Not a video. Just putting together an A4 Gallium PCB

Yes, it's just for options of where the power is connected. Useful to do when making large scale electronic props.

Big Clive

This is probably a huge newbe question but i noticed the pcb has three sets of positive and neutral contact points. Is this just to give choice as to where the power input comes in?

Okay I finished building mine today no frame yet. Took a lot of care with this one just like the smaller panel. 1k resistors are about spot on, I don't think I'd want to see anything higher than 1.3k though. When I run it next to my smaller one the smaller one is still a bit too bright. I may have to see what a second diode does to futher tame it. I think it's perfect and I love it! For me this was completely worth it. next one will be slow color changers surface mount resistors white panel.

Michael Thompson

And a 1A diode in series with the whole panel to tame it down further.

Big Clive

470 ohm on that panel to tame it down.

Big Clive

Am I seeing things, are the resistors just 41 ohms? A difference from the original at 220 ohms.

Rocco Rizzo

ordered a batch from china using allpcb. i am impressed. great board design, clive.

Eric Latour

My resistors came in a bag in strips of 30 or so. I grab a strip, crop and form them (my small needle nose pliers are perfect width) and then solder them all in, usually with time to spare after I eat my lunch at work. At this posting I'm halfway through. I just got my LEDs too, so the project is full on "go". I'm wondering if I want to paint this one or leave it in it's naked PCB glory? The last one turned out good...

Michael Thompson

The flickering panels look intriguing from a distance as the pattern of the shimmer is a bit more discernible.

Big Clive

A4 Gallium with slow fade rgb https://youtu.be/DDWydh9xejc

Red Blue flashing works a treat but I tried yellow flickering and was a bit disappointed :( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2LQ8fs03d78 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tO0YohNFW0U

You can get packs of resistors from eBay or your local electronics supply companies. I get mine from Rapid Electronics or CPC in the UK. A suggested value is 470 ohm quarter watt carbon film resistors.

Big Clive

Many of the lower power red laser diodes will work with just a resistor. Not sure how it would look without collimation.

Big Clive

I'm going green with 1k resistors on my A4 My smaller panel is awesome but quite bright

Michael Thompson

Built my first A4 board yesterday, with 0805 1K SMD resistors and blue LEDs. Looks great. I know you sized the pads for larger SMD resistors, but 0805s are the ones I keep in stock.

BC said you could use 470 ohm resistors, or 1000 if you want softer lights. The LEDs should be 1.5 hertz flashers or color change, static. . . . It’s up to you. If you want questionable LEDs that may not work well together—buy 50ct or 100 ct online. If you buy 1000 those are usually batched LEDs straight from the factory still sealed in their mylar shipping bag. 👍 welcome to the hobby, isn’t it cool after you see something made yourself

Cerity

I was wondering what size resistors and led’s you all think can go to these boards as well as where I can go to buy them. Or if you know of a certain assortment of them I might be able to buy in bulk? Sorry 😐 if this doesn’t make sense, I am new to this and just don’t know what kind of stuff I should buy as far as resistors, led’s, capacitors, etc. so that I have a pretty good amount and a pretty good assortment of the ones I’d want to use, but I don’t know 🤷‍♂️ what kind to get how many or where to get them. I’m a disabled Air Force Veteran and this is my favorite thing to do it’s just I usually buy kits that have all the parts in it. I do that because they are really cheap and everything I’ve made so far works and gave me tons of practice soldering smd components as well as through-hole components. Thank you for any and all who can help me out.

AJTech369

I painted the PCB black and tacked the resistors on the back. I used glass mirror tile on the sides because that's what I had laying around. It looks pretty good when off angle. At extreme angles, it looks fantastic. Your suggestion would look better head-on. Now I have to experiment...

Chris Whittington

If you CNC drilled the holes in plastic mirror with the LEDs pushed through, you could do the infinity mirror effect with a half mirror in front.

Big Clive

If you're in the UK, try The Range stores, they have a huge selection of picture frames (as least in my local store).

Ian Harris

Those are called Ratio Scales, the digital ones are really useful. First you put an empty container on the large pan and zero the scales, then put one item on the small pan and it will count how many that you add to the big pan.

I just built an A5 size (half A4) one using my CNC router. I mounted it in a mirrored box to increase the apparent size when close up or off angle.

Chris Whittington

I used to use a shop that had clever scales. If you want say 30 bolts the guy would put a few on type the number in and it would count the items.

Nuts 'n' Proud

That’s the 1.5 Hz flashers 😁

Cerity

Looking for cycling RGB LEDs with the same flash rate, it's possible to get fast ones and fading ones but nothing like the single colours?

Rob Googe

banging tune for electronics assembly.

Eric Latour

These really are. I've sent one to a friend and another is going out to my brother, who thought that they were much more complex at first. Nope. Simple and effective with a cool startup sequence to... "boot"? hehehe

Michael Thompson

I never thought I'd ever be so concerned about finding the correct picture frame for my A4 panel, but I am. I really like how my smaller one came out and would love to repeat that success. My small panel I found a great frame but I did have to do a tiny bit of sanding on the PCB.

Michael Thompson

I am going for 470 when I do the blue one :) Sounds https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TRCQmNMOqUY

I'm using 1k resistors in mine but I haven't started it yet. Still waiting on LEDs

Michael Thompson

They look like 470's to me too!

Andrew Donaldson

470R by the look of things on my TV.

Alice Chapman

They look like 470 ohm to me.

110 ohm? My pc is crap sorry \

William Nimmo

That definitely makes it look like the ‘classic’ bloop bleep blop bloop computer displays of yore ❤️👍 Is PLA affected by typical plastic do-not-use caveats like paint thinner, acetone, or UV❓

Cerity

I'd like to try using Purple Led's, but perhaps that would look too Regal?

Andrew Donaldson

I just printed a grid lens for the smaller Gallium board, makes the LEDs look like distinct squares instead of points of light. The PCB snaps into the back so no glue required. I'm thinking it would be cool to mount in the front of my desktop. STLs are here: https://www.prusaprinters.org/prints/37899-led-grid-lens

Going to try and see how much chaos it takes to ruin YouTubes compression? For similar music, check out Simian Mobile Disco if you have not already.

Elliott Krimchansky

It's beautiful. :)

Built my first of the smaller Gallium boards with red LEDs yesterday and it came out great! I'm going to have to start on an A4 one soon. My first one will be red as well.

Julian's gonna come up with an LED encrusted shed soon, i promise

Chipmunk

As usual perfectly placed picture frame for a background 👍 thanks BC

Cerity

Just resistoring up a small Gallium at the min. But have Infinity Welcomes Careful Drivers (a Red Dwarf audiobook) playing in the background. I really need to start saving up to get an A4 Gallium.......and all the components :D

John Carr

No adverts in that mix that I heard.

Big Clive

It's the luck of the draw. Still worth the gamble though.

Big Clive

https://www.newark.com/laser-components/2008361/diode-laser-655nm-7mw/dp/25M7537?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI5fLfuLKK6wIVXSCtBh0TnwqPEAQYASABEgIuE_D_BwE&mckv=sTpGXFtfE_dm%7Cpcrid%7C434136793416%7Cplid%7C%7Ckword%7C%7Cmatch%7C%7Cslid%7C%7Cproduct%7C25M7537%7Cpgrid%7C100464450946%7Cptaid%7Cpla-904062949325%7C&CMP=KNC-GUSA-GEN-Shopping-NewStructure-Optoelectronics-Displays Sorry for the long link but an entire board of these would look cool, of course much different requirements for Power supply and wiring. However 30+ on the board would look cool...

Lostngone

Need to video this to that music big clive....

Michael Gilchrest

Perfect music for a long solder sesh. Hope you have adblock to stop capitalism breaking the flow of the mix though.

Just ordered myself 5 of these from JLC! Super excited to make them! Thanks for the design and all the hard work you do Clive!

Think my pcb’s are at the post office and want £11 custom charge 🙄☹️ I’ll get them in the morning

Steve Nuttall