Starship Modeler Discussion Forums

The problem with that is that the circuitry is inaccessible right now. But these batteries should be powering it. They're brand new and producing a strong 18+ volts which is stepped down to 12.3VDC by the voltage divider. I tested them with my DMM like I said, and they produce the correct voltage. T...

So I've been using an AC-DC converter to test the circuitry in my USS Enterprise-D built for a customer. I have used this unit before to test other circuits, and so far it's been just fine as a substitute for a battery power supply. But for some reason, I can't get the batteries in the base of the m...

I have a minor emergency. The main registry number decal for my USS Enterprise-D model is positioned too far down the nose of the ship. I hadn't painted the windows yet so I didn't know that it was over them until I was putting on the transporter pads. Is there a way to maybe soak the decal with war...

Definitely the 555 timer is a great, simple little device to get a strobe to flash. Just remember to hook up a diode across the timing resistor, like in this diagram: https://electrosome.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/555-timer-astable-multivibraotr.jpg If you don't, it won't be a strobe because the...

Yeah, another vote for the trimpot. And I would add, after you're done adjusting it, it might be good to put a drop of paint on the knob so that it doesn't move as you're assembling the model. They can be easy to knock around, so I figure that little bit of insurance can't hurt. :) Alternatively, yo...

Thanks for the link! It was a really good read and a big help with this project.

Epoxy is great stuff. Though sometimes I use superglue anyway because it actually doesn't fog the LED in a meaningful way unless you get it on the lens.

I have a large project that has need of an independent power supply for one area, and I was thinking about using a microcontroller to switch off the main power when the NMH battery is fully charged. Something like telling it "if v=12 disconnect power, else connect power to batteries" to ma...

I'd also like to remind everyone how easy this is with a Microcontroller like Arduino: You can set those two values however you like. There's no restriction on the duty cycle as there is with a 555, and you don't need to rewire your circuit if you change your mind about the flash rate or duty cycle...

Hmm... a new problem seems to have emerged. I thought I could simply put a diode across R2 and that would cause it to strobe rather than have a >50% duty cycle. Well, none of the diodes I've tried have worked. I used a 1N4004 and a 1N485A, plus a couple more that I found in the parts bin. It still h...

I think you miscalculated your RC time and you have an LED blinking at too fast a rate for the eye to detect. I think your off blink time is about 10 msec. I suggest increasing your resistor and or capacitor values to get a longer RC time. Turns out you were right! I had been calculating it on the ...

You might be right about the miscalculation. I'll rework it and see if I can find a configuration that works. You're thinking of a monostable configuration if you think it needs an exterior trigger to fire. The monostable configuration will only fire once. The astable configuration will oscillate on...

Additional thought. Are you trying to make a strobe blink? I use a signal diode in parallel to r2 for strobing, which gives the short duty cycle. No diode if just going for a nav light cycle. Yeah, hence the 1N4004 (It's a 1N4004, not 4005, btw). I want a strobe, not a nav light. Without looking at...

I built a 555 timer in an astable multivibrator configuration. I checked all the connections and it looks like it's hooked up right, but when I apply power the light just stays on instead of blinking. This is a common problem I have with this type of circuit, but I'm not sure what causes it or how t...

It'll have to be a two-part mold, I'm afraid. I'm copying an old engine dome for the Enterprise kit, and it is a rather complex shape. I'm thinking about simply coating the interior of the cavity with degassed epoxy and then pressing the two halves carefully together to make a whole part. The part d...

If I degas it and put in a good mold release, can I cast epoxy glue?

No, I'm building the AMT kit, actually.

Is there any way to get more than 5v from the receiver coil? I can use 3.5v light sources if I have to and put in a voltage divider, but I would prefer to use the 12v LED tape.

Part of the problem with this is that the surfaces of the saucer and battlehead don't physically touch except on three standoffs. I could put wires through them, though. There are three, which could be the ground, +VCC, and strobe light control. I could also put in a magnetic reed switch to switch f...

So I'm working on the USS Enterprise-D, and naturally my client wanted the saucer section to be lit independently of the model... So I was wondering if the idea I had would work. I don't want the electrical contacts to be visible. Could I use a cell phone induction charger in the battle head to char...

Thanks for all the input, guys. The reason I would rather use MEK than solvent-based welders is that it's cheaper. I can get a big can of it at Walmart for $4 vs. the $5 it costs to get a bottle of Ambroid or something. If drying time is really the only big disadvantage, then I think that will be fi...

Hmm... okay. What about dissolving it in something like Tamiya Thin or other solvent-based glue?

So I am going to be building the SFSM Survey class vessel, and I was wondering how good or bad an idea it would be to chop up some of the scrap plastic left over from cutting out the parts, dissolving it in some MEK, then putting it in the oversized panel lines all over the model?

I'm going to buy one of these fairly soon. My budget is $500 or less, and I need the machine to be able to cut through 060-080 gauge sheet styrene. But I don't have a clue what I'm looking for... I would hope it would come with software, too. So what would you guys recommend?

So there was a really good video on making photoetch posted here a while ago, and I've been thinking about using it to make some detail parts for the Zvezda Star Destroyer kit (mainly the hangar crane and some ribbed detail for the edges of the engine bank). But it only explains how to do simple par...

Well, as long as the kit has a strobe and nav light circuit, it will do fine for your purposes.

Thanks for the tip. I'll give it a try on a piece of scrap plastic and see if it helps.

So I did some experimentation with Model Master buffable metalizer paints for a client's build, and while the paint looks awesome after you buff it, when I sprayed it with Testor's metalizer sealer, they ended up looking like I hadn't buffed them at all. Buffable metalizers are really delicate thoug...

I've been looking through different serving plates. I've already identified several interesting ones to use for what I have in mind. I just wish I could move faster on this commission so I could get to this fun build!

Yeah. I would actually suggest wearing rubber glove long enough to cover your forearm. But other than that, this is a really nice tutorial. Thanks for the link.

Well, it depends on how the LEDs are being hooked up. I can't imagine 12V not being enough to power them all in parallel, because they only need about 3.5V each and in parallel, current is what varies, not voltage. I can see the LED tester testing them all in parallel because this will eliminate the...