Tron Legacy Costume

Hi all

FYI:

Current project..

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I've started an intrest thread in the junkyard, so if you want one post up a yes there.

I would love to make these but can't start till I have enough interested parties.
 
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Thank you for all the questions. Having been doing this for about 4 weeks now I forget to explain some of the details. i have a couple videos I just made (sorry for the poor quality) that give more depth to my process. I think that my videos explains all the questions asked by "thecountofzero" and I will answer them here.

In picture one the base piece is vinyl. The only thing I used the poster board for was as a pattern.

The silver tape is just duct tape. The "lip" on either side are just for space for the tape that is holding the LEDs in place to stick to the vinyl to keep everything in place.

It shows in the video but i did cover the shower curtain with the red tape to give it the red color.

The jacket Im using I got from ROSS. I have un-stitched the seam of the liner so i can place each segment into the jacket without wires hanging everywhere. from there I am going to cut out the same pattern into the jacket and attach each lighted segment to the jacket from the inside of the jacket. I will re sew the liner in (with battery packs running from pockets or the small of the back) and one master switch probably in my pocket. so when I take off my jacket all you see is the normal inside of a jacket and on the outside TRON!!!
Tron Legacy costume - YouTube
TL costume - YouTube
TL costume - YouTube
TL costume - YouTube

Jason, what battery pack are you using to power this all?
 
Going to be using the following LEDs to light up my suit.

Amazon.com: Flexible Light Strip 300 SMD Bright White LED Ribbon 5 Meter or 16 Feet By Ledwholesalers, 2026wh: Home Improvement

Can someone help me figure out what battery pack I will need to power them?

I also order these to test out. Not sure if they would require a different battery pack???

HobbyKing R/C Hobby Store : Turnigy High Density R/C LED Flexible Strip-White (1mtr)

Thanks.

Me being the first person to pioneer LED strips using Eddy's method (look through the thread, I don't really care if I get credit where its due but some people missed my stuff I guess and thought this was a new idea) I can help here.

Those LED strips typically require 12V sources, and draw about 100mA per foot. So what battery pack you need depends on your total length of strip. If you need 20 feet, you need 2 A of continuous current to run that, and more than just thin speaker wire to drive it. At higher currents, if you use thin wire you over drive the battery and fires can result (rare but happens). Check the AWG standard on max current ratings for different guages. 22AWG speaker wire, for example, can carry a maximum 970mA or something close to that.

For most current bang for your buck, go Lithium Ion. The best solution I found were these 12V 6800mAh batteries on Ebay for like $40.

EDIT: Here is the battery. Its cheap Chinese junk but works well enough:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Portable-12...879172056?pt=US_Batteries&hash=item3a69905dd8

For your application, you have to determine your minimum required current, and then how long you want it to last. I saw a really bulky 19500mAh batter on Ebay for like $70, but not very fun carrying a heavy battery around all the time (though at 2A draw that would last 9.7 hours). That 6800mAh one is about 2"x8" and about 0.75" thick.

Good luck!
 
Me being the first person to pioneer LED strips using Eddy's method (look through the thread, I don't really care if I get credit where its due but some people missed my stuff I guess and thought this was a new idea) I can help here.

Those LED strips typically require 12V sources, and draw about 100mA per foot. So what battery pack you need depends on your total length of strip. If you need 20 feet, you need 2 A of continuous current to run that, and more than just thin speaker wire to drive it. At higher currents, if you use thin wire you over drive the battery and fires can result (rare but happens). Check the AWG standard on max current ratings for different guages. 22AWG speaker wire, for example, can carry a maximum 970mA or something close to that.

For most current bang for your buck, go Lithium Ion. The best solution I found were these 12V 6800mAh batteries on Ebay for like $40.

EDIT: Here is the battery. Its cheap Chinese junk but works well enough:
Portable 12V 6800mAh Li-ion Rechargeable Battery Pack | eBay

For your application, you have to determine your minimum required current, and then how long you want it to last. I saw a really bulky 19500mAh batter on Ebay for like $70, but not very fun carrying a heavy battery around all the time (though at 2A draw that would last 9.7 hours). That 6800mAh one is about 2"x8" and about 0.75" thick.

Good luck!

colonelmasako, thanks for the reply.

Obviously, like everyone else, I am looking for the most compact battery pack possible that is powerful enough to keep my LEDs going for a few hours.

Would any of these work?

MG Electronics 12V Lithium-Ion Rechargeable Battery Set | LBP-124500 (LBP124500) | MG Electronics

HobbyKing R/C Hobby Store : Turnigy 2200mAh 3S 30C Lipo Pack (USA Warehouse)

HobbyKing R/C Hobby Store : Turnigy 5800mAh 4S 25C Lipo Pack (USA Warehouse)


We are looking at about 12-15 feet of LEDs.

Are you saying 22AWG wire is good enough?

Thanks for helping out.
 
So for 15 feet of wire, you are looking at a current draw continuously at 1.5A.

The first and second batteries you selected would work, since its a 12V and 11.1V (these LED strips can work down to 9V but not as well).

That last battery link is a 14.8V battery, too much juice, you might burn out your LEDs with that.

For the first battery back, its a 4.5Ah battery, so at 1.5A you can run off it for 3 hours.

For the second one, its a 2.2Ah battery, which will only give you 1.4 hours.

But that second one is LiPo, which can be somewhat more exciting when it fails than Li-Ion. You need to get a special charger for it. The first battery link comes with its own charger.

As for wire thickness: according to this site, https://www.eol.ucar.edu/rtf/facilities/isff/LOCAL_access_only/Wire_Size.htm, 22AWG can carry 0.92A. Not good enough for 1.5A. For 1.5A, you need at a min 20AWG, but ideally you want some margin so go for 18AWG or 16AWG.

Thing about power loads: if you can use the thick wire for the connection between your battery and the LED strips, you can let the LED strip be the continuous power carrier. If you need to split it up, just calculate how much the separate sections will need. Do it using the base 100mA/foot measure, or actually measure the load while its on using a multimeter (not as easy, but most accurate results).

For my application, I had a current need of 2.2A. I used 16AWG wire to connect the battery to the main strip section. Then I branched from that section into 3 0.7A sections. I was then able to use thin 22AWG wire for those sections.
 
colonelmasako, thanks again for the awesome information.

I'm a software engineer without much electrical engineering project, but am looking forward to this.

What does the 20C, 30C, 40C mean in the description of a batter?

The battery you suggested look good and is priced great, but I'm a little skeptical about it holding up, etc and coming from overseas.

I'm gonna keep looking, but am leaning towards the first one I recommended above (wish it was a bit cheaper though). I want something that will give me at least 3 hours.

Think I found it for cheaper.

Generic Application Error Test JSP (Item)

Can you recommend any reputable websites that you have dealt with for battery packs that are in the US (aka won't take 3 weeks to get here).

Thanks!
 
Just an FYI, that first battery link looks exactly like the battery I showed on ebay. Having purchased one and used it extensively over a con weekend, I can say it holds up quite well. Haven't tested it over time, but then again, if it fails its only another $30 down the road.

A reputable battery source: Tenergy Corp. Have bought several batteries from them, incredibly fast shipping but not sure if they are US based or not.
All-Battery.com: Total Power Solution for Every Battery Need

Only trouble with that site is that most Lithium ion batteries come in not 12V increments. A Li-ion cell is a nominal 3.7V, so it takes a few to get them up to the voltages you want. The closest you can get is 11.1V, and thats fine I guess. Also, Li-ion battery's never come in standard sizes, and require special chargers, yet give you the most bang for your buck in terms of performance (charge vs discharge, stability, lifetime use, sheer energy levels).

The C in the "20C,30C,40C" refers to something called C rate. Its defined as "the constant current charge or discharge rate that the battery can sustain for one hour". So for a 4500mAh battery, the 1C rate is 4.5A for 1 hour. The 20C rate would be 90A for 3 minutes, etc. (btw, running a battery that hot is a bad idea, even for a short period of time, the manufacturer's data sheet should tell you what its tolerances are)

Most batteries are going to have a mAh unit associated with them, the C rate thing can be confusing, its better to think of the battery as a total power source.

EDIT: I'm actually taking a class on modeling the chemical micro scale behavior of a Lithium ion cell so that's why I know a bit about this subject. Molar concentration of Lithium particles leads to calculations involved Faraday's constant, which leads to Coulombs, which is measured in Amp-seconds, which leads to Amp-hours. Yay
 
Once again, more good info. Thanks.

I think I am going to be safe with this one I suggested before since it comes with a charger:

Generic Application Error Test JSP (Item)

At 4.5 Amp hours and about 15 feet of LEDs, this should give me about 3 hours. And if I have less feet of LEDs, I assume it will last even longer.

I'd opt for the one you sent me, but I need it in the next 10 days and all the stuff from Hong Kong seems to take 3+ weeks.

Another question about wires. The LEDs strip can be cut every three LEDs (if needed), are you saying the distance between the two cut strips of LEDs, determines the gauge of wire needed to connect them?

Thanks!
 
Another question about wires. The LEDs strip can be cut every three LEDs (if needed), are you saying the distance between the two cut strips of LEDs, determines the gauge of wire needed to connect them?

You are correct. So lets say you split the 15 feet into 5 three foot sections. Well 3 feet only requires 300mA. So a thinner wire would work. But if you run all 15 feet continuously, then you need a wire thick enough to handle 1.5A between your battery and your strips.

Either way, you should use a thick wire for the battery connection, and then thinner wires to branch to your sections.

As for your time requirement, you can improvise for a slightly more expensive but effective option. Energizer Ultimate Lithiums http://www.energizer.com/products/lithium-batteries/lithium/Pages/lithium-batteries.aspx

http://data.energizer.com/PDFs/l91.pdf

Check out that data sheet. So this battery, standard AA or AAA size, has a capacity of 2000mAh if its constant draw is 1000mA. If you use 8 of them, you get 12V at that same current rating. But what if you want double the capacity? You use 16 batteries. You wire them in parallel, then you get 4000mAh. Good news is, you can find these batteries at wal mart or radio shack anywhere. Bad news: a tad bit expensive, a pack of 8 will cost you $20 easily. And only good for one use, not rechargeable.

Trick is creating a battery box to hold them together and wiring it up with a switch and stuff. But for a tron costume on a time crunch, its a good option. Look up online how to wire in parallel batteries.
 
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Well I made one last year, but I found a design flaw that caused me to not make another one. Took me about 2 days to make, find a project box at radio shack and be creative I guess.
 
Hmmmmm seems I never posted my Siren Gem costume. Thought I did after Dragon Con.

Here are are some pics of my costume and Kit Quinn in her Siren costume as well.

Pattern designed by my good friend Grace Ramos, non-RPF member. Sewn by myself and Kit took care of her suit.

We didn't get to rubberize our suit fabric yet. It was difficult just dealing with trying to sew up all those pattern pieces. We used the wasted rubberized silver fabric for our finger tips that I initally was going to make the entire suit out of but didn't work out.

Reflective tape was used to "light" up our suits. Again, so much trouble just dealing with the pattern, we didn't want to deal with another nightmare of trying to light these suits up.


We now have molded latex grey rubber finger tips which are now glued to the gloves, made from casting latex.

Debuted them at DragonCON 2011. Kit got her finger light to work, my boy Tom rigged them together for us, but mine broke of course :rolleyes got it fixed now and ready for the next event we where our costumes too.

Siren.PNG

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suit1.JPG

suit2.JPG

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Ok, here goes part one of the 'End of Line Dancer' outfit.... SHOOZ!

Making a pattern for the boot covers (using garbage fabric until i know it fits)
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Left boot is mostly done! I still have to clean up some of the edges around the silicone and add a few more unlit foam panels for an armor-y feel, and put in the zipper up the back. I'm building these around an old pair of plain clear stripper shoes... they were getting worn out so I decided I wouldn't mind tearing into them and trying to fit a battery pack in the platform. :D I have yet to see if that will work; my inverters should come any day now.
 
I used the Luminous Film tape. Its just about 1 inch. It was still really easy to work with.

- Mister Digital
Thanks! I bought a few feet of both the 1/2" and 1" width Luminous Film tape a while back. I guess I can try strips of each and see which one I like better on the jacket.

Now just to get a few days free to work on it.
 
Well I made one last year, but I found a design flaw that caused me to not make another one. Took me about 2 days to make, find a project box at radio shack and be creative I guess.

Need to go to Radio Shack anyway. I will check it out.

Ok, one more (hopefully last) wire related question.

Are there any problems with using to thick of a gauge of wire. I happen to have a bunch of 14 gauge speaker wire in my closet. If I really only need 16 or 18, would using 14 pose any issues other than it being more bulky?
 
Need to go to Radio Shack anyway. I will check it out.

Ok, one more (hopefully last) wire related question.

Are there any problems with using to thick of a gauge of wire. I happen to have a bunch of 14 gauge speaker wire in my closet. If I really only need 16 or 18, would using 14 pose any issues other than it being more bulky?

2 problems. First, 14 gauge is bulky as hell, and a pain in the bum to work with, not very flexible. Its not a problem electrically, its way overkill if anything, but it is not fun to solder with that thick of wire.

Second problem: if you haven't seen the LED strips in person before, the electrode connections are very small, about half a cm in diameter. Usually the LED strips come with like 20 gauge or so wires attached, but if you are cutting them to custom lengths, you have to solder to them.

Do yourself a favor: design your suit architecture to use split sections of LED strips no longer than 9 feet. Use your thick wire to connect to the battery terminals (put a switch in here for safety, and don't short out the battery or boom might happen), and then put some 22AWG wire off that thick junction to each section. Be sure to use stranded speaker wire, since solid core will break with movement.

With that method, you'll have no trouble soldering your 22AWG sections to the thicker 16 or 14AWG power lines, and the 22AWG solders nicely down to the terminal pads on the LED strips. Be sure to use heat shrink or electrical tape to insulate, and another thing that helps is use hot glue to hold wire connections down so they don't get stressed out during use.
 
Hmmmmm seems I never posted my Siren Gem costume. Thought I did after Dragon Con.

Here are are some pics of my costume and Kit Quinn in her Siren costume as well.

Pattern designed by my good friend Grace Ramos, non-RPF member. Sewn by myself and Kit took care of her suit.

We didn't get to rubberize our suit fabric yet. It was difficult just dealing with trying to sew up all those pattern pieces. We used the wasted rubberized silver fabric for our finger tips that I initally was going to make the entire suit out of but didn't work out.

Reflective tape was used to "light" up our suits. Again, so much trouble just dealing with the pattern, we didn't want to deal with another nightmare of trying to light these suits up.


We now have molded latex grey rubber finger tips which are now glued to the gloves, made from casting latex.

Debuted them at DragonCON 2011. Kit got her finger light to work, my boy Tom rigged them together for us, but mine broke of course :rolleyes got it fixed now and ready for the next event we where our costumes too.

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Most impressive, reminds me of my first Tron costume effort with my girlfriend. Your approach is extremely similar, same material looks like, except you put in the gray sections. I know how hard that must have been, good job!

How did you mount your disc holder? We used a piece of foam, found one of those fancy disc holders somone on here sells, drilled it into the foam and put a strap around the foam so that it rides under the suit. We just put the mount on top and drilled holes in the suit, which worked well. Not easy to put together though.

As for lighting: its tricky but you could do it. Figure out a good way to mount the EL panels to the suit, using velcro, and then carefully figure out where you would have to wire each section. Then poke holes small enough next to each section that the wires would ride under your suit. The real trick is getting your suit on and off with all these wires, but if you really try at it is possible. Unfortunately, it took me 45 minutes to suit up my girlfriend and after the 3rd time we retired the suit, it looked awesome but was too much trouble.

And as I'm sure you've noticed, if you use no fray stuff, that suit material stretches nicely and doesn't tear, so a small hole won't get huge on you later if thats what you would worry about.
 
OK... so this might be a stupid question... but how did yall wire the arm pieces? I'm trying to avoid having to put a battery pack on each arm... I might do something with glowsticks to avoid this... Did yall put individual packs on your boots too? Thanks for all yalls help! :) My quorra costume greatly appreciates the input! :D
(I only have 10 feet of wire, so I'm going to basically only do my chest, back and a part of my leg...)
 
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