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NCC1701 with lights


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When I was younger I built a model of the NCC1701 Original series Enterprise. It had some issues (nacelles were hard to get straight) but it came with a simple light and sound kit. Most excellent for what it was. I have been unable to find it or anything like it... the one I have found is extremely expensive and lights and sounds are bought separately... comes to over $500 and is probably beyond my skill level and definitely my budget. Does anyone out there know of any reasonably priced model kits (TOS Enterprise) that has lights included or available? 

Thanks!

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On 9/25/2021 at 9:43 PM, phantom said:

Nope. That is why I go to the surplus store, buy LEDs and hook them up to a 9 volt battery. In fact I am working on a Excelsior right now.

 

3QtVNkI.jpg?1

Thanks! so you're DIY on the lights. nice. I remember the windows were clear plastic allowing the lights to shine through on the old version. how does that work out in the current version?

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Each model is different. The newer kits like the Defiant have much better clear parts then the old school 1/537 Enterprise kits for example. The big 1/350 they work great. Many of the lights on the older kits have to be drilled out.

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  • 2 months later...

As a kid, my big brother (an excellent builder who later utilized his building  talent as an archetect) built me a first release AMT Enterprise, which came with lights.

 

I too would like a reasonably priced lighted kit.I

I'm a casual TOS fan and sure don't need a huge, expensive kit.

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  • 3 weeks later...

Hey, Goodeman,

 

I'm new to the forum, so I'm sorry this comes late.  But I feel your pain and wanted to reply.

 

I'm no fan of the big price tags, either, and I don't have the space to store a 1:350 scale Enterprise!  Plus, I've always been fond of the 1:650 scale AMT kit that those of us who grew up in the seventies built as children.  So I stick to that scale, but I have to have lights as well.

 

There are a few different places to go for reasonably priced lighting kits, but my favorite is Tenacontrols.  They have a wide selection of electronics boards that come with all the LEDs and SMDs you'll need to get started.  HDA Modelworx has a lot of aftermarket parts (resin parts, photo etched parts, decals) to fix what AMT got wrong.  Also try JT Graphics.  They do some great resin parts as well.

 

The 50th Anniversary reissue of the classic AMT kit has a great new decal sheet, and some of the problems with the mold have been retooled.  But there are still issues with the kit.  Still, if you're patient and willing to put in the effort, the rewards are worth it.  If you're interested, I can share with you some of the tricks I've learned along the way with this kit.

 

Hopefully this helps a little.  You CAN achieve the results you want without breaking the bank!

 

Chris

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Thanks for the tips. I've never put together my own light kit but will check out your advice and look into tenacontrols and the others. 
May be beyond my skill set, but nuthin ventured, nuthin gained. Any tips always welcomed! Is the 50th anniversary AMT model the best staring point? can't afford the 1:350 scale model.

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The 1:650 is my favorite.  One of the drawbacks is there are no holes for the windows.  And the raised outlines molded into the plastic are all wrong.  You can simulate the windows with the decals included with the kit, but we want light!  What I did was to apply just the window portions of those decals to the plastic before putting anything together.  Then, using the decals as a template, I used my pin vise and a nice, new hobby blade to drill and carve out the windows.  Takes a lot of time and patience, but to me well worth the labor of love.

IMG_2279.jpg

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Looks great! probably even better in the dark... I don't own the tools needed but it looks like it's worth the time and effort. which light kit(s) did you use? not so sure about the blue and yellow colors on the nacelles but that's just a matter of preference i guess. great job.

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The nacelle caps look funky in the photo because it's washed out and it captured the colors that were lit at that moment.  In person the effect is much better.  It's the Tenacontrols item #TOSNC-18-RGB.  Ralph has a better video online of how they look when operating:

 

https://tenacontrols.com/product/18-inch-enterprise-rotating-led-bossard-nacelle-effect-kit/

 

Hobby Link International has some very inexpensive boards for the navigation and strobe lights.

 

https://shop.hobbylinkinternational.com/product-category/lights-sounds/

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