Lightsaber Conversion/Upgrade?

I usually only toy around with the collapsible lightsabers but today I went a bought a 33'' Yoda lightsaber from a DisneyStore.
I'm wondering if anyone would have any tips on how to extend the blade? maybe even make the LEDs brighter? I've seen it done with the Kylo version.

any input will be appreciated

(side note, here is a BYO Disney Lightsaber i've recolored )

If you know what kind of LEDs are in that blade you can check their specs and see what their maximum input currents are. You will likely find that they run at about recommended specs by default and you can get them brighter by lowering the resistance wired to them. However, be well informed before you do, for often enough those cheap-o LEDs are sensitive and can break if you raise the current too high. You may also want to consider the higher heat output if you do this, and whether there is enough surface around to radiate that heat out of the blade. All electronic performance is influenced by the device's local temperature as well.
Alternatively, you can find yourself LEDs you know are brighter. Make sure to alter your circuits to match the new resulting power requirements.
As for extending the blade, I am not familiar with the particular model you speak of but from what I understand about regular toy replicas is that the LEDs are wired in parallel, sometimes in several segments of multiple parallel diodes each. So to extend the length you'll need to wire more either on top or to add more to each segment, as you personally prefer. I wouldn't bother extending the covering plastic tube though, since it is probably safer and cheaper to just replace it altogether.

Generally, TOTJO is not a lightsaber enthusiast board. If you want professional advice on this sort of thing, I recommend reading a few threads at FX Sabers . There are other places, but this is one of the biggest ones and not strictly tied to any one single custom saber manufacturer.

Gisteron wrote: If you know what kind of LEDs are in that blade you can check their specs and see what their maximum input currents are. You will likely find that they run at about recommended specs by default and you can get them brighter by lowering the resistance wired to them. However, be well informed before you do, for often enough those cheap-o LEDs are sensitive and can break if you raise the current too high. You may also want to consider the higher heat output if you do this, and whether there is enough surface around to radiate that heat out of the blade. All electronic performance is influenced by the device's local temperature as well.
Alternatively, you can find yourself LEDs you know are brighter. Make sure to alter your circuits to match the new resulting power requirements.
As for extending the blade, I am not familiar with the particular model you speak of but from what I understand about regular toy replicas is that the LEDs are wired in parallel, sometimes in several segments of multiple parallel diodes each. So to extend the length you'll need to wire more either on top or to add more to each segment, as you personally prefer. I wouldn't bother extending the covering plastic tube though, since it is probably safer and cheaper to just replace it altogether.

Generally, TOTJO is not a lightsaber enthusiast board. If you want professional advice on this sort of thing, I recommend reading a few threads at FX Sabers . There are other places, but this is one of the biggest ones and not strictly tied to any one single custom saber manufacturer.

I wasn't expecting this much of an answer but thanks! this is very informative

I'm gonna jack this thread because I also want to upgrade mine, and I need help...

I have a ultrasabers piece and I would like to add the soundboard from my Hasbro toy saber. I've already removed the soundboard, but I'm not sure if I'll be able to add the soundboard because I only have access to the wiring from the battery pack. The LED and switch are out of reach. I MAY be able to reach the resistor if I'm very clever and dexterous.

Here are some pics of what I'm working with:


How much wiring I have access to


The soundboard/speaker that I want to add (if possible) - I'll be replacing those crummy wires with new ones

i did a sound install on that same model (aeon v.4) i installed the obsidian 3 though....but for the most part it's all the same...to install the sound you have to have access to wires for the switch...unless you want to drill another hole and have a separate switch just for sound (kinda lame that way though).....getting the switch out is a bit of a chore but can be done, they're pressed in so once you take it out you'll have to replace it, the threaded switches are better anyway...if you get the switch from thecustomsabershop.com you can get a pre-wired switch with plug and play plugs on it (makes the install so much easier)...

remove the blade, and the led should be able to come out far enough to access the wires, on mine the led was just floating inside and i had enough wire for the led to hang out of the hilt so i could cut them...looking at the soundboard you have though, you shouldn't need to wire the led to the board, it looks like you just need to run the switch wires and power wires...

to get the switch out you'll need to use pliers to grab the switch's guard and twist back and forth while pulling until it pops out...if you don't want to scratch the hilt in the process wrap some tape around the area to protect it...and make sure to measure the diameter of the switch opening before buying your switch or you'll end up with a switch either too small or too big...i wound up with one that was too big and had to bore the opening until it fit...also make sure to order the short version of the switch or the prongs may hit the other side of the hilt...





as to the op....i'm not sure what you mean by "extend the blade". but if you want to make it so you can remove the blade, they have conversions you can get, thecustomsabershop.com is a great place to start looking....personally i'm not a fan of having the leds in the blade as it makes the blade rather delicate, i prefer the led to be in the hilt...the brightest in hilt leds currently are saberforge's 12watt leds....and they have a good array of colors...

A better pic of the aeon switch...the soundboard I used required a momentary switch, so I went with a lighted anti vandal switch...because of the hilt design it was a real chore to install too...lol

I damaged my soundboard when I was disassembling it... It was covered in glue, so undoing the solder was a nightmare and I ended up damaging the solder mask. I'm going to get another one this weekend and try once more...

The rest went fine, though. I was able to get the LED, switch and battery pack out of the Aeon without any issues.

Does the type of switch matter when using a soundboard? I'm pretty sure the one in the toy saber is also a momentary switch, but the one that comes on the Aeon is a maintained one? As you can probably tell, I'm VERY new to electronics, lol!

Yes, the switch type does matter. Depending on circuitry it can mean the difference between having a functional saber and a fried board.
On that note, I highly recommend going for a dedicated lightsaber soundboard manufacturer. Here is why:
When I look around ebay I find the Force FX boards going in a $25 to $60 range. They are gigantic and fragile boards with often unknown parts, according to your prior experience also often encased in a plastic module that is a pain to remove. They are also always designed for LED strips rather than in-hilt illumination, poor motion detection and a single hard-coded sound font.
Compare that, if you will, with, say, a Plecter Labs Nano Biscotte, currently at €54 (so, admittedly, a little more solidly on the $60 side): Well under an inch in width, coming with a huge data sheet and wiring instructions with all the specs you may need or want, designed to power single-dye high power LEDs around the 3W mark, out of the box superior motion detection, albeit not a perfect one and, most importantly, has a micro-SD socket where you can not only mix and store your own sound font but also tweak almost every relevant technical spec. Oh, and unlike for a disassembled licensed toy, you actually have warranties, customer support and repair services.
Now there are definitely cheaper alternatives if you are savvy with hardware programming (Arduino solutions are unpopular, but extremely powerful in that regard) and perhaps better ones, too. All I'm saying is that with Hasbro parts you pay for the novelty. Their sabers come in limited runs and only few of them get to hardcore enough enthusiasts' hands to be disassembled - surely an expensive endeavour in itself, seeing how little one usually gets out of a previously perfectly functional toy. So you don't really pay for convenience or for service; you pay instead for how expensive the full toy used to be when the board wouldn't be worth 30 even if it came with provided specs.

Just popping my head in to second the 'quality products' comment, as I'm currently building one myself, and have put in a ton of research / testing / comparison.

In short, when buying sound boards go with Plecter Labs. Only buy directly from them, or from their partner TCSS (The Custom Saber Shop) to ensure you're getting a quality product direct from the inventors, and not a knockoff.

The Crystal Focus Saber Core™ V8.0 is the current creme of the crop, but the Nano Biscotte™ V3.0 are great, solid boards as well.

Also in regards to Leah, it does matter, as you want to ensure the switch can handle the connected electronics and is quality / doesn't break with simple use. Take a look at the TCSS selection of switches here , you can even get illuminated ones! :woohoo:

If you have any specific questions about these, or other sound boards, or Lightsabers in general, please feel free to ask!

The kind of currents you'd expect to run through a lightsaber switch are inconsequential to just about anything you'd buy for that purpose. There is little you can do to break the switch unless you wire it in a short circuit to your battery or whatever. It's the onboard circuits that can break or at least fail to give you the expected/desired result if you pick the wrong switch though. So make sure you know what you need.
In fact, as with any other crafting project, do spend more time planning than doing, or so would be my advice anyway. Trial and error is more frustrating because it is expensive. Paper isn't. Have a wiring diagram, measurements of all the distances (and thus minimal wire lengths), have a clear idea of the order you want to solder things in. Do read up on middle school electronics so you can calculate what simple and cheap parts (accent LEDs, resistors, etc.) you need, obtain data sheets for every complex and expensive part you are going to use, take all the information you need for full, and I do mean full, confidence in what you are doing. I'm not saying it can't be done with less rigor, just that the more ridiculously obsessive and finicky it looks before you start, the less there'll probably be to regret when you're done.

Good point! I tried to do research and it wasn't really helping me. I think I'm just the kind who needs to be walked through it all

I remember enough from middle school to have a vague idea of what I'm doing, but I think a project like this needs more than that.

I'm posting this here for Cayce, because I can't use pictures in PM

Pictures of my current hardware:



Hilt - 1.45" wide and 12.375" long. Interior diameter goes from 1 to 1-1/4", switch hole 7/8"


LED - website says "multicolor RGB LED using 2 diodes" - 1" outer diameter


battery pack - standard, 4AAA


switch - maintained (guarded)

Well, if you don't mind, I'll respond to that, too, since it is public and can no doubt help either yourself or others regardless...

Leah Starspectre wrote: Hilt - 1.45" wide and 12.375" long. Interior diameter goes from 1 to 1-1/4", switch hole 7/8"

Do you have or can you measure and create schematics outlining exactly where the different interior diameters are? Regardless of your parts dimensions, you want the chassis to fit in tightly so that nothing rumbles about inside. Now, Ultra may not see it that way, and so long as he sells that's fair enough, but sensitive electronics can break when they aren't fixed and you do want to avoid shorting any of them out. Whether it also feels better when the only turbulences and vibrations come from the speaker's lower frequencies is of course a matter of taste.

LED - website says "multicolor RGB LED using 2 diodes" - 1" outer diameter

Do you know what manufacturer and model this is? Can you find out, if you don't? If no, keep the holder, dump the diode, buy a new one. Knowing what we do about Ultrasabers LED modules you are probably better of disassembling this thing altogether, whether you choose to use the diode or not. A collimator lens matching the LED is generally a more elegant and proficient solution than a reflector, though a little more expensive and you do need to know what kind of LED you are dealing with. On that note, when you do reassemble the LED module, make sure the LED base on the one hand can radiate heat off the emitter and into the hilt, but is on the other hand isolated from the LED base for safety (you may end up needing or wanting the hilt to be your ground).

battery pack - standard, 4AAA

That is a standardized battery holder, but since the batteries can be swapped this is not a standard pack. You do want to know whether all four are wired in parallel or in series or in pairs of two because that will make a significant difference on your input voltage. You also want to ensure to always use the same kind of batteries with this holder, if you choose to keep it at all. Rechargeable nickel based batteries this size typically have a nominal voltage of 1.25V, while lithium ion ones are usually at 3.7V which for some boards can mean the difference between not even getting them to run and getting them to fry on the spot, to say nothing of your LED. Capacities of batteries this size are typically rather low, especially in the rechargeable models. I recommend to read up on your options and the recommendations for the specific board you decide to use. Keep space requirements in mind, since this will be by far the most spacious of your internal electronics. They are also the heaviest one, which may matter to you if you care about balance.

switch - maintained (guarded)

For a single circuit flashlight setup as you seem to have this is just what you need. Force FX boards do need a momentary switch however, as do all hitherto released versions of the PL Nano Biscotte. Some boards do take latching ones.

Generally, your most expensive parts when it comes to electronics will be your board and your LED. They are thus also the choices that determine everything else you can do. Once you know which board feature list is most to your liking you know what kind of power supply you need and what kind of power output to your main LED you get. If you want a brighter, more powerful LED, you either want a more powerful board, or some sort of extension module. Keep in mind how narrow your space is and don't underestimate how much you actually will need. Consider also that the Initiate V4 is a single piece, so you won't be able to take it apart to fiddle around inside a lot. If I were to guess, I'd say space may be the most limiting factor in your project indeed. It would then of course not only limit your options, but your expenses, also.

Gisteron wrote: Well, if you don't mind, I'll respond to that, too, since it is public and can no doubt help either yourself or others regardless...

Leah Starspectre wrote: Hilt - 1.45" wide and 12.375" long. Interior diameter goes from 1 to 1-1/4", switch hole 7/8"

Do you have or can you measure and create schematics outlining exactly where the different interior diameters are? Regardless of your parts dimensions, you want the chassis to fit in tightly so that nothing rumbles about inside. Now, Ultra may not see it that way, and so long as he sells that's fair enough, but sensitive electronics can break when they aren't fixed and you do want to avoid shorting any of them out. Whether it also feels better when the only turbulences and vibrations come from the speaker's lower frequencies is of course a matter of taste.

LED - website says "multicolor RGB LED using 2 diodes" - 1" outer diameter

Do you know what manufacturer and model this is? Can you find out, if you don't? If no, keep the holder, dump the diode, buy a new one. Knowing what we do about Ultrasabers LED modules you are probably better of disassembling this thing altogether, whether you choose to use the diode or not. A collimator lens matching the LED is generally a more elegant and proficient solution than a reflector, though a little more expensive and you do need to know what kind of LED you are dealing with. On that note, when you do reassemble the LED module, make sure the LED base on the one hand can radiate heat off the emitter and into the hilt, but is on the other hand isolated from the LED base for safety (you may end up needing or wanting the hilt to be your ground).

battery pack - standard, 4AAA

That is a standardized battery holder, but since the batteries can be swapped this is not a standard pack. You do want to know whether all four are wired in parallel or in series or in pairs of two because that will make a significant difference on your input voltage. You also want to ensure to always use the same kind of batteries with this holder, if you choose to keep it at all. Rechargeable nickel based batteries this size typically have a nominal voltage of 1.25V, while lithium ion ones are usually at 3.7V which for some boards can mean the difference between not even getting them to run and getting them to fry on the spot, to say nothing of your LED. Capacities of batteries this size are typically rather low, especially in the rechargeable models. I recommend to read up on your options and the recommendations for the specific board you decide to use. Keep space requirements in mind, since this will be by far the most spacious of your internal electronics. They are also the heaviest one, which may matter to you if you care about balance.

switch - maintained (guarded)

For a single circuit flashlight setup as you seem to have this is just what you need. Force FX boards do need a momentary switch however, as do all hitherto released versions of the PL Nano Biscotte. Some boards do take latching ones.

Generally, your most expensive parts when it comes to electronics will be your board and your LED. They are thus also the choices that determine everything else you can do. Once you know which board feature list is most to your liking you know what kind of power supply you need and what kind of power output to your main LED you get. If you want a brighter, more powerful LED, you either want a more powerful board, or some sort of extension module. Keep in mind how narrow your space is and don't underestimate how much you actually will need. Consider also that the Initiate V4 is a single piece, so you won't be able to take it apart to fiddle around inside a lot. If I were to guess, I'd say space may be the most limiting factor in your project indeed. It would then of course not only limit your options, but your expenses, also.

Oh, I absolutely appreciate the input!

A lot of what you said kind of went over my head just now, though, lol.

BUT drawing out a schematic for the hilt is a great idea! I'll do that first, then start trying to sort out all the components...

Ok, for mine I used the obsidian 3.0 soundboard as when I ordered one for my custom build they for some reason sent me 2...I installed the momentary switch because it was needed and I swapped the plain batteries for li-ion...

My recommendation would be to buy a pre-wired momentary switch, pre-wired nano-biscotte, and an 18650 li-ion battery +holder from the custom sabershop...it will all be plug and play no soldering needed...and the battery holder will have a spot for the sound board....it will all fit at the pommel end of the aeon just fine...the most expensive item will be the soundboard at about $75 us....but it's well worth it as you can switch between 2 different sets of sounds, and can add sounds...the led should be just fine as ultrasabers only uses 1 brand for all their sabers...

Check page 3, there's a pic of the final wiring layout...that should help

https://www.templeofthejediorder.org/forum/Jedi-Art/110668-saber-build

That's an Initiate V4 though, not an Aeon. That's why I'm saying be careful about the spacing. If you are in fact dealing with more than one dye, a Nano Biscotte may not be enough to power it, but if you choose to employ a lens and proper heatsink rather than a reflector and glue, a single dye LED may be just bright enough for your needs. There is a lot of just-so solutions that will in fact work, and your first will of course not be the perfect saber, the one to rule them all. I just figure it is more appealing to be knowing as much as possible about every piece you plug in there so that the day it inevitably breaks is far ahead and that on that day you will be able to troubleshoot and fix it yourself rather than pay an expert for the service. I'm all for learning by doing, I'm just naturally lazier than I am wealthy, so I try to know as much as I can before doing anything lest I have to do too many things over.

Actually, it IS an Aeon. They're similar, but certainly different:


Initial v4


Aeon v4

Oh, I see. Never mind. The emitter threw me off, didn't see there was more Aeon models than one. Been ages since I even looked at Ultrasabers. :blush:

Not only is there several versions, each version has several finishes...they've expanded the selection by quite a bit...if you look at mine, it came with the recesses powder coated gold...