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 LED Lights on Rangefinder

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Azzie

LED Lights on Rangefinder
« on: Mar 24, 2016, 01:38 PM »
I am hoping someone can point me in the right direction.

I've been looking around for tutorials on LED lighting of the Rangefinder and have been unable to find what I am looking for. I see a lot of set ups where they lights and circuit boards are self contained at the end of the Rangefinder. I do not want to go that direct. What I would like is to have a wire run from the circuit board/battery inside my helmet and up through the stalk to two lights in the finder.

I already plan on having the Rangefinder move by remote on my gauntlet through a servo. I would prefer the lights turn on when the rangefinder is down and only through a contact. I'd prefer not to have a switch turning it off and on.

Does anyone know of a tutorial with this setup?

This is all very new to me but I am learning quick. I don't have the background to really take anything apart and reassemble it without guidance.

Thank you for your time.

PS: Forgive me if I call something by the wrong term. I do not know much about electronics.

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Arno Kal-Torra


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Re: LED Lights on Rangefinder
« Reply #1 on: Mar 24, 2016, 10:32 PM »
Check out the mandalorian mercs YouTube page, I believe our Mandalore posted an LED tutorial on there.

Azzie

Re: LED Lights on Rangefinder
« Reply #2 on: Mar 25, 2016, 09:56 AM »
I'll take a look, thank you for the help.

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Wyn Starhawk


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Re: LED Lights on Rangefinder
« Reply #3 on: Mar 28, 2016, 09:59 PM »
Check Mandalore the Uniter's FaceBook page or the Mercs Youtube page. He made a good tutorial that is pretty simple. It will help you with getting the lights set up. And he did the video using my helmet no less! :P Great guy, he is.

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Fi-8015


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Re: LED Lights on Rangefinder
« Reply #4 on: Mar 29, 2016, 03:59 AM »
I think this could be the tutorial the other two were referring to:
http://mandalorianmercs.org/forum/index.php?topic=88648.0

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arc97

Re: LED Lights on Rangefinder
« Reply #5 on: Mar 29, 2016, 09:03 AM »
I think this could be the tutorial the other two were referring to:
http://mandalorianmercs.org/forum/index.php?topic=88648.0
The link in that thread is expired.

Azzie

Re: LED Lights on Rangefinder
« Reply #6 on: Mar 29, 2016, 09:18 AM »
I found the videos which are super helpful on wiring. Thank you all for the direction to them.

The only thing I'm not finding now is making a contact for the lights; when they come down and hit the contact they turn on. It's not the end of the world to hit an on/off switch in the helmet. I just think it would be nicer not to worry about it when the RF comes down.

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Wyn Starhawk


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Re: LED Lights on Rangefinder
« Reply #7 on: Mar 29, 2016, 11:08 AM »
We put a tiny pressure switch in the ear cap so that when the RF is down, it will activate the lights only while the switch is depressed. I do have a battery pack that I can turn on and off so as not to drain batteries. I hope that helps! I will try and take a pic of my setup when I get back from class to help further.

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Azzie

Re: LED Lights on Rangefinder
« Reply #8 on: Mar 29, 2016, 12:05 PM »
If you could take a picture of your setup that would be great! Thank you!

Where did you get the pressure switch that you use?

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Bfahome


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Re: LED Lights on Rangefinder
« Reply #9 on: Mar 29, 2016, 12:22 PM »
You could also put a tilt switch in the business end of the rangefinder, attached directly to the LEDs.  It should function about the same as a pressure switch, or do something like AntMan did and have a couple of wires that contact when the stalk is down, which sounds more like what you were saying initially.

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Azzie

Re: LED Lights on Rangefinder
« Reply #10 on: Mar 29, 2016, 12:26 PM »
I am open to ideas on how to get it to light up only when it's down.

On the AntMan connection, what would the inside look like where the connection is being made and attaches back to the battery?

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Wyn Starhawk


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Re: LED Lights on Rangefinder
« Reply #11 on: Mar 29, 2016, 03:56 PM »
Mandalore pulls all of his electronics out of computer parts, but here is a link to the exact switch we used. This will get you ten of them for about $3! http://www.ebay.com/itm/10x-PC-ATX-Power-ON-OFF-Supply-Reset-Switch-Cable-For-Computer-Motherboard-/181810341430?hash=item2a54bda636:g:OxYAAOSwDNdVrzrj





I apologize if the inside of the helmet is hard to see; its hard to get a good shot of the set up. I've got all the positive leds wired together and they run into the switch and back out to the battery pack. The negative from the leds just runs straight to the pack. The battery pack is a 2 AA w/ switch. I would recommend getting one of those so you aren't always draining the batteries. Mandalore hooked me up with some connectors so that I can remove the battery pack for transport/repairs. Those are fairly cheap too I believe.

On the outside, you can see I dremel-ed out a crevice for the reset switch to sit in, so that the RF depresses it when in the 'down' position. Now, I don't have any servos so I won't be able to help you with that, but I hope this puts you on the right track! And I apologize for lack of technical jargon because electronics intimidate me and I forgot everything from my senior year physics class. Plus it doesn't help your physics teacher wasn't certified to teach it. Thank You North Carolina...

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Azzie

Re: LED Lights on Rangefinder
« Reply #12 on: Mar 29, 2016, 04:00 PM »
Those pictures help a lot. Thank you again! These are a huge help in pointing me in the right direction.

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Azzie

Re: LED Lights on Rangefinder
« Reply #13 on: Mar 29, 2016, 04:11 PM »
Besides color and price, is there anything different from the ones linked on ebay to these that are on Amazon?

http://www.amazon.com/White-Power-Supply-Switch-Motherboard/dp/B00N417LGS/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1459282195&sr=8-1&keywords=ON%2FOFF+Supply+Reset+Switch+Cable

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Wyn Starhawk


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Re: LED Lights on Rangefinder
« Reply #14 on: Mar 29, 2016, 05:31 PM »
Yup, those are the same  ;)

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Enby. They/them.| Aliit Ori'shya Taldin
Re: LED Lights on Rangefinder
« Reply #15 on: Mar 30, 2016, 09:57 AM »
As per my knowledge the negative from the leds just runs straight to the pack. The battery pack is a 2 AA w/ switch. I would recommend getting one of those so you aren't always draining the batteries. Mandalore hooked me up with some connectors so that anyone can remove the battery pack for transport/repairs. Those are fairly cheap too I believe.
On the outside, you can see  dremel-ed out a crevice for the reset switch to sit in, so that the RF depresses it when in the 'down' position.

 


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