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  • #1

    Light Guides and fibre optic..

    Hi Guys.. :)

    This is a bit off topic with regards to the model.. !! But thought you might be able to translate it to a Heli...

    Xmas I decided to get a faster boat.. I've got a big fishing boat, but it's too slow.. :(
    Not likeing the 'speed boat' models as they look too bland, I went for a 'motor cruiser', mainly so I could fit
    plenty of LED's... 17 it turns out...!!
    [IMG]http://i94.photobucket.com/albums/l115/cyclicscooby/Models/Boats/SanRemo/01-Boxlid-25.jpg[/IMG]

    [IMG]http://i94.photobucket.com/albums/l115/cyclicscooby/Models/Boats/SanRemo/02-Build3-25.jpg[/IMG]


    But. The cool bits are the light guides..

    Stage One - Light Guides
    ========================

    I got the guides from an old server, and they're used frequently within computers and such to transmit the LED's light
    to the front panel without the need to move the actual LED.. They are essentially clear plastic rods. I've looked them
    up and it appears their proper name is 'fused silica rod'.
    Mine is 5mm diameter and I only had two rods, each about 12cm long.

    Fortunately being 5mm diameter, they fitted nicely into a 5mm LED holder. I put the LED into a holder, then placed
    another upside down over the top of the LED dome, and heat shrunk the two together. This allows the guide to snuggly
    slide in and out of the upturned LED holder, and also sits perfectly straight above the LED's focal point, so it's
    as bright as it can be.

    [IMG]http://i94.photobucket.com/albums/l115/cyclicscooby/Models/Boats/SanRemo/07-guidebluebehind1-25.jpg[/IMG]


    As I wasn't sure at this point what I was gonna do with them, I 'experimented' and gently scored round the diameter
    with a knife all the way down the rod to create 'rings' that I hoped would dispurse the light..... and it worked :)

    Next step was to see if they would bend..
    I clamped the soldering iron in the vice, pointing 45 degs down. Then without touching the iron gently rotated the rod over
    the end of the iron. After about a minute, it started to soften enuf for a slight kink, and another minute later I managed
    a 90 deg bend :)

    I think the results are ace, as they're barely noticable when off, and very 'gin palace' when they're on...

    [IMG]http://i94.photobucket.com/albums/l115/cyclicscooby/Models/Boats/SanRemo/03-guideoff3-25.jpg[/IMG]

    I Finally decided on a place to put them, one across the top, with the 'rings' scored into it, and a 110 deg bend at each end.

    [IMG]http://i94.photobucket.com/albums/l115/cyclicscooby/Models/Boats/SanRemo/04-guideoff1-25.jpg[/IMG]

    There's a pair of ultra bright red leds mounted up under the roof.


    The second rod I cut into two, and made into 'L' shapes by putting in a 90 deg bend..

    [IMG]http://i94.photobucket.com/albums/l115/cyclicscooby/Models/Boats/SanRemo/05-guideoff2-25.jpg[/IMG]

    [IMG]http://i94.photobucket.com/albums/l115/cyclicscooby/Models/Boats/SanRemo/08-guideblueclose1-25.jpg[/IMG]

    The LED's are mounted at the far end, and you can clearly see how the blue light is illuminating the floor round the
    corner, showing how the rod 'guides' the light


    [IMG]http://i94.photobucket.com/albums/l115/cyclicscooby/Models/Boats/SanRemo/09-guideblue3-25.jpg[/IMG]

    Both in, and looking cool... :)

    [IMG]http://i94.photobucket.com/albums/l115/cyclicscooby/Models/Boats/SanRemo/10-Guidefirstfit-25.jpg[/IMG]


    Luv
    Chrisie... :)
    Last edited by Cyclicscooby; 27-05-2010, 12:03 PM.
    Tags: None
  • #2
    Stage Two - Fibre optic strands
    ===============================

    The rear of the boat has 2 x 3mm brass eyelets and 1 x 5mm brass eyelet to signify an exhaust or breather and are
    supposed to be filled with glue to make watertight... Obviously they needed LED's... :)

    [IMG]http://i94.photobucket.com/albums/l115/cyclicscooby/Models/Boats/SanRemo/11-rearall-25.jpg[/IMG]

    Unfortunately they are too narrow for even a 3mm LED and I didn't want an LED Dome sticking out anyway, so I used
    2mm plastic fibre optic.. As with the rods, it can be found on the net, but aint cheap...

    I managed to squash 4 lengths on cable into the 3mm eyelets, and 6 into the 5mm eyelets. I had to use a soft hammer for a snug fit. I then ran the soldering iron over the top to melt the strands together and make it water tight and level.

    The pics aren't that clear, but you can just make out the 5 outer strands with one in the middle


    [IMG]http://i94.photobucket.com/albums/l115/cyclicscooby/Models/Boats/SanRemo/12-rearclose-25.jpg[/IMG]

    [IMG]http://i94.photobucket.com/albums/l115/cyclicscooby/Models/Boats/SanRemo/13-rearclose2-25.jpg[/IMG]

    The LED's are simply heat shrunk onto the back of the eyelet and again have good contact with the fibre optic strands so the
    light output is high..

    [IMG]http://i94.photobucket.com/albums/l115/cyclicscooby/Models/Boats/SanRemo/14-rearon-close-25.jpg[/IMG]

    The pic doesn't do the intensity of the light justice.. The individual fibres look like a tiny tiny LED, so the whole thing looks like a mini LED cluster..


    Stage Three - Surface mount LED
    ===============================

    Surface mount LED's come in blister packs and are TINY.... I've used one to illuminate the cockpit, over the driver/pilot seat
    It requires very small wire, so I used enamel wire, which is equally small... It's imperitive that you don't hold the iron on
    for too long whilst soldering as the LED can be easily damaged due to having no heat sink ability..

    [IMG]http://i94.photobucket.com/albums/l115/cyclicscooby/Models/Boats/SanRemo/15-Surfacemount4-25.jpg[/IMG]

    [IMG]http://i94.photobucket.com/albums/l115/cyclicscooby/Models/Boats/SanRemo/16-Surfacemount-25.jpg[/IMG]


    I could go on.... and on and on.. But as this is a Heli site.. !!! I'll leave it there..

    [IMG]http://i94.photobucket.com/albums/l115/cyclicscooby/Models/Boats/SanRemo/23-rearlow2-25.jpg[/IMG]

    [IMG]http://i94.photobucket.com/albums/l115/cyclicscooby/Models/Boats/SanRemo/24-rear2-25.jpg[/IMG]

    [IMG]http://i94.photobucket.com/albums/l115/cyclicscooby/Models/Boats/SanRemo/25-Above1-25.jpg[/IMG]

    [IMG]http://i94.photobucket.com/albums/l115/cyclicscooby/Models/Boats/SanRemo/26-nearside1-25.jpg[/IMG]



    Luv
    Chrisie... :D
    Last edited by Cyclicscooby; 27-05-2010, 12:05 PM.

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    • #3
      its officail mate youve turned your cruiser into pete stringfellows yacht of love
      looks good though
      Cheers all Jim
      Beam e4 I LOVE IT
      Trex 450 Airwolf in progress
      walkera 4g3(complete pants
      Blade MSR Quality
      speccy dx6i
      PROUD OWNER OF 1 EGS
      If it flys fly it if it doesnt fly drink it

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      • #4
        wow, that's pretty nice. Nice tip on bending the guide.

        Thanks.
        mIKE

        Please thank me, thank me harder, i need a good thanking.

        Trex450 SE V2
         Trex450 HDE (now CCPM) - Wrapped in a Agusta a109
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        • #5
          One for the Ladies?

          [URL="http://www.rcheliaddict.co.uk/../../"]RcHeliaddict[/URL] > [URL="http://www.rcheliaddict.co.uk/../../f4/"]Main Forum[/URL] > [URL="http://www.rcheliaddict.co.uk/../"]Women Pilots[/URL]


          Edders
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          • #6
            looks great mate and a nice tidy job youth done
            walkera 4#3a full brushless
            walkera 4g3 soon to be brushless

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            • #7
              Looks very nice =)
              ~JASON~
              HELI 1 : TREX 450 SE GF
              HELI 2 : PICOOZ HUGHES 500MD
              HELI 3: WALKERA 1#A
              HELI 4: WALKERA CB100
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              sigpic

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              • #8
                Splendid job .... I suppose you could call it " bling on a boat "

                I used to be a marine modeller years ago and I can fully understand your enjoyment.

                Well done.

                Dave.

                Comment

                • #9
                  Cheers Guys.. :blush5:

                  To be honest the boats don't do much for me.... Bit 2 dimensional...

                  Paul ain't interested in RC generally, but got a Tug a while back.. and he loves it... It's slow and the batt lasts an HOUR.. !!!
                  Needless to say, sittin there watchin is boring...

                  So to alieviat (spl?) my bordom, I got a nice scatchbuilt fishing boat off Ebay, which is nice, but it's too slow for me... and it's bigger and more detailed then Pauls Tug... :(

                  So I got this new one, and donated the fishin boat to Paul, so at least he's got more than 1 models in a room bursting with mine... :)


                  Luv
                  Chrisie...

                  Comment

                  • #10
                    Very impressive, some good tips there, thanks

                    Comment

                    • #11
                      i like the idea of the rods carrying light if they are truly bendable you could effectively make the outline of a canopy for a heli with them
                      Nik.

                      Before you ask:

                      About 2 miles
                      Over £500
                      Very difficult
                      Over 80mph
                      NO, you can't have a go



                      Don't forget the 'Search' and 'Thanks' buttons.

                      RIP Anthony 'Tinny' Lombardi (25195517)

                      Comment

                      • #12
                        very nice....

                        i have a revloc inside my canopy fitted to the servo frame and with the canopy on you can't see the sensor LED. (you need to see if its flashing or solid)
                        the canopy is one of those 3d FRP ones that are held with 4 screws so its a pain to get off and on.
                        so i used a spare optic fibre cable from my stereo... cut off the jackplug ends and epoxyd it onto the LED of the revloc. ran the cable outside the canopy and fixed it in place next to the gyro. its now easy to see if the sensor has engaged without taking the canopy off :)

                        i'm going to get another optic cable and take the outer shielding off to see if it will transmit light along its full length and not just out of the end.. i'll let you know the results
                        ____
                        Alan.

                        "Flying is learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss." - Douglas Adams
                        x3

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                        • #13
                          yay it works :)
                          had to do the same rings along its length but the optic cable is VERY flexible and can be put into any shape you desire.
                          (I didn't have any LED's handy so this was with a Diode laser, but the principle is good)
                          I imagine LED's wouldn't be quite as bright tho.
                          Last edited by chemicalbro; 24-02-2009, 02:05 PM.
                          ____
                          Alan.

                          "Flying is learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss." - Douglas Adams
                          x3

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                          • #14
                            Chrisie....wow....wow...wow, you should be working for Sunseeker in Poole!!!
                            very impressive....
                            Cheers Eddie

                            Beam E4 Scorpion 2221-8-DS760 S9257-Hitec 5065MGs-AR7000-Revolectrix 3s 2200-Radix Main & Tail
                            Trex 500CF (Torque tube Upgrade) GY401 S9257-Hitec 5245MGs-AR6200 - Revolectrix 6s 3300
                            Twister Storm 3D GY401 - AR6200 - Revolectrix 3s 2100
                            CP Buzzfly and MSR 120
                            DX7
                            Member of the DMHC
                            Be yourself as no one else is better qualified...

                            Home of the famous "Eddie Gold Star" (EGS)...also on Facebook for family and friends..

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                            • #15
                              Thats very cool, it is a bit peter stringfellow but its still cool :)
                              sigpic

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