FT 3d with servo controlled l.e.d.'s

[CheapThrillz]

My first flight with the ft 3d wasn't a success, I flew about 12 sec before dive bombing a jeep that was traveling 20 mph on the road, I repaired the plame and thought I would mess around with some lights I had sitting around, I powered the lights with a 9v battery and cut the negative wire running from the battery and attached it to a servo hooked to my ch 5 (landing gear) so when I flip the switch the wire makes contact with the negative terminal on the battrry! Probably pointless as well as a bit dangerous but it was fun just to see if I could figure out how to remotely turn on l.e.d.'s!

 

[SnowRocker88]

You can also run your LED's through a brushed ESC.

Is the FT3d your first plane?

 

[CheapThrillz]

Not my first plane, sadly I have a basement full of either warn out or destroyed planes, if I were to hook it up to my brushless esc could I turn the lights on/off with a switch?

 

[Christopher14]

The brushless ESC wouldn't work if you hooked it up to leds, because the brushless ESC puts out AC current and leds work on DC current. A brushed ESC will work though, because the leds run on DC current, and the brushed ESC puts out DC current as well. I don't know what would happen if you hooked up a brushless ESC to leds, probably something bad.

 

[SnowRocker88]

The brushless ESC wouldn't work if you hooked it up to leds, because the brushless ESC puts out AC current and leds work on DC current. A brushed ESC will work though, because the leds run on DC current, and the brushed ESC puts out DC current as well. I don't know what would happen if you hooked up a brushless ESC to leds, probably something bad.

I think they'd be fine. Don't know tho. You could always setup a simple diode circuit to convert to DC but then again it'd be cheap to just use a brushed ESC...

 

[Craftydan]

First off there are ESC ROMs for using brushless ESCs to drive LEDs -- and it can even be used to turn a 6A brushless ESC into an RGB controller . . . hafta find that link . . .


Second off, I've run LED's pig-tailed off my motor leads on my multirotors *all the time*. They come on at about 5-10% throttle and are at full brightness around 20-30% throttle, but they make great boom lights.

While most pre-biased LED strips and modules prefer 12v DC, they can run AC, they just turn off when the AC voltage goes out of the positive part of the phase. On most ESCs the rate is so fast, all you'll see is a slight overall dimming due to the persistance of our vision.

 

[SnowRocker88]

First off there are ESC ROMs for using brushless ESCs to drive LEDs -- and it can even be used to turn a 6A brushless ESC into an RGB controller . . . hafta find that link . . .

Good to know. I'm assuming this is for a 3-position switch or something. Well, or dial...?

They come on at about 5-10% throttle and are at full brightness around 20-30% throttle, but they make great boom lights.

This doesn't seem appealing to fixed wing flight as if there were a situation where you needed to cut throttle you'd also go dark.

While most pre-biased LED strips and modules prefer 12v DC, they can run AC, they just turn off when the AC voltage goes out of the positive part of the phase. On most ESCs the rate is so fast, all you'll see is a slight overall dimming due to the persistance of our vision.

Thought it might work this way but also thought that may kill the LED so that too is good to know.

 

[Fyathyrio]

If you have a spare channel, you can use a simple and inexpensive RC switch, rated for up to 3A which should run plenty of LEDs. Requires a bit more wiring, but should still be less weight than a servo, and also safer.

 

[Craftydan]

ok . . . found the link . . . in German (which is whyI had trouble finding it before). Run it through your favorite translator, or just watch the linked videos:

This doesn't seem appealing to fixed wing flight as if there were a situation where you needed to cut throttle you'd also go dark.

LOL . . . brings new meaning to the term "Dead Stick". Was really pointing out that ESCs can drive LEDs, no problem.

 

[SnowRocker88]

ok . . . found the link . . . in German (which is whyI had trouble finding it before). Run it through your favorite translator, or just watch the linked videos:

Good share!

LOL . . . brings new meaning to the term "Dead Stick". Was really pointing out that ESCs can drive LEDs, no problem.

Haha. Yea, really!