Vehicle Headlights

[Nilmadic]

Needs axles and a suspension.

Well you asked for it!  I went ahead and added axles and suspension to the Jeep. I also added a basket, antenna and light bar. Winch and bumper to come...maybe. I have more vehicles to work on, talk about getting off on a tangent in this hobby. I have Free moN modules to build and finish!

How about a "how to" for those of us not familiar with the electronics. I would also like to see how you altered my Jeep GC kit.

Jimmo, I will get started putting that together. I will do it on the next vehicle I do.

[peteski]

Nice!

[Lemosteam]

+1.  Really nice.  I was waiting for the light bar addition.  Is the axle a piece of wire with a solder blob to one side?

[Nilmadic]

Is the axle a piece of wire with a solder blob to one side?

It ia actually a piece of brass tubing. It is a 4x4 jeep so I went a little larger on the axel housings so it would be like having some Dana 60's on it. The differential is just a large drop of CA where I glued the driveshaft on. I also added front and rear driveshaft and 4 suspension lower control arms. Front drive shaft is slightly offset.

[Nilmadic]

Looks good. Would love to see em on the log loader.

Well, I guess, ask and you shall receive?!

I will post a "how I did it" as soon as I can put it together.

I am wondering what I should do about the cab. The wires, now make it impossible to add an operator. Should I tint the windows? Maybe frost them like it is a cold morning and it's all fogged up?

[Nilmadic]

Thanks gfh for the help! I'll learn one day. 

[Scottl]

The lights really bring it to life.  Love it!

[Nilmadic]

The lights really bring it to life.  Love it!

Thanks Scott! I was thinking there may be a way to animate it.  At least make the boom move up and down..?..I don't know. Still wouldn't touch Mr. Smith's Excavator with a  10 foot stick....log...whatever 

[daniel_leavitt2000]

Ask Dave, he animated the GHQ Komatsu PC300 excavator.

love the off road trucks.

[Ian MacMillan]

Bitchin!

[DKS]

Ask Dave, he animated the GHQ Komatsu PC300 excavator.

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Sorry, didn't mean to hijack the thread. Regarding car headlights, my personal preference is to use short bits of fiber optics, running from the headlight itself back to LEDs inside the carbody. The light produced by real headlights is directional, whereas "raw" LEDs are closer to being omni-directional. It's a subtle thing, but I like the effect of seeing the headlights shine on the road, other vehicles or passing trains with a realistic-looking pattern. I also think white LEDs can be too bright, so I use higher-than-normal resistors to cut the brightness back a couple of notches. And the end of a fiber optic that's been "lensed" with heat makes for a better-looking headlight. (Of course, this technique is probably too much trouble with solid resin vehicles, unless you don't mind hollowing it out.)

+1.  Really nice.  I was waiting for the light bar addition.

Now, that works really well. Very cool!

[jimmo]

You never cease to amaze me Mr. Smith.

[chicken45]

Looks great!

I don't know if I could ever do such fine work. I'll stuck with daywalking in the blazing rays of Helios.

[Nilmadic]

Sorry, didn't mean to hijack the thread.

No apology necessary.  That is, hands down, the most exceptional animation I have seen!

Regarding car headlights, my personal preference is to use short bits of fiber optics, running from the headlight itself back to LEDs inside the carbody. The light produced by real headlights is directional, whereas "raw" LEDs are closer to being omni-directional. It's a subtle thing, but I like the effect of seeing the headlights shine on the road, other vehicles or passing trains with a realistic-looking pattern.

I agree 100% about the photometrical properties of the SMD LED. They definitely just blast light everywhere. I'd be great if there were an easy way to control that. I DO like the fact that they are rectangular, as are the lights on some modern vehicles, including that grand cherokee (I only know this cause I drove one for 8 years). I wonder if you could square off the end of a piece of fiber after you heat flare the end??

I would like to try some fibre optics. I think it would be especially good for clearance lights on big rigs.

I also think white LEDs can be too bright, so I use higher-than-normal resistors to cut the brightness back a couple of notches.

I need to take a trip to my local electronics store. I only had 1K and 1.5K on hand. The brightness is something I will need to address. I know I could just add more resistors, but I'll get some different values and experiment. I guess the problem is that scale intensity of the lighting, would be so dim they would be almost worthless in my operating environment. Since I am a Free-MoNster, we usually set up in fairly well lit rooms, so I think the extra intensity is a nice eye catcher in that situation. Maybe a variable resistor would be cool. Hmmmm....

I have to ask about the excavator, what type of motors did you use? I was thinking of attempting to use a tortoise to make the boom of my L90 go up and down.

[eja]

Ask Dave, he animated the GHQ Komatsu PC300 excavator.

 

That animation is unreal.   Anything I ever thought possible in N scale now has to be reevaluated.

Assume work !


eja