help with lighting 1/350 Enterprise

interstellarmodeler · Mon Mar 18, 2013 10:14 pm

Hi, I was trying a dry run before final assembly of the kit and found that none of the window lights in the primary hull are coming on. The running lights and impulse engines work and he secondary hull and warp engines do to. Any suggestions? I've checked my connections and they all seem in order.

Styrofoam_Guy · Post by **Styrofoam_Guy** » Tue Mar 19, 2013 3:04 am

Sounds like there is a problem with the wire going from the circuit board in the secondary hull to the primary hull. Maybe that wire was somehow plugged in backwards on one of the circuit boards.

Do the navigation lights and individual LEDs work on the primary hull?

interstellarmodeler · Tue Mar 19, 2013 10:42 am

Styrofoam_Guy wrote:Sounds like there is a problem with the wire going from the circuit board in the secondary hull to the primary hull. Maybe that wire was somehow plugged in backwards on one of the circuit boards.

Do the navigation lights and individual LEDs work on the primary hull?

Thanks for your reply. Yes..... the running lights, impulse engines, bridge lights, and lower navigation array all work. The only ones are the window lights. I'll recheck the wire connecting the primary and secondary hull boards.

Redag · Post by **Redag** » Tue Mar 19, 2013 11:59 am

You reference the engine lights, but do you mean the lights for those windows are not lighting, or is it possible there is an obstruction? Did you do anything to clear a path from your LED lights to the outside of the saucer rim? Bearing in mind that it is partly blocked by the interior circumferential ridge in the kit?

Glorfindel · Post by **Glorfindel** » Wed Apr 10, 2013 8:44 pm

Just a guess but are you running sufficient mA through the window circuit? If the NAV and strobes are running and the impulse engines light it tells me the circuits are drawing more mA to get their LED's to pulse leaving enough for the red LED's for the impulse engines to fire but none for the window lights. 6/9w power source would be fine but the forward mA should be higher.
But if they're wired in parallel the problem would be if one LED goes out then they all go. Wiring in series is better because of this.
If it's LED strip there could be a short before the connection on either side of positive or negative, or simply a loose connection that needs to be reattached and soldered.
Good luck.

Glorfindel · Post by **Glorfindel** » Wed Apr 10, 2013 8:48 pm

Oh' by the way I could, and most likely am, wrong about the mA thing and the circuits the NAV's and strobes pull.

Paulbo · Post by **Paulbo** » Wed Apr 10, 2013 8:57 pm

I'm assuming you're using the Polar Lights TOS lighting kit. If so, did you check that the LED strips are properly polarized? Typically the red wire should be connected to the + side of the strip and you want to make sure that it's connected to the + connector on the board (don't have the kit, so I'm not sure how it goes together).

Adamjohn · Post by **Adamjohn** » Tue Apr 23, 2013 4:29 am

Paulbo wrote:I'm assuming you're using the Polar Lights TOS lighting kit. If so, did you check that the LED strips are properly polarized? Typically the red wire should be connected to the + side of the strip and you want to make sure that it's connected to the + connector on the board (don't have the kit, so I'm not sure how it goes together).

I agree with you, if you connect wire with wrong connection then it might be some problem with lighting effects. There are lots of different type of lights but apply it according to door kit.

Gerry · Post by **Gerry** » Sat Apr 27, 2013 9:22 pm

Same Ship - Different Problem

The TOS 350 Enterprise
If you are doing the Polar Lights lighting kit
The circuit board has a Q and an R light string
Q - shuttle bay lights
R - rear half of engineering hull & tail landing lights

Both light strands work individually when plugged into their
sockets on the circuit board.

BUT - here's the problem.
If I plug the R string of lights in the power goes out to the Q string.
Either will light up, but not both.
Has anyone else had this problem?
Anyone know why this happens?
How did you overcome it.

I am CURSED when it comes to lights.
I was doing the 350 REFIT Enterprise, got the saucer sealed up tight
and half the lights stopped working in there. It's sitting in a box
waiting for my next bon-fire!

I don't want toss this one, but both strings of lights should work
Why

Styrofoam_Guy · Post by **Styrofoam_Guy** » Tue Apr 30, 2013 2:21 am

Q and R look like 3VDC circuits. I measured 2.79VDC with my multimeter.

Sounds like the current draw is too much when you plug in the Q and R circuit. I can only guess at the reason.

1. The soldering is not clean and is short will not allow you to draw the higher current.
Check the back of the circuit board and make sure there is no stray solder that is causing a short circuit. Also make sure the back of the circuit board is clean. To much flux used during soldering can also cause a short circuit. Cleaning this up can help

2. Somehow the resister value (R2) to the left of the Q and R plugs, is wrong or is not working and is limiting the current that will flow through the circuit. The colour stripes on my resister are brown, brown ,gold.

Gerry · Post by **Gerry** » Tue Apr 30, 2013 7:35 am

Thanks. I'll check the back of the board.
Appreciate the help.

Gerry · Post by **Gerry** » Mon Jun 03, 2013 6:08 pm

Finished my enterprise.
Not perfect, lots of flaws, but overall I like it a great deal.
AND it's the first lighting project I ever got to work. The others got trashed.

VIDEO - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VniGkFKSjEY
PICS - http://gerry1of1.wordpress.com/star-tre ... rise-1350/