LE LED Wire project needs: wiring an Enterprise model kit

General project help for Adafruit customers

Moderators: adafruit_support_bill, adafruit

Please be positive and constructive with your questions and comments.
Locked
User avatar
wildfire405
 
Posts: 2
Joined: Thu Jun 01, 2023 12:41 pm

LE LED Wire project needs: wiring an Enterprise model kit

Post by wildfire405 »

Hello fellow geeks and freaks!

I am building an 18" long Enterprise model kit. I'd like to light the nacelles, running lights, and room windows. Yes, they sell a kit, but it's twice what the model kit cost.

The little flexible LE wire seems like it could be the way to go, but I definitely don't need meters of wire. And I'm a relative noob when it comes to volts and circuits, but I understand the basics and can solder reasonably well.

What do y'all recommend I buy from Adafruit? My no-nothing plan was to run blue wire up and down each nacelle into the engineering hull, white wire looped together to light the inside of the model to shine light through micro-drilled, portal windows. . . Maybe some red for the dish and bussard scoops. Ideally I'd like to tie it all into one little battery box and switch I could mount inside the base.

I know you can cut the LE wire, but can you splice it? Ideally I'd like to be able to do unlit lengths and change colors by splicing line together.

Here on adafruit, I see the 3 m lengths of individual colors, but it doesn't appear to have an attached battery box. I think if I trim that and off I can solder it all to a 9 volt battery box I have here.

What do you think experts?

User avatar
Franklin97355
 
Posts: 23911
Joined: Mon Apr 21, 2008 2:33 pm

Re: LE LED Wire project needs: wiring an Enterprise model kit

Post by Franklin97355 »

Which type of wire are you referencing (product number) The EL wire requires a power box to operate but you might get away with less or neopixels if you have fiber optics or diffusers.

User avatar
wildfire405
 
Posts: 2
Joined: Thu Jun 01, 2023 12:41 pm

Re: LE LED Wire project needs: wiring an Enterprise model kit

Post by wildfire405 »

It was EL wire. It looks like I typed that wrong up there. A power box would be fine--especially if I can power a few different colors off of one box.

I just accidentally found this page looking for a product number. I'll check this out but Id still like your advice.

https://learn.adafruit.com/el-wire/overview

User avatar
adafruit_support_bill
 
Posts: 88093
Joined: Sat Feb 07, 2009 10:11 am

Re: LE LED Wire project needs: wiring an Enterprise model kit

Post by adafruit_support_bill »

You can run multiple colors of EL from the same inverter. The main thing to consider is how much total length of EL wire you have, and choose an inverter rated to handle that much.

Splicing EL wire is possible, but don't expect to achieve a seamless splice. Plan on burying the actual splices on the interior of your model.

Locked
Please be positive and constructive with your questions and comments.

Return to “General Project help”