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Chironback after 5 years...
35 posts
Location: UK


Posted:
Hi all,

Ive just posted some pics of the inner bits of my Luxeon LED poi. They are just prototypes so are not too neat. Version 2 is now being built!
Let me know what you all think!! wave

ubbidea....they are in the gallery btw

Wizard of LED poi !


FrodoBRONZE Member
old hand
1,092 posts
Location: In a van, United Kingdom


Posted:
i love them!!

can i buy a set? or can u give us details how to make them?

passing through, this world still lives.


thorFlaming Lesbian
181 posts
Location: Portland, Oregon


Posted:
heh. those are too damned bright =]

i want some

Lights dancing off my skin as chains wrap round it.
Pain is in a little box and I'm so glad I found it.


ieuanBRONZE Member
holy man
110 posts
Location: Upstate, NY, USA


Posted:
oh, yeah me too, you have to post instructions, or make then for sale! I would be forever indebted!

Gather your harps from the willow trees, dust off the ancient strings. Call the bards and prophets, let them sing healing and freedom. Let light and love flow from the strings, colors of revelation.


FrodoBRONZE Member
old hand
1,092 posts
Location: In a van, United Kingdom


Posted:
as would i!!

passing through, this world still lives.


thorFlaming Lesbian
181 posts
Location: Portland, Oregon


Posted:
heh. i just checked out luxeon's site. the bar forms of those are $200 each, you WOULD be forever in debt to him for those ;]

Lights dancing off my skin as chains wrap round it.
Pain is in a little box and I'm so glad I found it.


Chironback after 5 years...
35 posts
Location: UK


Posted:
That's the problem with them - they are just too damm expensive to make, the LED's are £ 8 each and you need 4 of them for a set, then the batterys are about £12 for 6 etc

I deisgned the PCB's for them and spent a few days working out the correct values for the other componentsand the heatsinking, it took a while to get them right but they seem to be good now. I am going to build some more soon and try to make them a bit neater. Unfortunately they are not easy to make either, you need low-temperature solder and an anti-static workbench. However all is not lost, once I have made a second set and perfected them I may be able to put together a kit of parts and work out a price or even speak to malcolm about them... watch this space..... wink

Wizard of LED poi !


BirdGOLD Member
now available in "advanced"
6,086 posts
Location: Cornwall, United Kingdom


Posted:
*watches the space attentively*

biggrin

My state of mind is not yours to define!

There is a very fine line between "hobby" and "mental illness."


*HyperLightBRONZE Member
old hand
1,174 posts
Location: Great Malvern [UK]


Posted:
Any progress? I've been contemplating building v2 of my own LED Poi using Luxeons. R+G+B elements in each to give you any colour you like...

Cake or Death?


vimstrange/r/st/-ish
142 posts
Location: upside down


Posted:
FireGeeK: just my 2c worth before you spend your £48 eek

its unlikely that you will be able to mix any colour you desire, depending on the wavelength of the light produced by the LED.

I'm currently using red , blue and yellow 8mm LEDs, which I thought would at least produce orange, violet and green. What actually results is purple tending toward blue, a very red orange, and a horrible colour that isn't even remotely green. frown



You never know, the luxeons might mix perfectly!



peace

*HyperLightBRONZE Member
old hand
1,174 posts
Location: Great Malvern [UK]


Posted:
How are you mixing them? Just two colours on at a time? I plan to strobe mine at speeds higher than the eye can perceive to mix the colours more effectively. I've not (yet) tried this, but it ought to work - that's how computer monitors work after all (well, sorta wink )!

Cake or Death?


Singed Piper (formerly Mark1)resident bagpiper
342 posts
Location: Vermont, USA


Posted:
just a note about color mixing...

when mixing additive colors (projected light), rather than subtractive colors (pigments), the primary colors are Red, Green, and Blue. this explains why the red, yellow, blue mix posted above didn't work.

In addition, the primary subtractive colors are not the red, yellow, blue we normally learn about in our kiddy years. they correspond to the secondary additive colors: Cyan, Yellow, and Magenta.

take my word for it, I do websites, i know RGB Hex codes by heart.

if you don't trust me, read color_glossary

Q:What's the difference between the Great Highland Bagpipes and the Northumbrian Pipes?
A:The Great Highland Pipes burn longer.


vimstrange/r/st/-ish
142 posts
Location: upside down


Posted:
Mark1: eek
Have been having a look and there seems to be a lot of confusion, I'd sort of decided that if a monitor can do it with RGB...
Thanks for the info.
You don't happen to have any information on the RGB wavelengths used in monitors etc do you? I still can't get a nice yellow with the RGB LEDs I have.

hehe. so I guess that makes you a hexpert then ubblol
sorry, I'll go back to my corner now...

peace

*HyperLightBRONZE Member
old hand
1,174 posts
Location: Great Malvern [UK]


Posted:
Vim : I think what he's trying to say is that you need Red, Blue and Green LEDs rather than Red, Blue and Yellow!



If you shine all three LEDs at a wall together, do you get white light? If there's a hint of colour in there, you should try dimming one or more colours until they 'balance'.
EDITED_BY: FireGeeK (1083076700)

Cake or Death?


Singed Piper (formerly Mark1)resident bagpiper
342 posts
Location: Vermont, USA


Posted:
https://www.rgbworld.com/color.html
another, more simple description

when working with RGB leds, you will probably never get a good white. most commertial products (like the sauce light wands) end up with a pale bluish light. and monitors are a totally different story. with red green and blue phosphors so close together, there is little refraction, and it is easier to balance the colors. In addition, the phosphors are meant to be paired, so they are made to balance much better than LEDs that were made to look good alone. i.e. only specific red greens and blues look good together as white. other leds will work for everything else, but white will probably suck

Q:What's the difference between the Great Highland Bagpipes and the Northumbrian Pipes?
A:The Great Highland Pipes burn longer.


vimstrange/r/st/-ish
142 posts
Location: upside down


Posted:
FireGeek: Yep, lucky I didn't buy too many yellow LEDs!

It has always been the case, as Mark1 says, that the white looks a little blue. I don't see this as a big problem, blue is nice, and if one wants white then just add clear LEDs. smile

Mark1: Thanks again for the info. Have done a lot more reading now I know what to search for. I think the secret is in the diffuser. As you say - monitors work because the colours are close together. Any RGB will give some kind of CMY, but they have to be mixed well.


-----------------------------------------------------

offtopic ooooops

Chiron: any news?



peace

*HyperLightBRONZE Member
old hand
1,174 posts
Location: Great Malvern [UK]


Posted:
Did you get anywhere with a modified version of these Chiron? Or is this project permanently on hold? Quick Q for you as well; Where did you get your Luxeons from, and are the lambartian, batwing of side-emmitting?

Cheers

Cake or Death?


Chironback after 5 years...
35 posts
Location: UK


Posted:
I did make another set, another 3 pairs in fact. I seem to have got the design and heatsinking about spot on but they are still a bit fragile. Onc thing that I cant change is the cost of parts (and labour) which is still makes tham around £150 a set including charger. - ooh sorry I used batwing LED's ( approx £7 each)
EDITED_BY: Chiron (1102980602)

Wizard of LED poi !


qnaSILVER Member
Member
6 posts
Location: London, United Kingdom


Posted:
Hey man


Great Luxeon Poi

How wierd. I start staff, ask a mate about really strong LED alternatives, hear about Luxeon LEDs and then find your wicked little poi.

I work in a Design and Technology department in a College, and am going to use all the handy stuf at work, from the electronics stuff to the workshop, to create a genuinely good LED staff.

What tips do you have about using Luxeon LEDs as far as power source and need for heatsinks?

I plan to et some of the ultra-powerful V series - 4 times brighter than the standard Luxeon batwings...should be very cool cool

Any ideas?

Have you ever noticed the resemblance between Mr Miyagi and Yoda...mmmm...strange this is...


mechBRONZE Member
Carpal \'Tunnel
6,207 posts
Location: "In your ear", United Kingdom


Posted:
not to sound hugly anal, but how come your leds are costing you £8 each, you cuold use some extreme leds from maplins and get teh same effect,

the casing looks pretty simple, and could be made fast and effectivly using two plated and metal robs...

but im just guessing at what you have made

i just cant belive they are 100notes

Step (el-nombrie)


Singed Piper (formerly Mark1)resident bagpiper
342 posts
Location: Vermont, USA


Posted:
ok, here's the difference mech... having seen both, i can tell you
maplin's leds are bright, while luxeons are ***DAMN**BRIGHT***

Q:What's the difference between the Great Highland Bagpipes and the Northumbrian Pipes?
A:The Great Highland Pipes burn longer.


mechBRONZE Member
Carpal \'Tunnel
6,207 posts
Location: "In your ear", United Kingdom


Posted:
true, i will agree on that,

but for size, could you not use 4 maplins, or evern a couple more, and save a large amount of money?

Step (el-nombrie)


*HyperLightBRONZE Member
old hand
1,174 posts
Location: Great Malvern [UK]


Posted:
I must admit I've wondered the same thing.. If you use lots of LEDs though, it could be...

1) Much harder to balance the colours to get white etc.
2) Difficult to fit enough LEDs into the head to achieve the same brightness - space is at a premium on the units I'm working on.
3) The more LEDs you add, the more tricky this will be to assemble.

Cake or Death?


darkpoetBRONZE Member
Irish
525 posts
Location: Dallas.........ish, USA


Posted:
and the easier to break it is...we need fewer lights..but brighter ones at that...and things like beamers need to be made safer...those buggers hurt

Jesus saves sinners and redeems them for cash and
prizes

Co-Founder of Keepers of Light

Educate yourself about the Hazards of Fire Breathing STAY SAFE!


mtbeerGOLD Member
ARRRR!
529 posts
Location: Charlotte, NC, USA


Posted:
I'm preparing to build a pair of Luxeon poi heads. The last set I made with clusters of super bright LEDs was good but not as bright as I had hoped.
Any tips on working with these Luxeon beasts? I assume they will be similar to standard LEDs except with a heatsink and 1 watt resistor.

"My skin is singed but it heals my heart and with glowing pride I'll wear my scars." -Davey Havok


*HyperLightBRONZE Member
old hand
1,174 posts
Location: Great Malvern [UK]


Posted:
I've been running luxeons for short periods (while I'm testing them, and some other circuitry) and they don't seem to get that hot. I think I'm running them at ~2/3 of their max recommended current though, so they could probably run a bit brighter / hotter.

Essentially, they work the same as LEDs - both points you made should be observed though smile

I'm actually running mine from some PWM circuitry, and interestingly, increasing the duty cycle over ~60% makes very little difference to the brightness of the luxeon!

Cake or Death?


mtbeerGOLD Member
ARRRR!
529 posts
Location: Charlotte, NC, USA


Posted:
Cool. I'll dig up some big resistors and play around with them.

One thing I dislike about LED poi is their super low drag. They spin so fast that some moves become difficult. I think I'll glue on some shaggy fur to cover the battery\resistor section of the tube. That might be enough to slow them down.

Another problem I ran into was with slide switches at Burning Man. The fine dust out there gets into everything and kills the connection. Maybe a pushbutton switch with a rubber cover would work.

"My skin is singed but it heals my heart and with glowing pride I'll wear my scars." -Davey Havok


*HyperLightBRONZE Member
old hand
1,174 posts
Location: Great Malvern [UK]


Posted:
I have a cunning plan for my own poi. It wasn't intended as a way to slow them down, but I suspect it will. My last LED poi were cool but I waned more light from these, so my plan is that each head has 3 luxeons shining towards the finger loops. Now instead of chain to attatch them, you use a cone of fabric which also acts as a defuser :

Non-Https Image Link

Cake or Death?


mtbeerGOLD Member
ARRRR!
529 posts
Location: Charlotte, NC, USA


Posted:
That's an interesting idea. Like glowing sock poi. That would produce some crazy pictures, and if they changed colors....

"My skin is singed but it heals my heart and with glowing pride I'll wear my scars." -Davey Havok


*HyperLightBRONZE Member
old hand
1,174 posts
Location: Great Malvern [UK]


Posted:
I have a little microcontroller running a single channel which varies the brightness from 0 to 1023 in steps of 1 where 0 is off, and 1023 is full brightness. I've got some more advanced chips which do three channels i.e. red green and blue so by altering the brightness of the three luxeons, I should be able to reproduce just about any colour imaginable cool

I've got some white rip-stock nylon I got from a kite store waiting to be sewn into a suitable cone too smile

Cake or Death?


mo-sephenthusiast
523 posts
Location: Edinburgh, UK


Posted:
I tried to do what you're doing with limited success - mostly because my poi were quite narrow (20mm) and I was trying to tie the fabric onto the near end of the poi. In use the fabric didn't open up and diffuse the light as well as I'd hoped. Putting the poi inside a cone of fabric would probably work better.

Also I found that some acetate sheet rolled up inside the fabric helped to push it apart and gave better diffusion.

Happy playing!

monkeys ate my brain


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