Actually I liked many of the things you included in yours. Last night I scribed the landing gear pads, I will be adding the various doors you marked out on yours. I am also referencing the BoP blueprints. As for the ship not being lit up in the television episode, everything you say makes sense and lays a good groudwork for a lighting decision. I am trying to decide if I want to use an external power source for this or to scribe the large lower cargo door and use it as a battery access door and just use a 9 volt to power the beast. I’m going to need to use some kind of tactile switch to fire the Plasma Weapon so that factors into my decision also. If external power then no question, just mount it in the base, if internal power then what? I’m thinking maybe that little round thingy between the impulse engines. Worse thing about this build is once complete I’m going to have to do one of the 1/350 Enterprise kits to display next to it. Anyway, your build was inspirational and a great source of reference material for me.
Swanny, just don’t make the same one, okay? Make it better!
Here is something I have learned for portable lighting. For my price and value, it is better to power using 1.5-Volts…or rechargeable batteries.
There is more capacity in 9V cells but to use LEDs I would have to resistor down the voltage. Resistors drain voltage by transforming power into heat and that ruins efficiency. But what is worse is that there will be an initial brightness for about 15 minutes then a long and constantly dimming model.
There is the high-tech way to have constant brightness and long runtime. A 1.5V battery (or a couple in a parallel circuit) would use boost electronics to light LEDs. And the converter works in two ways. It boosts the voltage or limits the current so the lights are consistently bright for a longer time. Think of it as a dam that can control water output. Just the right amount gets out.
Boost converters not quite as efficient as buck converters but are much cheaper and easier to find. I could use a buck converter but that is too costly for me! As an example: with one AA battery 5 white 5mm LEDs can be boosted to light for over 6 hours. Paralleling two batteries gives over 12 hours. And AA (or AAA) batteries are much easier to find.
That is enough rambling!
Well, since I already have built my board for the main lighting with all the neccessary resistors I guess this means I am using the outside power supply with a stand hook-up. No big deal really because other than those few evenings when I will be flying it around the studio making ray gun sounds it will be sitting on the stand. I hope I can make mine as good as yours. I’ll probably have more time in the paint job than in the rest of the build combined.
Keep us updated. I like pictures!
I have completed installation of the fiber optics for the upper sensors arrays. Lots of these little buggers and now I have to worry about masking them and adding the frames around each one – yippee!
Here is a light test with surrounding studio lights on then off.
Cool effect! It is going to look good. Before painting, I pushed the fiber optic through the hull. When it was complete I took my cutter and nipped the fibers at the base. For a lens, I used a toothpick and added a dab of Future to each fiber.
I thought about doing something like that about half way through cutting these off. Should have waiting and thought a little harder, would have made my life a little easier that’s for sure.
The kit has frames molded in plaace for all the sensors and windows but they are inconsistent and pretty much end up getting sanded off in the finishing process. Obviously AW Studio recognized this and included a set of vinyl frame to replace them. I spent two days placing the frames on the upper hull.
Impulse engine test
I’m impressed. Any updates?
Etching a board for the plasma weapon right now. More to come.
Very cool build, I’m impresssed. Cant wait to see it done. But I do have one little thing I feel needs brougth to everyone’s attention.
The original “Balance of Terror” Romulan BOP did not have warp capability. Watched the episode just the other night and at the conference table Scotty answers Kirk’s question about Enterprise superior performance and Scotty says “No question. Their power is simple impulse.” Kirk says “Meaning we can out run them?”
At that Mr. Styles says “to be used in chasing them or retreating , sir.”
It was because of this that the Romulans signed an “uneasy” alliance with the Klingons and this is how the Romulans ended up using Klingon design ships for a while, as made known in the episode “The Enterprise Incident”.
Hope this helps[:)]
I needed something to fire LEDs for the plasma weapon so started with Jennifer Petkus’ posting of a photon torpedo circuit based on Paul Newitt’s Enterprise E board. From that I designed a printed circuit board and etched such as seen here
I had to do this a couple times to rectify some errors like inverted chips and such but finally got things worked out. Here is the completed board, all tested out and functional.
When the momentary switch is activated there are two low output LEDs mounted to each side of the main weapon that begin to glow then the main weapon LED (a high output LED) pulses and then the two side LEDs fade out.
The original clear piece that came with my kit for the plasma weapon was full of micro bubbles, so much so that all the light from the LEDs was disbursed. Right now I am waiting for a replacement piece from AW Studios then will install the LEDs and test fire the weapon for video.
BTW, this is my first PCB board.
The lights are all installed now. The LEDs that will light the various sensor ports are all 130 degree LEDs so have a pretty good pattern. The LEDs used in the engines and plasma weapon are 30 degree viewing angle. Normally when installing lights and boards I like to use hot glue but am concerned about the heat warping the vacuformed plastic of the hull. Instead I have superglued each piece in place to start but since superglue is so brittle and could be popped loose easily after the hull is closed up I followed up with a good coating of silicon caulk. I am waiting on a new clear part for the plasma weapon which should be here in a couple days. Once that is done, the fiber optic lenses around the hull perimeter are done and the center post/power jack are installed I can close the hull.
Amazing, simply amazing
Quite a project there, this will be neat to see finished and all lit up.
As far as the lighting in the original series, I recall reading that the episode was inspired by WW2 ship vs sub movies. Since the BOP was playing the part of the sub they probably didn’t light it as that is more submarine like, of course that doesn’t really explain the giant bird painting on the bottom. [:)]
As a kid the BOP was my favorite, but also the only ship from TOS I never built.
Just finished the fiber optics tonight. Next I’ll be casting a new clear plasma cannon piece with LEDs placed within the mold.
It took two attempts to get a good mold from the original kit piece, first time had an air bubble in the most inconvenient place. Once the mold was right then two tries to get a good casting. I have a much better appreciation for the problems AW Studio faced getting this part done without the micro-bubbles. The original kit piece was simply a clear part and if you wanted to light it, well – figure something out. Since I was at a point where I was casting an entirely new piece I elected to cast a set of three LEDs right into the part. The two outside LEDs are diffuse red 1.8mm units and the central LED is a 3mm very high output red. The fire sequence will cause the two outside LEDs to ramp up to a mild glow then the central unit will pulse at maximum output then the outside units will ramp down. Testing of individual components is good so far and light output in the cast piece is excellent, soon we shall see how it all works when assembled. The only areas on this part that will be left clear are the three lenses, everything else will be painted black then metal.
Since I’m back into working with some RTV I’ll be diverting for a little bit to work on some molds for my 1/48 H-19 cockpit detail set - gotta do it when the mood strikes and the seats are calling me.
WOW when you do something you go all out…
She’s looking good want to see more more more …
Bud
I’ve been kind of stalled on this for the last month but yesterday I picked up the brass tubing to make my power base and the multi-plug for the control systems. Just need to solder this stuff to a support plate, insert that into the hull and I’m ready to close up the main hull.