# WIP on Moebius 1/32 Cylon Raider with lighting system



## ryoga (Oct 6, 2009)

Had to wait for a friend to finish working on the lighting prototype system before I could actually begin work on this baby. As the lighting system is finally ready for testing, I got the kit back and I have to admit I am impressed with what I saw. 

This is how the Cylon kit look like with lights on
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9KDwg5AWiO8&feature=youtu.be

Please note this is my very first time attempting to light up my kit and as I am a noob when it comes to electrical jargons, I am only looking for something very simple - no soldering, extensive wire splicing/connecting, blah blah ... something akin to plug and play and capable of yielding a professional outlook for the kit. 

I had originally planned to re-create her torpedo bays but decided to keep that as an option for now. The original idea was really simple - to design a circuit board that literally fits inside the head section with minimal drilling/filing and the joint pieces to virtually help hold the board and LEDs in place with minimal hassle. 

Here's the prototype of the lighting system. It features 10-leds for the roving eye, 2 pair semi-flicker white thruster 5mm LEDs, 2 pair red 3mm LED for missile bay (as an option and can be disconnected), runs from 3v to 4.5v batteries (since these are easily accessible) and we tested the system and found she lasted for about 24 hours continuously running using 3x AAA batteries.

A very simple set up









Circuit board is sized carefully so that she sits perfectly at the tip of the head section









This is so that when the two head pieces (main head and inner cover) are joined together, they don't create any bulge resulting in misalignment issues later









I am still deciding whether to work on the torpedo bays or not but in the event I decide to, the lights are already there. Just need to see if I can cut the torpedo bay doors evenly first.


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## ryoga (Oct 6, 2009)

And of course I would need to coat all the inner sections with primer first so there would be no unwanted raython effects.









The flickering lights for the engine thrusters ... technically a small hole is required for the wires to go through but for this showpiece, we just used one of the engine inserts.









And finally, the roving eye with 10 Leds - smooth as a baby's butt 









Ok, now I need to allocate some time to clear my worktable and start with the assembly and painting ....

Thanks for looking


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## Lou Dalmaso (Jul 13, 2004)

You say you are a "noob"??

I say lord help us all if you ever become an expert!

That is some STELLAR work , my friend!:thumbsup:

I've recently found that "liquid electrical tape" (available at most home improvement stores) makes a wonderful light block. just paint it on the interior of the head, and you should be fine


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## walsing (Aug 22, 2010)

That lighting kit is really nice. Looking forward to seeing this one finished.


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## ryoga (Oct 6, 2009)

Thanks. 

Lou, the lighting set wasn't done by me, but rather, it was done for me.


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## Lou Dalmaso (Jul 13, 2004)

yes, but you're the guy making it work!


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## Xenodyssey (Aug 27, 2008)

Really nice effect with the lighting and I like the optional idea of having the torpedo bays lite. I'm planning to build mine with one bay open showing the torpedos.

Looking forward to seeing the final build by you.


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## ryoga (Oct 6, 2009)

We're planning to market these lighting sets soon and just curious if there are anyone out there interested in them.


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## MartinHatfield (Apr 11, 2004)

ryoga said:


> We're planning to market these lighting sets soon and just curious if there are anyone out there interested in them.


I totally would like to get one of these lighting sets!


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## ryoga (Oct 6, 2009)

Hi Martin, thanks for the interest. We are in the midst of trying to get these sets to become available online via established online stores. Will let you know when they are available.


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## jaws62666 (Mar 25, 2009)

Lou Dalmaso said:


> You say you are a "noob"??
> 
> I say lord help us all if you ever become an expert!
> 
> ...


you can use this in lieu of painting the interior? isd it thick, when painting outside only, does it hide the liquid tape?


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## Hunch (Apr 6, 2003)

I would also be interested in the lighting kit depending on price. Could it be made without the torpedo bay lights to keep cost down for those who would not need them?
Jim

Edit- Oh, and Lou- thanks for the liquid tape idea, I'll have to give that a try!


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## Lou Dalmaso (Jul 13, 2004)

It's thick and rather smelly. 
I would use it in areas where you need to bunch up wiring and don't want to risk cross circuiting. As a general light block, tho, there are cheaper alternatives.

I've used it in the inside of the head and it worked just fine, but I wouldn't "paint" it on the inside of the wings


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## jaws62666 (Mar 25, 2009)

Lou Dalmaso said:


> It's thick and rather smelly.
> I would use it in areas where you need to bunch up wiring and don't want to risk cross circuiting. As a general light block, tho, there are cheaper alternatives.
> 
> I've used it in the inside of the head and it worked just fine, but I wouldn't "paint" it on the inside of the wings


aside from spray painting, what can you use to light block. I am doing the new seaview . can you use aluminum tape to block light


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## ryoga (Oct 6, 2009)

Hunch, thanks for the interest. The set is actually competitively priced with just a small margin of profit for us as we ourselves (Mr. Engineer and me) are just starting out on this little venture. I can't reveal the price right now but I think you'll find the price quite satisfactory later as she is within a comfortable range of other available sets (hint), but with a big difference. 

The set is designed whereby _a chimpanzee and two trainees_  can put it together. It requires no soldering or tinkering and is literally plug and play with the circuit board cut to conform to the kit's contoured walls, no cutting of the original parts or wires are required at all. In fact, we even designed it to use the main body's plug to hold the circuit board in place to ensure it doesn't come loose ... erm .. if you decide to play with it later :tongue: The only modification needed is just a small hole for the wires to go through at the base of the kit. 

We actually put a lot of work developing her as it is our intention to make lighting easy for everyone. And trust me, it wasn't easy making it easy if you are a fussy customer like me. We had to go back to the drawing board numerous times cause creating the lighting set was one thing, ease of installation was another. Of course we'd appreciate any feedbacks later too.

We did a simple survey over the torpedo bay lighting and found that a huge majority wanted that in, since the cost of those extra LEDs were minimal. I guess this is in the event they decide they want to build up something different from others by lighting up those areas later. Hence the torpedo bay lighting comes with the set but is regarded as an added option, and for those who don't need it, just don't plug them in. 

We're hoping we can sell them through established online retailers for US and European markets as we don't exactly have a shipping department. A sample set have already been sent for their evaluation and if they like it and agree to sell them, we will start shipping the units then. We estimate it may take abt a month or so as I have just sent out the samples recently.

Please note that we have sold almost 20 sets locally but they are currently only available in Malaysia at the moment. We are hoping the online retailers can cater to the other overseas market as its not very convenient for us to make numerous trips to the post office. We will of course let everyone know when they are available.

This is what you can expect - the lighting kit and detailed assembly instructions. Erm ... ok, so we need to work on the name for the set still ... but you got the picture 





































The containers will of course come in a protective postal box so they don't get squashed during shipping.


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## MartinHatfield (Apr 11, 2004)

OOOH OOOH!!! Me want one NOW!!


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## Scorpitat (Oct 7, 2004)

Ooooooooooooooh............how much??


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## ryoga (Oct 6, 2009)

Thanks to everyone who are interested in this set. Please keep your eyes out for it at Starship Modeler webstore. we will be shipping there soon, ETA about 2-3 weeks ... well, we are located at the opposite side of the globe


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## ryoga (Oct 6, 2009)

In case anyone is interested, The sets are now available at http://starshipmodeler.biz/shop/index.cfm/product/2485/132-robot-raider-lighting-system-v100-for-moebius-cylon-raider.cfm if you're still interested.


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