Return to the BUILD
“Another large bank of saucer windows light up for the first time in this stage, while the lights for the right side of the neck section start to slot into place.“
Contents
Parts
Materials: The Deck Panel U2-07 is metal, but the rest of the non-electrical parts are plastic.
Magazine – Issue 11
- Assembly Instructions: Building the Model
- Episode Guide 2.20: The Emissary
- Episode Guide 2.21: Peak Performance
- Episode Guide 2.22: Shades of Gray
- Star Trek: The Next Generation Season 3
- Episode Guide 3.1: Evolution
- Episode Guide 3.2: The Ensigns of Command
Build
Fitting the Right Neck Front Lights
Step A
Retrieve your Right Neck Panel/Windows assembly from the previous stage. Fit the Right Neck Front Reflector over the windows, as shown:
Retrieve your Battle Section Neck assembly from Stage 36 and fit the two LEDs on the red/blue wires of the Right Neck Panel Lights into these notches of the Right Neck Front Reflector.
Before we insert these LEDs, I did test fit this panel to the neck. As with the other side, I found that it would be a better fit if this front LED came out of the skeleton at a different opening. Here is where I routed it through:
Note how the upper and lower wires are routed to the appropriate reflector notches here:
With the LEDs in place, secure the Reflector to the Panel (capturing the Windows in between) with three (3) CP screws:
Assembling Deck Panels U2-07 and U2-08
Step B
Carefully remove nine (9) Escape Pod Covers, two (2) Clear Windows and one (1) Dark Window from their sprues and fit them into the back of Deck Panel U2-07, as shown.
Reminder: I sanded all of these windows down already. See The Windows page for more details:
As before, I used pieces of black electrical tape behind the Escape Pod Covers and Dark Windows to reduce light leak:
Gently set this Deck Panel U2-07 to the side and retrieve your Deck Panel U2-08 and Escape Pod Covers from Stage 31.
In the same way, carefully remove seven (7) Clear Windows and three (3) Dark Windows from their sprues and fit them (and the two Escape Pod Covers) into the back of Deck Panel U2-08, as shown.
As before, I sealed off these Escape Pod Covers and Dark Windows. The next two steps will capture any loose windows and/or Escape Pod Covers into place, so take care not to disturb them before then:
Fitting Deck Panel U2-07
Step C
NOTE: I deviated from the printed instructions here to make this step a little easier to understand.
Retrieve your Upper Skeleton assembly from the previous stage and turn it upside down. Gently fit the Deck Panel U2-07 assembly to this location on the Upper Skeleton (next to Deck Panel U2-06).
Once this panel was fitted, I loosely attached it with one (1) BM screw, as shown. This is also your friendly reminder to try using 3-in-One Oil on all screws going into metal:
- Locate the unused LED on the red/blue wires of the Deck Panel Lights we installed back in Stage 21 and slide it into the top notch of the Reflector Panel U3-13-A, as shown.
- Likewise, locate the unused LED on the yellow/green wires of the Deck Panel Lights we installed back in Stage 37 and slide it into the top notch of the Reflector Panel U3-14-A, as shown:
With these LEDs in position, begin securing Deck Panel U2-07 to the Upper Skeleton with six (6) BM screws, as shown.
Since I already had one BM screw in place, I tightened it and added the other five here:
Finish securing Deck Panel U2-07 into place with four (4) EM screws, as shown:
Fitting Deck Panel U2-08
Step D
NOTE: As in the previous step, I deviated from the printed instructions here to make this step a little easier to understand.
Gently fit the Deck Panel U2-08 assembly to this location on the Upper Skeleton (next to the Deck Panel U2-07 we just attached).
Once this panel was fitted, I loosely attached it with one (1) BM screw as shown:
Fit the LEDs on the Deck Panel Lights included with this stage into the top notches of these two Reflector Panels (U3-15-A and U3-16-A):
With these LEDs in position, begin securing Deck Panel U2-08 to the Upper Skeleton with six (6) BM screws, as shown.
Since I already had one BM screw in place, I tightened it and added the other five here:
Finish securing Deck Panel U2-08 into place with four (4) EM screws, as shown:
We can test these new window lights by connecting the three new Deck Panel Lights cables to the PCB and Battery Box:
Well, this is a problem. There was a ton of light leaking between the seam of the upper and lower panels:
To fix this, I removed the two lower panels and covered the reflector surface along the top edge of the panel with strips of black electrical tape:
I reattached the removed panels and tested the lights again. Much better!
Thoughts
While we did add some lights to the Battle Section Neck here, it is more exciting to see the two large saucer hull Deck Panels attached!
Next Up
Stage 40 – Deck Panel U1-06, Windows/Reflectors/Lights, Escape Pod Covers