PL 1701 1/1000 electronics tutorial posted

[virtualight]

I'm updating my website to include all the different things at which I'm incompetent, and I decided to make a little tutorial on how I built the board for my PL TOS Enterprise.

The website is still being built so very little works except the tutorial. Click the link that says electronics schematics in the left colum.

http://www.virtualight.com/

Thanks,

Jennifer

[virtualight]

BTW, I used those little Christmas lights LEDs strings for $2.50 from Walgreens and Target. Those things were a great find.

Jennifer

[admiralcag]

That's pretty cool!

Vern

[TREKKRIFFIC]

Thanks for posting this ! I have the CultTVMan warp nacelle lighting kit you show so all I would be interested in is a simple circuit for just the nav lights. Do you have anything like that aleady drawn up ?

[virtualight]

I did add a little note on modifying the circuit to just be a flasher, using a 555 chip instead of a 556. Look for the link on the third page of the tutorial. If you still can't figure it out, I can post a schematic that does just that.

JJP

[TREKKRIFFIC]

I did add a little note on modifying the circuit to just be a flasher, using a 555 chip instead of a 556. Look for the link on the third page of the tutorial. If you still can't figure it out, I can post a schematic that does just that.

JJP

I'm not too good with figuring out diagrams. If you have time to post a schematic that would be great !

[virtualight]

But if you never learn how to fish, how will you get your omega-3 fatty acids?

Just kidding. I know how confusing these things are. I'll work up a beautiful 3-D diagram.

Jennifer

[TREKKRIFFIC]

But if you never learn how to fish, how will you get your omega-3 fatty acids?

Just kidding. I know how confusing these things are. I'll work up a beautiful 3-D diagram.

Jennifer

Awesome ! You will be my hero for that. BTW... How many LED's can you flash off one 555 chip using a 9 volt power source ? I'd want to place it in the saucer and run it off the same 9V battery as the CultTVMan nacelle lights.

[virtualight]

You are now asking for technical details beyond my abilities. However, that being said, the original 6V battery pack ran 20 LEDs. Perhaps someone who knows what they're doing would have a better answer.

[Neb]

Thanks so much! Considering a lot of Trek type ships get built on these boards, a simple tutorial and schematic is really helpful.
Let's face it.... most Trek ships have 2 nacelles, a primary hull, a secondary hull. Allthough yours is the 1/1000 version, hopefully I can adapt the same technique to the larger ships I have.

And I have a buttload of those Target LED sets.

Thanks again!

[virtualight]

OK, I've designed the flasher board in a free 3D applicaton called SketchUp, but if you don't want to download it, there are large images that should make it easy.

http://www.virtualight.com/articles/ele ... index.html

Jennifer

[robiwon]

Uh, that link is kinda screwy. It's like a double image!

[virtualight]

Uh, that link is kinda screwy. It's like a double image!

Sorry, I liked what I did so much I decided to redo my entire web site!

I took out the offending stylesheet. Now I just have to figure out why all the text is centered.

Jennifer

[virtualight]

Argh, I hate browser incompatibilities.

Somehow, I've escaped the fact that background fixed is broken in Internet Explorer 6. Even screwier since somehow I got it to work on theAfterNet site, even though I never actually did anything intentional to fix it.

Anyway, the background no longer repeats and the type is no longer all centered.

Of course, the other annoying thing is that the fade I built in doesn't really work in IE (stupid IE 6 doesn't support transparency in PNGs). Honestly, it's like working with sharpened sticks and deer antlers.

Jennifer

[TREKKRIFFIC]

The link worked fine for me. Thanks so much for the nav lights schematics . You just made my life a lot easier. Figure I'll save a lot of money wiring these circuits up on my own rather than paying someone else to do it !

[virtualight]

The link worked fine for me. Thanks so much for the nav lights schematics . You just made my life a lot easier.

No, I just made your life a heck of a lot harder. Soon you'll be cursing me for your burnt fingers and the hole you melted into the side of your model.

But you'll have fish for life.

Jennifer

[robiwon]

Thanks, the link looks a lot better!

[Balok]

You are totally awesome Virtualight! Any chance you'll be getting divorced and moving back to the bay area some time soon? j.k. You are quite awesome though.

[virtualight]

I remain happily married, but thanks for the compliment!

Jennifer

[Balok]

You're welcome. Our loss out here. Credit where credit is due though.

[TREKKRIFFIC]

I found this thread on lighting the PL 1/1000 1701 in my archives and thought it was too good not to revisit. Especially for newbies who may want to light one of the 1/1000 E's but weren't around when it originally posted.