Round2 Producing a 1/350 Star Trek TMP K'Tinga

[star-art]

That part is attached to one of the main body halves. Due to a mistake in the tooling process, they made it not once but twice. They ended up deleting the extra copy which is why there is a blank spot on the sprue.

 

[division 6]

Thanks for the info.

 

[division 6]

Looks like Para Grafix is coming out with another PE set for it.

 

[PHArchivist]

Listed on Amazon...

Now on Amazon Prime - ordered mine...

Looks like Para Grafix is coming out with another PE set for it.

View attachment 941537

How does it look for lighting?

--With the lighting kit?
--WithOUT the lighting kit?

And how about a Kronos One conversion?

 

[Cameron]

The lighting kit is so basic I regret buying it.

 

[edge10]

Now on Amazon Prime - ordered mine...


How does it look for lighting?

--With the lighting kit?
--WithOUT the lighting kit?

And how about a Kronos One conversion?

There is talk of a Kronos One, if this one sells well enough.

I'm going to have to pass on the lighting kit myself. Too expensive for what it is, the flasher is the wrong speed and I don't agree with the colors chosen.

 

[edge10]

Now on Amazon Prime - ordered mine...


How does it look for lighting?

--With the lighting kit?
--WithOUT the lighting kit?

And how about a Kronos One conversion?

Here is what star-art has said on other boards about lighting:

BTW, I recommend buying the PL lighting kit and then modifying it to suit. It's very well designed but it serves only as a starting point. As such, it includes a lot of useful parts even if you want to make your own custom lighting setup. My recommendations:

• First, ditch all the cool white LEDs. Use Natural White (4500K) for the spot lights as well as the point lights in the nacelles and engineering deck. Then, use warm white lights for everything else. You can use your own blinker circuit if you prefer.
  
• Add dimming for each individual light to get just the right brightness level for each one.
  
• The "light pipe" in each engine nacelle is ingenious, but, from what I've seen so far, the light pointing aft ends up being too bright compared to the lights on each side. They are all supposed to be about the same brightness. You might be able to address this by first painting the outside of the light pipe white (minus the input and output points, leave those clear). Then, light-block the outside with foil tape, heavy primer, etc., again leaving the the output points clear. Now, test the brightness in a dark room. Reduce the brightness at the rear point by frosting that output point. You can do this with sandpaper. If that does not sufficiently reduce the brightness to "balance" the output, you can also try tinting the rear point with transparent black. If that still doesn't work, a coat of transparent white should do the trick. Again, try to get all five points to be about the same brightness.
  
• Another problem area is the windows in the bulb and Cobra head. The lighting kit setup doesn't really work here. What is needed is an even glow that's not too bright. There are many ways to do this. The key is to avoid having bright "hot spots." Instead, try to establish an even glow of light. Finally, don't make it too bright! So many times I see model spaceships where the windows are so bright it looks like a warp core breach is in progress. LOL
  
• The same issue is present for the "comb" lighting. The kit has two bright hot spots here and it needs to be an even glow. Make the area behind the comb a "light box" and try to illuminate it evenly. Don't let it be too bright.
  
• Finally, the bridge lights needs to be dimmed. The output here must also not be too bright. Don't forget these are WINDOWS and not a continuous ring of light. The window outlines are molded into the clear part but you have to look close in order to see them. ParaGrafix provides a PE piece to frame these windows correctly.

 

[Hunk a Junk]

The lighting kit is so basic I regret buying it.

Yeah, I'm on the fence about it. In terms of the LEDs it offers, it's not worth it. Unfortunately, R2 isn't selling the photo etch separately. So we'll have to pay at a minimum $70 for photo etch that normally would cost maybe $25-30. Buying models shouldn't be like buying cable TV.

 

[edge10]

...Buying models shouldn't be like buying cable TV.

Now you're getting nasty.[/Indy]

 

[Hunk a Junk]

Now you're getting nasty.[/Indy]

Not trying to start a fire. I'm excited for the kit. I'll be buying it. I'm all for bundling products if it means buying multiple products together is cheaper and a value. If the photo etch and lights were sold separately for, say, $30 each and R2 made a bundle deal where you could buy both for $50-55, that's a good bundling. But bundling photo etch worth $30 with LEDs that we can buy separately for $15 but then charging $70-- that isn't offering a deal. It's using products like hostages. Given the fact that the kit's scale makes the windows so small that photo etch is almost a requirement in order to decently light the kit, it's just a little frustrating.

 

[division 6]

If it's anything like the TOS Enterprise all the extra parts and decals will eventually be sold separate.

 

[Hammerdon]

I have the front of the ship lit already and ready to prime. I used led tape, a couple of smd lights and 3 red leds and it's done. I have a flasher board from a train hobby shop on the way for the flashing lights.The board was $15.00 and can be adjusted as far as flash rate . I just need to finish the back lighting now. It will cost very little if you light the ship yourself. I can see through all the windows so I'm happy with it.

 

[Boba Flint]

Those of us that are electronically challenged, the lighting kit seems like the only choice.

 

[Hunk a Junk]

I purchased R2's TOS-E lighting kit and I'm happy with the results. With so many flashers and rotating parts, it made life much easier. The K'tinga lighting is pretty basic, in comparison. I don't think you'd even need a board. Just wire up the LEDs in parallel like Christmas lights.

 

[PHArchivist]

I have the front of the ship lit already and ready to prime. I used led tape, a couple of smd lights and 3 red leds and it's done. I have a flasher board from a train hobby shop on the way for the flashing lights.The board was $15.00 and can be adjusted as far as flash rate . I just need to finish the back lighting now. It will cost very little if you light the ship yourself. I can see through all the windows so I'm happy with it.

So no "mission critical" need for the photo-etched window strip?

 

[Cameron]

The separate Photo Etch due seems to have more pieces that then one in the light kit. That's not cool if it ends up having more.

 

[edge10]

Those of us that are electronically challenged, the lighting kit seems like the only choice.

There are always possibilities:

Hobby LEDs

 

[akumazeto]

My Archive X list so far

EX-007 1975 Grimy Black
EX-020 1975 Depot Buff
EX-022 1975 GN Grey-Green
EX-030 1975 Depot Olive
EX-032 1975 Light Green
EX-033 1975 Dark Green
EX-036 1975 Weyerhaeuser Green
EX-038 1975 Coach Green
EX-056 ANH-DS Trench Olive Oxide

 

[edge10]

So no "mission critical" need for the photo-etched window strip?

I don't think so.

I don't think James Small had it available to him when he built this:

Polar Lights Models: Klingon K't'inga buildup process Pt.7 | Collector Model

Should be a cinch, for someone who can build and light a Death Star.

 

[Hammerdon]

I really don't see any reason to us photo etch for the windows PHArchivist. The kit windows are probably not going to be as crisp but they are so small that I'm not going to bother with it. You'll see what I mean when you get the kit.