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Flashing LED Strobe light for Helicopter

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samtheboxer

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Hello everyone, I need some help.

I am trying to design a circuit that will control three LED's. I need two steady LED's and a flashing strobe LED. This will be mounted on my RC heli and act as directional lights and a tail strobe.

The problem is, I want the tail LED strobe to blink twice really fast and then pause, then twice really fast and pause....etc. much like a real airplane strobe.

I could easily just make it blink, but i like that extra little touch....Could you help me out with this?

I have limited electronics experience, I can solder and build small simple circuits, but thats it.

Thanks for you help!
 
It sounds like your easiest solution would be a micro controller. PIC10F or AVR Tiny11. Either one less than $1.
 
Twice really fast and pause.
Is it Pause or OFF.Pause has to do in another way.

What about Twice really fast and OFF?

What about taking 4017 two outputs to LED's & the third output to last outputs to keeping free.
 
hi,

One way would be a 555 timer [low rate] driving a 4017 [counter > 0 to 9]

A diode from '0' and from say '2' to a resistor/transistor driving the aft/tail LED. You could use a FET if preferred.

Action: flash, blank,flash,blank.........................blank, repeating, is the what you mean?
 
hi,
The simplest low cost/weight/size I can suggest is this circuit.

Gives a double flash then a double break..........

Are you able to work out the component values yourself?
 
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thanks

ill give those ideas a try. I have never worked with a circuit like this, so, no I dont think i can work out the values right now, but ill so some research.

Regarding micro controllers, I like that idea and would like to get into them, but dont have the slightest idea how. You say there are a few bucks, but dont you have to have a setup to pragram them? the BASIC kit i looked at started around $50 i think, way more than i can afford to spend to make a few lights flash...

One way would be a 555 timer [low rate] driving a 4017 [counter > 0 to 9]

A diode from '0' and from say '2' to a resistor/transistor driving the aft/tail LED. You could use a FET if preferred.

Action: flash, blank,flash,blank.........................blank, repeating, is the what you mean?

no, im looking for Flash, Flash, Blank........FLash, Flash, blank.........
 
hi sam
>>
no, im looking for Flash, Flash, Blank........FLash, Flash, blank.........

Its not possible to have Flash, Flash, Blank......... from one LED???
You must have an LED off period between the flashes or you not see the separate flashes,
the off time will short but it will be still be blank!

Look at the last 4093 circuit I posted.
 
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ericgibbs said:
hi,
The simplest low cost/weight/size I can suggest is this circuit.

One small 8 pin microcontroller is smaller and same cost as your three #1,2 & 3 chips. uC is smallest & lowest cost solution.
 
Optikon said:
One small 8 pin microcontroller is smaller and same cost as your three #1,2 & 3 chips. uC is smallest & lowest cost solution.

hi,
There are not 3 ic's in my circuit, one 4093 has 4 logic gates, it will also work from 3V thru 12V, whatever is available on the chopper.

The guy says he has no programming knowledge, no programming or development hardware and as he points out,
the sums he's done show a $50 outlay.

So how can a 25Cent chip cost as much, overall, as buying all the kit he needs to produce a PIC solution?
 
Sam, do you know anyone that could program a micro for you? It would be a really simple task for one, and depending on the size of the LED, you could drive it directly off the I/O port of the micro, saving the need for a transistor.

I have to say I admire Eric's circuit though;) I can easily do this with a micro, but am lost when it comes to doing it analog, i'm lost. lol
 
ericgibbs said:
hi sam
>>
no, im looking for Flash, Flash, Blank........FLash, Flash, blank.........

Its not possible to have Flash, Flash, Blank......... from one LED???
You must have an LED off period between the flashes or you not see the separate flashes,
the off time will short but it will be still be blank!

Look at the last 4093 circuit I posted.

YES IT IS. But I don't have time to draw up the Circuit right now.
 
You won't even see an LED with only 10mA unless it is pitch black dark outside. Then the helicopter won't be seen so you won't be able to fly it.
The CD4093 has a max output current of only about 10mA with a 9V supply.

LEDs are directional. They can hardly be seen unless they shine in your direction.

If you want a strobe light then use a strobe light, not an LED.
 
Now you are talking about using lots of current for a big LED. The little helicopter won't be able to lift its battery.
 
On my Blade CP, the 9.6 volt NiMH battery pack is 650 mAH, and gives 10-15 minutes flight time, well the manual says it does. Yet to keep in the air for 30 seconds... Not sure, but a second battery pack of the same weight would be kind of a strain to lift. Using the heli's battery would seriously reduce the flight time.

I've got some LED christmas lights that are wide angle and pretty damn bright, so you might find something like that.
 
ericgibbs said:
hi,
There are not 3 ic's in my circuit, one 4093 has 4 logic gates, it will also work from 3V thru 12V, whatever is available on the chopper.

The guy says he has no programming knowledge, no programming or development hardware and as he points out,
the sums he's done show a $50 outlay.

So how can a 25Cent chip cost as much, overall, as buying all the kit he needs to produce a PIC solution?

No way, I can get uC startup kits for free (also compilers are free) and the chips themselves are much less than $1.00 or better yet a free sample.
Microchip offers one in a 6 pin SOT package hard to beat that for cost or size. All one needs is time. I only mentioned it again because the OP indicated he is interested in learning/using uC but had erroneously thought he couldn't do it unless he spent $50. For a one off design it *CAN* be done for $0.00 just your time to code it.
 
audioguru said:
If you want a strobe light then use a strobe light, not an LED.

yes, i agree you will not be able to see an led at day. i have seen some hand held strobes that use two aa's and will be quite visible at day. you could pull it apart and mount the rest of the circuitry elsewhere and have the flash tube at the end of the chopper.
 
For what its worth, this is what i am trying to accomplish
https://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=341776

Im not sure if you will be able to see it without registering, but give it a shot, there is a video of the setup in action.

I dont need the alarm, or even all the other lights, my main goal is just to get the strobe effect with even a single LED.

Im pretty sure he is using a micro controller but i have no experience with that so i was hoping to find another way. He sells it as a kit now, but its around $30.00 and i was hoping to have the satisfaction of building it myself.

Right now it doesnt even have to be that practical. I would prefer it to be practical of course :) but if i could just get it to work, that would be a starting point for me.

No way, I can get uC startup kits for free (also compilers are free) and the chips themselves are much less than $1.00 or better yet a free sample.
Microchip offers one in a 6 pin SOT package hard to beat that for cost or size. All one needs is time. I only mentioned it again because the OP indicated he is interested in learning/using uC but had erroneously thought he couldn't do it unless he spent $50. For a one off design it *CAN* be done for $0.00 just your time to code it.

I would love to learn to program micro controllers, can you suggest a kit or something to get started? the only reference i have is from a few books that mention them. they pointed out the BASIC stamp2, which has a few kits, but they arent cheap. Where can i get started? any good kits for less or does anyone have any equipment they might want to part with?

I dont know anyone who can program one for me, so ill have to do it myself

Thanks
 
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