"Help!" for: Electronics

[ventrue]

I picked up a few surface mount LEDs that I intend to use as lighing effects if they are both bright and diffuse enough. The site that I got them from was limited on data about them, and I was wondering what you guys thought about using them. Other than being incredibly small and hard to work with, I don't know much about them, at all.

Aside from the package, they're just like any other LED. If you at least have a part number or something like that, you can try finding a datasheet on the manufacturer's website.

Not sure though how you want to use them. I know that some people solder wires to them (or buy them that way) and use them on their model train stuff, but on a large model like armour or a weapon, small through-hole LEDs seem like the better option to me unless you really need a light this small.

 

[thatdecade]

SMD are dimmer than a regular LED.

 

[Dreadnaught]

I'm thinking about using them as the marker lights on the suit itself. I didn't know they were dimmer that regular LED, I just knew they had a wider view angle... At least, the ones I picked up said they had something like 135 degree view angle, if I recall correctly.

I've got some through-hole LED's as well. I'll use those if the SMD idea doesn't pan out.

 

[Kasaron]

SMDs are great for doing effects that are not a bright, but are also more diffuse, they are also smaller, lending themselves to faux holo-displays and the like. One thing I've seen them used for before it to create lit "dots" between two plates in armor, making it look like it's being powered by some kind of nanofiber mesh or something.

 

[ventrue]

SMD are dimmer than a regular LED.

Only dimmer than the high-power LEDs, right? I don't think they're less bright than the usual low-current modelling LED stuff.

 

[thatdecade]

Depends on the viewing angle and mcd rating.
http://led.linear1.org/lumen.wiz

 

[Kasaron]

Found a little, micro-sized sound player. Looks promising, and best of all, cheap. Since 512megs is plenty to hold any sound you'd want, might be a useful little device.

http://elm-chan.org/works/sd8p/report.html

 

[thatdecade]

It will take a lot of work to duplicate, but great find!

 

[ventrue]

Found a little, micro-sized sound player. Looks promising, and best of all, cheap. Since 512megs is plenty to hold any sound you'd want, might be a useful little device.

http://elm-chan.org/works/sd8p/report.html

Wow, that's definitely the find of the month!

I was so focused on expensive sound modules, I never thought of using something else :-D

 

[Kasaron]

I've been keeping my ears to the ground, I might compile a list of tutorials that are usable by the 405th at large. Here's hoping I can find some stuff!

Quick notes on things will include
Flexible circuit boards
EL Wire
Making custom, special-use motors (including a design I have for a cheapo multistage linear solenoid)
How to find, salvage, and use electronic LCD screens

 

[BlueSol]

Not that I will be building it anytime soon but just wanted to see what you techs maybe have come up with as per a electronic light up system for a Carters wrist "computer/datapad". I seen some people use their Iphones or what have yah but has anyone else made something other?

I'm still working on mine but it's just about complete, I just made a similar picture that looked like the datapad, printed it onto a transparency, and then lit it up with LEDs. It's pretty easy.

 

[thatdecade]

I haven't given up on the electronics side of getting a functional Carters wrist tacpad / datapad. Same concept as BlueSol, will have a transparency overtop of some lights and pushbuttons.
http://www.405th.com/showthread.php/30092-Undersuit-Halo-Reach-(wip)/page8

 

[Nova Reclaimer]

Has anyone tried to make a railgun or coilgun? I think that'll be a cool experiment (assuming you don't get hurt).
Just use the formula F=IlBsinθ, where F=ma. This way you can find the acceleration and then the velocity.

 

[Spartan 215]

Hey there 405th! New guy here.

My armor is just about finished, and it's time to start picking up the electronics... does anyone have any good recs for a voice box? Maybe something that alters your voice a bit?

I've found plenty of Halloween voice changers on good ol' Amazon, but most of them look like junk. Figured someone here might have some sage wisdom to dish out on that.

 

[Dreadnaught]

I was thinking of ripping the guts out of a storm trooper voice changer. You can find them for about $10 on ebay.

 

[Kasaron]

http://blog.littlebirdelectronics.com/tutorial-arduino-and-tft-lcd

http://rossum.posterous.com/three-oleds

Some info on LCD screens.

 

[Spartan 010]

Hey guys! I have come to you for your vast knowledge because honestly, I dont really have any on this subject =P

I am trying to replicate the firing mechanism of these guns and I have no clue whatsoever as to how I can do this... I'm not all too worried about the 'over heating' the toy does (so far as the Plasma Rifle sides popping out and the Plasma Pistol top going up). I am only concerned on duplicating the shooting without spending $400 per gun. (sounds are not 'needed' but would be very cool. (the LCD/LED screen and making the gun shouldn't be an issue) Thank you VERY much!!

Effect wanted V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V

 

[ventrue]

I am only concerned on duplicating the shooting without spending $400 per gun. (sounds are not 'needed' but would be very cool. (the LCD/LED screen and making the gun shouldn't be an issue) Thank you VERY much!!

As usual, an Arduino would work. But... what IS the issue exactly? If you know how to display a countdown on a display, adding a few LEDs that blink whenever the number changes shouldn't be too much of a problem, right? I don't want to give you the whole "How great Arduinos are" speech if you just have a tiny detail question :-D

 

[Spartan 010]

As usual, an Arduino would work. But... what IS the issue exactly? If you know how to display a countdown on a display, adding a few LEDs that blink whenever the number changes shouldn't be too much of a problem, right? I don't want to give you the whole "How great Arduinos are" speech if you just have a tiny detail question :-D

Sweeeet! Thanks bunches! Ok... new question haha. Where I can get the chips where it wont cost an arm, or a leg?

 

[ventrue]

Sweeeet! Thanks bunches!

Ah.. you're welcome? Didn't actually think that would already suffice as an answer though :-D

Ok... new question haha. Where I can get the chips where it wont cost an arm, or a leg?

An Arduino is more than just a chip. It's a whole circuit built around one. You can read all about it on their website (arduino.cc or something) or on tons of other pages (Google knows them all). If you want to put this into a small prop, you'll either have to pick a relatively small Arduino, or make your own board. You can try SparkFun and Adafruit to buy one. I prefer those with removable DIP-chips.

Edit: Sorry for the chopped-off style and lack of links, I'm on my latptop and in the dark, which means I have to fight both darkness and a different keyboard layout while typing :-D