Search found 100 matches
- Wed Dec 09, 2015 12:46 pm
- Forum: Lighting & Electronics
- Topic: Frickin' Lasers
- Replies: 7
- Views: 17621
The traditional way to get a laser to paint a circle is to shine it onto a mirror mounted at an angle on the end of a spinning motor - that way none of the laser assembly needs to spin. Shine the result onto another spinning mirror and you can create all sorts of cool lissajous patterns :) https://w...
- Wed Dec 09, 2015 8:20 am
- Forum: Lighting & Electronics
- Topic: Frickin' Lasers
- Replies: 7
- Views: 17621
Laser diodes are constant current devices like LEDs, but are far more sensitive to abuse. Whereas you can get by using a series resistor to limit the current on a low power LED, you're more likely to damage a LD using just a resistor due to operating changes whilst in use (e.g. temperature) These ch...
- Tue Jun 16, 2015 4:57 am
- Forum: Construction
- Topic: unwarping a resin display base
- Replies: 2
- Views: 6578
- Wed Mar 11, 2015 2:19 pm
- Forum: Construction
- Topic: So I can't use Mr. Surfacer to prime a vinyl figure?
- Replies: 23
- Views: 58746
- Thu Feb 12, 2015 4:36 am
- Forum: Lighting & Electronics
- Topic: Microcontroller Projects
- Replies: 53
- Views: 175575
- Mon Feb 02, 2015 2:16 pm
- Forum: Lighting & Electronics
- Topic: Lighting help
- Replies: 3
- Views: 7517
You've got some fairly serious issues with that circuit! Firstly, the switch is basically short-circuiting the battery when it's on (which will give you the impression it's off because the rest of the circuit will get no current). You need to put the switch between one pole of the battery and one le...
- Sat Jan 31, 2015 8:05 am
- Forum: Construction
- Topic: Perfect Plastic Putty
- Replies: 31
- Views: 87694
- Thu Oct 09, 2014 1:13 pm
- Forum: Construction
- Topic: Black acrylic or plexiglass for obolisk
- Replies: 14
- Views: 23563
- Fri Jul 11, 2014 7:41 am
- Forum: Lighting & Electronics
- Topic: Fibre optics issues
- Replies: 4
- Views: 9415
What's more likely to be the issue here is the light output rating of the LEDs in question. Measured in candelas (cd) or milli-candellas (mcd) (1 cd = 1000 mcd) it can range from the dim end around 10 mcd up to hyper bright 10's of cd. As technologies have improved it's become possible to push out m...
- Thu Mar 20, 2014 8:37 am
- Forum: Lighting & Electronics
- Topic: 9 or 12 volts
- Replies: 8
- Views: 15412
The only time the lighting in my kits gets demonstrated is at shows, where there is usually no mains supply available so everything is designed to be battery powered. That means careful consideration over what is actually needed by the circuit, rather than taking what is available and burning off th...
- Wed Feb 19, 2014 9:48 am
- Forum: Lighting & Electronics
- Topic: SMD led, Bluetooth and the thing with rotating nacelles
- Replies: 12
- Views: 18538
- Wed Feb 19, 2014 4:08 am
- Forum: Lighting & Electronics
- Topic: SMD led, Bluetooth and the thing with rotating nacelles
- Replies: 12
- Views: 18538
The Arudino pins never provide more than 500 mA of current, which is enough for a couple of leds, but no motor. At least not with a load to it. Just to call this out, the ATMEGA in the Arduino is rated at an absolute maximum of 40mA per output - and that does not mean it is safe to continually oper...
- Fri Jan 17, 2014 7:52 am
- Forum: Lighting & Electronics
- Topic: 9 volt to 3 volt circuit help needed
- Replies: 5
- Views: 6723
- Thu Jan 16, 2014 1:47 pm
- Forum: Lighting & Electronics
- Topic: 9 volt to 3 volt circuit help needed
- Replies: 5
- Views: 6723
- Mon Nov 18, 2013 11:45 am
- Forum: Lighting & Electronics
- Topic: Alpha Centauri UFO Lighting Modiule V2
- Replies: 0
- Views: 15584
Alpha Centauri UFO Lighting Modiule V2
Lost this in the recent outage, so posting again... I've just done a major redesign of my lighting board for the Pegasus Alpha UFO of this so that all the control electronics are now on the one PCB that drops into the saucer http://i113.photobucket.com/albums/n202/ants-nest/Kits/DSC_3372.jpg Full de...
- Wed Oct 02, 2013 12:47 pm
- Forum: Lighting & Electronics
- Topic: Question from a lighting novice on the TOS lighting kit
- Replies: 7
- Views: 10736
- Fri Jun 14, 2013 2:31 pm
- Forum: Lighting & Electronics
- Topic: Arduino mini or comparable
- Replies: 5
- Views: 8112
Compatibles are functionally equivalent units not actually made by Arduino in Italy - since it's all open source, anyone can produce their own unit with identical behaviour, but usually the compatibles are 'expanded' in some way or another. The nano is a smaller version of the standard unit (i'm a b...
- Wed Mar 06, 2013 6:13 pm
- Forum: Lighting & Electronics
- Topic: LED diffusion question
- Replies: 5
- Views: 9890
- Thu Nov 29, 2012 2:00 pm
- Forum: Lighting & Electronics
- Topic: What type of wire do you use?
- Replies: 4
- Views: 4139
Solid core wire is very prone to failure at anchor points (connections etc) if handled much. I'd always use multistrand if at all possible. If you can't find very thin stuff, try stripping down 2 core audio cable for headophones etc - you can usually find some nice stuff inside the braided screen la...
- Mon Oct 15, 2012 12:32 pm
- Forum: Lighting & Electronics
- Topic: LED problem
- Replies: 6
- Views: 4567
- Tue Jul 24, 2012 12:35 pm
- Forum: Lighting & Electronics
- Topic: Will an 8-hole AA battery pack work with only six batteries?
- Replies: 14
- Views: 14455
As an aside, if you're using just LEDs why are you going all the way up to 9v only to have to drop it back down to the LED voltage? 4.5v should be fine, maybe 6v tops if you have some exotic white or blue devices with a high forward voltage. If you're looking for longevity, move up from AA to C cell...
- Wed Feb 29, 2012 2:02 pm
- Forum: Lighting & Electronics
- Topic: What kind of connector do I need?
- Replies: 6
- Views: 8517
You probably want a micro JST type connector like the ones at the top of this page http://www.jst-mfg.com/product/search_e ... =11&page=1
[Edit: Stupid sites with frames!]
[Edit: Stupid sites with frames!]
- Tue Feb 21, 2012 11:27 am
- Forum: Lighting & Electronics
- Topic: Pegasus Alpha Centauri lighting
- Replies: 17
- Views: 20335
- Tue Feb 21, 2012 6:15 am
- Forum: Lighting & Electronics
- Topic: Are bulk LEDs on eBay any good?
- Replies: 6
- Views: 7988
Couple of things to remember... You're not buying from eBay, you're buying through eBay - they are just the gateway to connect you and the vendor. The quality of that vendor (and their goods) can rate from 100% to 0% Most semiconductor devices are made on large wafers that are cut up into individual...
- Thu Feb 16, 2012 8:50 am
- Forum: Lighting & Electronics
- Topic: Can anyone help me with LED circuit layout planning?
- Replies: 31
- Views: 27208
A few helpful (hopefully!) comments In 30+ years of hobby electronics, I've never had an LED die in a correctly configured circuit. As long as it's operating within its spec, spontaneous death is _extremely_ rare and not something you need to factor into assembly. What is more likely is death from i...
- Thu Jan 26, 2012 2:34 pm
- Forum: Lighting & Electronics
- Topic: Pegasus Alpha Centauri lighting
- Replies: 17
- Views: 20335
- Wed Jan 25, 2012 12:43 pm
- Forum: Lighting & Electronics
- Topic: Pegasus Alpha Centauri lighting
- Replies: 17
- Views: 20335
Small update on the UFO here http://www.antsnest.net/blog/?p=107
Been a bit busy with the 'real' job hunting....
Been a bit busy with the 'real' job hunting....
- Tue Jan 10, 2012 4:01 pm
- Forum: Lighting & Electronics
- Topic: Pegasus Alpha Centauri lighting
- Replies: 17
- Views: 20335
I just posted an update with some video of the lighting module running
http://www.antsnest.net/blog/?p=97
http://www.antsnest.net/blog/?p=97
- Wed Jan 04, 2012 2:32 pm
- Forum: Lighting & Electronics
- Topic: Pegasus Alpha Centauri lighting
- Replies: 17
- Views: 20335
Pegasus Alpha Centauri lighting
I'm currently developing a lighting module for the Pegasus mini UFOs - can be used standalone with just a power source for static lighting, or coupled with my LED driver externally for animated lighting sequences.
More details on my blog
http://www.antsnest.net/blog/
Ant
More details on my blog
http://www.antsnest.net/blog/
Ant
- Sun Dec 04, 2011 1:16 pm
- Forum: Lighting & Electronics
- Topic: Microcontroller Projects
- Replies: 53
- Views: 175575
I've had a lot of success with the board I produce - got a variety of applications now. There are some sample videos up on my web site here http://www.antsnest.net/LEDDriver.php
Keeping it simple and generic means its easy to adapt to all sorts of uses
Ant
Keeping it simple and generic means its easy to adapt to all sorts of uses
Ant