All these lightings employ micro-controller which can be programmed to do various things (microcontrollers are in your car , your washing machine , microwave security system, vaccuum robots , they are ubiquitous ) , in this case , driving LEDs (Light Emitting Diodes) and produce various lighting effects. In this case, a particular type of micro-controller called PIC (Programmable Interrupt Controller) is used.
ヤマト2202 D級主力戦艦 ドレッドノート PICマイコン制御
1/1000 DREADNOUGHT from Space battleship Yamato 2202.
1/500 宇宙戦艦ヤマト 2199 波動砲ユニット作動試験。
This is for 1/500 Space Battle Yamato 2199.
Holes are drilled on the inside of the Wave Motion Gun part and 4 bundles of optical fibres
are used , each bundle of fibres is controlled by the PIC, each bundle of lights is turned on in cycle. In order to acheive the randomness of light-up particles during the firing sequence of the Wave Motion Gun, each bundle of fiber is inserted in holes at different locations around the Wave Motion Gun barrel. This can be clarified in the following photos (from 第十一番惑星 or the 11 th Planet's blog).
http://the11thplanet.blog.fc2.com/
Micro-controller PIC circuit boards. Each for lightings for different parts of the ship.
PIC for 1/1000 Andromeda。
The semi-circle shaped components are transistors which are probably used for provide the currents for the LEDs for which the PIC might not able to provide, some LEDs required larger current to light on , depending on the colours of the LEDs.
The author modified the connections from the sound and light controller (by Bandai ) to the Andromeda making it detachable from the base. The house-shape connector is a USB type B connector and the round connector is for the power (from batteries). The locations of these connectors must be precise and matched-up, or they won't connect to their counterparts if they are not lined up when the ship is attached to the display stand.
Bandai SHOULD HAVE DONE THIS , making the ship detachable from the base. Bandai is being CHEAP , connectors make the model kit more expensive! Like all damn companies , they want HIGH profit margin!
I was thinking about cutting the ribbon cable from the light and sound controller to the Andromeda and modify the connections with miniature connectors so that one of them can be placed inside the space provided for the base connection to the ship, making the ship detachable, but there is a risk of messing the whole thing up by reconnnecting the wiring incorrectly. People who have bought the 1/1000 Andromeda know exactly what I mean.
I am not sure that Bandai has its own electronics design department and probably sub-contracted the electronics design to another company ??
This switch panel sits underneath the bridge tower part of Andromeda.
The switches are used for programming the PIC, the jumper siwtches (with black pastic headers connecting two metal pins) are used to set the operation mode of the PIC (e.g. set the PIC in programming mode).
The author used an expensive ultrasonic cutter (40,000円) to cut the rectangular opening in the plastic for the switch panel. Regular saw cutting might break the plastic , so the author used an ultrasonic cutter which melted the plastic slightly as can be seen in this photo.
The followings are for 1/1000 Space Battleship Yamato 2202 (not the 1/500 in the video above), but they use the same type of PIC circuit board.
This is what I described above. The author drilled holes into the Wave Motion Gun barrel, then insert optical fibres into them. Holes are best drilled from outside to the inside of the ship, so that the drilled out plastic protrudes inwards into the plastic kit and can't be seen from the outside.
Optical fibres from 4 bundles.
Optical fibres from 4 bundles. Each bundle of fibres is light-up in turn. By distributing optical fibres from different bundles at different locations in the Wave Motion Gun barrel, the light-up particle effect can be acheived for the firing sequence of the Wave Motion Gun.
The author apparently spent his "Golden Week holiday" to achieve all this. Holidays are cherished when you are in the work force, so I am not sure I would use the time to make model. If I were working in Japan, I would cherish holidays IMMENSELY!
Each fibre is colour-coded (yellow , green, ....etc) so that each fibre is identified to be in each bundle (group) of fibres. The white square plactic piece has 4 holes , each of which holds fibres belonging to the same bundle (group).
The author did the same thing with the 1/1000 Andromeda. He also painted the tranparent Wave otion Gun part so that the light from the optical fibre can stand out.
Again , there are four bundles of optical fibres,again, each bundle of fibres are to be light-up in turn.
Tiny surface-mount LEDs are used throughout the ship including around the Wave Motion Engine. Surface-mount LEDs are very small, usually less than 1 mm in length and width. It is difficult to solder wires to the terminals of these tiny LEDs without practice, too much heat from the soldering iron can destroy the LED. Glue is used to attach these LEDs around the periphery of the Wave Motion Engine.
The black plastics are connectors connecting the LEDs to the PIC or the power source that lights-up the LEDs.
As I mentioned , these surface-mount LEDs are very small, usually less than 1 mm in length and width .
Cutting grooves into the plastic so that wires to the terninals of the LEDs can be placed is another skill that requires patience and steady hands.
Modelling carving knife is used to make the groove and the space to accomodate the tiny LED, place the wires into the groove. The wires usually come with insulation, otherwise the wires will short out each other and the terminals of the LED, the insulation at the end of the wire is scraped off to be soldered onto the terminals of the LED. Putty is then applied to seal the groove , the putty is sanded to be smoothed out. It is quite a bit of work for LED on each wing.
If the LED is burnt out for some reasons, then you are screwed, you have to remove the putty , repeat the whole process and repaint the whole thing again.
LEDs at the wings of the third bridge of Yamato. Tiny pin-connectors are used to connect LED to the power source or the PIC through some circuitries.
LEDs to the first bridge of Yamato.
I enjoy the works from these Yamato die-hard fans. I wish I had that much time to do that myself, not too mention the extra cost for the modifications. Most do that for selling them on Yahoo Japan auctions but there are also those who are just pure enthusiasts ......
Another modelling enthusiast - Dorobou Hige (Dorobou means "thief" in Japanese , Hige means moustache ) . His modifications also include rotating cannons .
http://dorobou.blog.so-net.ne.jp/2017-04-08
Dorobou Hige himself. His blog : http://dorobou.blog.so-net.ne.jp/
Check out his other works , including this modified 1/4000 Macross SDF-1 (Hasegawa).
http://dorobou.blog.so-net.ne.jp/2015-10-15
