Boba Fett Chest Display *Interest Thread* $82.50

Thanks for the parts pricing info...

If that's the case, I'll just have to do without. Maybe I'll just buy some crappy random safety light for $10. I'm just a cheap/poor bastard that can't justify the expense.
 
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I need to be added to this list. :)
Also, can you tell me the dimentions the openings need to be for these lights? I'm working on my Chest Armor and need to know Before I paint them.
That way, when I get these, All I'll have to do is install them :D
Thanks,
Robert E.
 
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I have the board schematic for the top and bottom chest display.If anyone wants them,email me.
 
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I'd be interested in a couple sets. I wouldn't be able to pay for them for another two or three months due to my current Jango project, however. :rolleyes Boba's next, though, and I will be needing these!

Please keep me posted!
 
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OK guys, an update, and there's good news and not so good news.

The good news is that this can be done, and my electronics guy has no minumum order. :)

The not so good news is that the price is up a little. He simply can't do it within the price the last guy could and not have a minumum order. We guess the last guy got a discount on bulk, hence the lower prices.

All is not lost, however, as it's only an increase of $7.50. The price for a set of these is therefore $82.50 and that includes shipping, paypal fees etc.

Because the price has changed, I'll be starting a new list, below so If you have already posted your interest, please re-post it now so I can be sure you're happy with the new price.

Sorry for the delay and for the small increase. It really is unavoidable, but we can now go ahead even if we don't get 50 on board! I'll work in runs of 10 so that the first people that sign up don't have to wait too long.

As for the dimensions, I'll ask him and post here once I get the answer.

Many thanks.

Si
 
OK, I'm itching to ask a question ...

I've seen the link to schematics, as well as someone stating they had the schematic they could send out. Are the lights discussed in this thread the same as those I posted the schematic for?

I try to avoid board politics both here and at the RPF, and I don't mean that question to sound inflammatory ... but I'm curious if this is someone's hard work at developing a new circuit, or someone taking the existing circuit and just trying to undercut the price?

Thanks,

ATM
ShackMan
 
Hi shackman.

The story behind the development of this project is a bit long winded, but I'll try and cut it down as much as I can. You also have to remember that I have come in half way along so the origins of the tale are shrouded in mystery even to me ;)

OK, Tristan (Vader UK - the guy who started this thread) wanted some chest LED's. He had a contact at a school electronics club and talked the guy into getting the school kids to make the chest LED's as a school project. :lol: it's the God's honest truth. As far as I am aware, the kids did all the R&D cold. i.e Tristan just said "this is what I want - make it for me", and off they went. The display came back. Tristan showed me, I then went and got one from the school as well. The guy there said they couldn't really mass produce them. Plus, without intending any offence to the kids, these things are a little "rough and ready" and the PCB is pretty bulky at approx 4" x 2".

Tristan then spoke to a company about producing them. and they said they could do this, but there was a "tooling charge" of £250 or something if the minimum order of 50 wasn't met.

The interest didn't appear to be likely to get to 50, so Tristan spoke to me about seeing if the guy I got doing the RF servo controllers could do any better.

I sent my schoolkids version to him and said "can you do this LED sequence, but tidy up the PCB, and keep it to $75 inc shipping".

After a bit of a delay he has come back to me and said yes he can do it, but the price is up slightly (as mentioned above). He also said he has reduced the PCB considerably by programming the sequences into one chip that will sit above the upper LED bank.

So, the answer is that as far as I am aware I think it's been individually researched on 2 seperate occasions without direct recourse to your schematics. I have certainly not asked anyone to plagiarise anyone elses work. I just said, "here's an end result, can you make it work for me" and it seems to have done so far. I have little interest in the journey, just the arrival at the end.

I'll gladly send you a pic of my schoolkids PCB if you like, Shackman. I am the furthest there could possibly be from an electronics expert so I couldn't tell you whether what I have is based on your schematics, but even so, the product being offered here is different again, as it's reduced to programming on a chip rather than capacitors and resistors etc. Hope that explains things.

And BTW, your comments were not at all taken in an inflammatory way :) Thanks for putting the question in such a level headed way. I can see your point of view completely. I would feel the same way and probably ask the same question if I was in the same position.

Si
 

Han Hunter wrote:

I'll gladly send you a pic of my schoolkids PCB if you like, Shackman. I am the furthest there could possibly be from an electronics expert so I couldn't tell you whether what I have is based on your schematics, but even so, the product being offered here is different again, as it's reduced to programming on a chip rather than capacitors and resistors etc. Hope that explains things.

And BTW, your comments were not at all taken in an inflammatory way :) Thanks for putting the question in such a level headed way. I can see your point of view completely. I would feel the same way and probably ask the same question if I was in the same position.

Si

Thanks for the breakdown, and no need to send a pic. Like I've mentioned before, I hate board politics, but also dispise those who copy other people's work. You can't help it when it happens, but it happens (I've already been informed that my code has been ripped from at least one of my chips). Speaking of ...

You mentioned not being much into electronics, so this is just to clarify, the resistors and caps don't run sequences on displays. They have other uses. :) My circuit DOES use a programmed micro. That's how you change from 2-stage to 3-stage version so easily. If someone has my circuit, all they have to do is swap one chip and it changes the characters.

Anyway, good luck. :) Like I said, I saw links to my schematics, as well as other stuff I'd been hearing, all for a circuit only about $20 less than what I've had available for 2 years ... just tripped the radar. ;)

ATM
ShackMan
 
No worries :) I think Bobafettish linked to your schematics for a newbie who was looking to build a set of these chest LED's.

I know the schoolkids version doesn't use any programming whatsoever - just off the shelf parts, then I sent this to the guy who's now making them and he presumably worked out what was required for programming etc. to get the same results from a more refined PCB.

Glad to clarify. Thanks for the good wishes, too! :)

Just thought. Something else that also probably tripped the radar is that I asked you the price of your kits a few months back when I started looking at getting a Chest LED set up. At that stage I was looking at getting a set of yours, and wondering about getting the guy who is now doing them to look into it, but shelved that idea because Tristan started this thread. As it turns out, that idea was resurrected, but at the time I had no idea. If I did, I would have waited myself instead of getting a set with a PCB the size of Belgium (no offence kids, the actual display rocks!).

All entirely innocent and co-incidental, but I can see how it might look.

Thanks for understanding and for keeping it cool!

Si
 
The schemo's i have are the same as shack's,so he's really the man.Sounds like its cheaper to get a made kit,than to d.i.y.I'd buy one,if the dimensions are correct.I have the correct dimensions somewhere,I'll see if i can find 'em,and post them...................(jonny dissapears under a mountain of cd's...........)
 
I encourage anyone with the desire (and electronics skill) to build one themselves ... that's the reason I posted the schematics originally. However, it usually comes out cheaper to just buy them (which is why I make them for the non-DIYers) because:

1) If you buy the stuff yourself, and mess it up, that's a good chunk of money to throw away and you end up having to buy one anyway (I've been told this story already). I also know this from personal experience, because I've screwed up a board or two (early on).

2) In order to get the price down for making one yourself, you'd have to buy in bulk. Keep in mind that, for example, I order the circuit boards etched in batchs of about 20 or so. The FettLights aren't as prime an example as I'd like, but to better illustrate my point, I just designed an R2-D2 dome kit. It uses 57 white LEDs, for ONE kit! If you order them on-line, you'd typically pay $2 each. However, I've recently come into contact with an LED manufacturer (thought he doesn't design the types used on the FettLights). I get a good price on those LEDs by ordering 1,000 or more at a time. Whew ... :)

Just FYI.

ATM
ShackMan
 
After a bit of a delay from holidays and in getting parts, this project is back on track.

As it's been so long, kindly post, PM or mail your interest again.

Dom (Nightseye), I know you're still up for it, so I have put you on the list (hard copy list in my diary, not on screen - easier for me to keep track). If you'd care to paypal me the money, I'll get yours ordered right away. Ditto for anyone else who wants to paypal me and knows the details already.

Everyone else, they are ready to be made, so register your interest and sign up. To re-cap, they are £$82.50 inc shipping.

PM or mail me for paypal addy or postal address.

Si
 
Man, this is a bummer. I was one of the first to sign up for this but at the time I had the money... now I don't. This couldn't have come back at a worse possible time for me. DOH!

Is this project something that will be around for a while or is this a one time run that has to happen now? If its only now then I guess I'm off the list but if you can wait a bit then I'm back on. Please let me know.
 
Bob,

It should be ongoing indefinitely, so let me know when your ready.

There's no minimum order. I'm only doing it in runs because it's easier for me at the moment.

I'll be happy to do one offs in the future, or the guy may put up a link to his website that people can order through.

Si
 
The maker has sent me a pic of the first one, done for a guy in Italy.

It looks a lot neater than the one I have by the school. let me tell you!

He says he will be able to reduce the height of the top PCB by a little for future units.

I am waiting to see if he can provide a longer lead between the battery box and the unit.

Any question, post or PM them.


ChestDis.jpg



Si
 
I am not sure, but is there enough space to accomodate the spacing on the armor? Won't the boards hit? I dunno, maybe it's me?
 
The maker has got back to me.

Longer power leads: No problem. What length should we go with? I was thinking 24". That should be plenty to get the batteries into a side pouch.

Displays right up to the edge of the PCB: Again, no problem. This will be done on all future units.

Post, PM or mail with any questions. These are ready to be made and shipped.

Si
 
I have a question ... or maybe a constructive criticism? Either way, I don't want it sounding like an attack, just something I noticed. Sorry if it's been shown before, but since I was buying, I didn't follow this item too closely.

I noticed in the latest picture of the complete circuit, it shows LED light bars for the top part of the display. According to the Fett experts (which I am NOT one of :( ), this is not "screen-accurate". While researching my chest circuit a couple of years ago, I was going to use those light bars as well ... makes the cost cheaper, and assembly time MUCH lower. But according to the research I was given, there should be 20 individual rectangular LEDs (2x5 mm LEDs are what I use).

Anyway, just wanted to throw that out there, in case you hadn't come across that before. If you're after accurate, this would need to be changed. If you want to offer a lower cost alternative (like we do on the R2 group ... choices. :) ), then it's fine.


ATM
 
Thanks for the heads up Shack.

I'll speak to the maker. If it'll drive the price way up, perhaps these can be the budget version with yours being the "screen accuracy nut" version.

I have seen 1 pic (an ESB film still I think) where I thought it was lots of little bars as you said, but figured it might be just a poor quality photo. That's what comes of picking up someone else's project halfwat through and not doing all the research yourself :lol:

As I said, I'll speak to the maker, but in the meantime, these (as above) are available for anyone who wants them.

Speak to Shackman for the "screen accurate" versions. ;)

Si
 
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