I'm looking for some input and advice. After I bought the 1:350 refit and lighting kit, I realized I needed to start smaller to gain some experience. I have just received the first of several Deluxe 8 boards I will be buying (thanks STM) and will be learning on a few small models first. They will all be displayed in the same room, and over the years I will add more as they are completed.
I wish to be able to walk into the room, hit a single toggle mounted next to the light switch, and have all the models light up. I think they all will be the Deluxe 8 kits, and I want to be able to support 8-10 of them.
I have been thinking about this for some time now and since I have the first lighting kit in hand it's time to start researching. I made a caveman drawing to give an idea of what I am thinking. I have a very limited and basic knowledge of electronics so if there is something I am not considering or missing altogether please point it out. Assume I know nothing. I am here to learn.
I guess the biggest question is - is there a 9v transformer out there that can handle 8-10 of these boards? If not I am open to any and all suggestions on how to accomplish this.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v260/ ... ghting.jpg
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Moderator edit to convert pic to link.
Many Deluxe 8 boards, one switch
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Madman Lighting
- Posts: 1818
- Joined: Sat Mar 05, 2005 9:16 am
- Location: Serenity.
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A very good question.
There are a couple ways to do this.
1) Several small wall power supplies, each one powering one model, all plugged into a power strip with a switch on it. If the wall light switch in your room turns on a wall outlet, plug the power strip into the wall.
2) Get a very big wall power supply, 12VDC preferred, and plug it into the above mentioned switched wall outlet.
The formula for how big to buy goes like this: Each Delux-8 card draws about 0.1 amps (ie 100mA). So, if you want to run 10 cards, you would need 1 amp of power from your wall power supply. So you'd buy a wall power supply that makes 12 volts DC, with a power rating of at least 1 Amp.
This device will work:
http://www.mouser.com/ProductDetail/Eme ... J2KGqco%3d
Now comes the slightly more complicated part. You need a way to get power from your one big supply to each model. There's very many ways to do this. The simplest is to buy a bunch of DC power jacks and sockets, like the kind that powers all your small electronics from a wall power supply and make a power distribution box. This would be a box that your big power supply goes into, and has lots of places for models to plug into. Basically a distribution node.
Unless you feel comfortable wiring up such a beastie, buy lots of small power supplies and a power strip. Its simpler to build and if you mess up one, all the rest will still work.
This device will work for just one of my cards:
http://www.mouser.com/ProductDetail/Phi ... 9jdL2W8%3d
This device will power 3 of my cards (ie a BIG Starship Kit)
http://www.mouser.com/ProductDetail/Sta ... oGHg%3d%3d
Good luck!
Or, you could buy a supply directly from me if you want to be nice and all that.
There are a couple ways to do this.
1) Several small wall power supplies, each one powering one model, all plugged into a power strip with a switch on it. If the wall light switch in your room turns on a wall outlet, plug the power strip into the wall.
2) Get a very big wall power supply, 12VDC preferred, and plug it into the above mentioned switched wall outlet.
The formula for how big to buy goes like this: Each Delux-8 card draws about 0.1 amps (ie 100mA). So, if you want to run 10 cards, you would need 1 amp of power from your wall power supply. So you'd buy a wall power supply that makes 12 volts DC, with a power rating of at least 1 Amp.
This device will work:
http://www.mouser.com/ProductDetail/Eme ... J2KGqco%3d
Now comes the slightly more complicated part. You need a way to get power from your one big supply to each model. There's very many ways to do this. The simplest is to buy a bunch of DC power jacks and sockets, like the kind that powers all your small electronics from a wall power supply and make a power distribution box. This would be a box that your big power supply goes into, and has lots of places for models to plug into. Basically a distribution node.
Unless you feel comfortable wiring up such a beastie, buy lots of small power supplies and a power strip. Its simpler to build and if you mess up one, all the rest will still work.
This device will work for just one of my cards:
http://www.mouser.com/ProductDetail/Phi ... 9jdL2W8%3d
This device will power 3 of my cards (ie a BIG Starship Kit)
http://www.mouser.com/ProductDetail/Sta ... oGHg%3d%3d
Good luck!
Or, you could buy a supply directly from me if you want to be nice and all that.
That Madman Who Lit Up Deep Space Nine
or you can take an old ATX power supply and convert it...
http://www.instructables.com/id/ATX--%3 ... onversion/
http://www.instructables.com/id/ATX--%3 ... onversion/
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Madman Lighting
- Posts: 1818
- Joined: Sat Mar 05, 2005 9:16 am
- Location: Serenity.
- Contact:
Ok guys I didn't realize that people had responded to my thread so I am sorry for not replying sooner.
Modifying the PSU is exactly what I am going to do. Thanks!
I am also building a spray booth at the moment and came across this exact same problem when figuring out how to power three 1.6 amp 12v muffin fans. I didn't want to use a power supply with leads hanging all over the place but they don't seem to make a 5 amp wall wart. I could modify a laptop charger but if I'm going through all of that I may as well modify a PSU that I've already got lying around and make it look halfway decent.
Modifying the PSU is exactly what I am going to do. Thanks!
I am also building a spray booth at the moment and came across this exact same problem when figuring out how to power three 1.6 amp 12v muffin fans. I didn't want to use a power supply with leads hanging all over the place but they don't seem to make a 5 amp wall wart. I could modify a laptop charger but if I'm going through all of that I may as well modify a PSU that I've already got lying around and make it look halfway decent.
Minor update - I modified my first PSU tonight and it worked out great. No explosions and I learned a bit about electronics.
The 3 muffin fans I am running off of it pull 1.6A each. The power supply peaks at 18A on the +12v rail. I can't imagine that a lighting kit without any fans or motors pulls more than 1000mA (probably much less) so I figure I will run out of room to display models before I overtax the power supply.
Thanks again for the ideas.
The 3 muffin fans I am running off of it pull 1.6A each. The power supply peaks at 18A on the +12v rail. I can't imagine that a lighting kit without any fans or motors pulls more than 1000mA (probably much less) so I figure I will run out of room to display models before I overtax the power supply.
Thanks again for the ideas.