I've been cruising this forum as well as the general internets in search of a few things and I'm not really finding them so thought I'd chirp up for some help.
The diorama is an Aliens Based Diorama so I need some lighting effects. I've been able to find strobes for LED's, so thats cool as well as some other things but I am still in search of two things! The first is a way to make a compact blinking LED that I can easily variably alter the rate of blinkage. Ideally the entire thing would fit in about a 2x2 box or circle and would have a dial or switch that would allow me to change the speed at which the light blinks.
Second, I'm looking for a rotating yellow light, like the emergency warning lights you see on some types of vehicles. I've seen the simulation rotating lights but that's not going to work in this case, it actually has to rotate.
Third and finally, I'd like to be able to light some stuff up with flourescents, and I've noticed they have some small flourescent bulbs that might work for my purposes but if anyone has any better ideas that would be awesome, especially if I can make it so they flutter, like they're current is being disturbed.
Just a note, I'm not a real handy guy, I could probably learn to wire from the bottom up if I had to but I'd rather purchase premade kits, or, toys/railroad pieces I can tear apart to get what I need.
diorama plans, need some help on lighting
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en'til Zog
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Hi, red5angel
If you could use just a blinking LED or two, I'd suggest Self Blinking LEDs, but those aren't variable. www.allelectronics.com has several types, colors, and sizes of those.
Here's a circuit that makes a nice variable blinker - if you feel like learning a bit about chips and wire wrap....
http://www.kc6sye.com/images/circuits/4 ... pdated.jpg
Just use the bottom part of the circuit - the 4023 bit, and connect the 'out' to your LED.
I can't think of any specific pre-made variable cheap flasher circuits, although several of our board members offer assorted pre-made circuits.
There's a lot more in "Electronic circuits help" and the LED sticky in the main Lighting and Electronics threads. Assuming you want to learn more of the arcane arts of blinkification.
If you could use just a blinking LED or two, I'd suggest Self Blinking LEDs, but those aren't variable. www.allelectronics.com has several types, colors, and sizes of those.
Here's a circuit that makes a nice variable blinker - if you feel like learning a bit about chips and wire wrap....
http://www.kc6sye.com/images/circuits/4 ... pdated.jpg
Just use the bottom part of the circuit - the 4023 bit, and connect the 'out' to your LED.
I can't think of any specific pre-made variable cheap flasher circuits, although several of our board members offer assorted pre-made circuits.
There's a lot more in "Electronic circuits help" and the LED sticky in the main Lighting and Electronics threads. Assuming you want to learn more of the arcane arts of blinkification.
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Sparky
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We also wanted to make a real warning light, omni directional LEd with reflector rotating around it. So far the only thing I could come up with is to modify a small hobby servo to continuously rotate. Then build the circuit needed to generate the signal a servo needs to drive it. As of now I only have reference sites. Its a project I need to get back too though.
<a href="http://www.kc6sye.com/2_wheresaneatpart.jpg" target="_Sparky">Is this plastic thingy on the counter a neat part?</a> <a href="http://www.kc6sye.com/1_casting_inprogress.jpg" target="_Sparky">Let's cast it.</a>
I might have a solution , providing you have enough room beneath the warning light.
The problem with such a warning light is that you need 2 insulated contacts that are pressed against an axle.
Unless:
See this diagram, i'll explain it afterwards.
http://i251.photobucket.com/albums/gg29 ... llight.png
With this contruction the led itself and the inner tube are fixed and an outer tube rotates.
first get a tube that has the same outer diameter as the base of the led.
cut it at the desired length. I would suggest carbon tubes , since they are available in diameters that can slide into eachother.
I cannot tell you how long, since that depends on te thickness of the hull, the space below etc.
You will have to measure and use your best judgement there.
solder wires to the led, insulate them pull the through the tube.
Glue the LED to the top of the tube.
Now you have a tube with LED on 1 end and 2 wires sticking out on the other end.
Now take a piece of tube with an inner diameter equal to the outer diameter of the first tube, so you can fit the first one in.
Glue a flange on it with a rubber ring on the edge or a cog wheel.
now file the top of the led flat and paint some black paint on the rim so that it forms a ring around the top of the LED 0.5 mm is more than enough.
Glue a non transparent circle of the same diameter as the outer tube centred on the led.
This will stop the outer tube from moving upward later.
on the oposite end of that flange you dril 2 hole through the tube exactly centred on the spot where the center of the light from the led would be.
stick the inner tube through the outer tube, so the oposite side of the flange with the holes is running against the circlular cap of the inner tube(you could fill the inner tube with epoxy before you do that to ad more stregth to the tube)
now make a ring with the same diameter as the outer tube and glue it onto the inner tube so the outer tube can rotate freely around the inner tube, but not move up or down.
Fix the inner tube in such a way that the end of the outer tube sticks through the hull into the transparent dome.
Now you can use the axle of the smallest electromotor you can find to rotate the outer tube through friction on the rubber ring.
The LED is fixed and you can connect it using a serial resistor.
I have seen electromotors with gearboxes that have like 50, 100, 200 and 500 rpm and are only 1.5 cm diameter and 2,3 cm long.
More common is 2.3 cm diameter and 3-4 cm long.
If you used a cog wheel you can put the axle at 90 degrees angle to the rotating tube.
I have made rotating warning lights as small as 6 mm diameter like this
But that is provided you have enough space under the surface.
There are several variations on this concept, but you'll have to figure them out yourself.
Hope this is helpfull and the drawing is clear enough.
i came up with the original idea when i needed a device for a lighthouse, on a HO gauge diorama (with enough space below the baseplate to make it out of metal tubes and cogwheels, which a friend from a clockmakers hobbyclub generously made for me).
Almost the same methode, but instead of the 2 holes near the end of the outer tube, just cut a piece out of the outer tube where the LED is and paint the inside that is visible chrome, then you have a small device that works just like the real thing, a dish shaped mirror rotating around a lightsource, converging the light in 1 direction and blocking it in the oposite while rotating.
Another method would be to take a piece of solid fibreoptic endlight wire,
make a prism on the end (file, sand and polish it, so it has 2 surfaces at 45 degree angles put some black paint on the tip, deviding the surfaces use a tube with the right diameter as a bearing and fix that so the end of the fibre sticks out through a hole in the hull and glue a tiny reflective cone on the inside of the top of the transparent dome that is on the outside.
his will limit the light to a diabolo shape (2 cones with their tips touching) and not shine upward.
Glue a flange on the fiber optic with a rubber ring to rotate it through friction from an axle of an electromotor.
Then just put a bright white LED at the end so it's light will shine into the fibreoptic.
This i haven't tried , but in principle it should work.
The problem with such a warning light is that you need 2 insulated contacts that are pressed against an axle.
Unless:
See this diagram, i'll explain it afterwards.
http://i251.photobucket.com/albums/gg29 ... llight.png
With this contruction the led itself and the inner tube are fixed and an outer tube rotates.
first get a tube that has the same outer diameter as the base of the led.
cut it at the desired length. I would suggest carbon tubes , since they are available in diameters that can slide into eachother.
I cannot tell you how long, since that depends on te thickness of the hull, the space below etc.
You will have to measure and use your best judgement there.
solder wires to the led, insulate them pull the through the tube.
Glue the LED to the top of the tube.
Now you have a tube with LED on 1 end and 2 wires sticking out on the other end.
Now take a piece of tube with an inner diameter equal to the outer diameter of the first tube, so you can fit the first one in.
Glue a flange on it with a rubber ring on the edge or a cog wheel.
now file the top of the led flat and paint some black paint on the rim so that it forms a ring around the top of the LED 0.5 mm is more than enough.
Glue a non transparent circle of the same diameter as the outer tube centred on the led.
This will stop the outer tube from moving upward later.
on the oposite end of that flange you dril 2 hole through the tube exactly centred on the spot where the center of the light from the led would be.
stick the inner tube through the outer tube, so the oposite side of the flange with the holes is running against the circlular cap of the inner tube(you could fill the inner tube with epoxy before you do that to ad more stregth to the tube)
now make a ring with the same diameter as the outer tube and glue it onto the inner tube so the outer tube can rotate freely around the inner tube, but not move up or down.
Fix the inner tube in such a way that the end of the outer tube sticks through the hull into the transparent dome.
Now you can use the axle of the smallest electromotor you can find to rotate the outer tube through friction on the rubber ring.
The LED is fixed and you can connect it using a serial resistor.
I have seen electromotors with gearboxes that have like 50, 100, 200 and 500 rpm and are only 1.5 cm diameter and 2,3 cm long.
More common is 2.3 cm diameter and 3-4 cm long.
If you used a cog wheel you can put the axle at 90 degrees angle to the rotating tube.
I have made rotating warning lights as small as 6 mm diameter like this
But that is provided you have enough space under the surface.
There are several variations on this concept, but you'll have to figure them out yourself.
Hope this is helpfull and the drawing is clear enough.
i came up with the original idea when i needed a device for a lighthouse, on a HO gauge diorama (with enough space below the baseplate to make it out of metal tubes and cogwheels, which a friend from a clockmakers hobbyclub generously made for me).
Almost the same methode, but instead of the 2 holes near the end of the outer tube, just cut a piece out of the outer tube where the LED is and paint the inside that is visible chrome, then you have a small device that works just like the real thing, a dish shaped mirror rotating around a lightsource, converging the light in 1 direction and blocking it in the oposite while rotating.
Another method would be to take a piece of solid fibreoptic endlight wire,
make a prism on the end (file, sand and polish it, so it has 2 surfaces at 45 degree angles put some black paint on the tip, deviding the surfaces use a tube with the right diameter as a bearing and fix that so the end of the fibre sticks out through a hole in the hull and glue a tiny reflective cone on the inside of the top of the transparent dome that is on the outside.
his will limit the light to a diabolo shape (2 cones with their tips touching) and not shine upward.
Glue a flange on the fiber optic with a rubber ring to rotate it through friction from an axle of an electromotor.
Then just put a bright white LED at the end so it's light will shine into the fibreoptic.
This i haven't tried , but in principle it should work.
Democracy may be only a few steps removed from anarchy,
But at least it's not as loud.
You broke your little ships. See you around Ahab.
But at least it's not as loud.
You broke your little ships. See you around Ahab.
a friend of mine once made rotating emergency light (just like the "real" thing) for a scratch built sullaco (spelling) but i don't know if it's something you want to try to replicate.
It involved a tiny motor from a Betamax video recorder and a grain lightbulb set inside a yellow housing.
Yhis is the only way I can think of if you want rotating light instead of just a blinking light.
It involved a tiny motor from a Betamax video recorder and a grain lightbulb set inside a yellow housing.
Yhis is the only way I can think of if you want rotating light instead of just a blinking light.