issue and ch...

So, I'm reaching out........... I have seen a lot of them type batteries at two local Fargo "battery" franchises. Like one is called Batteries Plus . They where both capable to set up a custom made packs for rechargable lithium cells with a choice of connectors. My drothers is to use a AC...

Cerberus I am sure the Defiant and the Maquis raider could be lit up an blinking with half them LEDs at half that power of your own devising. Yes the nice clear cast parts can make some nice lighting possible. But if you shopped further on the www.DLMParts.com page with electronics kits. http://www....

I used a sort of color wheel sold by Radio Shack
Sooooo obsolete. Resisters codes has changed a lot up to 5 bands and 6!
I rely now on a few java apps seen around the internets.
Google gets it to me.

My first electronics hobby kit, a AM/FM/HAM radio...
it had vacume tubes!

I have narrowed them down to 1mm also.
Using a Unimate lathe and a jewelrs file.

Before the lathe I had turned them down by chucking them in a drill secured with a bench vice. The type of drill used is handy if it has a trigger setting to stay ON.

Yes they are cool if your a neopyhte at elelctronics and lighting.
You learn from it and then your on your way to DIY parts searchs and build circuits from scratch.

Looks good...
I'm making it up as I go along as well.
I choose a voltage of 6 volts system wide so I chose my resisters accordingly.

My method is proven rigid and dogmatic...
Correct most times and on the record.

Between choosing a lighting plan based on two or (3) studio FX models can lead to confusion The common wisdom is that only the anti collision strobes flashed (6) located top Bridge, top /bottom aft Warp Engines and keel (bottom of engineering hull) http://www.flickr.com/photos/30727025@N02/301072698...

littleyoda99 wrote:I had used an AC-AC wall wart instead of an AC-DC wall wart...

let the flames begin.

Donno...Consider it a life lesson, endeavor to read labels from now on.

I too am a believer of the sound resonance physics.

The base wood enclosure is hollow.
Like guitars ...acoustics can be enhanced.
I will also try the tube theory.

I have a pair of CultTVman's Ultimate warp lights...
Is that the ones you need a measurement of?