Abstract

I've made two of these Markerlight counters:[gal_img]1338[/gal_img]... and in th

is article I'm going to tell you how to make your own. Although I've done a bit
of research I've found no mentioning of similar devices in use by anybody before
, which puzzles me. These markerlight counters look impressive but are quite eas
y to produce for anybody with a bit of soldering skill and miniatures building a
nd painting experience. The downside is that the material can be a bit pricy. (W
here I bought my electronic components they cost about 65 SEK (~10 USD) per coun
ter including 25% Swedish sales tax but excluding battery.) This article will sh
ow you the details needed to buy components for your own counters. The details I
willnot go into are:
a) Which shop to buy from, since I don't know shops worldwide (I bought my stuff
from Elfa, that sells in northern Europe, and I think you might find Farnell to
sell some useful LEDs as well (worldwide), Farnell's website seems pretty crapp
y when it comes to finding what you want though...), and
b) How to do the hands-on soldering job, which requires previous practice anyway
.
I Target Audience
WH40k Tau players that build/paint their own miniatures and also have a bit of s
oldering skill. More tech savvy players just have to take a look at this picture
below. (For Swedish players that want to do counters exactly like mine I have p
osted a very compact instruction here.) Back to Contents
II Background
(Wordy rant leading up to why my counters look the way they do. Skip to the next
chapter if you're not interested.) I'm still a newbie when it comes to WH40k. I
t's been less than half a year since I decided to go for it, buy myself an army
and start playing. Several reasons led up to my decision to play Tau, one reason
being their use of markerlights.As I was planning my initial purchases I came u
pon an article about a Tau diorama where the vehicles have been fitted with ligh
ts. Being an engineer this got me thinking of what I could do with my miniatures
... One of the very first ideas that sprung to mind was to simply put a real las
er in each markerlight. Doing some research I found it to be a non-starter. Lase
rs are just too large and too expensive. Evolving the idea I investigated if it'
s feasible to put regular LEDs there instead. It's not. Even regular LEDs are to
o large. The only way to make the actual marker equipment send out light seems t
o be to place a light source (LED) inside the figure's body, and then have an op
tic fibre lead the light to the markerlight. That will take a lot of skill, work
, money and other resources to implement. I have no plans of doing that. Wanting
an easier solution I turned my attention to the markerlight counters. I realise
d it would be a breeze to make these shine! My initial thought was to use a smal
l battery, one LED, a resistor and a micro-switch. Checking up on available comp
onents I soon realised that even small switches are too big, so that had to go.
Next I found out that the small batteries I first opted for (16mm) will probably
not last for more than a few hours, but slightly larger batteries will last muc
h longer. Then turning to the LED. There aren't that many useful designs availab
le, and those I wanted were only available in green. My first option was a round
3.5mm diode, which turned out to have been discontinued. Then there was a round
2mm design available in red, green and yellow. I thought these were too small t
hough, if put alone on the counter. Then I also noticed a design with two (green
) LEDs mounted in tandem in sort of a rectangular bar. I realised it would look
cool to have three of these mounted in a triangular pattern on the counter, remi
nding me of scenes from the "Predator" movie and fairly extra terresterial. This
LED design was available in two slightly different sizes, both potentially usef
ul. Thus I had my basic design idea ready! Once I had mentally accepted the poss
ibility to use more than one LED per counter, I figured out it could also work t
o use three of the 2mm type mounted in a triangular shape, but I kept that as a
secondary solution. Now to the next problem: How would I actually get the parts?
The chain of stores that sells those LEDs ( Elfa, with retailers throughout nor
thern Europe) doesn't have any stores where I live. Phone order is fast and conv
enient (I do it quite often as part of my work), but then I would have to buy fa
r more than I wanted to pass their minimum limit and then that price tag would b
e roughly doubled to cover P&P. Not an option! So I had to sit back, waiting for
some sort of opportunity to arise. Fortunately I was in no hurry, since I hadn'
t even bought any miniatures for my army by then... Come opportunity! Soon after
my design process was ready I found out (or realised) I was going to go to Stoc
kholm for two days to attend a course, courtesy of my job. The locale had an Elf
a store nearby. The course would start at 0930, and the best way to get to Stock
holm at that time is a flight that arrives in Bromma airport at 0750. Thus I pre
-ordered a taxi to take me (and my colleague) from Bromma not to the course but
to Elfa! Since it was still possible that I wouldn't actually make it there (I c
ould get sick, the flight be delayed, the course cancelled, etc.) I didn't dare
to do a pre-order for pick-up on arrival. Instead I made a shopping list with se
veral options for each type of item to cover for the event that something was te
mporarily out of stock. Come the great day... ... when I and my colleague arrive
d by taxi to the Elfa store, five minutes after they opened in the morning. It w
as a good thing I had an extensive shopping list. The rectangular LEDs I wanted
were out of stock. The 2mm LEDs were available though, in all colour varieties.S
o which colour should I use? By this time I hadn't seen any official mentioning
of any specific colour used by markerlights, so that couldn't influence my chois
e. Instead I thought this way: - Red is very common for lasers on Earth. T'au is
n't Earth and the Tau aren't human, therefore I won't use red! - Green isn't "Ea
rthly", but won't be very visible on the green background I will use, therefore
I won't use green LEDs. - Yellow is thus the right way to go, and that's what I
picked! (After leaving the store we had a nice stroll to the company where my co
urse was held.) Today these counters, two of them, is the most completed part of
my entire Tau army, in spite of the fact that it'll take a long time before I h
ave enough units to make it worthwhile using any markerlights... Back to Content
s
III The Electronics
From an electronics point of view these counters consist of; one battery, one ba
ttery holder, one resistor and one or more LEDs (Light Emitting Diodes). The bat
tery holder simply holds the battery. In these counters it also makes up the bul
k and base of the construction, which makes picking the most suitable type more
interesting. The battery is a Lithium "button" type battery. Lithium batteries a
re 3.0V nominal voltage, which is perfect for this application. The size of batt
ery (and corresponding holder) chosen will strike a balance between counter size
and how often you'll need to replace the battery. The LEDs are the key componen
ts and also the parts most difficult to accuire. It's easy to find shops that se
ll LEDs, but the regular LEDs have a design we don't want to use because it will
make the counters too tall! Therefore you will most probably need to find an el
ectronics store that has a large assortment of LEDs in order to find any that fi
t our needs. To understand LEDs you need to know how they work: As the name impl
ies they are diodes. Diodes generally have the characteristics that they:
a) Block current in one direction, known as the "rear" or "backward" direction
b) Let the current through in the other, "forward", direction, once a threshold,
the "diode voltage" is reached. Combined with a) this means that it's important
to mount diodes in the correct direction if they are powered by a DC source, su
ch as a battery.
c) The voltage over the diode stays almost constant even if the current varies.
As the current increases so does the power (heat) generated in the diode. Theref
ore all diodes have a maximum current rating. At too high currents the diode wil
l overheat and be destroyed. For this reason diodes need to be protected by some
current limiter, which usually consists of a resistor connected in series with
the diode. Light Emitting Diodes also have the property that they emit light whe
n a current flows through them. More current results in more light, and in our a
pplication we want less light and thus put a tighter limit on the current. The r
esistor controls (limits) the current used. The higher the current the more ligh
t from the LEDs and the faster the battery will need replacement. Back to Conten
ts
IV Choosing Components
IV.1 Battery Holder (and thus Battery)
For the battery holder we have two important factors: General shape and battery
size. The general shape is important because it will have a huge impact on the s
hape of the finished counter. Fortunately one very common design is circular and
flat with one connector at the edge and one near the centre. These holders are
intended for mounting flat on a circuit board. This is the design I use myself a
s well as recommend others to use.
This is the type I recommend. Since the design is common it's available for a br
oad range of battery sizes. Going strictly by looks I'd say the perfect size wou
ld be the same as, or slightly smaller than, a small figure base (25mm diametre,
4mm height). That would boil down to a holder for a 20mm battery, tops! The dow
nside of using smaller batteries is that their capacity decreases exponentially
with size, so a 20mm battery is less than half the capacity of 24mm, but more th
an double compared to 16mm. I use 24mm batteries (CR2430). Those should last me
a full weekend tournament before needing replacement. That's in spite of the fac
t that I use as many as three LEDs, but partly due to the fact that I only let t
hem glare rather than shine, feeding them only 1/6 of their rated maximum curren
t. Back to Contents
IV.2 Light Emitting Diodes
These are obviously the most visible part of the counter. The factors that come
into play are first and foremost their physical shape/design, then there are col
our, light angle and current/voltage ratings, in that order.Shape/design The vas
t majority of LEDs are an elongated shape, shining on one end and the connector
legs sticking out on the other. What we want is LEDs that can be mounted as flat
as possible, shining up from the base. That means a low profile with the legs s
ticking out at the side(s), and there are a couple of different designs that ful
fill that requirement.[gal_img]1340[/gal_img]Three useful LED designs.Colour Dep
ending on what useful designs you have available, those might also be available
in different colours. (Out of the four LED types I considered, only the least de
sireable came in a variety of colours, the others were all green.) The official
fluff says (supposedly, I haven't read the source myself) that Tau markers use c
learly visible red light, so if you want to follow that then go with red LEDs if
available. (I use yellow for the reasons described under "background" above.)Li
ght angle Most LEDs shine in a somewhat concentrated beam. For our application w
e want maximum spread of the light, and that can be obtained by sanding the LED
surface as well as by other means. Should you have the option to choose between
LEDs with different light spread, more spread is slightly better.Current rating
All LEDs have a maximum current rating, usually ~20mA, and sometimes also a reco
mmended current. This rating is useful when picking the right resistor. The more
current that runs through the LED, the brighter it shines.Nominal voltage Usual
ly in the 2.0-2.5V range. Essential knowledge when calculating what resistor to
use. Back to Contents
IV.3 Rice Grain Bulbs
It has recently occurred to me that small bulbs might be a suitable alternative
to LEDs. There are those that are < 2mm in diameter, and placed horisontally the
y'd be just the right size. They're cheaper than the relatively odd LEDs otherwi
se required, and also no more power consuming than LEDs, running on an even lowe
r voltage (nominal 1.2V) and about the same current. This provides the options o
f using silver-oxide (1.5V) or zink-air (1.4V) batteries instead of lithium, zin
k-air being more expensive but also with higher energy density, allowing the use
of a much smaller battery. I have absolutely no experience using grain bulbs, s
o some testing to see what limiting resistance to use is absolutely necessary. B
ack to Contents
IV.4 Resistor(s)
Here's where we need to do some maths, and if possible also some tests, to get i
t right. The key issue is what current to use. The problem is that you can't tel
l really how bright the LEDs will shine until you've tested them... I think that
the LEDs should only glare a bit, since they represent reflected light rather t
han light sources. Then the correct current is somewhere in the 15-35% range of
the rated maximum. (My LEDs are rated 30mA max, 20mA recommended. I feed them ab
out 7mA each.)Now to the maths To compute what resistance to use we apply ohm's
law:[gal_img]1341[/gal_img] Ideally you should get the LEDs before deciding what
resistance to use. Then you can see for yourself how much they shine with diffe
rent resistances. If you're used to soldering electronic components, then it's q
uite probable that you allready have an assortment of resistors anyway, so that
shouldn't be a problem... The other factor to think about when it comes to resis
tors is how much power they can sustain. The power generated in this resistor is
pretty small, typically < 50mW, so principally a resistor rated for 1/8W should
suffice. However, since the resistor in our mounting will be capsuled in putty
it won't dissipate the generated heat as well as it's supposed to. Therefore I'd
recommend using a slightly (physically) larger resistor, rated for 1/4W or more
. I have the fortune of working in a well equipped electronics work shop. Theref
ore I did my tests using a lab type power supply set to 3.0V and a decade resist
or that let me adjust the resistance until I got it just right, and then read th
e set value. I tested on a single diode, and since I was to use three in paralle
ll I just divided the resistance value from my test by three (rounding down to t
he nearest standard value) to find out what to use. Back to Contents
V Tools and Equipment
Soldering tools, to put the electronics together.
Plyers to cut the leads.
Grading tools and a knife to smoothen the surface.
Putty ("green stuff" or equivalent) and a small piece of adhesive tape.
Suggestedly some leftover sprue or some equivalent to make some feet for the cou
nter.
Super glue to attach those feet. (Regular plastic glue might not work on the bat
tery holder.)
Everything else you normally use to finish the bases for your miniatures.
Back to Contents
VI Putting it Together
This is not exactly how I did it, but how I will do it in the future, based on t
he experience gained.
Prep the battery holder. It's made of some "greasy" plastic and is best treated
the way you'd treat a resin model.
Remove the plastic knobs protruding from the bottom.
Wash it with some grease remover. (For example washing-up detergent.)
Cover the hole, suggestedly using a piece of adhesive tape.
Soldering time.
Solder the LED(s) to the resistor(s) in a suitable way. Make sure the LED(s) is/
are turned the right way.[gal_img]1342[/gal_img]How my counters are connected.
Test so that the LED(s) really do shine as you want them to.
Solder the parts to the battery holder. Attempt to keep it as snug as possible t
o the holder's surface.
Final touches.
Give it the same surface treatment as the bases of your miniatures. Add another
layer or two of clear varnish to make it more durable.
Get a small piece of stiff sheet plastic (from a battery package or something) t
o use as power switch, placing it between the battery and the contact spring whe
n the counter is not in use.
Back to Contents
VII Discussion
As you can see from reading this article it's just about impossible for me to te
ll you exactly how to make your own counters. First we have the limited range of
useful light sources available, a range that varies depending on in which part
of the world you do your shopping. Then there's the matter of personal taste and
preferences regarding light configuration and intensity, counter size and batte
ry life time. It's thus simply impossible for me to cover all combinations. With
that in mind I will still try to provide some general advice below. First the m
ost obvious and common denominators; resistors and batteries. No matter what des
ign you choose you will need these. As a rule of thumb: The more and/or brighter
light sources you want, the bigger the battery needs to be. You will also need
at least one resistor per type of light source you use. With more resistors in p
arallell each can be smaller in size, but they will cover a larger area. I start
ed by choosing a large battery to get plenty of power. To make that look sensibl
e I had to use three LEDs. As it turned out I could run them at such low current
that the large battery was overkill. Then we have the light source(s). From a f
luff point of view the ideal would be to have one relatively bright red light an
d one weak greenish blue light. Greenish blue seems hopeless to get at all, but
can be left out without any fuzz. Red light can be provided by an LED or possibl
y from a bulb. The single light source makes for a very low current, which allow
s for the use of a small battery holder. Using more lights is less "by the book"
, but can provide a cooler look. If/when I need to have more than two counters I
will probably do it more according to fluff. I will see if bulbs are useful as
a red light source, and if they as such are better than LEDs. Then I will make s
maller counters based on 16 or 20mm batteries, with one red light on each. My cu
rrent counters will then be used as pathfinder beacons or other types of markers
. (This article is also available as a PDF document.) Back to ContentsI hope thi
s article will be helpful to some readers!Olle Petersson
http://tauonline.org/index.php?content=browse&cat=convers_guides&army=TU&arts_vi
ew=100&article=410