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Author Topic: LED / Fibre Optic ...  (Read 13314 times)

Ben Kenobi

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LED / Fibre Optic ...
« on: December 27, 2014, 01:33:10 pm »

I have a plan, a little knowledge, but no experience.

I'm planning a lighting fit out for a new build, most of the fit out I plan to do using fibre optic since where some of these LED's will be will not be accessible should they fail without serious structural 'violation', I know it's unlikely but I've had LED's fail. That and I plan to try and replicate the effect from 50W halogen down lighters, the problem with fibre is diffusion once you get to the exit - may be able to round the ends with fine wet and dry.

I'm struggling to decide on a light source for the fibre optic and was thinking of something like a CREE high power LED - between 3 and 7 watts - for each fibre lighting circuit. I'm looking for suitable fibre optic but I think it will be all 3mm, I'm actually wondering whether a thicker fibre may not work for the lighting below the waterline too since I know that you can get 7mm dia.

I intend to drive all using a separate and dedicated 'lighting only' 3 or 4S Lipo via some sort of RC switch on all circuits. I have plenty of channels spare so each circuit can have its own switch, been looking at the 8 channel Arduino relay modules.

The thoughts are that using fibre optic means that I can tinker with the light source intensity / colour etc even when the model is built and failures are easily handled.

These are the planned circuits (I may add others)
  • Nav Lights / Cockpit / Masthead : Circuit 1
  • Rear upper deck (outside) lights : Circuit 2 (Fibre Optic)
  • Rear lower deck (outside) lights : Circuit 3 (Fibre Optic)
  • Under water lights (Jets) : Circuit 4 : (I do not plan to install LED directly through the hull - need some sort of diffuser)
  • Under water lights (Perimeter) : Circuit 5 : (I do not plan to install LED directly in the hull - need some sort of diffuser)Under water light will be colour selectable RGB.
I'm short on experience of what is and isn't available so I need some hints regarding :-
  • RC controlled switches / Relays
  • Fibre Optic light sources and Fibre in general - light in versus light out, leakage - coated versus uncoated.
  • Diffusers for mounting on the end of the fibre
  • Diffusers for LED's
Whatever is 'designed' will be bench tested before it gets installed in the model.
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flashtwo

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Re: LED / Fibre Optic ...
« Reply #1 on: December 27, 2014, 02:36:20 pm »

Hi,

Here's a start.....

https://starscape.co.uk/kit-fet.html

Ian
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Ben Kenobi

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Re: LED / Fibre Optic ...
« Reply #2 on: December 27, 2014, 02:43:26 pm »

Thanks - bookmarked - may need to explore whether 1mm fibre will produce sufficient light, or just use 3mm fibre with no insert perhaps.
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john44

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Re: LED / Fibre Optic ...
« Reply #3 on: December 27, 2014, 04:46:54 pm »

Hi Ben, have you checked out the Component Shop website they do various thicknesses
Of fiber optics. Action is also on their site so you could possibly get your switchers at the
Same time.


John
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Ben Kenobi

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Re: LED / Fibre Optic ...
« Reply #4 on: December 27, 2014, 04:50:46 pm »

All going on the list ...

I realise some trial and error (hence wasted £££'s) is inevitable - so the more information the better to help minimise, who knows - might get it right first time .. wish those darn pigs wouldn't fly so low ...

Bookmarked Component Shop so I'll do some more browsing later.
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cos918

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Re: LED / Fibre Optic ...
« Reply #5 on: December 27, 2014, 06:36:56 pm »

I have use fibre optics for loco headlights . I have got some good transfer of light from led. The one thing i found you can not bend fibre optic tight so you need to take that in to your design . I used heat shrink to hold the leds on the end of the fibre optics .

john
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Ben Kenobi

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Re: LED / Fibre Optic ...
« Reply #6 on: December 27, 2014, 06:47:46 pm »

I was wondering how to get the LED in contact with the fibre and keep it there, I've been looking at cable glands, never gave shrink wrap a thought.

Did you square the LED off or leave it round?

Wonder if heat shrink would help keep light loss down - would be cheaper and thinner than the coated fibre. The bends could be a problem where some of these go so things like those on the starscape site but  which can bend through 90 degrees - I think the starscape ones will work well in the hull and places with more space behind them.
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Skimmer Fan

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Re: LED / Fibre Optic ...
« Reply #7 on: December 27, 2014, 07:34:10 pm »

I know this is railways but I found it very helpful.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6VM3dmutMWw
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Regards
Skimmer Fan

cos918

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Re: LED / Fibre Optic ...
« Reply #8 on: December 27, 2014, 08:26:21 pm »

hi the you tube vid shows pretty much how I did it. No i did not square off the led, too much work and I still got a lot of light out of the fibre optics . Where I used a single fibre optic I use heat shrink round the end to increase the diameter, then used a big bit of heat shrink to hold the fibre optic to the led .

john
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Ben Kenobi

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Re: LED / Fibre Optic ...
« Reply #9 on: December 27, 2014, 09:39:54 pm »

OK I concede - what I responded with was OTT and an over reaction - so I apologise for the hasty and ill thought out response.

For what it's worth I have now reviewed the relevant area on the website and also spoken at length with another member on the telephone. I've already sent an E-Mail Ian's way to see what we can put together.
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Stavros

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Re: LED / Fibre Optic ...
« Reply #10 on: December 27, 2014, 09:45:23 pm »

End of MATTER
 
  HE has been MAN enough to apologise to us which is enough
 
 
Dave
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RAAArtyGunner

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Re: LED / Fibre Optic ...
« Reply #11 on: December 27, 2014, 09:50:43 pm »

Good to see that fairy Godmother is watching over us  O0 O0 and cleaning up the mess :-)) :-)) :-))


Back on thread. This is an interesting subject.


I was not aware that a 90 degree bend could be made in fibre optics or did I misunderstand??

The youtube link is a very informative how to do it. :-)) :-))
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Ben Kenobi

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Re: LED / Fibre Optic ...
« Reply #12 on: December 27, 2014, 09:54:32 pm »

Nah it can't - that's why I need a diffuser of some sort.

You can put a nick in the fibre but it won't really distribute the light in the way that I want - but the fibre tip directly is too much like a spot light. The problem is that the place where this is going has limited head room and once assembled can never be accessed again - so I've got to get this right.

I want to reproduce this

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Peter Fitness

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Re: LED / Fibre Optic ...
« Reply #13 on: December 27, 2014, 09:57:37 pm »

Thread tidied up and a few unnecessary posts removed. Let's keep it civil from now on gentlemen, Mayhem is meant to be a happy place O0


Peter Fitness, Moderator.

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RAAArtyGunner

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Re: LED / Fibre Optic ...
« Reply #14 on: December 27, 2014, 10:07:09 pm »

You can get the Fluoro effect by scraping the Fibre as it shows in the you tube link posted above, reply 9, very interesting, some of which may fit in with what you are attempting.
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Ben Kenobi

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Re: LED / Fibre Optic ...
« Reply #15 on: December 27, 2014, 10:15:19 pm »

I need to get some hardware on the bench and do some experimenting

There are actually what appear to be downlighters like 50W Halogens in that rear wing, these are the real challenge, there is however clearly a blue fluorescent type thing going on by the hot tub, ideal for fibre as you say.

On the deck below there are 16 such downlighters as per the rear wing - I counted 8 in that but am struggling to get decent pictures.

Could always buy the real one - it's available for 4.7 million dollars - peanuts considering it hasn't long since had a 6 million dollar refit.
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Peter Fitness

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Re: LED / Fibre Optic ...
« Reply #16 on: December 27, 2014, 10:23:57 pm »

I have to admit a fair amount of ignorance when it comes to fibre optics, in fact, I know absolutely nothing, so the above youtube link is a real find for me. Thanks for posting it Skimmer Fan :-)) , it opens up lots of possibilities.


Peter.
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g6swj

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Re: LED / Fibre Optic ...
« Reply #17 on: December 27, 2014, 10:28:31 pm »

Hi,
May not be any good and I may have missed completely what you are trying to achieve but have you come across electro luminescent wire


http://cdn2.bigcommerce.com/server500/810ec/products/2609/images/18672/bluelit__81956__82558.1411020815.1280.1280.jpg?c=2


Regards
Jonathan
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Stavros

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Re: LED / Fibre Optic ...
« Reply #18 on: December 27, 2014, 10:31:38 pm »

Ok where do you get that stuff from that looks darned good tell us more about it please
 
 
Dave
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html

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Re: LED / Fibre Optic ...
« Reply #19 on: December 27, 2014, 10:32:27 pm »

I have drilled a hole in one end of an  acrylic rod and then painted the back and end for a down lighter, or to replicate bulkhead lights drilled a hole through the panel and stuck a small piece of acrylic rod over that. Paint the back of the panel black to stop any light spill over
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g6swj

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Re: LED / Fibre Optic ...
« Reply #20 on: December 27, 2014, 10:38:19 pm »

EL cable being discontinued by www.proto-pic.co.uk sure someone else will have it -it's on their clearance page


Looks like the stuff you see kids with at night time fairs



Really weird stuff comes in many colours and powered by an exciter unit about the size of a car key fob and a cr2032 type battery
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Ben Kenobi

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Re: LED / Fibre Optic ...
« Reply #21 on: December 27, 2014, 10:40:11 pm »

I never considered acrylic rod and making my own diffusers, the wire now that's interesting, keep the ideas coming.
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Howard

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Re: LED / Fibre Optic ...
« Reply #22 on: December 27, 2014, 10:47:50 pm »

Try these for your downlighters.there 0.2mm very bright I was very impressed with the evemodel-uk  TO402WM  20pcs Pre-soldered micro litz wired leads warm white got mine on e-bay  SMD LED 0402. Regards Howard
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Stavros

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Re: LED / Fibre Optic ...
« Reply #23 on: December 27, 2014, 10:49:35 pm »

that is very interesting does anyone know if when using this stuff if there is a minimum or even max length of wire that has to be used and does it get hot at all
 
 
Dave
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RAAArtyGunner

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Re: LED / Fibre Optic ...
« Reply #24 on: December 27, 2014, 10:55:21 pm »

that is very interesting does nayone know if when using this stuff if there is a minimum or even max length of wire that has to be uses and does it get hot at all
 
 
Dave
The youtube link says it does not get hot and that you can coil the fibre all very interesting and plenty of application for us boaters.
Am going to "experiment" looks a heck of a lot easier than  running wires to and fro.
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