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Instruction ManualWarning : Protect Board from electrostatic discharge. Ground yourself before handling.Protect bottom of board from shorting against anything metal. If using the corner holes to mount the board, be sure to use insulated washers between the board and mounting area.

READ ENTIRE MANUAL BEFORE STARTING.Instructions below are generic for all boards and ships they represent. See “Special ship connection Note” in section 2 for your ship type.

Starling Technologies wants to thank you for using our products. We strive to provide you with the most awesome effects possible to bring your finished project to life.

Starling Brings even more Life Like Effects to your Starship with our next line of amazing, Highest Quality available Sound, Photon Torpedo boards. Our older model RV1 Photon torpedo boards provided awesome light and sound effects. The only problem was, the sound was not available in all interactive modes. Bringing your Star Ship the most Life like effects available anywhere, we introduce our Next generation of E/FX™ Photon torpedo boards. Boards will be available with different sounds for various Star Ships. All boards provide dual photon torpedo effects, with the exception of the up and coming USS Reliant version, which will include Forward and Aft dual torpedoes. Offering 3x the quality of sound and almost double the volume of the RV1 boards, the super high quality sound boards also offer a 1/8“ sound out jack for external amplified speakers, if one wishes to use the feature. The sound from these boards are truly amazing. Also included on this board is our accurately timed navigational running and strobe lights for the labeled starship. You are getting a two for one effect board.

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The Model #S-XYZ-1 LED board provides user interactive effects designed to mimic the Photon Torpedoes fired from various star ships as seen in the movies to add life like visual effects as well as audio effects.Designed for models offered by various manufactures including : Polar Lights , AMT and Revell. Various star ships include : NX-01, NCC-1701-Refit/A, Enterprise D, Enterprise E, TOS Enterprise, Voyager, K’tinga, or any other ship requiring this effect. Designed for ease of use and longevity, the board can be mounted directly inside the model, though we prefer to mount them inside the stand for easy access and control in the future.

Features and Usage: See “Special Ships connection Notes" in section 2.Accurate Navigational Running and Strobe lights are provided for the labeled ship.

Included in Kit: See “Special Ships connection Notes" in section 2.

Requirements: Your normal modeling tools.Solder and soldering ironHeat shrink 1 and 2mmWire (Recommended 22awg to 24awg)Clear Tamiya/Testors red and blue.

Use your Models instructions along with this manual to find where torpedo bays, navigational running and strobe lights are located on your ship. Depending on the scale, you may also require fiber optics for smaller scales.

Section 1. Provide 6-9 volts power by Battery or Regulated DC power wall adapter.

Existing Install: If you plan on adding this circuit to other already existing circuits within your model, and already have a 6v or 9v supply, just branch off wires from the main power and ground wire of your existing power supply, and connect it to J1. Be sure the voltage is between 6 and 9v.New Install: If you are using a DC wall adapter, test that it is regulated to make sure it is putting out your desired voltage. Many adapters are not regulated and if not under a load, will put out more voltage than is stated on the adapter. Example: A 9v DC adapter may actually put out 13v. This is not good for your LEDs and if you are calculating the resistors for 9v, may even burn out the LEDs. If this is your situation, you can purchase an adjustable voltage regulator. You plug your power supply into its input and connect your devices to its output. Then adjust the volage regulators trimpot to your desired voltage. You can find one on ebay or other online electronics stores.

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How to use a wall AdapterMake sure the wall adapter is a 6 or 9 volt regulated power supply. If it is not regulated(switching), purchase an adjustable voltage regular.The simplest way of using a wall adapter is to cut off the round connector on the end, separate the two wires, and check the polarity with a volt meter. Mark the positive using tape, so there is no confusion, and make the connections to the board. The other option, which looks better and more professional, would be to measure the adapters round connector and its internal pin. Then find a "dc power jack socket connector" to match. I used a laptop power adapter and found a "dc power jack socket connector" that mounts to a laptop. Solder wires to the connector and mount the connector to your model base. You can find them on Ebay or check out several electronics stores. They usually list the measurements.

Photo of two types of Female DC power jack sockets.

Section 2. Connections

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Photo1: Torpedo board and Sound board.

Photo1a: Note orientation of red(+) and Black(-) wires. On J6 torpedo connections, the red wires face up.

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Photo2: Circuit board connections. Warning : Protect Board from electrostatic discharge. Ground yourself before handling.Protect bottom of board from shorting against anything metal. May use hot-glue, non conductive silicone or epoxy to adhere board to surface.All important areas of the board have been clearly marked. Note the polarities of ALL connections.

2pin JST connectors are provided with kit for easy simple connections. Solder extra length of wire, LEDs or buttons to these leads. Use hot glue to prevent connectors from coming loose in the future. Soldered connections are always best, for advanced users, you may solder your connections to the pins instead of using connectors. Reference photo2 for connections below.

Information below is an example of the 1701 Refit version. Refer to Special Ship Connection Notes below for your Ship Type.

Remember to test your lighting throughout the build.

J1) Power Connection: Connect 6-9 volts to the power connector insuring correct polarity. Red(+) Black(-).

J2) Push button : Connect the provided push button to this connector using length of wire long enough to reach your desired placement. Solder the button to the two wires. Orientation of connector to push button does not matter.

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J3) Strobe connection: LEDs connected to this connector require the included resistors. You will branch multiple wires off this connection as you install to strobes throughout the ship. DO NOT connect any other lighting to these connections, they may overload the board. The negative connection turns on and off for the strobe effect. NOTE: Voltage to this pin is the same as power through J1. The connection supports 10 LEDs connected in parallel or 10 pair of LEDs connected 2 in series for a total of 20 LEDs. See LED diagrams Photo7-9.

J4) Nav running Lights: LEDs connected to this connector require the included resistors. You will branch multiple wires off this connection as you install to nav running lights throughout the ship. DO NOT connect any other lighting to these connections, they may overload the board. The negative connection turns on and off for the nav effect. NOTE: Voltage to this pin is the same as power through J1. The connection supports 10 LEDs connected in parallel or 10 pair of LEDs connected 2 in series for a total of 20 LEDs. See LED diagrams Photo7-9.

J5) Sound connection: Note the + and - PINS. This 5pin connector is where you will plug in the sound board. Reference Photo 1a and 2.

J6) Dual Torpedo Connections: Use FF and RF connectors for the 2 1.8mm red torpedo LEDs, 1 on each connector, for each torpedo port. Resistors are not required as they are already on the board. The other 2 connections will be used for the USS Reliant. See; Special Ship Connection Notes for your ship type.

Special Ship Connection Notes:USS Reliant:Our USS Reliant torpedo effect gives you both Dual Forward and Dual Aft torpedo effects.

All modes produce sound with effects.1) Press push button quickly, 3 Forward alternating torpedoes fire with sound 2) Hold button for 1sec to fire aft torpedo. 3 Aft alternating torpedoes fire with sound.3) Hold button for 2 sec for battle mode. A barrage of random forward and Aft torpedoes fire for dramatic effects.

Included:1x Gen2 torpedo board.1x High quality sound board. 1/8“ audio out jack provides even greater sound quality if one wants to

plug into amplified speakers.6x 3mm red 6x 3mm green 6x 3mm white LEDs are provided for Nav/strobe flashers. 18resistors are provided.4x 1.8mm LEDs for torpedoes. No resistors required.8x 2pin JST connectors with leads.1x push buttonFiber optics may be required for smaller scale ships.

J6: no resistors are requires for FL,FF,RL or RF.FL 1st forward torpedo firing LED.FF 2nd forward torpedo firing LED. RL 1st aft torpedo firing LED.

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RF 2nd aft torpedo firing LED.J3: Strobes: require resistors.J4: Nav: require resistors.Navigation running lights and strobes are provided on board and have been pre-timed to mimic the movie version in “The Wrath of Kahn”. Follow your manuals instructions for torpedo, nav and strobes lighting locations.

2pin JST connectors are provided for easy connections. Wire up your LEDs with enough wire to reach your JST connections from the various areas of the ship.

Decide whether you want to install boards in ship or in base.

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Photo2a: provided JST connectors on J6 connector. Note: some ships versions will only use 2 instead of 4 connections.

When making your connections, back up the pin header with your thumb or finger and carefully wiggle connector into place.

Fit all your wiring connections to the board and locate an area, either in the primary hull, secondary hull, or base of model. This will give you an idea of the space required when all connectors are attached to board.

(Only on certain versions) If you do not feel comfortable with how tight the 4 connections are on the J6 connector, you can file a little off of the sides from the JST connectors, to give you a little more room.

Section 3: Soldering LEDs and resistors. Use a heat sink, such as tiny alligator clips to protect LED while soldering.

The torpedo LEDs do not require resistors as they are located on circuit board.

For the nav and strobe LEDs, they require the included resistors. There are 2 leads on the LED. The long lead is the positive(+). Solder the resistor to the positive lead. Always remember, the small element inside the LED is attached to the positive. Refer to J3 and J4 for the number of supported LEDs per connection. The 14 Resistors are provided for a parallel setup. If using a series setup, please refer to the online ledwizard to calculate a different resistor value. http://led.linear1.org/led.wiz. The wizard will help you choose the proper resistor to use. See Photo7-9 for example Parallel and series setup.

Find the appropriate place to mount your boards before routing wires. If the included 2pin JST connector leads are too short, add extra wire, then solder your 1.8mm LEDs to the wires. Connect them to J6 FF RF connectors. Be sure of proper polarity.

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Your ship has 10 nav lights and 4 strobes, so you will need to branch your J3 and J4 wire connections to various areas of the ship.

Photo3: Example of branching wires. This is my test setup for testing nav flashing lights. Of course your setup will not look like this, but it does show you how to branch wires at each point an LED is located, if need be.

Photo4: Solder joint.

Solder joints when branching Nav running lights or strobes.

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Photo5: Heat shrink.

Slip 2mm Heat shrink over the wires before soldering the LEDs/Resistors. Use a heat source, such as your soldering iron to shrink the wrap. You can carefully use a match or lighter, but be very careful not to melt anything, move the flame quickly. If doing this near your model, you may want to place a multi layer sheet of aluminum foil behind the wires to protect your model.

Helpful LED info: because resistors are already provided with your kit, the following info is provided to help you with other lighting in your ship or other projects.

Below is an example of LEDs in Parallel and Series.

Photo7.

Photo8. In series setup, you can run as many LEDS as your voltage will allow. Example,you can run 3 3volt LEDs in series on 9 volts with no resistor needed. You could run 4 3volt LEDs in series on 12volts with no resistor. (Note: Board supports a max of 2 3volt LEDs in a series chain for 9volts.)In Series setup, should one burn out, the others in that chain will not light.The life expectancy of an led is 100,000 hrs. so this should not be an issue. Your power supply must also support the current required by all LEDs.

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Example: if you have 100 LEDs connected in parallel in your model, at 20ma each, you would require a 2000ma(2Amp) power supply just to drive the LEDs.

Photo9: Example of max Led setup for J3 and J4.

Section 3: Example Model Installation. You may have a different ship, use your models manual as a reference to install torpedoes, strobes and running lights. Warning : Protect Board from electrostatic discharge. Ground yourself before handling.

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Protect bottom of board from shorting against anything metal. If using the corner holes to mount the board, be sure to use insulated washers between the board and mounting area.The Example below is for the StarTrek Enterprise NCC-1701-A 1/350 from Polar Lights. You will need to light block the torpedo launcher clear part before installing lights. The way I did it, I used a liquid masking film such as Bob Dively Model Aircraft. Using a tiny long bristle brush and steady hand, dab small amounts of masking on the 2 front ports, make it a little thick. Don’t worry if you get a little on the inside edges, but try to keep most of it on the flate area, as long as you do not get any on the outside edges you’ll be OK. You can always peel off any mistakes. Make sure you let it dry, and put a second coat. Allow it to dry. Turn over to the backside. Inside the two hallow areas, I did the same thing. You’ll need a thin long bristle brush. You are coating the opposite side of the ports. Try to stay away from the edges, you’ll need a steady hand. Make sure you let it dry, and put a second coat. After everything is dry, use Model Masters Gloss black enamel. Paint the backside and inside the hallow areas, not the front. Wait a day or two between coats. It took me three coats to light block it. Hold it up to a bright light and look for any leaks. Paint as needed.

After the black enamel had completely dried, I flipped it over and airbrushed 2 coats of Model Master Acryl navyblue/grey #4847, half hour between coats. Let dry at least 1 day.

Use a small sharp xacto blade and carefully cut along the inside of the port and peel the masking away from the paint. After peeling most of it, you may need a toothpick to scrape tiny pieces left behind.Turn over and do the same thing inside the hallow. If you cant find a blade small enough, use the tooth pick, working from a corner and peeling it away. When most of it is gone, look through the front and see if any is still in the way, then clean out the tiny pieces you find until it looks good.

You will need to light block the inside of the sail before drilling and installing the lights.Use a primer, black paint, then white paint. Fit the torpedo piece to the sail, and estimate the center of a port. Remove torpedo port and drill a small hole, if you can see through the torpedo port, drill the hole a little bigger to allow access for a jewelers file. File the hole to match the torpedo port and until the red 1.8mm LED fits the hole snuggly. If using 3mm LEDs, file the holes until they fit.

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For testing, I taped the LEDs in place and placed a tiny bead of hot glue at the back of the torpedo port before fitting to the sail. You’ll want to scrape the hot glue off later and apply epoxy when finishing up your model. Epoxy your LEDs in place only when you are sure the lights are aimed correctly. Pay close attention when gluing the LEDs in place, you may want to wait until after you glue the torpedo port. If the LEDs stick out a little, it would prevent you from sliding the torpedo port into position. Connect to your board and test the Effect.

Section 4: Sound Board.

On the back of the sound board, you will notice a small black 1/8“ output jack. This is where you can plug in an external set of amplified speakers. Amplified speakers have a box with volume control and multiple speakers attach to it. The sound from the board will play in MONO, but in very high quality, with adjustable volume. If you wish to use this feature, you will have to position the card, in base or model, so that a cord may plug into it. You may have to create a box out of thick polystyrene sheet to support the board into position. The supplied speaker is very loud and clear and should suit most users. You can increase sound quality even more by replacing the small speaker with a 2 1/4“ 1/2watt speaker that can be found on many on-line electronic stores. Do not be tempted to use a 1 or 2watt speaker, as may end up with a static distorted sound, 1/2watt is plenty.

Thank you again for purchasing our New Photon Torpedo Boards, I hope you enjoy the effects they provide as much as I do.Stanley Koziol

Section 5. Specifications.

Circuit board Approximate Measurements: 38x35 mm Sound Board Approximate Measurements: 70x30mm

Supply Voltage requirement: Regulated(switching) 6volt 9volts

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All photos contained in this document are property of Starling technologies™. This document may not be copied, sold or transfered without permission.

E/FX™ is a trademark of Starling Technologies™ Copyright © 2008-2013 Starling Technologies™ www.starling-tech.com

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