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3V LED Chaser project


audioguru

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Hi Daemon,
Welcome to our forum.
I bought my 1nF/63V metalized poly capacitors online at www.digikey.com , their part number 495-1091ND. They are rectangular about 0.25" wide, 0.2" high and 0.07" thick. Their leads are spaced 0.2". I got my 330nF/63V and 470nF/63V capacitors there too and they look about the same, just a little thicker.
Haven't you seen my pic in the project?

post-1706-14279142161407_thumb.jpg

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  • 4 weeks later...

One last question....  ;)

Can I power this with an "N" cell? I know that N cells are 1.5V each, but I wanted to make sure that they can be used in this project.

Do you think that a car remote battery could be used as well? Those cells are 12V though. Could they be utilitlized if resistors were added, or something?

I can easily incorporate the smaller cells into the structure, as the prop is constructed virtually in CAD, and then a master will be constructed via stereolithography.

The big issue that I have as a costume/prop designer is that things, at times, need to be durable, and compact. The AA cells are good, but do not fit the housing that was approved by the studio designer. Also, because of the fight scenes, the fight coordinators and the actors all agreed that it would be better to have the electronics compact as possible, rather than have power leads connect from a belt to device.

On a cooler note, I did find some "micro" audio and linear potentiometers that worked fabulously with the circuit design! I can make adjustments with a small phillips screwdriver for speed and brightness!

Thank you so much for all the help you given me so far! It's saved me from many a headache, and saved my hairline from being ripped out!  :D

- frank

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Hi Daemon Frank,
You could power this project with two N cells or even two AAAA cells for small size. There are many 3V lithium "coin" battery cells that will work and are also very small. I have seen small battery holders for them at my local electronic parts shop.
A little car remote 9V or 12V battery would blow-up the circuit.

I am glad that you found some micro pots and am glad to have helped you.  ;D

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If you must use a 9V battery you could just add a small 3V regulator to lower the voltage, and if you want maximum efficiency there are some very good cheap switching regulator chips available.

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Hi Dick,
Sorry there isn't a pcb for this project. I have made many with Veroboard. Besides, I've advanced to the 6V Ultra-bright Chaser project, and have converted nearly all 3V ones to its pausing circuit, but still running on 3V:
http://www.electronics-lab.com/projects/games/004/index.html

I designed them for extremely low power consumption so their cheap AA alkaline cells should last a long time. The 1st two I made more than 5 months ago have never been turned down and are still flashing with their original battery. So I don't think a wall-wart power supply is necessary.  ;D

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  • 2 months later...
  • 6 months later...

I think that I can use C5 (1n metallized). Am I right?

Its tolerance isn't marked and is probably 20%. The project's brightness will be affected if its value is near the end of its wide range. I always use 5% capacitors that cost only a couple of cents more, then I know their exact value.
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Hi Nick,
Welcome to our forum. ;D
You can use any project on this website for anything you want.

I also have a 6V Ultra-bright Chaser project here that has a few extra features:
1) It uses extra-ultra-bright blue, green or white LEDs that need its 6V battery. Their brightness's are absolutely blinding.
2) The LEDs go around and around a few times then pause. Then they start chasing again and pause again etc. It looks more interesting and the pause saves battery power.
3) It still has a very low current so its battery lasts a long time. My 1st one still has its original battery more than 1 year after it was made.
4) It also has a chasing speed control and brightness control.
http://www.electronics-lab.com/projects/games/004/index.html

I converted most of my 3V LED Chasers to the new circuit and kept the original low-voltage LEDs and 3V battery. I kept a single original 3V Chaser and it chases around and around and around and around and around for more than 1 year on its original battery.


When you finish that project then you can make my Sound Level Indicator project:
http://www.electronics-lab.com/projects/motor_light/009/index.html

When you finish that project you can make my Plants Watering Watcher-2 project:
http://www.electronics-lab.com/projects/science/018/index.html

When you ....  ;D

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  • 7 months later...

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