Round 5.....fight!
This round started to look like an even match as Nightstick came out with leads being too long at the both the LED and recharge port. The recharge ports wires were also touching the speaker distorting the sound. But, Hot Rod comes back and rewires the LED for shorter leads to the mini connectors. The emitter fits and works. Next is the recharge port. Hot Rod wires up a new recharge port with leads long enough to fit behind the speaker but short enough not to touch the speaker. The recharge port is installed so it does not rotate in the pommel as it is being turned so the wires stay in place. The pommel fits. It looks good for Hot Rod.
But wait, the config on Hot Rod's server gets corrupted and now the saber won't boot. Hot Rod failed to back up (WHAT WAS HE THINKING BEING A NETWORK ADMIN?!). Nightstick is coming back swinging. Hot Rod rebuilds the config and all the fonts from a downloaded file from Saber Igniter. It's looking good. It boots, it doesn't rattle, it WORKS! Hot Rod wins by a narrow margin in the final round!!!
(Seriously, all that actually happened).
Guys, thank you for your VERY supportive comments so far! Check this out with the awesome blade plug.
And here are some color shots:
So let's talk about the build, feel, function, and the Z6 LED.
- The Build -
One good thing about cramming everything is nothing rattles. I do have some room, but it's tight. The emitter is long, but most of it is for show so there is not much room for the LED at the bottom. Getting the recharge port in the pommel was not as bad as I thought. It just required 2 nuts, 2 black nylon washers, and the port. I bent the leads 90 degrees before soldering and ran all of the wires to one side trying to make sure they didn't cross and used LOTS of heat shrink. All of the wiring for the battery his behind the speaker and tucked under the circuit board as to not interfere with the SD card (the board stick out from the battery...a tip I learned while building my Redeemer). One AV switch has an orange LED (I used a Dyna Ohm resistor) and one is solid black. Could I have gone without the resistor? Not sure. i've just always been under the impression I needed one. The Dyna Ohm is much larger than a normal resistor, so when you are short on space, that can be a factor.
- The Feel -
This thing feels GREAT! It's heavier than my Bastion, but shorter and quicker than any of my other sabers. It has a very nice heft to it. It also has this perfect spot between the switch section and knurled grip on the body that allows you to grip and spin, but if your fingers slide, they will meet a smooth stop on either side, which really goes to show the awesomeness of this body section. This is a much more fun saber to play with than I had anticipated for its very short size. It is very short, but somehow doesn't feel short. I can't explain it. It just doesn't feel short to me.
- Function -
This really boils down to the NEC Spark Color 2. I love this board. It was relatively easy to wire, it has a lot of settings, and is fun to tinker with. I like that you can change the volume by font, so loud fonts can be quieter and quieter fonts can be made louder. The 2w Bass Speaker is a MONSTER but was needed for this build since the recharge port is covering up some (not all) of the vents in the pommel.
For me, it was really bizarre having that moment where I was doing color editing on the saber from the saber and thinking to myself, it works just like the one I got from Saberforge, but I wired it. Not trying to brag, but it was a cool feeling.
- The Z6 -
So, I don't know a lot about LED's. This LED is bright. I'm only running at 70% and it DOES put off some heat over time. I read somewhere if I got into the 80's or above, it could (not would, but could) trip the pcb on the battery. So, I opted to keep it at 70. It's not blazing hot, but it is warm. Here are some comparison shots. You'll note, it still looks good and it is bright!
Also, I found that my colors from color mixing are visible at the LED. In other words, if I want Orange, I go full red and a touch of green. I believe the SC2 works in increments of 5 along the scale of 0 to 255 per color, so that's 255 on Red and 5 on green. It's nice, but not as good as my Monarch as far as color saturation goes. For this and other color mixes that use green, such as arctic blue or cyan, you can see the green coming through at the bottom of the emitter. Not sure if this is because I can see the blade right at the emitter, or if it's the LED.
Honestly, I did put quick connects on my LED and I have a Necree from Naigon I may try. There is NOTHING in the world wrong with this LED and it is awesome. I just miss the option to have Amber as well to get blood orange or deeper oranges (I like orange).
- Final Thoughts -
This was a FUN build! I learned so much. It is a great hilt! It's MEAN, Black as night, BRIGHT, loaded with Sith fonts, LOUD, and unapologetic I put a nice thunder noise in when it boots. It reminds me of a Shelby Cobra....tiny body, no room, tons of power! I'm thrilled to have this one in the family.
Once again, this build is not just mine. You guys have all helped me through this and I am so grateful to you. Thank you for your guidance, your thoughts, your advice, your humor, your expertise, and your patience. I wouldn't have been able to do this without you.
More pics coming below!