memento10 Posted November 29, 2009 Posted November 29, 2009 (edited) Can someone suggest where to buy the indicators in the below picture (preferably a North American source). I expect to have to install the LED's myself but was wondering what others are doing? Thanks! Edited November 29, 2009 by memento10
londo-cat Posted November 30, 2009 Posted November 30, 2009 You know, I don't know if there *IS* a place in North America that actually sells anything like that in the size or shape. I wish I knew because that would save me a LOT Of trouble from having them manufactured. I had a local Tap Plastics company create 11mm x 24mm plastic blanks in opaque white plastic plus a small 1mm clear cover (also 11mm x 24mm). I had another company stamp out 12mm x 25mm x 4mm tin (black anodized) with a small black rim running around the opening of them. I drilled two holes in each white opaque blank and glued in with crazy glue a red and a green LED. I printed out a black page with white text for all the cover text I needed for each indicator, then cut them with scissors and then used a bit of elmers glue to adhere them to the white opaque plastic blank. Then I took the tin metal blank, dropped in the 1mm clear cover and inserted this over the opaque plastic blank with the LEDs and - used a dab of silicone on the inside of the tin blank to make the opaque plastic blank stick in there. They hold together pretty good. I can get them to show red or green now. The metal shop charged me $85 to make 50 of the black anodized tin covers. Tap Plastics charged me $45 to make 50 11mm x 24mm plastic blanks in opaque white plastic plus 50 1mm clear covers (also 11mm x 24mm). The LED's cost me $19 for 100 red LEDs and 100 Green LEDs. Hope this helps! ~ Londo-Cat
londo-cat Posted November 30, 2009 Posted November 30, 2009 One last thing. I prototyped what I wanted first and experimented with how it would all work before I decided this is how I wanted to go. It didn't matter if it was clear or opaque plastic that I used. Clear worked fine so did white opaque. But for some reason - clear was more expensive at Tap (for some odd reason) so I said go with opaque. The holes I drilled with a drill press and drilled right through them, two holes, just 2mm width between them off dead center that the LED would fit into.
Total Posted November 30, 2009 Posted November 30, 2009 Well, DIY is half imagination. For the fire extinguisher guards, the first thing I can think of would be to get four metal shotglasses (or four metal cups that size) and cut the top off to height. Drill the appropriate sized hole in the bottom for a white-capped momentary pushbutton. Dip the top edge into the rubber you get at Lowe's or Home Depot to dip your tool handles in (to prevent you from slicing your fingers open). Then paint them red. As far as the indicator panel, scrounge around ebay, electronic surplus stores, etc
Oakes Posted November 30, 2009 Posted November 30, 2009 You know, I don't know if there *IS* a place in North America that actually sells anything like that in the size or shape. I wish I knew because that would save me a LOT Of trouble from having them manufactured. I had a local Tap Plastics company create 11mm x 24mm plastic blanks in opaque white plastic plus a small 1mm clear cover (also 11mm x 24mm). I had another company stamp out 12mm x 25mm x 4mm tin (black anodized) with a small black rim running around the opening of them. I drilled two holes in each white opaque blank and glued in with crazy glue a red and a green LED. I printed out a black page with white text for all the cover text I needed for each indicator, then cut them with scissors and then used a bit of elmers glue to adhere them to the white opaque plastic blank. Then I took the tin metal blank, dropped in the 1mm clear cover and inserted this over the opaque plastic blank with the LEDs and - used a dab of silicone on the inside of the tin blank to make the opaque plastic blank stick in there. They hold together pretty good. I can get them to show red or green now. The metal shop charged me $85 to make 50 of the black anodized tin covers. Tap Plastics charged me $45 to make 50 11mm x 24mm plastic blanks in opaque white plastic plus 50 1mm clear covers (also 11mm x 24mm). The LED's cost me $19 for 100 red LEDs and 100 Green LEDs. Hope this helps! ~ Londo-Cat Pictures? (pretty please with sugar on top :)) /Oakes
londo-cat Posted November 30, 2009 Posted November 30, 2009 Hey there Oakes - yes, have to upload them to my Photobucket account. I took about 10-12 pics of the prototype and then 10 or so of the assembled ones I had manufactured. But have not gotten around to uploading them to photobucket and then linking them on here. I've been working waaaaaay too many projects, and uploading pics has kind of slipped to the bottom of the pile so it would seem. I'll try and upload them later this week though. :-)
talisman Posted November 30, 2009 Posted November 30, 2009 dont know if it helps but i found these guys http://www.lumatech.com/products/annunciators.php and a cheaper version in india - http://www.shahelectronicsandelectricals.com/electronic-control-panel-acccessories.html [sIGPIC][/sIGPIC] Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No - Its a Stinger - Damn....... My Pit - http://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?t=42253
memento10 Posted November 30, 2009 Author Posted November 30, 2009 Thanks for all your suggestions and we look forward to pics from Londo-Cat! I've also requested a quote from Transas for their T-4 Annunciators although I'm expecting them to be very expensive... I believe each of us would need about 50. Will let you know if Transas answers me.
BaD CrC Posted November 30, 2009 Posted November 30, 2009 Hello memento10. Not a US source, but I got all those parts here: http://www.opencockpits.com/catalog/indicator-assemble-p-221.html The shop is actually based in Spain, but my orders (ordered a lot there) went all fine. OK, Spain is just 2 hours drive from where I live. https://www.blacksharkden.com http://discord.gg/blacksharkden
memento10 Posted November 30, 2009 Author Posted November 30, 2009 Thanks BaD CrC, I feel silly for not noticing that OpenCockpits had them and they do look ideal. Do you customize the labels yourself for these ones by printing on a transparent sheet?
BaD CrC Posted November 30, 2009 Posted November 30, 2009 Exactly. I just finished today the .svg file for the labels and I will try to print them on transparent sheet tomorrow. https://www.blacksharkden.com http://discord.gg/blacksharkden
rocketeer Posted December 1, 2009 Posted December 1, 2009 Try adapting this guy's method to create the rows of indicator panels. http://www.f16simulator.nl/cautionpanel.pdf He has several PDFs that are good ideas. My A10C cockpit thread
PanelBuilder Posted December 1, 2009 Posted December 1, 2009 Hi, In the past I've used clear mailing labels for this sort of thing. Cheers, Colin
londo-cat Posted December 2, 2009 Posted December 2, 2009 Try adapting this guy's method to create the rows of indicator panels. http://www.f16simulator.nl/cautionpanel.pdf He has several PDFs that are good ideas. This is actually pretty good! I just saw this and thought "Hey - why didn't *I* think about that!" But, I'm already 90% through my solution, so guess I will just put them in place, but I can always use this in my NEXT pit! :smartass:
memento10 Posted December 3, 2009 Author Posted December 3, 2009 For the Annunciator Panel, I never noticed if each annunciator can be two different colors. I only noticed that they were either red, green or yellow. Can the same one indicator be in fact two different colors depending on it's condition? Thanks.
C6_Hellfrog Posted December 17, 2009 Posted December 17, 2009 I send a link to an answer in the Oakes pit thread about momentary on button : http://forums.eagle.ru/showpost.php?p=801448&postcount=162
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