Forums > Technical Discussion > LED poi design - help!
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13 posts
13 posts
Posted:
I'm about to start building my own LED poi. I'm still a n00b to poi but learning fast, so hopefully i will be good enough to spin them well when they are done. I covered a fair bit in [Old link], so have a read if you're interested.
I'm not set on any part of the design yet apart from the colours alternating. I'm considering a 9v battery, bulky i know, but almost entirely hassel free and lots of battery = lots of LEDs. At least that is what i believe until somone tells me thats wrong
There will be a micro switch to controll alternating of colours, I'll work with a re-programable one to get the sequence(s) i want and then copy the program on some single write micro swithes. All of this will happen with a bit (i mean a lot) of help from an electronics mastermind! (he might read this, you never know)
My main problem at the moment (experianced poi builders prepair to laugh) is what to build it in??
My free solution is: 2 plastic cups per head, one plastic cup is weak, but one inside the other (glueguned) would be strong enough and very light. Additional padding would be needed as even without a 9v battery in them, they hurt a bit when i bash them into the back of my hand at speed. They really are quality water fountain cups! There is a gap between the bottom inner cup and outer cup, which could be a good space for LED heads or something for the light to bounce off. Assuming the LEDs face away from the handel of the poi (they may not, i haven't decided).
My not quite as free solution is: the platic top off a tub of 100 johnson and johnson cotton buds, one per poi head. This is not quite free as i only have one of them. It is a good size and shape and has 3 evenly spaced re-inforced areas that would make it easy yo attach without weakening it much.
You may have noticed, on account of my lame ideas, that the hunt for the ideal frame to build LED poi in, has not yet caused me to leave my room. I am prepared to look outside my room and possibly even pay for something
if it will help me get a better/safer/stronger shell
Any tips on what is a good cost effective LED holder for poi?
Any reason why i should have my LEDs point away from the handel?
I know that *hyperlights LEDs light up that cone towards the handel which looks cool. But i don't just want to remake his idea.
I'm about to start building my own LED poi. I'm still a n00b to poi but learning fast, so hopefully i will be good enough to spin them well when they are done. I covered a fair bit in [Old link], so have a read if you're interested.
I'm not set on any part of the design yet apart from the colours alternating. I'm considering a 9v battery, bulky i know, but almost entirely hassel free and lots of battery = lots of LEDs. At least that is what i believe until somone tells me thats wrong
There will be a micro switch to controll alternating of colours, I'll work with a re-programable one to get the sequence(s) i want and then copy the program on some single write micro swithes. All of this will happen with a bit (i mean a lot) of help from an electronics mastermind! (he might read this, you never know)
My main problem at the moment (experianced poi builders prepair to laugh) is what to build it in??
My free solution is: 2 plastic cups per head, one plastic cup is weak, but one inside the other (glueguned) would be strong enough and very light. Additional padding would be needed as even without a 9v battery in them, they hurt a bit when i bash them into the back of my hand at speed. They really are quality water fountain cups! There is a gap between the bottom inner cup and outer cup, which could be a good space for LED heads or something for the light to bounce off. Assuming the LEDs face away from the handel of the poi (they may not, i haven't decided).
My not quite as free solution is: the platic top off a tub of 100 johnson and johnson cotton buds, one per poi head. This is not quite free as i only have one of them. It is a good size and shape and has 3 evenly spaced re-inforced areas that would make it easy yo attach without weakening it much.
You may have noticed, on account of my lame ideas, that the hunt for the ideal frame to build LED poi in, has not yet caused me to leave my room. I am prepared to look outside my room and possibly even pay for something
if it will help me get a better/safer/stronger shellAny tips on what is a good cost effective LED holder for poi?
Any reason why i should have my LEDs point away from the handel?
I know that *hyperlights LEDs light up that cone towards the handel which looks cool. But i don't just want to remake his idea.
BRONZE Member
old hand
1,174 posts
Location: Great Malvern [UK]
old hand
1,174 posts
Location: Great Malvern [UK]
Posted:
I used hamster water bottles for my first prototype housings - fairly strong, but still flex (rather than shatter) when they collide
I used hamster water bottles for my first prototype housings - fairly strong, but still flex (rather than shatter) when they collide
Cake or Death?
newbie
13 posts
13 posts
Posted:
hello from [DbS] *hyperlight
i'll give you one guess who it is. We'll have to go for a spin when i next visit hedge (dates not set)
cool, glad it isn't just me that is looking at random bits of clear plastic lying around in the gerneral vacinity. I can imagine hamster water bottles would be a pretty good size/shape. Human drinks bottles aren't the right shape unfortunately or this would be easy.
so, a pair of random clear plastic shells
I was looking at the clear plastic mesh stuff they put around bottels at duty-free etc (i have 4 of them). They are strong in one direction and stretchy in the other. Thought that might be a good way of attaching the shell without weakening it. Sort of sock style, but they would still need a cord/chain to get to the right length. This is route 1 anyway as it can be easily undone and changed later on
I put some more thought into my LED placement. I reckon 6 on the horizontal, spaced evenly (3 colours probably). Then 3 on the base facing away from the handel either all one colour or one of each of the side colours. If i have any volts+microswitch slots left after that, maybe some on the top facing up towards the handel.
Then i got to figure out some funky patterns and figure out how to programme the little switch. As this is my first attempt, i won't be splashing out on uber LEDs, I'll leave that for mark 2.
You still using hamster water bottels on your latest version or have you changed your choice of shell?
hello from [DbS] *hyperlight
i'll give you one guess who it is. We'll have to go for a spin when i next visit hedge (dates not set)cool, glad it isn't just me that is looking at random bits of clear plastic lying around in the gerneral vacinity. I can imagine hamster water bottles would be a pretty good size/shape. Human drinks bottles aren't the right shape unfortunately or this would be easy.
so, a pair of random clear plastic shells
I was looking at the clear plastic mesh stuff they put around bottels at duty-free etc (i have 4 of them). They are strong in one direction and stretchy in the other. Thought that might be a good way of attaching the shell without weakening it. Sort of sock style, but they would still need a cord/chain to get to the right length. This is route 1 anyway as it can be easily undone and changed later on
I put some more thought into my LED placement. I reckon 6 on the horizontal, spaced evenly (3 colours probably). Then 3 on the base facing away from the handel either all one colour or one of each of the side colours. If i have any volts+microswitch slots left after that, maybe some on the top facing up towards the handel.
Then i got to figure out some funky patterns and figure out how to programme the little switch. As this is my first attempt, i won't be splashing out on uber LEDs, I'll leave that for mark 2.
You still using hamster water bottels on your latest version or have you changed your choice of shell?
BRONZE Member
old hand
1,174 posts
Location: Great Malvern [UK]
old hand
1,174 posts
Location: Great Malvern [UK]
Posted:
The latest revision uses a load of copper soldered together, and polycarbonate tube.
Are you sure you mean 'micro switches'? I can't see how you're program a switch?
The latest revision uses a load of copper soldered together, and polycarbonate tube.
Are you sure you mean 'micro switches'? I can't see how you're program a switch?
Cake or Death?
SILVER Member
journeyman
78 posts
Location: Kent, UK
journeyman
78 posts
Location: Kent, UK
Posted:
Try having a look around the internet for colour changing LED stuff. There's all sorts of colourful, blink-winky toys already out there, that could be successfully adapted to poi design.
I just knocked up a prototype head the other day, using a pair of taped-up Sauce MicroLightWand keyrings and an adapted plastic spice jar. It's possibly a tad bulky and I'm scouting for a suitable bottle or tube to do a single-light version, but I'll finish the pair and try to get some pictures up sometime.
Try having a look around the internet for colour changing LED stuff. There's all sorts of colourful, blink-winky toys already out there, that could be successfully adapted to poi design.
I just knocked up a prototype head the other day, using a pair of taped-up Sauce MicroLightWand keyrings and an adapted plastic spice jar. It's possibly a tad bulky and I'm scouting for a suitable bottle or tube to do a single-light version, but I'll finish the pair and try to get some pictures up sometime.
It may stop, but it never ends.
SILVER Member
journeyman
78 posts
Location: Kent, UK
journeyman
78 posts
Location: Kent, UK
Posted:
OK...
Mk1. LED Spice Jar Poi now on show here and here.
OK...
Mk1. LED Spice Jar Poi now on show here and here.
It may stop, but it never ends.
SILVER Member
Your friendly neighbourhood mad scientist
479 posts
Location: Over the hills and far away, United Kingdom
Your friendly neighbourhood mad scientist
479 posts
Location: Over the hills and far away, United Kingdom
Posted:
Careful man...
I bought a couple of cheap LED pens yesterday. They were pretty good, and I whirled them around for a while. Worked fine until I tried a BTH butterfly. A loud crack, followed by the sound of something landing somewhere behind me. Checking the pens, they were both broken. I actually lost the LEDs from one of them. How annoying.
I'd suggest you test them before having a proper spin -- just to make sure they won't break too easily. Seemingly, if something looks fragile, it probably is.
Careful man...
I bought a couple of cheap LED pens yesterday. They were pretty good, and I whirled them around for a while. Worked fine until I tried a BTH butterfly. A loud crack, followed by the sound of something landing somewhere behind me. Checking the pens, they were both broken. I actually lost the LEDs from one of them. How annoying.
I'd suggest you test them before having a proper spin -- just to make sure they won't break too easily. Seemingly, if something looks fragile, it probably is.
"Love the art in yourself and not yourself in the art."
--Konstantin Stanislavisky
GOLD Member
enthusiast
389 posts
Location: Utrecht [NL], Netherlands
enthusiast
389 posts
Location: Utrecht [NL], Netherlands
Posted:
https://projectarclight.blogspot.com
haven't updated in a while, but perhaps some interesting stuff...?
https://projectarclight.blogspot.com
haven't updated in a while, but perhaps some interesting stuff...?
"Don’t know how long, this one’s gonna take;
I could fail, but I’d rather be a fuckup, than a fake"
member
39 posts
Location: Bangor, Norn Iron
39 posts
Location: Bangor, Norn Iron
Posted:
nice work anonomatos......
what dia' of polycarb' tubing did you go for, and whats it flex like ?
your programming the PIC yourself then my electronics skillz have never ventured that deep, how difficult is it..and how complex can you make the patterns.. ie how many channels are you switching?
any info much appreciated
Written by: anonomatos
https://projectarclight.blogspot.com
haven't updated in a while, but perhaps some interesting stuff...?
nice work anonomatos......
what dia' of polycarb' tubing did you go for, and whats it flex like ?
your programming the PIC yourself then
my electronics skillz have never ventured that deep, how difficult is it..and how complex can you make the patterns.. ie how many channels are you switching?any info much appreciated
Love me when i least deserve it... cause that is when i need it the most
GOLD Member
enthusiast
389 posts
Location: Utrecht [NL], Netherlands
enthusiast
389 posts
Location: Utrecht [NL], Netherlands
Posted:
1 inch outer diameter is the polycarb (staff), and about 3 inch for the poi. both are nearly unbreakable. My Luxeon Pic RGB poi design has gotten so far i can swing a poi full speed and then let it go and crash to a wall, full speed, 6 feet ahead. nothing's broken or busted, still running strong... that's what i call poi design! thanks to my best buddy: Bison 2 component epoxy stick (putty). Dries within 10 minutes and is shockproof, waterproof and terribly long lasting
and the PIC-programming is done by me indeed. like, a year ago i couldn't tell the difference between voltage and current. now im programming in assembly... oh well.
pic-programming isn't that difficult. If you have someone to ask the stupid questions (ask hyperlight how many stupid questions i've asked ;-) ) it shouldn't be all that hard. Just patience, patience, patience.
Send me a PM if you need any tips. My whole stuff is open source but haven't got the time to update anything :-(
Currently I'm working on a pair of 1 watt Luxeon RGB sock-poi. Running on 4xAAA batteries and a PIC16F648a, a 4mhz chip with a HUGE amount of memory. And best of all... I built in a Class II laser on the bottom side pointing downwards: above very bright RGB light, below a nice laserdot/stream (if there's smoke!).
The patterns can be very complex... smooth rainbow fades, strobes, 'stutter fades' (by hyperlight) and anything other. with 1.000.000 instructions per second there's enough speed to change colours all too often :-) and best of all... without any trouble you'll have 65000 colors. with a bit more of programming you'll get rainbow fades with 16.000.000 colours... but you don't need that :-)
*edit*
picture update on my blog. it's a photo of a very simple pattern. programming that from scratch should take me nowadays 15 minutes or so.
EDITED_BY: anonomatos (1144135217)
1 inch outer diameter is the polycarb (staff), and about 3 inch for the poi. both are nearly unbreakable. My Luxeon Pic RGB poi design has gotten so far i can swing a poi full speed and then let it go and crash to a wall, full speed, 6 feet ahead. nothing's broken or busted, still running strong... that's what i call poi design! thanks to my best buddy: Bison 2 component epoxy stick (putty). Dries within 10 minutes and is shockproof, waterproof and terribly long lasting
and the PIC-programming is done by me indeed. like, a year ago i couldn't tell the difference between voltage and current. now im programming in assembly... oh well.
pic-programming isn't that difficult. If you have someone to ask the stupid questions (ask hyperlight how many stupid questions i've asked ;-) ) it shouldn't be all that hard. Just patience, patience, patience.
Send me a PM if you need any tips. My whole stuff is open source but haven't got the time to update anything :-(
Currently I'm working on a pair of 1 watt Luxeon RGB sock-poi. Running on 4xAAA batteries and a PIC16F648a, a 4mhz chip with a HUGE amount of memory. And best of all... I built in a Class II laser on the bottom side pointing downwards: above very bright RGB light, below a nice laserdot/stream (if there's smoke!).
The patterns can be very complex... smooth rainbow fades, strobes, 'stutter fades' (by hyperlight) and anything other. with 1.000.000 instructions per second there's enough speed to change colours all too often :-) and best of all... without any trouble you'll have 65000 colors. with a bit more of programming you'll get rainbow fades with 16.000.000 colours... but you don't need that :-)
*edit*
picture update on my blog. it's a photo of a very simple pattern. programming that from scratch should take me nowadays 15 minutes or so.
EDITED_BY: anonomatos (1144135217)
"Don’t know how long, this one’s gonna take;
I could fail, but I’d rather be a fuckup, than a fake"
GOLD Member
enthusiast
389 posts
Location: Utrecht [NL], Netherlands
enthusiast
389 posts
Location: Utrecht [NL], Netherlands
Posted:
Non-Https Image Link
Here's me and my girlfriend showing off two pair of Arclight Poi. Both are at another point in the lightsequence (on both of them I have the same -very long- light-program).
It was at the Area51 (blacklight-)party in Rotterdam this friday.
The reactions of the crowd was plain awesome! ^_^
Non-Https Image Link
Here's me and my girlfriend showing off two pair of Arclight Poi. Both are at another point in the lightsequence (on both of them I have the same -very long- light-program).
It was at the Area51 (blacklight-)party in Rotterdam this friday.
The reactions of the crowd was plain awesome! ^_^
"Don’t know how long, this one’s gonna take;
I could fail, but I’d rather be a fuckup, than a fake"
BRONZE Member
old hand
1,174 posts
Location: Great Malvern [UK]
old hand
1,174 posts
Location: Great Malvern [UK]
Posted:
Looking good! ...and very similar to my HyperLights
Looking good! ...and very similar to my HyperLights
Cake or Death?
GOLD Member
enthusiast
389 posts
Location: Utrecht [NL], Netherlands
enthusiast
389 posts
Location: Utrecht [NL], Netherlands
Posted:
Yeah I know... very similar. But see that as a compliment ;-) better a good copy than a bad original one!
Little difference: my poi has lasers in them (class II to be precisely)... in smoky areas it's pretty neat. And mine are now virtually indestructable (for fun I was using my poi as a bounce ball... throwing it at a wall and catch it... again, and again... and again)... Yes. I am quite sure of my design. Normally I wouldn't be throwing $150 of electronics around ^_^
Yeah I know... very similar. But see that as a compliment ;-) better a good copy than a bad original one!
Little difference: my poi has lasers in them (class II to be precisely)... in smoky areas it's pretty neat. And mine are now virtually indestructable (for fun I was using my poi as a bounce ball... throwing it at a wall and catch it... again, and again... and again)... Yes. I am quite sure of my design. Normally I wouldn't be throwing $150 of electronics around ^_^
"Don’t know how long, this one’s gonna take;
I could fail, but I’d rather be a fuckup, than a fake"
BRONZE Member
old hand
1,174 posts
Location: Great Malvern [UK]
old hand
1,174 posts
Location: Great Malvern [UK]
Posted:
Believe me I do! Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery
Written by: anonomatos
Yeah I know... very similar. But see that as a compliment ;-)
Believe me I do! Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery
Cake or Death?
member
39 posts
Location: Bangor, Norn Iron
39 posts
Location: Bangor, Norn Iron
Posted:
these look excellant.....
no doubt i'll be botherin ya for hints'n'tips
these look excellant.....
no doubt i'll be botherin ya for hints'n'tips
Love me when i least deserve it... cause that is when i need it the most
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