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Lighting upgrade
Lighting upgrade
In retrospect placing the control panel for the lights inside the perspex display case was not the wisest of choices as to turn on and off individual lights meant lifting off the display case. Due to the location of the model this entailed moving moving it from its place in the corner of the room, to a location where the case could be lifted up to access the panel. Lifting off the case is a two person job as doing it alone means its very easy to damage the model. This prompted me to look for alternatives, and the one i chose was to make the lights remote controlled.
In retrospect placing the control panel for the lights inside the perspex display case was not the wisest of choices as to turn on and off individual lights meant lifting off the display case. Due to the location of the model this entailed moving moving it from its place in the corner of the room, to a location where the case could be lifted up to access the panel. Lifting off the case is a two person job as doing it alone means its very easy to damage the model. This prompted me to look for alternatives, and the one i chose was to make the lights remote controlled.
The solution for turning the system over to a remote control one was provided by a company called Microminiatures who supply lighting solutions for Dolls Houses & Model railways.
The solution for turning the system over to a remote control one was provided by a company called Microminiatures who supply lighting solutions for Dolls Houses & Model railways.
The unit is called a MK005 Remote Control Lighting System. As supplied, it has 8 outputs that are controlled by a remote control handset. This fits perfectly with what I have as there are 7 toggle switches on the panel for the model lights, plus one more switch for the lights in the display base.
The unit is called a MK005 Remote Control Lighting System. As supplied, it has 8 outputs that are controlled by a remote control handset. This fits perfectly with what I have as there are 7 toggle switches on the panel for the model lights, plus one more switch for the lights in the display base.
The unit is very sophisticated as each output is not only an on/off switch, they are programmable and can be used to give lights a candle flickering effect, a strobe/flashing effect, and are dimmable.
The unit is very sophisticated as each output is not only an on/off switch, they are programmable and can be used to give lights a candle flickering effect, a strobe/flashing effect, and are dimmable.
When I first found the set up online, I noticed it was for 12v, and the system installed is 3v. This led me to calling them and I spoke to the owner Kevin. He advised that by installing resistors in the system it would restrict/step the voltage down and make it compatible with the 3v lights.
When I first found the set up online, I noticed it was for 12v, and the system installed is 3v. This led me to calling them and I spoke to the owner Kevin. He advised that by installing resistors in the system it would restrict/step the voltage down and make it compatible with the 3v lights.
The system as I installed it could work from mains supply and switch over to batteries if required. It was all well and good, but what I found was that if left on the batteries overnight a couple of times they soon flattened. This again meant moving the model to open the base to replace them. It was a nice to have, and an interesting technical challenge for a “non-electrician” such as I am to have designed, constructed, and installed. As the new system would require a 12v supply the 3v battery side will have to go. On the upside the removal of that wiring and the associated switchgear vastly simplifies the installation.
The system as I installed it could work from mains supply and switch over to batteries if required. It was all well and good, but what I found was that if left on the batteries overnight a couple of times they soon flattened. This again meant moving the model to open the base to replace them. It was a nice to have, and an interesting technical challenge for a “non-electrician” such as I am to have designed, constructed, and installed. As the new system would require a 12v supply the 3v battery side will have to go. On the upside the removal of that wiring and the associated switchgear vastly simplifies the installation.
Whilst I was waiting for the unit to be delivered, I downloaded the instructions from the website and read through them, everything seemed to be straight forward, but there was one point that I needed to clarify with Kevin. Here I need to rewind a little to when I first designed and installed the wiring. Due to the restricted spaces inside and through the model I tried to reduce the number of wires I had to install; one reduction was made by using one wire to be the earth for two lights. Fast forward again to the present, and the question put to Kevin was “is it ok to use that single wire and split it at the controller”. Basically, without going into depth the answer was no. The only solution would be to have those two lights controlled by one output and they would have to be turned on & off as a pair. Not an ideal solution, but one I would have to decide whether or not to go with. Kevin did indicate that with some further black magic trickery the problem could be fixed, but due to his workload he couldn’t promise when. I decided that OK if there was a way forward, albeit further down the line then I would accept it and crack on.
Whilst I was waiting for the unit to be delivered, I downloaded the instructions from the website and read through them, everything seemed to be straight forward, but there was one point that I needed to clarify with Kevin. Here I need to rewind a little to when I first designed and installed the wiring. Due to the restricted spaces inside and through the model I tried to reduce the number of wires I had to install; one reduction was made by using one wire to be the earth for two lights. Fast forward again to the present, and the question put to Kevin was “is it ok to use that single wire and split it at the controller”. Basically, without going into depth the answer was no. The only solution would be to have those two lights controlled by one output and they would have to be turned on & off as a pair. Not an ideal solution, but one I would have to decide whether or not to go with. Kevin did indicate that with some further black magic trickery the problem could be fixed, but due to his workload he couldn’t promise when. I decided that OK if there was a way forward, albeit further down the line then I would accept it and crack on.
I started by removing the 3v battery packs, that was the easy bit. Then I started looking at the rest of the wiring and this is where a bit of head-scratching started. This is something I have found happens in my “real life Job”, whereby you design, make, install and commission a system. During that process you become intimate with the system, how, why and what makes it operate, where it may go wrong, and most importantly to understand how to go about fault finding and fixing it. If the system works well and does not need looking at, or if it is something you are then not involved with as time passes and then you revisit it that is when the head-scratching may occur.
I started by removing the 3v battery packs, that was the easy bit. Then I started looking at the rest of the wiring and this is where a bit of head-scratching started. This is something I have found happens in my “real life Job”, whereby you design, make, install and commission a system. During that process you become intimate with the system, how, why and what makes it operate, where it may go wrong, and most importantly to understand how to go about fault finding and fixing it. If the system works well and does not need looking at, or if it is something you are then not involved with as time passes and then you revisit it that is when the head-scratching may occur.
When I installed and got the thing working, I knew every single wire, what its purpose in life was. I had drawn schematics, but as the project evolved, I had slightly altered things on the fly to get them working, and at the end I had not documented it properly, and I also had not marked up and tagged all of the wires properly, or done any final "as built" drawings. The only defence I can offer is that towards the end of a nearly two-and-a-half-year build time I just wanted to see the end of it. After a few sessions with the multimeter and some obligatory head scratching all became reasonably clear again.
When I installed and got the thing working, I knew every single wire, what its purpose in life was. I had drawn schematics, but as the project evolved, I had slightly altered things on the fly to get them working, and at the end I had not documented it properly, and I also had not marked up and tagged all of the wires properly, or done any final "as built" drawings. The only defence I can offer is that towards the end of a nearly two-and-a-half-year build time I just wanted to see the end of it. After a few sessions with the multimeter and some obligatory head scratching all became reasonably clear again.
It was during this period that I thought shall I go for it and try to install another wire. One half of me was saying no don’t go near it, the possibility of breaking something, and also finding it was not feasible was not appealing. Then the other side was chipping away saying why not, it’s a challenge, you won’t be happy unless all the lights are independent of each other. Below is a shot of where the extra wire would have to be installed
It was during this period that I thought shall I go for it and try to install another wire. One half of me was saying no don’t go near it, the possibility of breaking something, and also finding it was not feasible was not appealing. Then the other side was chipping away saying why not, it’s a challenge, you won’t be happy unless all the lights are independent of each other. Below is a shot of where the extra wire would have to be installed
Happily, the let’s give it a shot side won the day, the thing that swung it for me was the fact that the model was made “modular” and where possible rather than being glued together it is held together with nuts and bolts, and a lot of the smaller delicate external items are removable as they a push fitted on small pegs. The other factor was the fact that I had kept all the jigs and support stands that were made and used during the build.
Happily, the let’s give it a shot side won the day, the thing that swung it for me was the fact that the model was made “modular” and where possible rather than being glued together it is held together with nuts and bolts, and a lot of the smaller delicate external items are removable as they a push fitted on small pegs. The other factor was the fact that I had kept all the jigs and support stands that were made and used during the build.
Firstly, the wires running up from the base and through the stand were tagged and disconnected
Firstly, the wires running up from the base and through the stand were tagged and disconnected
Then the small delicate items were removed from the service module
Then the small delicate items were removed from the service module
Next the descent stage was removed and very, very, carefully placed on its support stand
Next the descent stage was removed and very, very, carefully placed on its support stand
This left the Command and service modules still attached to the lunar module ascent stage.
This left the Command and service modules still attached to the lunar module ascent stage.
The temporary support was put in place whilst the rear electronics bay cover was removed from the rear of the ascent stage
The temporary support was put in place whilst the rear electronics bay cover was removed from the rear of the ascent stage
The two panels are removed, and the screw released and the cover is off
The two panels are removed, and the screw released and the cover is off
Now that the cover is removed it has exposed the terminals for the lunar module lighting
Now that the cover is removed it has exposed the terminals for the lunar module lighting
Then very carefully by pulling the wires up through the model so there was an amount of slack made at the lunar module end
Then very carefully by pulling the wires up through the model so there was an amount of slack made at the lunar module end
The ascent stage was then placed on a stand
The ascent stage was then placed on a stand
Then the command and service modules were de-mated from the stand and laid down. Now it was possible to feed an extra wire through the system and in reverse order build it back up
Then the command and service modules were de-mated from the stand and laid down. Now it was possible to feed an extra wire through the system and in reverse order build it back up
The assembly was built back up and the wiring reinstalled as it was, and the lights checked. To my relief everything still worked and there was no damage. The new wire is seen coiled in the foreground at the bottom of the picture and pointed to at the other end, ready to use when the new system is installed
The assembly was built back up and the wiring reinstalled as it was, and the lights checked. To my relief everything still worked and there was no damage. The new wire is seen coiled in the foreground at the bottom of the picture and pointed to at the other end, ready to use when the new system is installed
The new unit is received shown here on the base, it will replace 90% of the original wiring and terminal blocks seen installed below it
The new unit is received shown here on the base, it will replace 90% of the original wiring and terminal blocks seen installed below it
The unit was tested using a spare LED, the test was more to make sure I had understood correctly how to hook the lights up without frying them than making sure it worked.
The unit was tested using a spare LED, the test was more to make sure I had understood correctly how to hook the lights up without frying them than making sure it worked.
Then it temporarily hooked up to one of the model lights, and with a bit of trepidation the button was hit, bingo-result, all good
Then it temporarily hooked up to one of the model lights, and with a bit of trepidation the button was hit, bingo-result, all good
Then the unit was installed to the base and wiring up started in earnest
Then the unit was installed to the base and wiring up started in earnest
Here the wiring is nearly completed.
Here the wiring is nearly completed.
What can also be seen in the image below are the resistors that had to be installed . The resistors were required to make the unit compatible with the lights that were installed as the unit output was 12v, the lights un the model are 3V
What can also be seen in the image below are the resistors that had to be installed . The resistors were required to make the unit compatible with the lights that were installed as the unit output was 12v, the lights un the model are 3V
Testing a new jackplug that will be installed at the rear of the base to supply the power
Testing a new jackplug that will be installed at the rear of the base to supply the power
A bit of TLC to the descent stage, fixing back down some errant pieces of tape
A bit of TLC to the descent stage, fixing back down some errant pieces of tape
All back safely home
All back safely home
Lit up at night by the base lights
Lit up at night by the base lights
A view of Dave Scott through the CM window
A view of Dave Scott through the CM window
CM & LM interior lights
CM & LM interior lights
CSM & LM running lights
CSM & LM running lights
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