Willing to pay someone for lighting help!
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Stellar_Expanse
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- Joined: Wed Aug 16, 2006 9:55 pm
- Location: Great Lakes State
Willing to pay someone for lighting help!
A complete novice here.....I need someone to help me create strings of LEDS for a Star Trek Model. uss_ticonderoga@wowway.com
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MillenniumFalsehood
- Posts: 17033
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Well first, which kit are you talking about?
Second, how extensive a lighting system are we talking about here? You could just do the engines and running lights, or are you talking about windows, blinkers, chasers, warp engines, the whole schebang, y'know?
Third, there's several LED calculators on the 'net that you could use to find out how much power you need, what size resistor you should use, etc.
Fourth, here's a real simple analogy:
Say you work for a guy who gives you 12 dollars to spend. You can spend less that that, but no more. So you get five items, each of which costs 2.05. That leaves you with 1.75. This money goes to the petty cash box, which is designed to hold exactly 1.75, which you calculated in the first place.
The money is the voltage, in this case twelve volts. The items are LEDs. And the petty cash box is the resistor. Your circuit has to balance, as in: if you have twelve volts to "spend", the components you are using need to equal twelve volts. Once you eleminate the amount of voltage(and amperage) those LEDs need, you compensate for the imbalance with a resistor. You can use a potentiometer(variable resistor) to find the amount needed. Just turn it all the way down, then hook it up to your LEDs and turn it up slowly until the LEDs are at the brightness you desire, then use a volt meter to find out how much resistance the potentiometer is carrying.
Second, how extensive a lighting system are we talking about here? You could just do the engines and running lights, or are you talking about windows, blinkers, chasers, warp engines, the whole schebang, y'know?
Third, there's several LED calculators on the 'net that you could use to find out how much power you need, what size resistor you should use, etc.
Fourth, here's a real simple analogy:
Say you work for a guy who gives you 12 dollars to spend. You can spend less that that, but no more. So you get five items, each of which costs 2.05. That leaves you with 1.75. This money goes to the petty cash box, which is designed to hold exactly 1.75, which you calculated in the first place.
The money is the voltage, in this case twelve volts. The items are LEDs. And the petty cash box is the resistor. Your circuit has to balance, as in: if you have twelve volts to "spend", the components you are using need to equal twelve volts. Once you eleminate the amount of voltage(and amperage) those LEDs need, you compensate for the imbalance with a resistor. You can use a potentiometer(variable resistor) to find the amount needed. Just turn it all the way down, then hook it up to your LEDs and turn it up slowly until the LEDs are at the brightness you desire, then use a volt meter to find out how much resistance the potentiometer is carrying.
If a redhead works at a bakery, does that make him a gingerbread man?
Ponies defeat a Star Trek villain? Give them a Star Wars award ceremony!
Ponies defeat a Star Trek villain? Give them a Star Wars award ceremony!
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Stellar_Expanse
- Posts: 1061
- Joined: Wed Aug 16, 2006 9:55 pm
- Location: Great Lakes State
Re: Willing to pay someone for lighting help!
Geert....Please contact me atStellar_Expanse wrote:A complete novice here.....I need someone to help me create strings of LEDS for a Star Trek Model. uss_ticonderoga@wowway.com
george_winder2003@yahoo.com