k_man Posted October 12, 2005 Report Share Posted October 12, 2005 Sorry if this has already been done but I did search first. I'll skip all the boring stuff. Original thread here http://airsoft.net.nz/forums/index.php?act=ST&f=15&t=3368 While playing a night game with my shinny TM Tracer unit one thing was clear. No fun of only two of you have one. And not much of a muzzle flash from the TM unit. Being the tightass I am, went about thinking how to make one. Initially I just wanted the flash effect. After making a prototype I found it actually has enough power to charge a glow BB. Mk1 Analog style - mmm bread The housing. Lath and some suitable wood. Light strong. Not pretty but it will be dark anyway Analog - Failed The BB are too fast. A BB at 400 fps will only block the ir beam for (6mm/(400*.3)m)= 0.000 05 sec Not long for eye to resiger the full power of the LEDs. Tried variuos way to extend the flash by analog means, capacitors etc but no avil. PIC to the rescue, a microchip 12f629 to be exact. The f means it's reprogramable. Upgrades, make smaller, put lights in a flashhider, maybe 3mm Leds. Running current, 5v 15mA, flash duration, 0.050 sec @ 115mA So a small 4.8v 100mA nicad button pack should do it. Enough computing power to add Shot counter, ROF counter, low mag warning, low battery warning, reactive trigger Add of course an lcd screen to show all this on My PIC skills are non existant, so if you can code all these bells let us know. What you need: IR TX/RX PIC12f629 (and firmware to put on it) resistors x3 battery holder 4x Bright LEDs (20 000mcd white's work well) 25mm x25mm x60mm wood Casing for it all I will post another picture when it's a bit more pretty. Enjoy Link to post Share on other sites
Almighty Posted October 12, 2005 Report Share Posted October 12, 2005 I believe the Marui Tracer unit uses a xenon strobe to provide very strong bright light, curved reflectors to focus the light onto a transparent inner barrel, a charge capacitor to fire the strobe, and a MOSFET to trigger the flash assembly whenever a BB passes thru the see-thru barrel. Using bright LEDs to simulate flash is undoubtedly a very nice idea, but I think there's not enough light intensity to make the tracer BBs glow bright enough to be readily seen. Why not simply try copying the Marui tracer circuitry? Link to post Share on other sites
bullzebub Posted October 12, 2005 Report Share Posted October 12, 2005 to further enhance your tracer ... stuff a few LEDs down your mag! :-P Link to post Share on other sites
Lord Jebus Posted October 12, 2005 Report Share Posted October 12, 2005 Hmm This is both a ammo counter and a flash unit: Pr counter/Flash unit Should work, it's not triggered by the bb's, just by the trigger pull. Link to post Share on other sites
k_man Posted October 12, 2005 Author Report Share Posted October 12, 2005 Thanks for looking guys. Almighty, The primary reason I went this way was cost and simplicity. Also High Voltage is not too kind if you make any mistakes The analog circuit was simple, the pic based one is even simplier bullzebub, Some guys have tried this, you have to open up your mag. Lord Jebus, Cool link, I had consider alternat methods of triggering. .Each with their + and - .Sound, simplier? but will still trigger even if dry firing. .Wired to trigger, you have to open up your AEG, adn above point You can now get 20 candel power white LEDs. LED displays are quite power hungery, . LCDs on the other hand, and the choice. URL=http://www.crystalfontz.com/products/index-ser.html]Link[/url] Size, this is quite small, not counting the LEDs. . Smaller if you use the SOIC version. . 1cm² for control circuit Cost, the basic flasher components will be under £5. Probably cheaper if you do a bulk buy. You will need access to .Drill press, 13.5mm & 6mm bits .Wood saw .Pic programmer .Soldering iron .About 2 hrs of your time The source code will be made freely available so anyone can make one. With the right programming you should be able to set your mag capacity. I plan to make enough for all players for our next night game. 14-18 Will take some video and post Even the non standard barrels will be catered for with right adaptor plate, SDs etc No gun modding required, press on pull off. I would go with this LCD The sound simulator is a nice idea, the main thing is how big the speaker will need to be for maximium effect. The trigger unit could have a small coded rf transmitter, . the speaker/amp system reciever for that code worn on your kit. Link to post Share on other sites
Hissing_Sid Posted October 12, 2005 Report Share Posted October 12, 2005 I bought a bunch of UV LEDs to attach to the inside of my M60 feed cover and charge up tracer BBs while they're in the reservoir. Obviously, not gonna work for a normal box-mag though. Link to post Share on other sites
k_man Posted March 6, 2006 Author Report Share Posted March 6, 2006 After many mouths with no progress finally got down and finished it. >Right click to save 12mb< Circuit has changed somewhat. No longer what was posted above. Went with sound activated in the end. How much to build one yourself? Normal size components £5 smd £4 + 1.5 - 2 hrs to build There you have it, some lively night games ahead for us. ps. yea the scenes were stagged. edit: Inside a mauri flash unit. Nothing too thrilling. Easily replicated. About 25 parts. Parts would cost $20? The trick is putting it all together - Parts list would read something like this: $ free Disposable flash camera, used. Flash circuit. 2 SCR 3 IR sensors 5 Micro to control charging and triggering . yes it could all be done discretly but I don't know how to effectively design such a circuit. 2 FET to supply charging current, 2-4A 2 Smaller flash cap, the ones in the camera are overkill and would take too long to charge. Link to post Share on other sites
hammer-nb Posted March 7, 2006 Report Share Posted March 7, 2006 That vid looks pretty cool. A+ for effort (and +1 for rep). Link to post Share on other sites
5thElement Posted March 7, 2006 Report Share Posted March 7, 2006 Nice project turned out really well! Just gave you a rep point too Link to post Share on other sites
Wege Posted March 7, 2006 Report Share Posted March 7, 2006 This is a side view of one of the units.. It worked well during a day game too. Was able to emerge from some gorse, not be seen until I started firing..(too late as he was hit then...) as it should be ermm. a side view of me too.. I didnt have anything else to show it in action. re-re-edit. Here is one from a front perspective. Link to post Share on other sites
onizuka-gto Posted March 7, 2006 Report Share Posted March 7, 2006 nice! rep point! but MOTHEROFGODHOLYVIRGINBBQSAUCETELLYTUBBIESATANANDSHEEPJESUS thats fugly. Are you going to eventually put it in a silencer housing? And have you thought about charging the glow BB's in a modified magazine as an alternative? its a thought, and with a few holes in your p90 mag for LED you can switch between regular or tracer rounds. Link to post Share on other sites
Wege Posted March 7, 2006 Report Share Posted March 7, 2006 Bah.. Have you not heard of MILES? Just pretend it is that. Link to post Share on other sites
Phantom Posted March 7, 2006 Report Share Posted March 7, 2006 so ... when are the Flasher Units gonna be standard NZ issue to all players .... and i'd honestly say it wont be limited to just night games, as Wege has pointed out, it makes any game (day or nite) more realistic and tactical as you now have to take into account "muzzle flash" Oh ... and i'd have the round counter too thnx Link to post Share on other sites
onizuka-gto Posted March 7, 2006 Report Share Posted March 7, 2006 Well iwas thinking that, made me interested, i think i wil mod a silencer and equipt it with a "muzzle flash", gonna add four LEDs facing outwards, and using IR, i will mount the circuit board in a housing attached to a side rail, so it doesn't spoil the looks. Hell maybe not even have IR, just make it flash rapidly, when i pull the trigger. oh yeah! why have IR at all? a more simpler design, just mount the LED to switch on, when you pull the trigger, and another LED to flash outwards for effect. so it will have some wires trailing outside, but you can disguise it so it look like button leads you get from laser sights/tourches and other gadgets. edit: hell, if im gonna go that far, might as well attached speakers to my gun and make it spit out gunfire sound effects! Link to post Share on other sites
Wege Posted March 8, 2006 Report Share Posted March 8, 2006 And how to do that for a M4 or anything else at all? Actually. the small speaker would be good.. but I think it would need to be installed in a PEQ2 unit. Hmmmm.. That COULD be an interesting thing indeed.. Link to post Share on other sites
ObsoleteAcey Posted March 8, 2006 Report Share Posted March 8, 2006 so ... when are the Flasher Units gonna be standard NZ issue to all players .... and i'd honestly say it wont be limited to just night games, as Wege has pointed out, it makes any game (day or nite) more realistic and tactical as you now have to take into account "muzzle flash" Oh ... and i'd have the round counter too thnx <{POST_SNAPBACK}> dude.. thats what they inventer flash hiders for you'd be hard pressed to ever see a gun flash during the day.. however i loved the vid and may be keen to get one in the near future Link to post Share on other sites
Wege Posted March 9, 2006 Report Share Posted March 9, 2006 Flasher units have been trialed/made to fit onto a 20mm rail under a handgun now too. ( I should add, by Kman again) Link to post Share on other sites
pretenda Posted March 10, 2006 Report Share Posted March 10, 2006 And nearly finished the mod into a silancer By me Link to post Share on other sites
Wege Posted March 10, 2006 Report Share Posted March 10, 2006 Really? What silencer shell you using? King Arms? PVC care of Mitre 10? Link to post Share on other sites
philbaines Posted March 10, 2006 Report Share Posted March 10, 2006 use a uv led inside your mag! it works better than any tracer unit!!!!! Link to post Share on other sites
Wege Posted March 10, 2006 Report Share Posted March 10, 2006 What are you talking about? Link to post Share on other sites
onizuka-gto Posted March 10, 2006 Report Share Posted March 10, 2006 i think he's saying, why didn't you build the LED into a magazine, to "charge" the BB so you don't have to put that fugly box on. Link to post Share on other sites
Wege Posted March 10, 2006 Report Share Posted March 10, 2006 Hmm. I don't know that you have clicked to this. It is NOT as a tracer, it is used to try to duplicate 'muzzle flash', so that evening/night/dark games are more enjoyable, and if someone was to 'fire' then you could also fire back... gives whoever is firing some food for thought/pause. Link to post Share on other sites
Rob15 Posted March 10, 2006 Report Share Posted March 10, 2006 After many mouths with no progress finally got down and finished it. >Right click to save 12mb< Circuit has changed somewhat. No longer what was posted above. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Now that IS cool Link to post Share on other sites
3vi1-D4n Posted March 11, 2006 Report Share Posted March 11, 2006 Fugly you say? http://tri.army.mil/LC/cs/csi/m17bfa.jpg http://www.lasertagparts.com/images/P1010278.JPG Ok, it is a bit, but what can you say when its realistic. I would think wires and exposed LEDs would be worse. It would actually look MORE realistic with an orange/red muzzle or a faux BFA. Also the unit isn't supposed to light the tracer BBs, although it started off being that, now its to simulate muzzle flash at night for night games and indoors, but it also works in the bush and occasionally in the day. Its much cheaper than a tracer unit and provides the necessary effect at night to attract attention. Also mounts onto the RAM with no problems. Link to post Share on other sites
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