EDIT: I ended up using Method 1, due to so many wires in method 2.
Wiring, that's the hardest part of this thing. I want to do Master/Slave. I'm talking about 4 boards and 4 batteries. That does not really go together with Master/Slave (at least to me it doesn't), when the boards and batteries are in four different heads and bodies.
I'm scratching my head, but it still hurts.
So, I think I have to make each battery power one 3-Up. It also has to power the "Master Driver", (I wanna say Master Blaster sooooo bad, LOL). Anyhow, that means three of the batteries have to be isolated from the drivers that will be in the heads, since the Master only gets power and it provides power to the other three drivers. But,..... The LEDs need direct power from the positive terminals of the batteries too.
If I use the batteries individually, where three of them each power a 3-up and the fourth powers the forth 3-up, but it also has to power the master driver, which means, all the drivers. I think that battery is going to drop out before the rest of them.
What if I wired the batteries so that they are four in parallel and they all come to one junction. Then I can send power to each of the 3-ups and to the Master driver and it all draws on the batteries equally. (well, equal being if the four batteries are well matched).
Which way sounds better? See the diagram below.
Oh, which batteries? Well, I figure on four Li-ions. I would imagine they would need to be IMR. I have also thought of extending the bodies and do 12 NiMHs, but I really don't want to do that. Too costly and it's costly enough as it is.
What is the consensus here on which way to go?
Glam, glam, glam
Beam shots - nuff said...
Garage Door control shot
LOW
MEDIUM
HOT - I mean HIGH
Control
LOW
MEDIUM
HOT! - I mean HIGH again
Control
HIGH
Last but not least. To the end of the pond.
It was a very hazy night tonight. A front is approaching and it's hot, sticky and very hazy. That shows up in the photos and it does affect the light some.
The batteries are new Efest IMRs. I charged them before going out with the light. My feeling is that they are giving everything they can, but it's still not maxed out.
On high, it gets warm within a few seconds. It gets (for me), too warm in 30 seconds and I did not do any long term stuff as I felt it was not good for the light or the batteries (which get warm fast too).
It's a WOW light and a unique shelf queen, but not practical at all unless it's on low.
That is it, I'm done.
Thanks for watching the thread.
