i was just modding a prototype tail cap Manker sent me for the new X6/X5 lights. They came with two 2ohm resistors, one for each LED (red). Removing one of the resistors made it better (less bright) but I still found it to be too bright so I changed it to a single 3.9ohm resistor and it wouldn't even light up at all. I swapped in a single 2.5ohm resistor and it is about perfect.
i love the idea of a pot being built in but wanted you to know that anything over 3-4 ohms is pointless. The workable range is only about as high as 3ohms in my findings so using anything too wide in range will be nearly impossible to dial in to even get it to light if you use a 50k or higher like I read some of you wanting to do. Try to use a pot with as low a range as possible.
If anyone has had a different experience than I did I'd love to hear about it. :)
Found this Alumisol soft plastic casting resin which might work to make translucent or tinted buttons. A hardener is also available if the stuff is too flexible.
LOL! You are correct, sir. I read it wrong. Even still, I used a 3.9k resistor (392) and mine wouldn’t light at all. Still holds that a 50k pot is far too much, agreed?
That may be do to the SMD Leds they sourced, but more likely to the color used. They are blue, right? I usually use something with a lower Vf. It’s all relative.
I totally agree on the pot. I saw a 20k, so I was going to go for that unless I could find a 10k or 15k.
They sent mine red. The others got blue. I guess they wanted to test different colors. Just trying to dial in the proper resistance as the red are extremely bright with the same resistors as the blue.
What is good to confirm is that the lights function perfectly with a standard switch installed instead of the LED switches.
My X5 and X6 samples are blue, I detached one of the 2K resistors to cut the output and then covered the white nylon spacer with Kapton tape to further suppress it. The X5 on the left has 3 layers of Kapton, the X6 has one. I have pink boots on mine, where JM has clear boots on his red LED’s.
Too much variation for samples, but I’m really liking the soft purple glow I’m getting.
Compared to a single candle, the camera was set to duplicate what I saw, many shots were taken, this was closest to my vision…
and in full darkness, again as close to what I saw as possible…
I have since moved to only one layer of the Kapton tape on the X5.
When you get these finalized, with the potentiometer and all, I’d love to have a parts list so I could order the materials and assemble some boards. Like djozz, I have no background in electronics so the experimentation y’all do is beyond me. I can hack stuff together if told what parts to use though.
Pffft who here has a background in electronics? Not me… Its not that hard to pick up on the little things, like you did with the lathe.
I ordered my latest boards from osh the same day I shared the link, and I already have the switches, but I haven’t ordered pots yet. If I’m the first to build the new design I’ll report back. I’m sure pyro has already ordered everything too.
Once we get 1 or 2 “final” designs tested, I might organize a small groupbuy from somewhere other than Oshpark to get thinner boards. I’m not sure yet.
Hey all. I’ve been lurking here for a few days (just found this forum while searching for components to play with). After reading through this thread in it’s entirety, I gotta say thanks for all the work so many of you have put into this idea.
Here are a few other translucent or glow tailcap sources for those who are interested in making various color effects, or are having trouble obtaining clear ones:
