Scratch Build – In Progress ****** PHINIX CUBE ******* - the one and only:)

Lol, your attic is something a batcavern
Sometimes I need to show you my lab when I'm in modding phase, it's a mess!

 

Is this my leds finnaly coming into use now then lol.

Cant wait to see how it looks

 

The cube is coming along nicley...

cant wait to see the PCI bracket when its finished!!!

 

Yes Your leds comming in Red ones - I will solder 4 groups 4 leds each ad glue them to the square, then cover it with second square and screw it to the bottom panel, just in the middle. I hope light beams will light up the whole bottom equaly...

PCI bracket will be ready probably at the end of the week, need to order few things to be cut on CNC cause they pretty thin and small so I cannot do it in hands...

Also going to order chromed aluminium ring for front panel All ordered in ChilledPC shop from Tom.

 

Ok.. simple electronic question - don't laugh, I have no idea how to do it so asking

I decided to use 4 leds groups, then just use more fo these in parallel. According to that led calculator if I use 4 leds I need use it with 220ohm resistor (12V power supply, 2V red leds, 20 mA diode forward current).
Now, I need to use 16 leds, so thats 4x 4 led groups. How should I connect them to one 12V PSU cable?

Wizzard shows this combination:



But how should I sodler them - like this? (sorry for my poor drawing skills



All "-" solder together and then to "-" from PSU and same for "+"?


Second question is - can I use 270ohm resistors? I don't have 220. In calculator when I change led forward current to 1.8V it shows I can use 270... Is 1.8V ok for red leds or does it have to be 2v?

 

First, the connector (probably a molex). Solder all waires onto the same molex.

 

ok, I just did the first "4 pack" using 270ohm resistor and looks like 4th led is not that bright as first three.. is it a faulty led or res is to big? And thats the one just before resistor (last in the row)...

 

Dont know. Maybe the soldering is not so good at the last led?

 

When you undervolt a series, you can get an oddball like that.

 

Undervolt you say.. I need to measure it then. So resistor may be too big right?
I thought that when res is too big then all leds will be darker...

 

They do unpredictable stuff at times. I have a nightlight I put together with the wrong resistors. Sometimes it's fine, sometimes there's a dim bulb.
It could be your wiring too, but it IS getting power. I was just chiming in with the shortest sentence possible.

 

Well, it was bad led - changed to another one and all 4 worked ok
Made all 4 groups of 4 leds today and glue them to the acrylic square. Looks ok, it will make nice light under the cube.





I'm terrible in soldering..



All 4 groups glued to acrylic




Power please...



Somebody hit the lights!



Some leds need to calibrate a bit...




Also made second side panel from black acrylic, will show pictures tomorrow, cause still need to sand and polish edges under water.

 

Wow, it's a super light!!!
Now I'm curious to see the finished product!

 

I agree with Mino, very bright. I like it.

 

nice work on the leds!

 

Actually, I think your soldering skills are pretty decent. Better than mine!

 

Thanks guys Lights always look great in any mod

I've been planning few parts lately, I'm off from Monday till Thursday so I hope I will make some progress this week.

Here's a idea for top panel - simple and clean. Big center part is covering slim dvd...



And here's the back panel - I'm not going to do any black tint acrylic parts here, all will be red tinted. PSU bracket is done so now its time for mobo back panel. The hole in clear panel is huge so I had to figer out how I'm gonna cover at least part of this hole. I think frame built from couple of parts will be more interesting... ALso small teaser for back PCI mount part

 

oooh, shiny leds! I like that soldering job and epoxy or whatever you're using to glue em on. That's pretty clever! I'd be trying to do something complicated and stupid like drilling perfboard holes and embedding stuff!

 

As always your Sketchups are awesome.

 

Mmm, good idea! Maybe someday I'll try to learn Sketchup, now I use illustrator :-(