TK Electronics help please

[Madighon]

Hello,
I am working on an Anovos TK and am hoping to fill it with electronics, voice, fans, etc.  I've looked around our boards and the WhiteArmor.net boards and have been unsuccessful in finding a simple yet complete tutorial for this. Does anyone have a link or can provide me with information on what items I need to buy and how I can hook it all together?  Any info you have or help you can offer would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Josh

[Pixelito]

Hey Josh,
There are many different ways to do all the electronics, depending on what all you want. I'm on my phone currently, but once I get home, I'll show you what I did and see if I can draw up something real quick. I'll post that in a little while.

Do you just want to amplify your voice or do you want to add the static burst and all that? Also, how comfortable are you with soldering? Making your own fan system can be cheaper than buying one, but I can link you to some pre-built setups if you'd rather go that route.

[Pixelito]

Alrighty!
Let's see if I can do this without rambling on too much!

First, lets discuss options. These are by no means the only things you can do, they're just what I'm familiar with.
I'll add a separate section with links to all the parts that I mention.

Voice amplification
This is commonly done with a small personal amplifier and a headset. Aker amps seem to be favored by most TKs, but you can find a number of brands and variations around. The MR1506 is a pretty popular and affordable choice.

Static Burst
Most options here are very hard to come by or are limited in features so I'll just talk about the iComm, which is very common and comes highly recommended. The iComm has a number of different static burst effects that it can add to the end of your speech. You can either choose one or have it randomly cycle through them all. It is powered by an Aker amp, so you must use one of those if you choose to use an iComm. It can detect when you start/stop talking to trigger itself or you can use a push-to-talk (PTT) cable, which is included.

Fans
You can either build your own if you're comfortable working with electronics or you can buy a pre-built system from a number of people on Whitearmor. I'll link those with all the other parts. If you choose the DIY route, blower fans are usually the best option, but make sure you consider what kind of batteries you plan on using and the voltage they provide!

Hearing assist
It can be hard to hear in your bucket. If your fans produce too much noise, you can be practically deaf! Hearing assists aren't super common, as far as I can tell, but I love mine! It requires a bit of work to mount everything inside your helmet, but having some sound amplification can allow you to actually hear what people are saying around you.


I'll focus just on the voice amplification and static burst for installation instructions. Fans are kinda' more dependent on what route you choose and mounting them can vary based on their size. If you choose to buy or build a hearing assist, I can show you how I installed mine, but it really depends on your preference.

Let's take a look at 2 of the most common options for mounting your parts. As with everything I say here, these are certainly not the only ways, just the ones I'm most familiar with! Professional MS Paint skills AWAAAAAAAAAY!


The above image shows the most common way to mount your amp and iComm. Most people either velcro them to the inside of their chest plate or they build a mounting bracket in there. They are connected with 3.5mm audio cables, which are typically included with them. The headset may also be included with an Aker amp as well. Many people just put the headset on and run the cable down their neck seal.



This option is more complicated, expensive and requires the purchase of some slightly different parts. The concept is the same though. The main difference here is that everything can be consolidated to your bucket, with the audio coming out of your mic tips. The amp, in this case, is a smaller Aker amp that has had the case removed. I purchased mine from the same guy that makes the Hovi Mic tips. These tips are not only more accurate than the ANOVOS supplied ones, but they also have speakers built in, making this setup possible.


Here is what the inside of my helmet looks like... Kinda'... I have since moved a few parts around, did some cable management and added padding, but it should still give you a rough idea.

The part in the top left is the hearing assist. Right below it is the case-less Aker amp, followed by my fans on the left and right. in the middle is the battery that powers the fans (has since been moved) and right behind that is the iComm. I have a pretty large head, so I had to put everything in weird spots. Your results may vary! Everything is just attached with hot glue, by the way. If you choose this route, you'll have to do some clever cable management, that's for sure!


NOTE: Make sure you are logged in to Whitearmor for any links there, or you may not be able to see the thread. The sales section cannot be seen without an account!
Parts for the common method
Aker amps: http://store.voicebooster.com/brands/VoiceBooster.html
iComm: http://store.voicebooster.com/icomm-imperial-communication-system/
(I highly reccomend purchasing the Aker from VoiceBooster. The guy that runs it is super helpful! Also, he's a fellow TK)

Parts for the more complicated method
iComm: http://store.voicebooster.com/icomm-imperial-communication-system/
Mic tips and smaller amp: http://www.whitearmor.net/forum/topic/31436-fs-ukswraths-hovi-mic-tips-with-speakers-crl-accurate-tips

Hearing assist
Stormtrooper Hearing Assist (SHA): http://www.whitearmor.net/forum/topic/32487-ukswraths-stormtrooper-hearing-assist-system/
There is also one called EAS, which I believe can be found on the MEPD forum... I think. I don't actually have the link for that one, but it is another option!

Pre-built fan systems
Ukswrath's fans: http://www.whitearmor.net/forum/topic/35994-ukswraths-cooling-fan-kits/
Evilboy's fans: http://www.whitearmor.net/forum/topic/29160-fs-the-original-evilboy-dual-fan-helmet-kits/
Echo's fans (Note, these are on hold, but worth a look): http://www.whitearmor.net/forum/topic/24372-fs-helmet-fan-system-echos/

Parts that I used for fans
5v blower fans: https://www.amazon.com/5015S-Turbine-Brushless-Cooling-Blower/dp/B00H6VM83I/
Portable charger: https://www.amazon.com/Anker-PowerCore-Lipstick-Sized-Generation-High-Quality/dp/B005X1Y7I2/
And then any ol' USB cable.

Hopefully this gives you at least a little direction! I'm sure other members will be able to give better information than me, but I'll certainly try my best if you need any further help!

[carpe mindiem]

This is an amazing write up!

[Madighon]

Wow, that is fantastic.  Thanks so much.  I am comfortable with soldering, so I'll probably do that much.  I'll take some time to read through this and then respond with more knowledge.  Thanks again!!!

Josh

[Madighon]

One more time, thanks!

Fans:
I think I will build the fan system myself.  Did you use an on off switch with yours? 

Hearing Assist:
I built a hearing assist system in my Tie Fighter helmet, but never really got it working right.  no where to mount the mics outside the helmet and always got feedback.  I may rip that out of there and use it in my TK helmet. 

Voice Amp:
Not sure which option I will go with on this one.  The simplicity of the Aker/Icomm sounds good and inexpensive, but having everything in the helmet and using the hovi tip mics sounds pretty cool.  I'll have to look at budget and figure out if the more expensive option is even reasonable.

I'll order my Fan parts and then sit on the rest for a couple days. 

Josh

[Pixelito]

I didn't add a switch to my fan system. I'm currently considering it, as the Anker battery that I used has a quirk of staying on as long as something is connected to it. For now, though, I'm just living with unplugging the USB cable when I'm not wearing my helmet. I have yet to encounter a situation where I'm wearing it and want the fans off. 

If you add your hearing assist to the TK helmet, there are a few good places to put the mics. I drilled holes behind the 'ears' and mounted them there. You can then drill a few tiny holes in the black details of the ear bumps and nobody will see them. That will help a little as well.

I've also seen people drill holes and mount the mics behind the rubber 'brow' srtip, usually right on the corners near the traps.

[Madighon]

Do you think this would work for the on/off switch for the fans?

https://www.amazon.com/JBtek%C2%AE-Raspberry-Arduino-Female-Switch/dp/B00UR321B6/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1466054743&sr=1-1&keywords=usb+on+off+switch

[Pixelito]

Hmm, I suppose it could... In theory, of course! I haven't done any tests to see how exactly the anker battery would work with a switch, if you're going with the same battery that I linked. I can't tell how large this particular switch is, but you may be able to find an even smaller switch and just splice it in to the cable... Though, for $6 it doesn't seem like too much of a risk to give it a try.

[PDXTimbers]

Do you think this would work for the on/off switch for the fans?

https://www.amazon.com/JBtek%C2%AE-Raspberry-Arduino-Female-Switch/dp/B00UR321B6/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1466054743&sr=1-1&keywords=usb+on+off+switch

Yes, that switch will work and it's cheap and lightweight; instead of cable connecting directly to the USB lipstick charger, this little guy sits between them.  Of course, you would have to get the USB lipstick fan system (as opposed to a battery powered system; that is, you would want USKWrath "V2 version" and not Evilboy/Echo).  Some of the systems have their own off/on already so you might wait until you get the fans, then look into it.  I don't have hearing assist (yet) so I appreciate turning on and off the fans.

[nukem25rs]

One thing i ran into when getting my electronics ready is the fans i bought needed more then 1 amp to power up.. I wasn't paying attn and i bought 1 amp lipstick batteries so the battery wont fire up the fans due to the current need(needs at least 1.5amp) or the hearing assist due to the minimum power draw chip in the battery. I ended up buying a Anker 10000mah battery pack and that for the most part seems to work if i hook up enough to it..

Mike