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In my town Ultimate Frisbee is a pretty big deal. In the spring, the people who play, generally meet on the weekends and a few times after school. In the summer, its almost every day. Last year, we noticed however that the best time, and for a lot of people the most convenient time, is to play after the sun goes down; the fields are clear, there is no wind (usually) and especially in the summer, its a lot cooler. With street lights lit near by the benefits come full circle, giving the effect of "playing under the lights" that many of us did in our childhood sports. However there is one problem, the Frisbee is damn hard to see. This is where this project started.
Anyone who has been to their local sporting goods store will immediately point out that there are commercial light up Frisbee out there. I know this and have known this, however I and many others who play night Frisbee usually reject them. Here's why:
1) They tend to be quite heavy. A UPA approved Frisbee weights 175 grams. Now, its not that bad if its over by a little, but a lot of the commercial light up Frisbee use AA batteries for many series of LEDs. The big bulge of the battery compartment uses more plastic and the many LEDs it powers adds even more. On top of that, many of them include extra circuitry to make their LEDs flash, which in flight, at least for me, is useless because if the Frisbee is spinning fast enough, all you see is a glowing line anyway.
2) They aren't very aerodynamic or well built. Frisbees use the same technology as airplane wings, they are rounded over, and the action of them spinning through the air creates low pressure above high pressure and thus lift. Some of the commercial light up Frisbee I have seen seem to be less Frisbee and more circle. Some don't have a rounded leading edge and instead put a rubber cushion, to prevent the user of hurting their hand when catching their already heavy discs. Others don't integrate their wiring very well. Its like a Frisbee with an add on, and there are spider like plastic bulges that flow out of a central battery bulb. This, if you are unaware of how flying works, creates a lot of unnecessary drag, and frankly also makes it very difficult to throw, and you constantly jam your fingers, or get them caught on something. On top of all this, most of them glue their parts on. This creates an unbalanced Frisbee, and some can even get so bad as to turn over mid flight. Its even worse when they aren't large enough in diameter either to sustain flight to begin with.
3) They're just novelties. The companies that make these Frisbee are no professionals. Its like buying a toy plastic golf club, its great when your 7, but when you're serious about what you're doing, it just becomes useless. The companies know this, and know that their products are not geared to people who play Frisbee regularly. Their great for a 4th of July activity before the fireworks begin, but after that, just stick to an actual Frisbee.
But light up frisbees are not the only type of night time Frisbee. Many companies like Discraft (the Frisbee maker of choice, and in my opinion, the best) make glow in the dark Frisbee for this specific reason, to try and extend the sport into the night. They're well made, have just as good characteristics of a normal Frisbee, but they don't really work. Here's why:
1) The glow in the dark phosphor just isn't bright enough to make it usable. It may stay bright enough if you hold it under a lamp for half an hour, but its decay rate is fairly fast and you may get 5 minutes out of it tops, then it just becomes a normal Frisbee again.
The best option overall would be a Frisbee that corrects all of the problems of both Frisbee types. This Instructible is then how I managed to to just that, buy combining the benefits of both. And for all around 15 dollars or so.
Anyone who has been to their local sporting goods store will immediately point out that there are commercial light up Frisbee out there. I know this and have known this, however I and many others who play night Frisbee usually reject them. Here's why:
1) They tend to be quite heavy. A UPA approved Frisbee weights 175 grams. Now, its not that bad if its over by a little, but a lot of the commercial light up Frisbee use AA batteries for many series of LEDs. The big bulge of the battery compartment uses more plastic and the many LEDs it powers adds even more. On top of that, many of them include extra circuitry to make their LEDs flash, which in flight, at least for me, is useless because if the Frisbee is spinning fast enough, all you see is a glowing line anyway.
2) They aren't very aerodynamic or well built. Frisbees use the same technology as airplane wings, they are rounded over, and the action of them spinning through the air creates low pressure above high pressure and thus lift. Some of the commercial light up Frisbee I have seen seem to be less Frisbee and more circle. Some don't have a rounded leading edge and instead put a rubber cushion, to prevent the user of hurting their hand when catching their already heavy discs. Others don't integrate their wiring very well. Its like a Frisbee with an add on, and there are spider like plastic bulges that flow out of a central battery bulb. This, if you are unaware of how flying works, creates a lot of unnecessary drag, and frankly also makes it very difficult to throw, and you constantly jam your fingers, or get them caught on something. On top of all this, most of them glue their parts on. This creates an unbalanced Frisbee, and some can even get so bad as to turn over mid flight. Its even worse when they aren't large enough in diameter either to sustain flight to begin with.
3) They're just novelties. The companies that make these Frisbee are no professionals. Its like buying a toy plastic golf club, its great when your 7, but when you're serious about what you're doing, it just becomes useless. The companies know this, and know that their products are not geared to people who play Frisbee regularly. Their great for a 4th of July activity before the fireworks begin, but after that, just stick to an actual Frisbee.
But light up frisbees are not the only type of night time Frisbee. Many companies like Discraft (the Frisbee maker of choice, and in my opinion, the best) make glow in the dark Frisbee for this specific reason, to try and extend the sport into the night. They're well made, have just as good characteristics of a normal Frisbee, but they don't really work. Here's why:
1) The glow in the dark phosphor just isn't bright enough to make it usable. It may stay bright enough if you hold it under a lamp for half an hour, but its decay rate is fairly fast and you may get 5 minutes out of it tops, then it just becomes a normal Frisbee again.
The best option overall would be a Frisbee that corrects all of the problems of both Frisbee types. This Instructible is then how I managed to to just that, buy combining the benefits of both. And for all around 15 dollars or so.
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Signing UpStep 1Theory and Materials
The Theory:
The commercial frisbees do a good job of lighting up every detail necessary to properly see and catch a disc in the dark. However they overload them with LEDs and circuitry, and tend to not fly well. The glow in the dark frisbees seem to be the opposite, not enough light, but better flight stability. My approach ended up combining the best qualities of both, but it did not start there. Originally I wanted a frisbee that lit up, but had just as good flight as a normal frisbee. I had devised a technique in my head of melting the wires into the plastic an UltraStar, then flushing it out, making a light up frisbee that was hopefully better. I looked around my house and I found an old, beat up glow in the dark frisbee I bought a few years back. Instantly I realized the potential of this, If I laced a glow in the dark frisbee with white LEDs, I could take advantage of its glowing properties, thus reducing the need for a stronger battery and more LEDs, as excess light would be soaked, and emitted by the frisbee in other areas. This would also reduce weight and would take less time install into my frisbee. The final product then doesn't look like a normal light up frisbee, but rather a glowing green disc with flashing white lights (as it spins).
Materials:
- An old beat up glow in the dark frisbee , preferably an UltraStar by Discraft. If you don't have an old one, you could buy a new one online. They sell them pretty cheep on Amazon: here I prefer UltraStars due to their balance, and general high quality to other brands like Wham-O. Other avid frisbee players usually agree.
-A variable temperature soldering iron , this is a must, mainly because plastic burns at a higher temperature. My soldering iron goes as low as 300 degrees, even lower than the range to melt the plastic, up to about 1500 degrees.
-Two super-bright white LEDs . Try to find the highest light output to the lowest used current. Mine were 8000 mcd (mili-candela) at at max of 25 ma (miliamps) I got them at RadioShack.
-A CR2032 Battery Holder and Battery . Mine is the clip kind, this helps because it resists it falling out. The CR2032 coin cell was chosen because its the most common, and has a good enough energy rating of around 220 mha, which should let the frisbee last a while on two LEDs. I looked into a rechargeable battery from sparkfun here but it just didn't seem worth the expense in the end.
-A Small Switch . Again purchased at RadioShack
-Enameled magnet wire. This is a must too, the thinner the better, and the easier it is to melt in the plastic. I had some lying around so I can't say what gauge it is, but just make sure it can be rough handled a bit and not break.
-A breadboard and wires . Optional, but it really helps making sure everything works in the end
-Handy Hands . Makes everything easier
-Sharpie and Straightedge. Make sure the sharpie is fine tip, it just makes everything easier that way.
-JB Weld . Really any type of epoxy will do. This is just what I had
-Clear Packing Tape . To smooth things out with the epoxy.
-Sandpaper. Because you can never avoid sanding things like wires and glue
The commercial frisbees do a good job of lighting up every detail necessary to properly see and catch a disc in the dark. However they overload them with LEDs and circuitry, and tend to not fly well. The glow in the dark frisbees seem to be the opposite, not enough light, but better flight stability. My approach ended up combining the best qualities of both, but it did not start there. Originally I wanted a frisbee that lit up, but had just as good flight as a normal frisbee. I had devised a technique in my head of melting the wires into the plastic an UltraStar, then flushing it out, making a light up frisbee that was hopefully better. I looked around my house and I found an old, beat up glow in the dark frisbee I bought a few years back. Instantly I realized the potential of this, If I laced a glow in the dark frisbee with white LEDs, I could take advantage of its glowing properties, thus reducing the need for a stronger battery and more LEDs, as excess light would be soaked, and emitted by the frisbee in other areas. This would also reduce weight and would take less time install into my frisbee. The final product then doesn't look like a normal light up frisbee, but rather a glowing green disc with flashing white lights (as it spins).
Materials:
- An old beat up glow in the dark frisbee , preferably an UltraStar by Discraft. If you don't have an old one, you could buy a new one online. They sell them pretty cheep on Amazon: here I prefer UltraStars due to their balance, and general high quality to other brands like Wham-O. Other avid frisbee players usually agree.
-A variable temperature soldering iron , this is a must, mainly because plastic burns at a higher temperature. My soldering iron goes as low as 300 degrees, even lower than the range to melt the plastic, up to about 1500 degrees.
-Two super-bright white LEDs . Try to find the highest light output to the lowest used current. Mine were 8000 mcd (mili-candela) at at max of 25 ma (miliamps) I got them at RadioShack.
-A CR2032 Battery Holder and Battery . Mine is the clip kind, this helps because it resists it falling out. The CR2032 coin cell was chosen because its the most common, and has a good enough energy rating of around 220 mha, which should let the frisbee last a while on two LEDs. I looked into a rechargeable battery from sparkfun here but it just didn't seem worth the expense in the end.
-A Small Switch . Again purchased at RadioShack
-Enameled magnet wire. This is a must too, the thinner the better, and the easier it is to melt in the plastic. I had some lying around so I can't say what gauge it is, but just make sure it can be rough handled a bit and not break.
-A breadboard and wires . Optional, but it really helps making sure everything works in the end
-Handy Hands . Makes everything easier
-Sharpie and Straightedge. Make sure the sharpie is fine tip, it just makes everything easier that way.
-JB Weld . Really any type of epoxy will do. This is just what I had
-Clear Packing Tape . To smooth things out with the epoxy.
-Sandpaper. Because you can never avoid sanding things like wires and glue
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Nov 21, 2011. 10:21 AMiSimply
says:
Mate, I was about to embark on such a project, and am very glad I came across your instructable, It will save my frisbee from a trial and error rampage. And I will be so stoked that I can still take it out after 4pm when it gets dark.
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