fiduciary

Author Topic: "Muddy" blue blade?  (Read 12088 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline Matt Thorn

  • Experienced Force User
  • ****
  • Posts: 342
    • Köjin Köbö
"Muddy" blue blade?
« on: March 21, 2010, 10:06:27 AM »
This Hyperdyne forum seems all but abandoned, so I'm probably talking to myself here, but has anyone else had trouble with a blue Hyperdyne blade being unevenly lit to an unacceptable degree? Last year I used a green blade and a red blade for a very high-profile project (live at the Budokan!), and was quite happy with the blades and with the support. Now I'm using a green blade and a blue blade for another customer, and while the green one is fine, the lighting is really splotchy/muddy in the blue blade. I've tried various kinds of diffusion, but there's no doubt about it: the lighting is markedly uneven. I borrowed a cutting-edge video camera to make a video that actually catches blade color/lighting quite accurately (and you thought that was impossible  ;)), and made this simple video:

(Yeah, that's the new SaberSD soundboard: I'm quite happy with it, though the pitch-shift is of questionable value.)
So my question is, has anyone else ever had a similar problem, and if so, what were you able to do about it? I've been in touch with Hyperdyne, but so far nothing they've suggested has helped, and I'm thinking I may just have to ask for a replacement. But if the blue blades are consistently muddy, I suppose I'll have to talk with my customer about options.
There's always a bigger fish.

Offline OBI-WAN KENOBI

  • Resident Negotiator
  • FX-SABERS VIP
  • Master Force User
  • *
  • Posts: 5941
  • You don't want to sell me death sticks.
Re: "Muddy" blue blade?
« Reply #1 on: March 21, 2010, 10:20:46 AM »
I'm unable to watch the video from my current location, but I'd say you may have simply gotten a faulty blade there, as it's supposed to be just as even (aside from the natural dark spot of the component blade) as all the other colors.  Are you sure everything is hooked up correctly on your end?  Hyperdyne is really the only person who would be able to get to the bottom of this issue.   


Offline QUI-GON JINN

  • Also known as Jay-gon Jinn!
  • JEDI/ALLIANCE Master MODERATOR
  • Master Force User
  • **
  • Posts: 8471
  • Your focus determines your reality
Re: "Muddy" blue blade?
« Reply #2 on: March 21, 2010, 10:26:34 AM »
Ask for a replacement.  That looks damaged to me.  I've seen MR's look like that,  and usually it's due to an led being out,  or not oriented properly in the string.


Offline Darth Raijlin

  • Great Sith Leader and Hero
  • Master Force User
  • *****
  • Posts: 2816
  • Member of the Lost 10
    • White Dragon Academy
Re: "Muddy" blue blade?
« Reply #3 on: March 21, 2010, 10:28:21 AM »
Did you get the blade/setup from Jim or Mark by chance?

Offline JANGO FETT

  • Owner of Kilsythe Customs
  • Administrator
  • Master Force User
  • *
  • Posts: 9764
    • Youtube channel
Re: "Muddy" blue blade?
« Reply #4 on: March 21, 2010, 10:50:13 AM »
It's like different bins of LEDs were used or something.

Good luck!


Have you heard the tragedy of Mark Hamill the Wise?

My thoughts and prayers to the padawans of Coruscant - Master Jeselnik

Offline eastern57

  • Neato Jedi Knight
  • Master Force User
  • *****
  • Posts: 1503
Re: "Muddy" blue blade?
« Reply #5 on: March 21, 2010, 11:39:19 AM »
Matt, based on my experience with component blades, corn-on-the-cob to that degree is both inconsistent LEDs and inconsistent power regulation.  You may or may not be able to see the differences in color tint... but you throw in variations in viewing angle, power requirements, and improperly regulated current... not to mention inconsistent blade construction, uneven/mis-aligned emitters.... then you start to really see that effect - and no amount of diffusion is going to fix it.

I have a feeling that it's possibly due to a combination of the above stated factors - And that it's completely not your fault.  Here's a video that shows it also.  And generally speaking, using a lower quality camera improves the overall look... so for a blade to look this bad with a cellphone cam... draw your own conclusion.


Offline Psab Keel

  • Master Force User
  • *****
  • Posts: 818
Re: "Muddy" blue blade?
« Reply #6 on: March 21, 2010, 09:59:57 PM »
I would contact Hyperdyne about a replacement blade.   If no mods were made to the blade boards inside the diffusion tube then it may just be a faulty blade.  I'm sure they could work with you.  I got one faulty soundboard a few years back and they replaced it for me at no additional charge.  The new one worked fine.

I'd definitely contact Hyperdyne and talk with them about it.

Offline Matt Thorn

  • Experienced Force User
  • ****
  • Posts: 342
    • Köjin Köbö
Re: "Muddy" blue blade?
« Reply #7 on: April 15, 2010, 03:17:42 AM »
Sorry for not replying earlier. For some reason notification wasn't turned on. (I wish this board would automatically turn on notification for any thread you create or post to, the way TCSS does.)

I just got a replacement blade today, and it's every bit as bad as the first one. I sent mail to Jim asking for a refund. We'll see what he says. It's a major disappointment. There must be something about blue that makes subtle differences more obvious, because the two green and one red blades I've worked with were fine. Unless the people actually putting together the boards are only mixing up blue bins. Now I'm stuck with a hilt that has a Hyperblade socket, but no Hyperblade to plug into it. Converting the whole thing to a single high-power LED setup would be a royal pain in the derrière. I'm tempted to try making my own LED ladder using eastern57's tutorial, but I'm not confident I could hide the wires well enough to make something that looks better than the problematic blue Hyperblades. And obviously, it would be a lot of work. I suppose I could just use a green or red Hyperblade, but I've already put a blue illuminated anti-vandal switch in the hilt, and had such a hard time packing everything into the hilt that I hate to think about taking it apart again and replacing the switch with a green or red one. What's more, my customer canceled his order for this blade (and I can't blame him, considering the way the blue blade has turned out), so I'm stuck with a great-looking hilt that has cost me a fortune, and which I cant expect to sell till I resolve the blade problem.  >:(

I don't suppose anyone's interested in buying half of what was supposed to be a staff saber to use with an existing Hyperblade?  :P

  
 Military-Look Two-Color Staff Saber 
There's always a bigger fish.

Offline Dearth Breather

  • "The Pat Pat Guy"
  • Master Force User
  • *****
  • Posts: 958
Re: "Muddy" blue blade?
« Reply #8 on: April 15, 2010, 03:38:06 AM »
Sorry for not replying earlier. For some reason notification wasn't turned on. (I wish this board would automatically turn on notification for any thread you create or post to, the way TCSS does.)

I just got a replacement blade today, and it's every bit as bad as the first one. I sent mail to Jim asking for a refund. We'll see what he says. It's a major disappointment. There must be something about blue that makes subtle differences more obvious, because the two green and one red blades I've worked with were fine. Unless the people actually putting together the boards are only mixing up blue bins. Now I'm stuck with a hilt that has a Hyperblade socket, but no Hyperblade to plug into it. Converting the whole thing to a single high-power LED setup would be a royal pain in the derrière. I'm tempted to try making my own LED ladder using eastern57's tutorial, but I'm not confident I could hide the wires well enough to make something that looks better than the problematic blue Hyperblades. And obviously, it would be a lot of work. I suppose I could just use a green or red Hyperblade, but I've already put a blue illuminated anti-vandal switch in the hilt, and had such a hard time packing everything into the hilt that I hate to think about taking it apart again and replacing the switch with a green or red one. What's more, my customer canceled his order for this blade (and I can't blame him, considering the way the blue blade has turned out), so I'm stuck with a great-looking hilt that has cost me a fortune, and which I cant expect to sell till I resolve the blade problem.  >:(

I don't suppose anyone's interested in buying half of what was supposed to be a staff saber to use with an existing Hyperblade?  :P

  
 Military-Look Two-Color Staff Saber 

*patpats*

Half of a saber? Hmm...I usually prefer full staffs, and I don't have an existing Hyperblade. :( It will also depend on how a certain event on this forum turns out. For how much are you selling it? :)

Offline Matt Thorn

  • Experienced Force User
  • ****
  • Posts: 342
    • Köjin Köbö
Re: "Muddy" blue blade?
« Reply #9 on: April 15, 2010, 04:33:47 AM »
*patpats*

Half of a saber? Hmm...I usually prefer full staffs, and I don't have an existing Hyperblade. :( It will also depend on how a certain event on this forum turns out. For how much are you selling it? :)
Well, with the blade, I was planning on selling it to the original customer for 60,000 yen, which is about US $644. That price was actually extremely low, but I was committed to it because of my own initial miscalculations. I'm hoping to recoup at least a bit of my losses on this one.

Without the blade...I dunno.  :P If you're serious, please PM and we can talk about it. She's a damned gorgeous hilt, if I must say so myself. That's real leather on the grip. The customer wanted something with a military, utilitarian look, so I gave her just a bit of bling with the spiral on the grip and the illuminated switch. Its a damned shame she's been separated at birth from her twin sister. I suppose I could clone her and make a proper staff saber.  :-\
There's always a bigger fish.

Offline Darth Raijlin

  • Great Sith Leader and Hero
  • Master Force User
  • *****
  • Posts: 2816
  • Member of the Lost 10
    • White Dragon Academy
Re: "Muddy" blue blade?
« Reply #10 on: April 15, 2010, 08:49:24 AM »
Odd, the blue is usually very bright.  Might be a bad batch or like you said, a mistake in the assembly.  Hope everything works out for you.

Offline Dearth Breather

  • "The Pat Pat Guy"
  • Master Force User
  • *****
  • Posts: 958
Re: "Muddy" blue blade?
« Reply #11 on: April 15, 2010, 11:16:47 PM »
Well, with the blade, I was planning on selling it to the original customer for 60,000 yen, which is about US $644. That price was actually extremely low, but I was committed to it because of my own initial miscalculations. I'm hoping to recoup at least a bit of my losses on this one.

Without the blade...I dunno.  :P If you're serious, please PM and we can talk about it. She's a damned gorgeous hilt, if I must say so myself. That's real leather on the grip. The customer wanted something with a military, utilitarian look, so I gave her just a bit of bling with the spiral on the grip and the illuminated switch. Its a damned shame she's been separated at birth from her twin sister. I suppose I could clone her and make a proper staff saber.  :-\

Thanks. I'll consider it and I'll let you know if ever. :)

Offline Scorpion

  • Master Force User
  • *****
  • Posts: 3795
  • GET OVER HERE!!!
Re: "Muddy" blue blade?
« Reply #12 on: September 18, 2010, 05:06:14 PM »
its not the leds its the nylon blade mine was similar the inside of the blade had
marks and bubbles making the outside appear muddy it something impossible to notice untill you have it lit up, do like i did and use another blade i recomend the ultraedge blade thats what i used for my hyperblade and the result was perfect
« Last Edit: September 19, 2010, 03:47:19 PM by darthsteve »


JQ SABERS MASTER ORGUS DIN CFX
JQ/LDM/MH GK3 OBI-WAN KENOBI Proffie
JQ MASTER REPLICAS LE SIDIOUS CONVERSION CS3
JQ~OM AWESOMESAUCE MAUL STAFF DUAL CFv7
LDM MKVI LUKE SKYWALKER ROTJ REVEAL CFv6
JQ SABERS OBI-WAN EP4 ANH (RUSSREP)CSV4
FX SABERS VINTAGE GRAFLEX IV ANH CFv5
FX SABERS VINTAGE GRAFLEX V ESB CFv5
JQ SABERS OBI-WAN REVEAL AOTC CS3.0
JQ~VV STARKILLER #2 RUN1 CFv6 cex
JQ~OM ANAKIN "Skinnyflex" CS3
JQ~TRIDCLOUD ANAKIN AOTC CFv7
SC~VV QUIGON JINN #2 CFv5
OM OBIWAN TPM #2 CFv5
JQ SABERS LUKE ROTJ CFv4
JQ~korbanth DOOKU CS2
JQ~korbanth SIDIOUS CS2
JQ SABERS Kylo Ren CS3
LINK TO MY SABERS

Offline BrakVador

  • No Force
  • *
  • Posts: 44
  • MAY THE FORCE BE WITH ME
Re: "Muddy" blue blade?
« Reply #13 on: February 19, 2011, 06:10:14 PM »
Hi,
I have the same problem today with a blue one, you think it's the nylon! I'll try that way, thanks.

I don't think this trouble has something to do with the nylon, i made tests and always or near the same result, and not even better with an ultraedge.
i think the solution is the foam, i had better results when i took 2 pieces of foam.
i will try to put some Mylar on the pcb to uniform the light (i will try different way ).
« Last Edit: February 28, 2011, 04:38:13 PM by BrakVador »
My sabers:
VADER ANH HASBRO 2007 (ULTRASABER CONVERSION)
MACE WINDU MR 2005
VADER ESB MR ( IN CONVERSION BY MYSELF)
1ST CUSTOM SABER

Offline BrakVador

  • No Force
  • *
  • Posts: 44
  • MAY THE FORCE BE WITH ME
Re: "Muddy" blue blade?
« Reply #14 on: March 12, 2011, 09:06:24 AM »
Nothing to do!
i've try differents things but i think it have something to do with the leds.

here's a link to see what the blade look like.
http://s1122.photobucket.com/albums/l530/brakvador/Hyperblade%20test/
My sabers:
VADER ANH HASBRO 2007 (ULTRASABER CONVERSION)
MACE WINDU MR 2005
VADER ESB MR ( IN CONVERSION BY MYSELF)
1ST CUSTOM SABER

 

retrousse