AMT Enterprise-E

[Morningstar]

Hi All,

I hope you can help guide me through this project.

I’ll start at the beginning. I’m a huge Star Trek fan and have been watching everything for a long time. As a young boy I got my hands on an Enterprise-D and started painting it. Then I also bought a Klingon Bird of Prey. Then life got in the way and the projects got shelved for decades. Last summer I decided to start (or finish) the Bird of Prey. I finished last December and had to decide what to do next. My wife decided for me by buying the Enterprise-E. After looking at the decals and such it wasn’t as detailed as the D and the Bird of Prey. So I went online to see what I could do to improve it. What beauty I saw.

So, now I’m here and I decided to take this project to the next level. I’ll be using an Aztec design and using the airbrush more. But first of all I need your help/advice.

I’m going to light this project. I used to be an electrician in the 90s so I’m used to the formulas, LEDs and such. I also have knowledge of different programming languages.
But here’s the first piece of advice I need. What do I use to program all lights? I’m planning on having the following:
- interior lights (on/off)
- navigation lights (blinking)
- impulse engine lights (on/off)
- Bussard collectors (strobing)
- Warp nacelles (on/off)

I’ve seen tenacontrols but they don’t have what I want. Arduino is a possible option but I need advice which component I need.

Other questions I have at the moment:
1) Should I drill out all my windows first or paint the inside first? Or doesn’t that matter.
2) How many layers should I use on the inside? I’ve seen 2 layers of black and the 2 layers of white.
3) What paint should I use. I’ve seen people use spray cans, but should I be aware of particular contents of a can that could do something with the plastic?

I’d love to hear all your advice. I’m very willing to study.

Kind regards,
Morningstar

P.s. I live in the Netherlands so ordering from American stores and such will be expensive. I can’t get my hands on any paragrafix or tenacontrols easily.

[EVApodman]

For the interior, paint it black while holding it up to bright light. When the light is completely blocked then you have enough paint. Any black modeling paint is fine.

Paint first or cut out windows? Good question. I would cut, then paint.

Since there is no lighting kit for this model I assume you will be illuminating the interior. This means painting the interior white or silver over the black to get maximum reflection. Read the K'tinga thread to see how people have physically placed their LEDs and reflectors to do this.

Blinking lights can be done either by IC's or by programming a microprocessor. Both have advantages and disadvantages.

You talk about some lights being on or off. Does this mean an external control? For this you will have to run wires down a hollow tube to the base and switches.

There is another thing to consider which I have run into doing the k'tinga model. Since your windows are holes in the model you will have to consider how spray painting the hull will affect them. Obviously you don't want to paint over the window in such a way that it blocks the light coming out it.

This can be solved by doing as much painting/decaling as possible before putting in lighting, or by putting the LEDs, diffusers away from the openings so they aren't affected that much.

[Morningstar]

Thanks for the advice!

Today I went to a model shop about an hour away from me and got some black and white spray paints for the interior.

What I meant by on and off it’s that they will only go on or off and nothing special. Since I’m pretty good at programming I’m thinking Arduino is the way to go. Only I’m still not sure how which module I need. Anyone have any experience with Arduino?

You might think I’m crazy but is there a paint that’s transparent which I could use to fill in the windows so the lights wouldn’t be to bright? Or should I leave them open.

I’m having fun with the windows. The trick is getting the all the same shape. I think I’ll start documenting this and see how I can post them on the forum.

[EVApodman]

With the K'tinga model I used white paper to lessen and diffuse the light so I wouldn't have bright spots.

I have heard of stuff used to fill in windows that dries clear. But that means it would have to be masked over if there is any painting,

[Morningstar]

What if you do the windows last, so all the painting is done and only assembly is left? I was thinking of finding a syringe with a small needle. All you’d have to do it put masking tape on the inside but that won’t hurt the outer paint.

[seam-filler]

Leave the windows unglazed - just shove some blu-tak, silly putty or plasticene in the hole. Paint & when dry, hook out the putty and use glazing liquid/gel (like Micro Krystal Klear, Humbrol Clearfix) or even good-ole PVA for a transluscent window.

[Ramsayman]

Just thinking. About using paper behind the windows to diffuse the light, instead of white, could you use some of that "patterned" paper that looks like old parchment. I'd think that would give a more realistic look than white. Although I've never done either before.

[TShark]

Ostrich Longneck has a great YouTube series on the use of Arduino in starship models. Pretty much everything you need to learn is there.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TSbSjuB9InE&t=10s

I have a similar electrical background and after watching the Ostrich Longneck series this is how my first Arduino model project came out:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=heYpkpsVrbQ&t=82s

Hope this helps

[Morningstar]

Thanks a lot! I'll be sure to check them out. Been busy lately with work. I'm a teacher so even though I'm home I'm still teaching all my classes. Takes up a LOT of time.

[Morningstar]

Ostrich Longneck has a great YouTube series on the use of Arduino in starship models. Pretty much everything you need to learn is there.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TSbSjuB9InE&t=10s

I have a similar electrical background and after watching the Ostrich Longneck series this is how my first Arduino model project came out:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=heYpkpsVrbQ&t=82s

Hope this helps

Been watching them all with great interest. For the different lighting I’m think of using, how would someone go about deciding the amount of circuits? An Arduino can only power a max of 10 leds. I’m thinking I will need more than that to rig all the lighting effects. So would you program different circuits for different parts?

[TShark]

Ostrich Longneck has a great YouTube series on the use of Arduino in starship models. Pretty much everything you need to learn is there.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TSbSjuB9InE&t=10s

I have a similar electrical background and after watching the Ostrich Longneck series this is how my first Arduino model project came out:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=heYpkpsVrbQ&t=82s

Hope this helps

Been watching them all with great interest. For the different lighting I’m think of using, how would someone go about deciding the amount of circuits? An Arduino can only power a max of 10 leds. I’m thinking I will need more than that to rig all the lighting effects. So would you program different circuits for different parts?

The number of LED's depends on the current draw. You can experiement with Arduino circuits using a breadboard and even run them for a long time to test them prior to installation in the model.

Here is a YouTube link to my TOS Enterprise where I used 52 LED's.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=heYpkpsVrbQ&t=604s

The ship windows lighting did not run through the Arduino, but as a separate circuit tied into the same power switch.

[Morningstar]

Wow, beautiful. Looks great! So the arduino is just used to program the lighting effects for your collectors (and activate your sound board I guess)?

So I assume you split the power from the jack over the arduino and the internal lightening.

Love to see a rough breakdown of your circuit with components.

[TShark]

Wow, beautiful. Looks great! So the arduino is just used to program the lighting effects for your collectors (and activate your sound board I guess)?

So I assume you split the power from the jack over the arduino and the internal lightening.

Love to see a rough breakdown of your circuit with components.

Yes, the Arduino is for lighting effects. I used a separate sound board for the sound effects, because I wanted to experiment with it and did not want to work out the timings needed to put it all on the Arduino. Here is a link to a write-up I did on this build.

http://www.the-modelshop.com/viewtopic.php?f=94&t=66

It includes the Arduino code and at the bottom of the write-up is a sketch of the wiring.

The whole system runs off a 5VDC wall wart. A DPST push button switch is used to control the Arduino circuit on one pole and the sound board/window lighting on the other pole.

[Morningstar]

Wow, beautiful. Looks great! So the arduino is just used to program the lighting effects for your collectors (and activate your sound board I guess)?

So I assume you split the power from the jack over the arduino and the internal lightening.

Love to see a rough breakdown of your circuit with components.

Yes, the Arduino is for lighting effects. I used a separate sound board for the sound effects, because I wanted to experiment with it and did not want to work out the timings needed to put it all on the Arduino. Here is a link to a write-up I did on this build.

http://www.the-modelshop.com/viewtopic.php?f=94&t=66

It includes the Arduino code and at the bottom of the write-up is a sketch of the wiring.

The whole system runs off a 5VDC wall wart. A DPST push button switch is used to control the Arduino circuit on one pole and the sound board/window lighting on the other pole.

So the power source you used was a 5V 2000mA wall wart and this powered the Arduino, the sound card and all the LEDs? How did you devide the power? It’s not clear from your breadboard layout. Or I’m looking at it wrong.

[TShark]

Yes, the wall wart powers everything. By staying with 5VDC LED's and using the 5VDC wall wart I avoiding additional circuity to step down voltages. The diagram shows all the lighting used in the model. The soundboard is a separate circuit powered off of the same SPST push-button switch.

Both the Arduino board and soundboard are directly attached to the ground of the wall wart jack. The power lead from the wall wart jack goes to one side of the SPST push-button switch (I was wrong when I said I used a DPST). The power leads of the Arduino and soundboard are connected to the other side of the push-button switch. I did wire in a SPST slide switch on the power lead to the soundboard so that I may turn off the soundboard if I want model lights only.

Once you have the circuitry figured out on your bread board then you can solder up a circuit board that you mount the Arduino on. Here is the project circuit board kit I used:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07FF ... UTF8&psc=1

Hope this is a little clearer.

[Morningstar]

Yes, it's clearer. I'm still getting used to breadboards. Never heard of them until I started looking at how to build the lighting circuitry for models. I'm still old-fashioned in that case. I understand more from a diagram because then I can also work out the current and voltage. I'm still trying to wrap my head around how the current is divided. I know the Arduino needs about 200mA to run on about 7-12V, so that would leave 1800mA for the rest of the system. How does the Arduino only take the 200mA? Does it have it's own resistor built into automatically? So many questions. I'm getting dizzy

I'll figure it out. Maybe I should just start with a breadboard, some jumper cables, an Arduino, a few LEDs and some resistors; and just start playing around with them.

[TShark]

Yes, it's clearer. I'm still getting used to breadboards. Never heard of them until I started looking at how to build the lighting circuitry for models. I'm still old-fashioned in that case. I understand more from a diagram because then I can also work out the current and voltage. I'm still trying to wrap my head around how the current is divided. I know the Arduino needs about 200mA to run on about 7-12V, so that would leave 1800mA for the rest of the system. How does the Arduino only take the 200mA? Does it have it's own resistor built into automatically? So many questions. I'm getting dizzy

I'll figure it out. Maybe I should just start with a breadboard, some jumper cables, an Arduino, a few LEDs and some resistors; and just start playing around with them.

Yeah, breadboards were new to me too. They are great to use. There are several Arduino "both genuine and compatible" kits available on Amazon and I would suggest you go that route to start. Remember that the Arduino board that comes with the kit is for coding and testing purposes. Once you have played with the code and circuit design on the breadboard you can buy a MUCH smaller Arduino board, program it, hard wire it, and install it in the model. You might also look at the Adafruit website here:

https://learn.adafruit.com/

They not only have good tutorials, but I found their products to be priced well and fast shipping.

I too came from an electrical background with a little training in electronics. The electrical current usage in electronics seem quite different, but the bottom line is that a 2 amp power supply will power all the lights, sounds, and servo's/motor's you might use.

[Morningstar]

Amazing. Thank you so much for all the advice. I'm going to put it to good use.

[MillenniumFalsehood]

Y'know, since the Arduino can only power a max of 10 LEDs, what I would do is give it two outputs for the formation lights and anti-collision strobes, and three or four for the "lava lamp" effect in the Bussard collectors. Then the rest of the lights can just be powered off mains.