Pat Amaral wrote:A few years ago, FSM printed an article where a guy hacked one of those little am radios (the kind you get for free a a promotional item) to have the earphone output drive a red LED. He used it to light a campfire in a diorama. I don't remember all the details but, at the time, the idea seemed like a solid way to get a truly random flickering effect.
That works well, especially if you can pick up a strong AM radio station. The receiver doesn't have to be too fancy - a way of tuning it would be handy, though. The output of the radio can be amplified or buffered before being sent to the LEDs.
It's probably easier than building a true noise generator - building a good noise generator is often as hard as getting rid of noise!
I attended my nephew's wedding this past weekend. They chose to use the flickering LED tea lights as part of the centerpieces at the tables and being the geek of the family, I managed to bring home a bag of around thirty of them. I think if one were to gang three of these things together, the effect of a small fire of welding scene might be feesible. By themselves, I don't think the effect is quite realistic enough.
Pat A.
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50% Nerd, 50% Geek, 100% Cool
Good score Pat! You never really struck me as being a geek. You seemed pretty personable and together. I scored a tiny radio that I want to use now for a burning effect in a destroyed Excalibur. Thinking of using a CMOS seven segment display driver in conjunction with some AND gates to channel the signal to LEDs then into fiber optics. It will also need a clock like a 555. Just my thoughts at the moment.
I'm not a geek, I swear!
Last edited by Balok on Fri Apr 03, 2009 8:09 pm, edited 1 time in total.
<i>
Always remember
we stand on the roof of Hell
gazing at flowers.
</i>
Ok. If my score wasn't geeky enough, I have one of these that I use when I read in bed (no, I didn't pay that much for it). So, since I don't have an immediate need for the tea lights, now I have an extended supply of batteries for the reading light.
Pat A.
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50% Nerd, 50% Geek, 100% Cool
Okay, if that thing fits on your head I'd say you're a geek. I wear something similar when I take my telescope out. Usually I think of a geek as being someone who is so socially awkward that people are repelled or someone who can't communicate. You fit a loose definition as do I, but not my narrower one.
Geeks of the world unite, you have nothing to lose but your Blackberries.
<i>
Always remember
we stand on the roof of Hell
gazing at flowers.
</i>
Richard Baker wrote:<snip> Inducted power would be a great boon to some displays where the model is suspended on monofilament or a landing bay where all the ships, no matter what position they are in, get powered.
YEA!
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I wanted to use an acrylic rod to mount a starship but couldn't find any Transparent Copper wires to power the beastie. Inducted power would greatly simplify things! Got my vote!
"If you're losing the game, change the rules!" Midshipman James T. Kirk
I have a toothbrush that charges by induction when you place it on it's holder. It is a Sonicare Elite. Maybe you could use something like that. It will charge an internal battery while on a stand.
Basically, you are creating a transformer, one set of windings in the base and the receiving end in the model.
BTW, any suggestions for the BEST lighting kit for the NX-01 1/350 model? I have three that I am working on and REALLY need lights.
Thanks, I've actually got one of those toothbrushes now. A friend had one and the mechanism siezed but the motor and electronics still work so that should be much fun to take apart.
As for the "best" kit for a 350th NX-01, well, I'm biased but there's my BIG Starship kit which will light that kit very well and soon there will be my "Delux Spinner" kit which provides rotating chaser light effects, with adjustable speed control, for lighting the front of the warp engines.
Madman Lighting wrote:Thanks, I've actually got one of those toothbrushes now. A friend had one and the mechanism siezed but the motor and electronics still work so that should be much fun to take apart.
As for the "best" kit for a 350th NX-01, well, I'm biased but there's my BIG Starship kit which will light that kit very well and soon there will be my "Delux Spinner" kit which provides rotating chaser light effects, with adjustable speed control, for lighting the front of the warp engines.
Pat Amaral wrote:I attended my nephew's wedding this past weekend. They chose to use the flickering LED tea lights as part of the centerpieces at the tables and being the geek of the family, I managed to bring home a bag of around thirty of them. I think if one were to gang three of these things together, the effect of a small fire of welding scene might be feesible. By themselves, I don't think the effect is quite realistic enough.
I just picked one of these up for $2.99 at Michaels. If you pop the
top and use a white LED hooked up opposite from the yellow LED
it makes a very convincing welding effect. (i.e., its off most of the
time flashing on randomly) Disable the yellow one and use some fiber
optics.
--
-Jason Ware
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VISIT MY ASTROPHOTOGRAPHY HOMEPAGE!!
ASTRO IMAGES FOR DOWN-LOAD, PRINTS http://www.galaxyphoto.com
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My Other Hobby....High Power Rocketry http://www.galaxyphoto.com/rockets.htm
---------------------------------------------------------
VISIT MY ASTROPHOTOGRAPHY HOMEPAGE!!
ASTRO IMAGES FOR DOWN-LOAD, PRINTS http://www.galaxyphoto.com
---------------------------------------------------------
My Other Hobby....High Power Rocketry http://www.galaxyphoto.com/rockets.htm
I just wanted to thank people for having a look here and giving me valuable feedback.
I hope I've met your needs, at least in part. The new Republic Cruiser kit is a huge success so far, the first five units sold in a day. More are built and on the way. I regret that will be a modest price increase, the labor in winding up so much fiber for the kit is significant.
The Fast Tramp Freighter (Millennium Falcon) kit is also a big hit, more of those have also been made and are on the way.
The wireless power transfer project is dead I'm afraid. With my new job keeping me busy and the technical difficulties in bringing such a thing to life, its just too much at this time.
In future, I still hope to complete some more projects that only Madman Lighting can do to give you all unique lighting effects.
Again, thank you, thank you all very much, for all your support and for buying my products. Because of the success of Madman Lighting, I have landed two real jobs and greatly improved my life.
I think if one were to gang three of these things together, the effect of a small fire of welding scene might be feesible. By themselves, I don't think the effect is quite realistic enough.
