What are some useful bits to start with?

[riplikash]

(I'm sorry if this is ground already covered, I'm trying to read through the archives and stickies, but there is a lot and I haven't quite found this information yet, so I thought I would just ask)
I can be long winded, so I'll start with the short version:
What bits and tools would you recommend to someone just getting into electronic model lighting? What sizes of wires, resistors, LEDs, and fiber optics do you typically use?

Longer version:
This is my first post on this forum, so hello. I'm a long time miniature painter/modeler and have recently decided to branch out into starship models, and consequently, electronic lighting. I've been lurking and reading up on the subject for a couple of weeks, but as I begin to make purchases I could use some input to maximize my ability to learn.

I have some experience with electronics from my taking some electronic engineering courses in college, so I have a broad idea of the equipment I need, but I'm a bit fuzzy on the specifics, especially in relation to this scale. Most of the tutorials and videos on the subject have been...fuzzy on the subject, usually something along the lines of "I don't really know the why's of how many resistors, etc. to use, so I just put some in to see what works". Not the most helpful thing in getting started.

So my question to you is, what would you consider to be some good starting equipment and bits to get?
Testing breadboard and soldering iron seem obvious.
What types of wire?
What strengths of resistors do you find you usually work with?
What sizes and types of LEDs do you find most useful?
Are there any other particularly useful tools I'm not thinking of?

Thanks in advance.

[Ziz]

Wire - stay with something in the mid-20's gauge. That's thin enough to run through most models but still heavy duty enough to handle higher voltages. Get both stranded and solid - stranded for threading thru slots and grooves, solid for laying down a path in a larger kit and having the wire stay in the shape you want until you glue it in place.

Resistors -Values need to be calculated based on your power supply voltage vs. the quantity and type of LED's you're using.

http://www.csgnetwork.com/resistcolcalc.html - this will give you the translation from colors to values
http://led.linear1.org/1led.wiz - this will give you basic calculations for what the resistor value needs to be depending on the other components in the circuit.

LEDs - Start with a mixture of LEDs since each size and type have different uses depending what kit you're lighting.

Other stuff - Desoldering braid or a "solder sucker" - use these to remove solder from connections where you got too sloppy or need to take something apart for troubleshooting.

Other stuff - Shrink tubing & electrical tape to cover your connections to prevent short circuits.

Other stuff - an assortment of wire cutters and needle nose pliers.

[ChrisQ]

What sizes of wires, resistors, LEDs, and fiber optics do you typically use?

In addition to what Ziz said, I would like to add that almost all starships (except Klingon ships) I can think of use white LEDs so they are a safe bet to stock up on.

I have only lit a few ships so far, but I discovered that it's preferable to light the insides of ships with one or two 10mm bulbs instead of a bunch of 3 or 5 mm's. Less wires, less time, and a nice even glow throughout. Therefore I keep 10 packs of clear 10mm, 10 packs of diffused 10mm, and a 100 pack of white 3mm. I order the colored LEDs when planning out my build because they are usually just for running lights.

Also if you plan to use the same voltage for every single model, you can buy your resistors in bulk. I buy 100 packs of 150 and 180, and 220 and they suit any need that comes along.

[en'til Zog]

I'd like to add:

Fine point needle nose pliers, for handling little parts & bending wires. Both smooth jaw & "grabby" types.

A fine wire cutter or "diagonal cutter" or "dyke".

A simple "wire wrap" tool and several different colors of rolls of 30 gauge wire wrap wire - very handy for connecting up LEDs & chips.

A 20 watt fine point soldering iron is good for small parts. Too much heat can ruin parts. Quickly.

Fine multi-core flux based solder - never acid core solder. (Also good for modeling plumbing runs and piping.)

Start cruising the sale "fliers" at the Electronic Goldmine (www.goldmine-elec.com) or ALL electronics. Lots of different LEDs and arrays cheap.

Most electronics houses sell small "experimenter's breadboards" which are great for trying out circuits before you stuff them into a model.

And welcome to the madness.

[riplikash]

Thanks everyone for the quick and helpful input. The advice really helps me feel more comfortable making purchases online.

Now I have seen heat shrink tubing mentioned in several places, but from what I can tell you need a 60$ tool (heat gun or shrink oven) to use it, correct? I had been planning on just using electrical tape and putting that off until I start a second round of purchases.

[Ziz]

You can heat the tubing with your soldering iron if it's a small piece and you just briefly touch the iron to it. You can also do it with a cigarette lighter or even a hair dryer if it's powerful enough.

[Grumpy Popeye]

The high end heat guns you find at electronic stores can be expensive. I found that for the amount I use it, this was a better option, a crafter`s heat gun:

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EmKZllgfd9I/T ... Y3001-.jpg

you can find them at most craft stores for around twenty bucks.

Also, the best place to buy your LEDs is ebay, just remember to check the seller feedback before you buy. So far I`ve had no problems whatsoever getting them in China

[Scott Hasty]

Thanks everyone for the quick and helpful input. The advice really helps me feel more comfortable making purchases online.

Now I have seen heat shrink tubing mentioned in several places, but from what I can tell you need a 60$ tool (heat gun or shrink oven) to use it, correct? I had been planning on just using electrical tape and putting that off until I start a second round of purchases.

This is a good example of how Harbor Freight is a great resource. You can get a kit of various sized shrink tube, a heat gun and a good enough (good enough for simple readings) DMM...if you have one locally. I use all three with zero problems...

[Sparky]

I use the barrel of the soldering iron, not the tip for heat shrinking. The tip will be hot enough to start to burn the tube but its not a problem for the tube more of the tip is getting dirty when this happens.

Get a tub of tip tin-er to help keep your tip in working order and use it often while using it, (between cleaning the tip and tinning it you will see your soldering experience improve). There's a good how to on soldering somewhere I'll send you a link to the pdf.

Also for tip cleaning while in use I like the brass scrubby pads, the help remove solder without causing a lot of heat loss like wet sponges tend to do.

[brt]

What size of shrink tube fits best generally?

[Sparky]

There are 2 sizes you should get, one for the wires to protect against short circuits and one to help bundle plastic fiber optic bundles to the face an LED.

So the second one depends on the LED type.

But for wires and inline resistor solder points you'll want 1/16th and 1/8th probably.

1/4 inch is good for fiber/LED coupling.

Also if you can get them get LEDs with flat faces (omni directional emitters), this avoids having to sand off the lenses and re polish the faces, when using an LED to feed multiple fiber optic feed points of light.