Project Galileo
member
Reged: 11/14/07
Posts: 86
Loc: Douglas County, Colorado
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I need some tech help. Who knows how to wire battery operated stuff?
I am building an accessory/eyepiece case from solid oak. I am wanting to wire some battery operated red LEDs in the box. Ideally I hope to have the lights automatically turn on when the lid is lifted. I also fancy having a dimmer too.
So far I have only found a short strand of red rice lights attached to a plastic AAA battery case with manual switch and also a round "stick-up" type light. The stick up light isn't what I had in mind, I want to conceal the bulbs. The manual string of lights could be hidden well behind moldings but the battery case would need to be mounted more in the open to operate the switch. It is kinda cheesy plastic but would work. I have also thought about drilling holes in the moldings the size of the rice LEDs to be able to countersink them backing them in and out to essentially dim them if I couldn't figure out a dimmer switch. That just might be cool, unique, and pimp anyway. I'm gonna do a dry run to see how it looks/finishes. So that kinda helps with what kind of lights I am wanting to install, leaving the how to automate and alternately dim them.
So, is there anyone who knows a source for micro-lid switches, small micro dimmers, battery boxes, and LEDs? Also, how do you wire all this together? I am just not an electrical guy.
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Orion XT10i
Meade LXD55 AR-6
TeleVue Binoviewers with Seibert 1x/1.3x/1.7x OCA
Minolta 10x50 Binoculars
Edited by Project Galileo (10/06/08 10:37 AM)
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NeoDinian
Experienced Postmaster
Reged: 10/05/05
Posts: 12077
Loc: Rockford Illinois
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Radio Shack has all the stuff you'll need...
As for wiring, here's a simple help site:
http://www.theledlight.com/ledcircuits.html
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Neo... (Jeff)
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10" LX200-GPS/SMT UHTC "Draco"
 Rockford, Il.
NeoDinian's Eye on the Sky!
Coming soon:
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Project Galileo
member
Reged: 11/14/07
Posts: 86
Loc: Douglas County, Colorado
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You rock. I just may be able to sleep instead of surf tonight. Thanks.
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Orion XT10i
Meade LXD55 AR-6
TeleVue Binoviewers with Seibert 1x/1.3x/1.7x OCA
Minolta 10x50 Binoculars
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Project Galileo
member
Reged: 11/14/07
Posts: 86
Loc: Douglas County, Colorado
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I think I get the basics of wiring the LEDs now. I am guessing adding a switch and dimmer to this circut is the same as household wiring/switch installation only smaller.
Here is a peek of the box today. I am pre-fitting all hardware and outfitting the insides before final sanding and finishing.
Edited by Project Galileo (10/04/08 11:38 PM)
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NeoDinian
Experienced Postmaster
Reged: 10/05/05
Posts: 12077
Loc: Rockford Illinois
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Simply put the switch on the positive side, with a variable POT after it... I would insure you still have the correct resistors though, and not just rely on the POT for the resistance... If you turn the POT too high, you could blow the LED's... Having the resistors also will insure you will not do that. 
I would get a switch (forgot the type) that is not just variable, but has a positive lock in the low position... Kinda like it's own OFF position like older radios where you turn the volume down then click off... This way you can be assured the power is off when storing. Then just turn on and set the level you want... When you close the lid, the other switch will turn them off, and back on when opened.
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Neo... (Jeff)
-=-=-=-=-=-=-
10" LX200-GPS/SMT UHTC "Draco"
Rockford, Il.
NeoDinian's Eye on the Sky!
Coming soon:
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Project Galileo
member
Reged: 11/14/07
Posts: 86
Loc: Douglas County, Colorado
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Neo...
...I know kung fu.
Thanks, you are helping so much. I feel like you are pulling the plug thing out of my head and I suddenly know LED wiring. I think I am getting the idea. I will probably stop by Radio Shack on Monday. That beats the heck out of dismantling this Halloween decoration for it's cheesy plastic parts.
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Orion XT10i
Meade LXD55 AR-6
TeleVue Binoviewers with Seibert 1x/1.3x/1.7x OCA
Minolta 10x50 Binoculars
Edited by Project Galileo (10/05/08 01:08 AM)
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Project Galileo
member
Reged: 11/14/07
Posts: 86
Loc: Douglas County, Colorado
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Um, what is a momentary switch? It turns out the front is keeping me awake and away from the eyepiece. Radio Shack had them on their website.
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Orion XT10i
Meade LXD55 AR-6
TeleVue Binoviewers with Seibert 1x/1.3x/1.7x OCA
Minolta 10x50 Binoculars
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NeoDinian
Experienced Postmaster
Reged: 10/05/05
Posts: 12077
Loc: Rockford Illinois
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Just what it sounds like... Momentary... It don't "Lock" in position.. You hold it there, and when you release it, it springs back to the center position.
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Neo... (Jeff)
-=-=-=-=-=-=-
10" LX200-GPS/SMT UHTC "Draco"
Rockford, Il.
NeoDinian's Eye on the Sky!
Coming soon:
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tjmck
super member
Reged: 10/06/07
Posts: 117
Loc: Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
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Dimming LEDs with a pot will not work very well. LEDs have a minimum current required to turn on and will only become marginally brighter as the current increases. There are ways to dim LEDs - most rely on pulse width modulation. For additional explanation and dimming circuits here are three links:
Link 1
Link 2
Link 3
Do not expect the results I think you desire with just a pot.
tjmck
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10" F4.7 Dob - home built
Meade ETX-125PE, 1247 Focuser, DSI Colour
Pentax 20x60 PCF WPII w/ home made parallelogram mount
Numerous eyepieces (don't we all have them?)
Home made accessories: power center, dew controller, observing chair, Hartmann mask, dew shields, counter weights, cases and storage solutions.
Inspiration for most modifications and home made items from CN posts!
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Project Galileo
member
Reged: 11/14/07
Posts: 86
Loc: Douglas County, Colorado
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Thanks for all the help and links. I went to Radio Shack today and got some supplies I am going to test fit the circuit tonight. I plan on doing four LED's in parallel with a micro switch at the lid back. The Radio Shack guy also thought the LEDs wouldn't work too well with the POT so I killed the idea. I think this just may work. The LEDs I got are even in these cool chrome mounts that will really look polished and professional when installed.
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Orion XT10i
Meade LXD55 AR-6
TeleVue Binoviewers with Seibert 1x/1.3x/1.7x OCA
Minolta 10x50 Binoculars
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Project Galileo
member
Reged: 11/14/07
Posts: 86
Loc: Douglas County, Colorado
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I will post more pictures as it evolves.
Edited by Project Galileo (10/05/08 08:55 PM)
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Wes James
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 04/12/06
Posts: 2462
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PJ-
Here's a box I recently built shown here. Might give you some ideas. Nice looking box! Like the box joints.
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Wes
Atlantic Beach, FL
Some bino’s from Miyauchi 5x32 Binon's up through Garrett 20x110 Signature's,
Some telescopes from a Stellarvue 80mm NHNG up through a couple of 8” reflectors…
And a wonderful 4.25" Delmarva Shiefspiegler!
Some good friends, made here on C/N.
Oh- several cats and a wonderful wife!
Anyone want a cat???? :-O
"When your work speaks for itself- Don't Interrupt" -Gamble Rogers
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Project Galileo
member
Reged: 11/14/07
Posts: 86
Loc: Douglas County, Colorado
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Well, the circut works great. I ended up using different LEDs. The 4mm chrome cased ones just weren't bright enough but worked well. I went with naked LEDs and will countersink them myself into some moulding. The SPDT submini lever switch works perfectly. Now I am going to figure out how to hide it all while giving access to change the batteries.
Wes, I checked out your box/case. Well done. I had previously seen the post when doing research and admired your work. How is it working for you? I noticed your measured plans. I am not keen on CAD programs either. I just make it up in my head as I go.
Here is some fun trivia on this case. Height of the case was dictated by the biggest eyepiece, a Stratus 35mm. I decided on depth based on a SWAG. After that, all measurements were based on Fabinachi's Principle/The Golden Mean and were divisions or multiplications of 1.6180 and the base 16". So 16 x 1.6180 = gave a 25.888" width, the width of the magazine/chart flip down clear door is 16/1.618 so 9.889" wide, and the eypiece tray sizes all are factors and quotients of Fabinachi's sequence.
Oak was the easy way out since it lets me "machine" the wood to such exact tolerances. The high tolerance tools did the rest.
While thinking about naming this box OCD has come to mind. Anyone wanna come up with a cool name for that acronym?
Optics Case Doodad...
...Observatory Case Dohicky...
You get the idea. What can we come up with collectively?
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Orion XT10i
Meade LXD55 AR-6
TeleVue Binoviewers with Seibert 1x/1.3x/1.7x OCA
Minolta 10x50 Binoculars
Edited by Project Galileo (10/06/08 10:17 AM)
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randtek
professor emeritus
Reged: 06/18/05
Posts: 694
Loc: Central Indiana
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OCD- Ocular Containment Device
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Randy
"The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable man persists in trying to adapt the world to himself.
Therefore all progress depends on the unreasonable man."
George Bernard Shaw
SkyQuest XT10
Homebuilt Surplus Shed 102mm f8.8 refractor (still under construction-OTA done, mount in work)
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oneslowz28
Witty Title
Reged: 11/14/06
Posts: 567
Loc: Aiken , Sc
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Looks like I am a little late but I will mention it anyway. If you want a more diffuse glow from the LED's then you can sand them with some 600 grit wet sandpaper and it will diffuse the light a good deal.
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Charles "Jeff" Gantt
Orion XT12I
16" lightbridge f/4.5
Orion 100mm ED Apo f/9
TeleVue Bino viewer
8mm Baader Planetarium Hyperion
35mm TeleVue Panoptic
40mm pair William Optics SWAN
20mm pair William Optics SWAN
Oron Stratus 17mm
Orion shorty plus 2x barlow
Orion 2x apo 3 element 2" barlow
The C. Gantt Observatory.
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cdndob
sage
Reged: 07/28/06
Posts: 468
Loc: The Great White North
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For a simple LED solution try these -> http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/Displayitem.taf?itemnumber=98408
I picked up a strip tonight (from a Canadian equivalent store) and if you run them at 5-6 volts it gives off a nice red glow. At 12 volts its waaaayy too bright.
Steve
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tjmck
super member
Reged: 10/06/07
Posts: 117
Loc: Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
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Steve,
What was the "Canadian equivalent store" - for the other Canadians?
tjmck
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10" F4.7 Dob - home built
Meade ETX-125PE, 1247 Focuser, DSI Colour
Pentax 20x60 PCF WPII w/ home made parallelogram mount
Numerous eyepieces (don't we all have them?)
Home made accessories: power center, dew controller, observing chair, Hartmann mask, dew shields, counter weights, cases and storage solutions.
Inspiration for most modifications and home made items from CN posts!
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cdndob
sage
Reged: 07/28/06
Posts: 468
Loc: The Great White North
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tjmck, that would be Princess Auto.
The panet store only had a few left, not sure about the portage ave store.
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Project Galileo
member
Reged: 11/14/07
Posts: 86
Loc: Douglas County, Colorado
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RANDTEK-
Lauged and liked Occular Containment Device. Anyone else?
So, now that I know what I want to do with the LEDs I spent the day tooling up and making oak moulding. I will use this to make a light bar along the front lip of the lid. You can make out where I will drill and countersink the LEDs. It will also act as a conduit to hide the wires leading back to the battery case and switch.
I also ordered a lid support from Rockler today. I chose the heavy duty easy down lid support used for toy box lids and such. I weighed the lid, and it's accessories like batteries, moulding, magazines, and the like. That number and the lid depth worked in an equation to let you know which hinge to order and how many. I only need one and it will support the lid at 70 degrees then let it down slowly so fingers dont get slammed or equipment crunched.
Since the lid will sit at 70 degrees I will make a jig tomorrow to put the moulding into for drilling. I hope to countersink the LEDs directionally so the light goes straight down into the box accounting for the 70 degree cant of the lid. Lets see how this works.
Here is the moulding and marks for lights. 9 across the top.
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Orion XT10i
Meade LXD55 AR-6
TeleVue Binoviewers with Seibert 1x/1.3x/1.7x OCA
Minolta 10x50 Binoculars
Edited by Project Galileo (10/07/08 01:22 AM)
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tjmck
super member
Reged: 10/06/07
Posts: 117
Loc: Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
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Steve,
I am closer to the Portage Ave store. Will check it out. Didn't suprise me that it was Princess Auto you were refering too. Have purchased a number of items from them for astronomy including just about all the maerial to build a parallelogram mount.
Thanks, tjmck.
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10" F4.7 Dob - home built
Meade ETX-125PE, 1247 Focuser, DSI Colour
Pentax 20x60 PCF WPII w/ home made parallelogram mount
Numerous eyepieces (don't we all have them?)
Home made accessories: power center, dew controller, observing chair, Hartmann mask, dew shields, counter weights, cases and storage solutions.
Inspiration for most modifications and home made items from CN posts!
|
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