A-Wing newb build

[Jamaicanmodels69]

I have used that exact brand before never had the problem,
maybe it was a combination like G said?

 

[fubar]

What do you guys use to secure your electronics inside a model?

 

[Igard]

Wow, Matt, nice save with that. ;D What a strange thing to happen.

I'd also like to know what everyone uses to secure their electronics. For my Defiant build, I used miliput! Probably not the best thing. ;D

These days, I've got a tube of 5min epoxy that I find does the job.

 

[Splashcoat]

Like Igard, I use blobs of Milliput to secure loose wiring inside a model. It never moves once it hardens and has no reactive problems with electrical insulation or fiber. If there's room inside the model I'll usually trunk the wires or fiber through some styrene tubing to organize things inside the hull. I use cyanoacrylate (super) glue to secure LEDS but sometimes if the LEDS are very small and the cyano might make a mess, I'll flood the area with Future. Future dries rock hard and I've never had any problems with it coming loose.

 

[Jamaicanmodels69]

When you have room i think hot glue works
well and is pretty gentle on the fibers.

 

[Grendels]

When you have room i think hot glue works
well and is pretty gentle on the fibers.

I will second this, it will work and not damage the fibers.

 

[fubar]

Think i've hit the wall.

Is there a way to soften fibre optic cable?

The amount of space i have available inside the hull is small and the fibre keeps snapping when i try to route it out through the mounting hole. I had thought of keeping all the electronics inside the hull but there just isnt the space, especially now i have all the 'missile tubes' taking up extra space, so the new plan is to route the fibre optics outside and have the LED's inside the mounting base.....thats if i can stop the fibres snapping.

My other alternatives are making the model unlit, launching the whole lot over the hedge or walking away for a bit of a cool down. :-\

I cant believe i've spent over a week on this problem, guess i'm just not in the right frame of mind atm for model making.

TTFN Matt

 

[Igard]

It seems like the same problem I was having with my Vor'cha cruiser. I just couldn't get the fibre optics to bend where I needed them. Eventually came to a compromise that doesn't look great (pictures forthcoming).

I don't know if there's a vendor of good quality fibre optics here in the UK. Stuff that actually bends would be nice.

Might have to go overseas to get some better stuff.

But, yeah. I have the same problem.

 

[Grendels]

There is a reason why fibers don't bend much. If you bend them too much, they stop carrying light. In other words the amount of light that they can transmit is dependent upon the curvature of the fiber. For an experiment, take a fiber and keep it straight. Put one end on a light source. Take the other end and start bending the fiber. Notice what happens when the bend gets too extreme. The fiber quits carrying light.

In addition the type of plastic that is used for fibers is quite brittle, this is due to its optical properties. If you make the plastic softer, it will no longer carry light.

Fiber optics are much like a water hose, bend it too much and you get a kink, which stops the flow of water.

 

[Igard]

Thanks Grendels. That makes sense I guess.

Matt, don't know what to suggest, buddy. Carry on and light up those engines in any case, they look awesome!

 

[fubar]

Thanks Igard and Grendals, sorry i guess i just needed to vent my frustration. :

I have a MadManLighting kit for my Republic Star Destroyer on it's way from Starship Modeler so it will be interesting to see if the fibre optic in that is more pliable that the stuff i can get from my local hobby store.

I shall keep the engines what ever i do but it will be a real shame to loose the cockpit lights after seeing them when i tested the circuit out....oh well this was only meant to be a simple refresher build after all i guess. :-\

TTFN Matt

 

[Grendels]

No worries, one question: What size fiber where you using? The smaller the fiber the more flexible it is. a 2mm fiber will hardly bend but a 0.5mm fiber will be very flexible.

 

[fubar]

I'm using 1mm fibre optic, it's all my hobby store has in stock.

 

[Grendels]

the half mm is far more flexible, it would probably do what you wanted. I tried making a sharp bend with 1 MM in the past, it didn't work. The fiber went in just fine, but it would no longer light up.

 

[fubar]

Ok thanks man.

 

[schweinhund227]

John ! If the Fiber you were playing with at the time....didn't Break !!! (Internally) then the bend you had given it probably was “beyond “the maximum bend Radius!!! for maximum light propagation That "Angle" is critical…. and the light (Maybe?) Was trapped between the Core and the Cladding ! bouncing around helplessly !!! and faintly visible at the other end ? or not at all !

Unless you guys are using top of the line fibers....(Glass Type) not the plastics cheap stuff; They will always suffer, some form of Light loss ! extreme Angle (twist and bends).... and it all depends on how you Feed the light into the fiber.... the Focal point at the light source could also influence on HOW good or HOW efficiently the light is travelling into your Fiber.... But I am talking DATA stream here... Visible light shouldn't be a big problem.... the Human eye can't tell ! Beside being ON or OFF !!!

Might as well pass many.... and hope they all pass light in the end !!!

behing a Physics teacher.... (IIRC) you know all about that stuff !

 

[fubar]

I have one question about circuits, when i buy LED's in the model shop or Maplin they give me 1k 5% resistors as standard, now my question is surely the value of the resistor is dependant on the power supply you are using isn't it? Surely they should ask you what your using when you buy them!

I can get all my LED's working fine off 4 x AA batteries in series but they take up tons of space, when i try using a small battery source for space saving like 2 x AAA or a 3v watch battery the LED's are at half brightness at best. :

TTFN Matt

 

[Grendels]

Here is a website that will calculate the resistance needed for your LED's based upon the voltage of your power supply:

http://led.linear1.org/led.wiz

Real simple to use.

If you are running two AA or AAA batteries, depending upon the LED, you may not need resistance at all. White and Blue LED's won't need resistors at that voltage. Red and yellow will. Different LED's require different voltages to light.

 

[fubar]

Thanks for the link mate, i can see thats going to be very useful in the future. 8)

TTFN Matt

 

[fubar]

ROFL.......well i guess my family know me too well....



....whats next, the rest of the armour i wonder? Not sure they make it for a 6'5" nerd. ;D

Hope you all had a fun day.

TTFN Matt