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<- Beginning

Finished product at 10:15

First time adding lights to a model. I'm going to start adding this to smaller models with smaller LED's (Im also going to try and hide the battery source more).

Turned out quite well and my opponents will know for sure what part of the riptide I nova reacted!

Point of note: Not using a current limiting resistor WILL reduce the life of the LED. It's primarily to limit the amount of heat dissipated inside the LED. Too much and it will burn out. It can be either a gradual thing or an "instant" thing, but without the CLR, it WILL happen. Not wanting to do math is no excuse.

If you want to add electronics, I'm sorry, but you are going to have to do some brain-hurting as well. It's part of the job - like cutting yourself or super-gluing your head to your desk is part of model-making.

There are entire SITES dedicated to doing the math for you - like LEDcentre.
http://led.linear1.org/why-do-i-need-a-resistor-with-an-led/.

This site even tells you HOW TO WIRE IT UP, what power source for the number of LEDs, etc. Doesn't really get much easier. No need for tables and formulae and stuff. The only brain hurt required is figuring out how to find the page. I used google.

I got tired of cinema-verite youtube videos before they were popular. If you are going to do videos on how-to-light up stuff, then use a tripod. Seriously. Yes, I know you're not a pro at this stuff. Amateurs use tripods, too. It lets you use BOTH hands to do stuff, instead of just one.

Congratulations on lighting up your first model, though.
The job looks good - and this should be the main reason you do something.

I like how you have added the LEDs, but i have to agree with chomedog, Adding a resistor to your LEDs will prolong their life even if your just using them on a 3v source. I added 35 LEDs to my Grey Knight Thunderhawk and had a resistor on each of them, and a year down the line they were still shining brightly. Even if its a low Ohm rated resistor, it will be enough to hold back the current a tiny amount to stop heat build up.

Also you could easily fit a tiny 3mm or a 2mm LED into the engines of the riptide to make it fly. Other than that, awesome work.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
Oh and also , just a tip, 2AA batteries is more than enough to power the leds in the model, you dont need seperate power sources for each lightbulb. Just wire it in such a way that the positive lead from the bulbs have their own switches. That way you can turn each light on and off without using lots of batteries.

Very sick! Makes me want to start Tau just so I can do this to some riptides. I bet it will look even better once it is painted! Good job! Also, a tripod would be a nice addition, but it's all about progress not perfection... This hobby is a progressive hobby (much to my wife's dismay lol), you will get a tripod eventually I'm sure...