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FreeTrack Forum > FreeTrack : English Forum > Support : Tracking System > 5mm Red Wide-Angle LED?

RSS >  5mm Red Wide-Angle LED?, Would these work?
Burke #1 21/12/2011 - 18h18

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Greetings all,

Newbie here, about to attempt my first build. Just curious if anyone has tried these:
http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2102849

I was just wondering if those would work without having to file them down flat. I'm about to make my first Radio Shack purchase of LEDS and was debating between those (part #276-309) or these (part # 276-143) http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2062565

I don't mind filing the tops flat if I have to, but if the wide angle 276-309's will work without filing, I'd prefer to go that route.

Thanks,
Burke
Edited by Burke on 21/12/2011 at 18h19.
Steph #2 22/12/2011 - 09h49

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Hi Burke,

get the second one. The 276-309 are just red color LEDS, the 276-143 are IR (infrared) which works much better in all situations.

Ideally have a look on other stores for the Osram SFH 485 P the reference for Freetrack headtracking or Siemens LD 271 that I've tried and they works fine too, although the viewing-angle is quit small (+/-25°).

But in any case, IR-LEDS works better than any other color LEDS.
startrekmike #3 28/12/2011 - 12h14

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I also kinda want to get the radioshack LED's (the second link above) because ordering something and paying much more in shipping is not really desirable unless I have no choice.

  If I went with those, what resistors would I need if I were to wire it to a old 5.5W cell phone charging AC adapter?

 I have almost all the parts I need except the LED's themselves so I would have this done tomarrow if I can get them at radioshack and be able to wire it to a cell phone charger.

 Any thoughts?
Burke #4 28/12/2011 - 22h56

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Steph @ 22/12/2011 - 09h49 a dit:

the 276-143 are IR (infrared) which works much better in all situations.


Thanks, Steph. I have purchased three of those (276-143), filed & polished them neatly following this procedure: http://forum.free-track.net/index.php?showtopic=2667

...and followed the build diagram shown in the first post here: http://forum.free-track.net/index.php?showtopic=1856

I used three 33 ohm resistors after seeing them apparently working for others with these same LEDs successfully in the thread listed here: http://www.free-track.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=2312

Unfortunately, now I'm not having any luck with getting the software to see my LEDs in Cam view. I've used a multimeter to test my wiring (because I can't see if the IR LEDs are actually working or not) and I've got current flowing, but no LEDs showing. The software sees a couple of flashlights and some remote controls, but not my 3 LED cap. How sad. :(

Anybody else had similar results? I am hopeful that my problem is just a matter of tweaking some sliders in the software, rather than my cap & webcam (Logitech C200 minus IR filter and added floppy disk filter). I'm just not sure exactly what to tweak/slide, because everything I've tried thus far has not seen my hat.

Best regards,
Burke
dewey1 #5 29/12/2011 - 01h36

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If FreeTrack sees the remote control IR LEDs, then you have a problem with your wiring. I am assuming that this the parallel circuit with 2 AA batteries.

If you are using 3 VDC with 33 Ohm for each LED, you should have about 54 mA per LED.

Check the voltage across each LED. It should be 1.2 VDC.
Check the voltage across each 33 Ohm resistor. It should be 1.8 VDC.

If you do not get those voltages. the LED may be wired wrong. (backwards)
Note the flat on each LED, it is always the negative lead.
Steph #6 02/01/2012 - 10h50

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Hi again and happy new year,

try to see if the webcam, without the floppy filter and in a dark room, can see anything. If not, your LEDS probably are not working at all.

and I've got current flowing, but no LEDs showing.


Could you measured current?


If you are using 3 VDC with 33 Ohm for each LED, you should have about 54 mA per LED.



If you have not about min. 50mA perhaps they are not bright enough. Try with 24 or 20 Ohm resistors to power them up to 80-90mA.
Burke #7 02/01/2012 - 20h31

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dewey1 @ 29/12/2011 - 01h36 a dit:

If FreeTrack sees the remote control IR LEDs, then you have a problem with your wiring... the LED may be wired wrong. (backwards) Note the flat on each LED, it is always the negative lead.


Oooops... (really embarrassed) Turns out that you were right, Dewey1. Silly me, had the LEDs backwards. Apparently I was paying too much attention to the diagram that showed the shorter lead connected to the positive wire, and not enough attention to the fine print that said "...if you use LEDs other than SFH485P, the shorter lead will be negative..."  So, that ended up being an easy fix, as I just reversed the LEDs and now I've got the software seeing the cap very nicely.

My current problem is adjusting the curves. Could someone please post a pic of their curves or maybe point me to a helpful link regarding curves & sensitivity adjustment?

I'm trying to use Freetrack with FSX primarily, but also with IL-2, and Rise of Flight. I'm trying to achieve the equivilent of turning my actual head maybe 45 degrees or so with the result being that my "game" head turns enough to look back over my shoulder. After lots of trial & error with the curves, I can get my view to swing left or right about 90 degrees or so, but not much more than that. And even then, slight movements are so jumpy that it almost makes me nauseous (lol). If I get the over-sensitivity tweaked more suitably, then my view doesn't pan as wide. Darn it. Obviously, I just don't know what I'm doing yet.

Thanks to all for the great replies thus far and massive kudos to all that made this software available. If I can just get my curves set properly, I think I'll be all set for some awesome flying.

Burke
Steph #8 03/01/2012 - 10h15

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Hi Burke,

adjustments for sensitivity and curves depends a lot on the game-output.
For IL-2 try the medium menu curves for rotation.
>Curves >right click on graphic "Yaw" to open menu
>deadzone >medium deadzone
>Soft >medium soft.

>left click hold, pick up the right little black square on end of the curve and pull it up to 180° so you can turn ingame up to 180°.
>Copy to  "Pitch" and "Roll".

If you have 6dof-mod for IL-2 you can enable translations too.

I'm trying to achieve the equivilent of turning my actual head maybe 45 degrees or so with the result being that my "game" head turns enough to look back over my shoulder. After lots of trial & error with the curves, I can get my view to swing left or right about 90 degrees or so, but not much more than that. And even then, slight movements are so jumpy that it almost makes me nauseous (lol).



A light dizziness is quit normal in the beginning. Stops after some hours flight. :)
Push up the smoothing and dynamic smoothing reduction, so movements are less nervous.
Burke #9 13/01/2012 - 17h41

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Steph @ 03/01/2012 - 04h15 a dit:

try the medium menu curves for rotation.
>Curves >right click on graphic "Yaw" to open menu
>deadzone >medium deadzone
>Soft >medium soft.

>left click hold, pick up the right little black square on end of the curve and pull it up to 180° so you can turn ingame up to 180°.
>Copy to  "Pitch" and "Roll".


Like this?
Posted Image
I’m hopeful this is not correct, because setting my curves like that gives me very little in-game head movement despite turning my actual head a lot, which is the opposite of what I need. I’m not sure what I’m doing wrong.

Thanks,
Burke
Steph #10 16/01/2012 - 12h29

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You can make them a little more flat and keep a steep beginning of the curve, that gives you a kind of deathzone, when your head is centered.
Increase the sensitivity to get more ingame movement.

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