U gonna wanna build this U-Boat

urumomo said:
I have faith in my fellow construction man .
This should be quite cool .
Click to expand...
Hi urumomo. So have a question for you. I bought a battery holder which I now realise only gives me 3v which work fine for my 3v LED's.

Having tried one in the sub it's not as much light as I would like. If I get a 12v battery holder and 12v LED's I assume that the fibre optic will be brighter? Or am I just wasting my time?

I really don't have a clue when it comes to electronics and circuitry. Pantherman
 
urumomo said:
" 12 volt " LEDs just have a resistor inline to provide the proper forward voltage

View attachment 112781

How many bulbs are you using for this entire installation ?
Keep in mind that the super thin fiber will only transport so much light .

This is a good video ,
https://www.scalemodeladdict.com/threads/led-circuit-design-how-to-design-led-circuits.14442/
Click to expand...
Thanks, very interesting and helpful video. I was thinking of two 12v LED's with 4 fibre optic on one and 3 on the other. Pantherman
 
urumomo said:
let's see if we can get @trekriffic in here since he has gobs of practical experience with exactly this . He'll know the most practical route for you .
As does @stevethefish , and @Captain Han Solo

Doesn't attaching the "@" summon them via notifications ? , lulz , I'm honestly not sure .
Click to expand...

12v will definitely pump more light into the fiber strands; however, I usually use fiber for running lights, strobes, and spotlights. Great for a small, focused point of light but not as good for illuminating an entire cabin inside a ship, unless the space is very small. If it were me I’d forego the fiber and run a prewired LED (comes with a 12v resistor already attached) to each space. I’ve used these 0603 SMD LEDs for my builds and they are quite bright for their size. Lots of colors to choose from too. I’d go with the warm white myself. The wires are about as thin as a human hair and very flexible so much easier than trying to bend .75 mm fiber:

https://hdamodelworx.com/0603-Resin-Encased-SMD_c_119.html

If you decide to stick with fiber you can use heat to bend the strands for tight corners. Just set your soldering iron to a low heat setting and bend the fiber over the round barrel of the soldering tip as it heats up. You can also bloom the end of the fiber with a BIC lighter to turn it into a tiny bulb shape for better light dispersal. I would also recommend a flat topped LED as your light source for the strands.
Be sure to sand and polish the end of the strand flat before butting it up against the LED.
 
Last edited:
trekriffic said:
12v will definitely pump more light into the fiber strands; however, I usually use fiber for running lights, strobes, and spotlights. Great for a small, focused point of light but not as good for illuminating an entire cabin inside a ship, unless the space is very small. If it were me I’d forego the fiber and run a prewired LED (comes with a 12v resistor already attached) to each space. I’ve used these 0603 SMD LEDs for my builds and they are quite bright for their size. Lots of colors to choose from too. I’d go with the warm white myself. The wires are about as thin as a human hair and very so much easier than trying to bend .75 mm fiber:

https://hdamodelworx.com/0603-Resin-Encased-SMD_c_119.html

If you decide to stick with fiber you can use heat to bend the strands for tight corners. Just set your soldering iron to a low heat setting and bend the fiber over the round barrel of the soldering tip as it heats up. You can also bloom the end of the fiber with a BIC lighter to turn it into a tiny bulb shape for better light dispersal. I would also recommend a flat topped LED as your light source for the strands.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the advice, much appreciated. Space is really tight but at least I now have other options. Pantherman
 
Pantherman said:
Can't wait until the next group build. Am I right in thinking it's a black and white photo build? Pantherman
Click to expand...
Oh, that sounds like a difficult task.
I guess we can try it. I'll have to order several grays.
Sure, why not. It will be fun to try it out.;):)

The good 'ol days

After all, I still have plenty of spare time. Lol
 
Pantherman said:
Hi urumomo. So have a question for you. I bought a battery holder which I now realise only gives me 3v which work fine for my 3v LED's.

Having tried one in the sub it's not as much light as I would like. If I get a 12v battery holder and 12v LED's I assume that the fibre optic will be brighter? Or am I just wasting my time?

I really don't have a clue when it comes to electronics and circuitry. Pantherman
Click to expand...
Urumomo tagged me in this. What exactly are you looking to light up? the bridge of a warship? 12V is going to be bonkers.
 
Your sub looks astounding, Gary! I still have to paint mine. Spent a few days being very sick coming off of pain killers so I haven't done a whole lot. I have worked on my Corsair a bit more but that's it.
 

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