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DIY LED Bat Top joy sticks
tylerwerrin:
making another knob isn't a problem, I think it is in the LED's I'm using -- they are 20ma RGB's, and with the 1/8 watt resistors that the LED calculator instructed me to use, they are incredibly dim, barely lighting up the knob at all. Are the RGB led's that you guys use 40ma? or would that not make a difference. Perhaps the resistors are too strong?
RandyT:
--- Quote from: tylerwerrin on April 25, 2014, 12:31:05 am ---making another knob isn't a problem, I think it is in the LED's I'm using -- they are 20ma RGB's, and with the 1/8 watt resistors that the LED calculator instructed me to use, they are incredibly dim, barely lighting up the knob at all. Are the RGB led's that you guys use 40ma? or would that not make a difference. Perhaps the resistors are too strong?
--- End quote ---
The ones I mentioned above will draw about 100ma with RGB at full on. It's almost too bright for our balltops, but they really pop. When used with an LED-Wiz, they can be tuned lower if desired, so that's a better problem to have than what you are battling. The wattage of the resistor is only the amount of power it can handle. It doesn't directly affect the current. As long as it isn't getting too hot, it's probably ok. But higher output LEDs will likely require a higher wattage resistor.
The resistance value is what you need to check. If you don't have the correct value, or if it was calculated based on a voltage other than the one you are currently using, it may not be letting enough current pass for the LED. Also keep in mind that a standard LED is going to be significantly brighter when viewed from the top down, than from the side. Diffused lenses will spread the light out more than clear ones, but there is still an optimal viewing angle, the center of which is brightest.
With something like this, getting the brightness correct, along with the proper color density, is going to be a delicate balancing act due to the geometry. Higher output LED's with denser colorants will mean better diffusion. Lower colorant density with lower output LED's will mean "hotspotting". Something in the middle will be practical.
Scorpie:
Really interested in this, armi0024 do you guys have any idea when your prototype will be production ready? :)
SpatzST:
reviving this thread because I definitely want an LED Bat top =)
Scorpie:
Another bump, really looking forward to this.
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