[thrakkorzog]

On the PL 1/350 refit kit the saucer has an inner wall between the lights and the windows. The LED's light this wall OK and diffuse it pretty well but I'm wondering if you guys cut this wall out where the windows are to get the windows really bright?

If this doesn't make sense, let me know and I'll post pics.

 

[Raist3001]

Yes, I cut the wall away in order to let the light shine thru.

 

[jwrjr]

My motortool got a lot of use cutting the gaps for those windows.

 

[John P]

Me too - I cut the wall away and affixed two LEDs for each set of windows, aimed so their beams fill the window area. I also rough-sanded the back of the clear parts to diffuse the light.

It's nowhere near finished, but here's my lighting test pics so you can see what I'm on about - (I'm doing it as a single-engine destroyer, hence the shuttle bay in the saucer) :

http://www.inpayne.com/temp/lucifer-036.jpg
http://www.inpayne.com/temp/lucifer-024.jpg
http://www.inpayne.com/temp/lucifer-025.jpg
http://www.inpayne.com/temp/lucifer-026.jpg
http://www.inpayne.com/temp/lucifer-027.jpg
http://www.inpayne.com/temp/lucifer-028.jpg
http://www.inpayne.com/temp/lucifer-029.jpg
http://www.inpayne.com/temp/lucifer-030.jpg
http://www.inpayne.com/temp/lucifer-031.jpg
http://www.inpayne.com/temp/lucifer-032.jpg
http://www.inpayne.com/temp/lucifer-033.jpg
http://www.inpayne.com/temp/lucifer-034.jpg
http://www.inpayne.com/temp/lucifer-035.jpg

 

[falcondesigns]

Is that the back of a wookies head in the lounge?Great work John!

 

[Steve244]

Me too - I cut the wall away and affixed two LEDs for each set of windows, aimed so their beams fill the window area. I also rough-sanded the back of the clear parts to diffuse the light.

for someone with electrophobia you got a lot of stuff in there. The Flying Spaghetti Monster lives!

 

[beeblebrox]

Spaghetti? I thought those were Jefferies Tubes!

 

[thrakkorzog]

Well I cut those buggers out. What a huge difference - they are glowing brightly WITH the masking compound on. I can't wait to see them when I remove the masking!

Thanks! This board rocks!

 

[KUROK]

Is that the back of a wookies head in the lounge?Great work John!

Yeah, one guy in the lounge looks like he's in his birthday suit!

Seriously, that is cool.
Are the LEDs hooked in parallel mostly or in series?

 

[spe130]

Well I cut those buggers out. What a huge difference - they are glowing brightly WITH the masking compound on. I can't wait to see them when I remove the masking!

Thanks! This board rocks!

Glad I recommended it.

 

[Nosirrag]

Now that you mention it, that's a very good point. Why are the Starfleet types always in their uniforms? In the lounge, you would think they would be lounging, not in a military uniform. Is the implication that in the 24th century people don't "dress down?" Or must they always be ready for duty. Do they sleep in their uniforms? It all seems just a tad weird to me.

 

[Prowler901]

Well, in the Navy we always wore our uniforms on the ship when at sea (except for sleeping ). Regardless of whether you were on watch or not. At sea you are always on duty. So perhaps that is the paradigm they are following.

Regards,
Todd

 

[John P]

for someone with electrophobia you got a lot of stuff in there. The Flying Spaghetti Monster lives!

God bless cheap strings of Christmas LEDs at Target. I just jammed them in there, no wiring or soldering or anything rquired.

Are the LEDs hooked in parallel mostly or in series?

I don't even know what that means. I took them out of the box and stuck them in the model.

 

[Steve244]

God bless cheap strings of Christmas LEDs at Target. I just jammed them in there, no wiring or soldering or anything rquired.

Your tree must look kinda bare.

If you're powering them from 120V,AC then they're in series. It's safe as long as you don't monkey around with the circuit as it came out of the package. They even have small fuses in the plug. They should be reliable, however there is the concern that if one fails they all will fail (or at least half of them).

Do they twinkle?

 

[frontline]

The lights he's using (and I will be using) are battery powered. The Target ones dont twinkle. but I also bought some Walgreens ones and they do twinkle, but I'll never use that feature

 

[John P]

What tree?

The strings are 18 LEDs connected to a four-AA battery pack with switch. The strand is two wires twisted, and even becomes three wires in places.

 

[DL Matthys]

The wireing looks nice...cool that it's all 6 volt too!
What about blinkers and strobes? You have plenty room left for circuits. :thumbsup:

DLM

 

[Lloyd Collins]

Panic time for John! :lol:

 

[thrakkorzog]

If I may hijack my own thread...

Do you guys also drill out the little nav light holes, discard the plastic part (#216) and insert a micro LED right up through the hull? It doesn't seem like the tiny amount of plastic that sticks through is enough...

 

[DL Matthys]

If I may hijack my own thread...

Do you guys also drill out the little nav light holes, discard the plastic part (#216) and insert a micro LED right up through the hull? It doesn't seem like the tiny amount of plastic that sticks through is enough...

It's SOP with most trek models...A standard operating procedure for drilling and shaping for LEDs to best fit your plastic.

I am also fond of turning down the diameter of 3mm Leds down to 1 mm with the LED chucked into a power drill or lathe. I use a file to do the grinding. Once ground down to the smaller diameter is in more scale than the full 3mm diameter of the LED.

DLM