Forums > Technical Discussion > New LED Poi...
Login/Join to ParticipateBRONZE Member
old hand
1,174 posts
Location: Great Malvern [UK]
old hand
1,174 posts
Location: Great Malvern [UK]
Posted:
Hi everyone! My first thread here - yay! I got fed up of stinking of paraffin, so I've just started building some LED Poi and judging by the prototypes I built, they're going to be BRIGHT.
Per Head :
3 x AAA batteries
4 x Super Bright LEDs
Each head should be about 240mm long and 30mm round, giving off a bar of light 18mm by 30mm. At the moment, I'm running the LEDs at about twice what they're specc'ed for so I'm not sure how long they'll last - time will tell. The LEDs I have now are blue, but I've seen some green ones which are ~3x brighter!
Has anyone played around with PIC Microntrollers? They're what make the Aerotech staffs etc. work, and I'm thinking of modifying the POI I'm working on so that they can flash different colours / patterns and stuff...
Hi everyone! My first thread here - yay! I got fed up of stinking of paraffin, so I've just started building some LED Poi and judging by the prototypes I built, they're going to be BRIGHT.
Per Head :
3 x AAA batteries
4 x Super Bright LEDs
Each head should be about 240mm long and 30mm round, giving off a bar of light 18mm by 30mm. At the moment, I'm running the LEDs at about twice what they're specc'ed for so I'm not sure how long they'll last - time will tell. The LEDs I have now are blue, but I've seen some green ones which are ~3x brighter!
Has anyone played around with PIC Microntrollers? They're what make the Aerotech staffs etc. work, and I'm thinking of modifying the POI I'm working on so that they can flash different colours / patterns and stuff...
Cake or Death?
BRONZE Member
old hand
1,174 posts
Location: Great Malvern [UK]
old hand
1,174 posts
Location: Great Malvern [UK]
Posted:
Cheers for the encouragement Malc - much appreciated. I shall post some more in this thread when more of the bits I need arrive...
Cheers for the encouragement Malc - much appreciated. I shall post some more in this thread when more of the bits I need arrive...
Cake or Death?
member
9 posts
Location: si, nyc
9 posts
Location: si, nyc
Posted:
i'd like to make some LED poi, but i'd really like to make them out of used glowsticks. has anyone done this?
i'd like to make some LED poi, but i'd really like to make them out of used glowsticks. has anyone done this?
does it r0x0r j00r b0x0rz?
yes, my pants are quite happy 
BRONZE Member
old hand
1,174 posts
Location: Great Malvern [UK]
old hand
1,174 posts
Location: Great Malvern [UK]
Posted:
Try [Old link]...
Quote:
i'd like to make some LED poi, but i'd really like to make them out of used glowsticks. has anyone done this?
Try [Old link]...
Cake or Death?
enlightened
187 posts
Location: montreal
187 posts
Location: montreal
Posted:
yo i dont really understand what yur saying but how are u gonna fit 3 AAA batteries in it? is it like in glowstick form?
yo i dont really understand what yur saying but how are u gonna fit 3 AAA batteries in it? is it like in glowstick form?
it must be green
BRONZE Member
member
186 posts
Location: Dallas, Tx, USA
member
186 posts
Location: Dallas, Tx, USA
Posted:
Cool! Just make sure you don't create a fire hazard. If you're running these things higher than they're supposed to be, things could get a little warm!! I'd hate for some sock LED poi to turn into fire poi mid show!! Actually, that' would be kinda cool, lol, but not with that kind of equipment, so be careful!
And by all means let us know if you come up with any magical designs!
Quote:
Hi everyone! My first thread here - yay! I got fed up of stinking of paraffin, so I've just started building some LED Poi and judging by the prototypes I built, they're going to be BRIGHT.
Per Head :
3 x AAA batteries
4 x Super Bright LEDs
Each head should be about 240mm long and 30mm round, giving off a bar of light 18mm by 30mm. At the moment, I'm running the LEDs at about twice what they're specc'ed for so I'm not sure how long they'll last - time will tell. The LEDs I have now are blue, but I've seen some green ones which are ~3x brighter!
Has anyone played around with PIC Microntrollers? They're what make the Aerotech staffs etc. work, and I'm thinking of modifying the POI I'm working on so that they can flash different colours / patterns and stuff...
Cool! Just make sure you don't create a fire hazard. If you're running these things higher than they're supposed to be, things could get a little warm!! I'd hate for some sock LED poi to turn into fire poi mid show!! Actually, that' would be kinda cool, lol, but not with that kind of equipment, so be careful!
And by all means let us know if you come up with any magical designs!
"We can't stop here! This is bat country!"
"Welcome to the U-S-A,
We'll treat you right, unless you're black or gay, or Cherokeeeeee!!"
-Brian Griffin from "Family Guy" (the dog)
BRONZE Member
old hand
1,174 posts
Location: Great Malvern [UK]
old hand
1,174 posts
Location: Great Malvern [UK]
Posted:
joulz : Not quite like glowstick form. The batteries run down the center and the LEDs are arranged around the outsides. I'll try and remember to post a picture of what I mean this evening...
Big Andy : Point taken - I shall keep an eye on how warm things get although I reckon that when they're swung around, the air will probably be enuogh to keep them cool. We'll have to wait and see
joulz : Not quite like glowstick form. The batteries run down the center and the LEDs are arranged around the outsides. I'll try and remember to post a picture of what I mean this evening...
Big Andy : Point taken - I shall keep an eye on how warm things get although I reckon that when they're swung around, the air will probably be enuogh to keep them cool. We'll have to wait and see
Cake or Death?
PLATINUM Member
Hyperloops suck
595 posts
Location: USA
Hyperloops suck
595 posts
Location: USA
Posted:
Most LEDs dissipate heat pretty easily, I'm running a 3volt LED at 6volts with no trouble... granted, you might be doing something much brighter than that, but mine you couldn't tell on from off if you had your eyes closed.
Most LEDs dissipate heat pretty easily, I'm running a 3volt LED at 6volts with no trouble... granted, you might be doing something much brighter than that, but mine you couldn't tell on from off if you had your eyes closed.
BRONZE Member
suitable for vegetarians
300 posts
Location: Leeds, UK
suitable for vegetarians
300 posts
Location: Leeds, UK
Posted:
gosh, reading this thread just brought back a dream that i had last night - i got whacked round the head by something really hard, turns out some kid had thrown something really nasty and heavy at me (as they do).. then was about to throw it away and noticed it was a flashing green and red ball and was like "oh wow, LED poi, i'll keep that!" and then realised i only had one and had to find another......
it's always fun when random things bring dreams back to you, so sorry if that was dead boring but i thought i would share it here anyway
(seriously though, can you imagine how much that would have hurt?)
gosh, reading this thread just brought back a dream that i had last night - i got whacked round the head by something really hard, turns out some kid had thrown something really nasty and heavy at me (as they do).. then was about to throw it away and noticed it was a flashing green and red ball and was like "oh wow, LED poi, i'll keep that!" and then realised i only had one and had to find another......it's always fun when random things bring dreams back to you, so sorry if that was dead boring but i thought i would share it here anyway
(seriously though, can you imagine how much that would have hurt?)
animals who are not penguins can only wish they were
BRONZE Member
old hand
1,174 posts
Location: Great Malvern [UK]
old hand
1,174 posts
Location: Great Malvern [UK]
Posted:
I have a reasonable idea... *pokes at the various bruises covering his legs / head / arms etc* ...which is why these ones will be covered in foam.
The aluminium bits arrived last night so I built a really crude mockup. Looks like these are going to be awesome - and not too heavy either. I reckon they'll probably be lighter than my wicks!
Apologies for the lack of piccies - I'm moving back home with the folks for christmas and packing took longer than expected..
..I'll try and get some tonight instead
Quote:
(seriously though, can you imagine how much that would have hurt?)
I have a reasonable idea... *pokes at the various bruises covering his legs / head / arms etc* ...which is why these ones will be covered in foam.
The aluminium bits arrived last night so I built a really crude mockup. Looks like these are going to be awesome - and not too heavy either. I reckon they'll probably be lighter than my wicks!
Apologies for the lack of piccies - I'm moving back home with the folks for christmas and packing took longer than expected..
..I'll try and get some tonight instead Cake or Death?
BRONZE Member
old hand
1,174 posts
Location: Great Malvern [UK]
old hand
1,174 posts
Location: Great Malvern [UK]
Posted:
Right, I've got some pics of the parts and the crude mockup I made here :
Non-Https Image Link
I've now made the Aluminium parts I need. With a bit of luck, I'll have the first version (constantly on with blue LEDs) working on Weds. If I manage that, I'll post some more pics
EDITED_BY: FireGeeK (1074170206)
Right, I've got some pics of the parts and the crude mockup I made here :
Non-Https Image Link
I've now made the Aluminium parts I need. With a bit of luck, I'll have the first version (constantly on with blue LEDs) working on Weds. If I manage that, I'll post some more pics
EDITED_BY: FireGeeK (1074170206)
Cake or Death?
BRONZE Member
old hand
1,174 posts
Location: Great Malvern [UK]
old hand
1,174 posts
Location: Great Malvern [UK]
Posted:
Right, Mark 1 of these POI are complete. They look fookin' amazing if I do say so myself - the trails are huge and SO bright! Here's some shots (CLick on the images for larger versions of the photos) :
Non-Https Image Link
Non-Https Image Link
And here's what goes inside :
Non-Https Image Link
Now if I can just figure out how to program a little PIC Microcontroller to make 'em flash / change colour...
Right, Mark 1 of these POI are complete. They look fookin' amazing if I do say so myself - the trails are huge and SO bright! Here's some shots (CLick on the images for larger versions of the photos) :
Non-Https Image Link
Non-Https Image Link
And here's what goes inside :
Non-Https Image Link
Now if I can just figure out how to program a little PIC Microcontroller to make 'em flash / change colour...
Cake or Death?
resident bagpiper
342 posts
Location: Vermont, USA
342 posts
Location: Vermont, USA
Posted:
Did someone mention my name??
oh, geez guys be a little more carefull about your tropes
Did someone mention my name??
oh, geez guys be a little more carefull about your tropes
Q:What's the difference between the Great Highland Bagpipes and the Northumbrian Pipes?
A:The Great Highland Pipes burn longer.
BRONZE Member
old hand
1,174 posts
Location: Great Malvern [UK]
old hand
1,174 posts
Location: Great Malvern [UK]
Posted:
What's a 'trope' ?
Quote:
Did someone mention my name??
oh, geez guys be a little more carefull about your tropes
What's a 'trope' ?
Cake or Death?
resident bagpiper
342 posts
Location: Vermont, USA
342 posts
Location: Vermont, USA
Posted:
a turn of phrase
a turn of phrase
Q:What's the difference between the Great Highland Bagpipes and the Northumbrian Pipes?
A:The Great Highland Pipes burn longer.
BRONZE Member
old hand
1,174 posts
Location: Great Malvern [UK]
old hand
1,174 posts
Location: Great Malvern [UK]
Posted:
I gathered that much - what does it mean? 
I gathered that much - what does it mean?
Cake or Death?
resident bagpiper
342 posts
Location: Vermont, USA
342 posts
Location: Vermont, USA
Posted:
if that was a joke, LOL, otherwise, The definition of "trope" is "a turn of phrase"
if that was a joke, LOL, otherwise, The definition of "trope" is "a turn of phrase"
Q:What's the difference between the Great Highland Bagpipes and the Northumbrian Pipes?
A:The Great Highland Pipes burn longer.
BRONZE Member
old hand
1,174 posts
Location: Great Malvern [UK]
old hand
1,174 posts
Location: Great Malvern [UK]
Posted:
*penny drops* ...hehe, I feel like such a fool - I understand now
Please someone give me a thump - maybe next time I'll engage my brain a little sooner
*penny drops* ...hehe, I feel like such a fool - I understand now
Please someone give me a thump - maybe next time I'll engage my brain a little sooner
Cake or Death?
SILVER Member
journeyman
92 posts
Location: Germany
journeyman
92 posts
Location: Germany
Posted:
hello fire geek
maybee you can send me an instruction to make those lovely led poi your pics are ok but i don`t see how to solder and fix the leds and all the parts together
hello fire geek
maybee you can send me an instruction to make those lovely led poi your pics are ok but i don`t see how to solder and fix the leds and all the parts together
thats sooooo not where i parked my car...................
198 posts
Location: mareeba
198 posts
Location: mareeba
Posted:
there are some new leds that have 7 different colours that chase each other around they look absolutely WICKED!!!!!!!!
not sure if they are new or not in some other places but they are new to us queenslanders!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
there are some new leds that have 7 different colours that chase each other around they look absolutely WICKED!!!!!!!!
not sure if they are new or not in some other places but they are new to us queenslanders!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
we cant stop here its bat country!!!!!!!!!!!
BRONZE Member
Irish
525 posts
Location: Dallas.........ish, USA
Irish
525 posts
Location: Dallas.........ish, USA
Posted:
see if you can work one of those luxeon LED's into it w\ a heat sink and whatnot...also make some sort of shockabsorbtion, and for a 3rd idea....try lexan plastic its strong as fook and translucent.....just ideas....
see if you can work one of those luxeon LED's into it w\ a heat sink and whatnot...also make some sort of shockabsorbtion, and for a 3rd idea....try lexan plastic its strong as fook and translucent.....just ideas....
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!
SILVER Member
member
157 posts
Location: Halifax, NS, Canada
member
157 posts
Location: Halifax, NS, Canada
Posted:
FireGeek, those LED poi are amazing:)
I second the motion-please make a tutorial for building those- I want a pair in the worst way now!
At the moment I'm working on my own homemade set of beginner's poi- I will have to post instructions for those too, they're coming along very well so far.
FireGeek, those LED poi are amazing:)
I second the motion-please make a tutorial for building those- I want a pair in the worst way now!
At the moment I'm working on my own homemade set of beginner's poi- I will have to post instructions for those too, they're coming along very well so far.
"Do not meddle in the affairs of Tower Cranes, for you are soft and would look better when squashed by a full concrete bucket"
SILVER Member
journeyman
92 posts
Location: Germany
journeyman
92 posts
Location: Germany
Posted:
please please please i wont to build some to please mail me how i can make them
thanks for all
please please please i wont to build some to please mail me how i can make them
thanks for all
Flaming Lesbian
181 posts
Location: Portland, Oregon
181 posts
Location: Portland, Oregon
Posted:
how dare radio shack let me down? ah well. found https://www.superbrightleds.com/mini_tubes.htm
those on google. they look super sweet.
and why do people call me a raver when i swing glowing stuff, and a firedancer when i do the exact same thing with kerosine?
how dare radio shack let me down? ah well. found https://www.superbrightleds.com/mini_tubes.htm
those on google. they look super sweet.
and why do people call me a raver when i swing glowing stuff, and a firedancer when i do the exact same thing with kerosine?
Lights dancing off my skin as chains wrap round it.
Pain is in a little box and I'm so glad I found it.
SILVER Member
addict
469 posts
Location: nottingham, england. cornwall wales denmark or pra...
addict
469 posts
Location: nottingham, england. cornwall wales denmark or pra...
Posted:
good stuff guys. time to put that electronics a level into some use. lets put some sort of timer circut in there as well.
has anyone thought of having the batteries on cuffs on your wrists. ok so you cant let go but it means you have the reduced weight and can get back to fast glowstringing.
good stuff guys. time to put that electronics a level into some use. lets put some sort of timer circut in there as well.
has anyone thought of having the batteries on cuffs on your wrists. ok so you cant let go but it means you have the reduced weight and can get back to fast glowstringing.
my original signature was tooo long.
this one is shorter
BRONZE Member
Irish
525 posts
Location: Dallas.........ish, USA
Irish
525 posts
Location: Dallas.........ish, USA
Posted:
smit, poi is an art form, ive seen people do some insane moves damn fast but because they had no style or rythm whatsoever it looked horrible....speed...isnt that important.....style.....skill.....and appearance really count in a performance
smit, poi is an art form, ive seen people do some insane moves damn fast but because they had no style or rythm whatsoever it looked horrible....speed...isnt that important.....style.....skill.....and appearance really count in a performance
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!
BRONZE Member
member
186 posts
Location: Dallas, Tx, USA
member
186 posts
Location: Dallas, Tx, USA
Posted:
*gets out rubber stamp that says "JADED", smacks darkpoet in the head with it*
No, just kidding, you're absolutely right, but let's face it, alotta "ravers" are addicted to speed when it comes to glowstick poi, so electronic glow poi that are light enough to spin at blazingly fast speeds are not without a customer base.
The "duct tape a rav'n in the end of a glowstick" thing is still my favorite home made poi idea to date. So easy, so cheap, and so cool lookin!
Those look neat from the pics though, Fire Geek! I'd like to see those in action.
Quote:
smit, poi is an art form, ive seen people do some insane moves damn fast but because they had no style or rythm whatsoever it looked horrible....speed...isnt that important.....style.....skill.....and appearance really count in a performance
*gets out rubber stamp that says "JADED", smacks darkpoet in the head with it*
No, just kidding, you're absolutely right, but let's face it, alotta "ravers" are addicted to speed when it comes to glowstick poi, so electronic glow poi that are light enough to spin at blazingly fast speeds are not without a customer base.
The "duct tape a rav'n in the end of a glowstick" thing is still my favorite home made poi idea to date. So easy, so cheap, and so cool lookin!
Those look neat from the pics though, Fire Geek! I'd like to see those in action.
"We can't stop here! This is bat country!"
"Welcome to the U-S-A,
We'll treat you right, unless you're black or gay, or Cherokeeeeee!!"
-Brian Griffin from "Family Guy" (the dog)
BRONZE Member
Irish
525 posts
Location: Dallas.........ish, USA
Irish
525 posts
Location: Dallas.........ish, USA
Posted:
wha..........................?
..........................................................................
...........................................................................
and rav'n party lights are like 20$ each. lol hows that cheap?
Quote:
*gets out rubber stamp that says "JADED", smacks darkpoet in the head with it*
wha..........................?
..........................................................................
...........................................................................
and rav'n party lights are like 20$ each. lol hows that cheap?
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!
BRONZE Member
old hand
1,174 posts
Location: Great Malvern [UK]
old hand
1,174 posts
Location: Great Malvern [UK]
Posted:
Wow, been a while since I posted on here, but I'm back again Unfortunately, most of the metal parts for these were machined on a lathe.. but I bet you could make something similar out of plastic!
The actual electronics are pretty simple - four super-bright LEDs (in parallel) atatched to 3 AAA batteries. If you'd like a diagram, I can provide you with one.. ?
I got the batteries from eurobatteries.com (AAA NiMh) - £1.55 per battery, but they're rechargeable.
LEDs came from led-lights.co.uk - £1.32 each
Bear in mind that you need 4 LEDs and 3 batteries per head so ~£9.93 per head. On the plus side though, they're rechargeable and in my experience, will still be super bright after 3-4 hours use!
I really need to get round to ordering the parts to make a flashing circuit so I can flash different colours, speeds etc. Sounds to my like dark poet is already onto this though
Wow, been a while since I posted on here, but I'm back again
Unfortunately, most of the metal parts for these were machined on a lathe.. but I bet you could make something similar out of plastic!The actual electronics are pretty simple - four super-bright LEDs (in parallel) atatched to 3 AAA batteries. If you'd like a diagram, I can provide you with one.. ?
I got the batteries from eurobatteries.com (AAA NiMh) - £1.55 per battery, but they're rechargeable.
LEDs came from led-lights.co.uk - £1.32 each
Bear in mind that you need 4 LEDs and 3 batteries per head so ~£9.93 per head. On the plus side though, they're rechargeable and in my experience, will still be super bright after 3-4 hours use!
I really need to get round to ordering the parts to make a flashing circuit so I can flash different colours, speeds etc. Sounds to my like dark poet is already onto this though
Cake or Death?
strange/r/st/-ish
142 posts
Location: upside down
142 posts
Location: upside down
Posted:
thought this might be a bit off topic for the Luxeon thread.
At the moment I'm mixing them two colours at a time, each light at 100%. I'm trying to find a way to specify how much power to provide to each light, which should allow a huge variety of colours. I tried using Pulse Width Modulation , which might be similar to what your planning to do?
I'm using relatively cheap controllers for my poi and while they do PWM it's unusable because it's low speed (something like 100 cycles a second) and you can clearly see the off section of the strobe when the poi head is in motion. More expensive hardware or a pure analogue circuit should get the frequency up, but it starts to get expensive or requires more experience than I have.
As far as mixing the colours - you might not _need_ to strobe: movement is your friend here. I'm using 8mm LEDs at the moment, positioned side by side on the end of the PCB, so two of the colours are about 10mm apart. When held still they don't mix very well at all, but when in motion it mixes perfectly.
Quote:
re FireGeeK on another thread.
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 )!
thought this might be a bit off topic for the Luxeon thread.
At the moment I'm mixing them two colours at a time, each light at 100%. I'm trying to find a way to specify how much power to provide to each light, which should allow a huge variety of colours. I tried using Pulse Width Modulation , which might be similar to what your planning to do?
I'm using relatively cheap controllers for my poi and while they do PWM it's unusable because it's low speed (something like 100 cycles a second) and you can clearly see the off section of the strobe when the poi head is in motion. More expensive hardware or a pure analogue circuit should get the frequency up, but it starts to get expensive or requires more experience than I have.
As far as mixing the colours - you might not _need_ to strobe: movement is your friend here. I'm using 8mm LEDs at the moment, positioned side by side on the end of the PCB, so two of the colours are about 10mm apart. When held still they don't mix very well at all, but when in motion it mixes perfectly.
BRONZE Member
old hand
1,174 posts
Location: Great Malvern [UK]
old hand
1,174 posts
Location: Great Malvern [UK]
Posted:
PWM is definitely the way forward - and what I plan to use. If you're just mixing them straight, that's definitely a contributing factor to the off-colours.
You should be able to produce a PWM signal with a cheap 555 timer which'll strobe fast enough that you can't tell when spinning.
One of the reasons I'd want to strobe is to get pretty patterns :
Non-Https Image Link
...but also to mix / balance the colours. Red LEDs / luxeons tend to be MUCH brighter than their blue counterparts, so I'll start by using PWM to dim the (red / green) colours down to the dimmest (blue). Once they're balanced, having them all on at once should give you white light. Then if you strobe them slower, you should be able to produce other colours as well It'll probably take a bit of work to get it looking right, but it's certainly possible (I hope)!
PWM is definitely the way forward - and what I plan to use. If you're just mixing them straight, that's definitely a contributing factor to the off-colours.
You should be able to produce a PWM signal with a cheap 555 timer which'll strobe fast enough that you can't tell when spinning.
One of the reasons I'd want to strobe is to get pretty patterns :
Non-Https Image Link
...but also to mix / balance the colours. Red LEDs / luxeons tend to be MUCH brighter than their blue counterparts, so I'll start by using PWM to dim the (red / green) colours down to the dimmest (blue). Once they're balanced, having them all on at once should give you white light. Then if you strobe them slower, you should be able to produce other colours as well
It'll probably take a bit of work to get it looking right, but it's certainly possible (I hope)! Cake or Death?
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