Time well spent: revamping the Millennium Falcon with «Light my bricks»

Raphael Knecht

28.1.2020

Translation: Eva Francis

It took me 18 hours to complete LEGO’s largest set, the Millennium Falcon. Saving best for last, I also equipped the gigantic Star Wars spaceship with «Light my bricks» LEDs.

It weighs over five kilograms, is more than 80 centimetres long and contains over 7,500 pieces: the LEGO Millennium Falcon is massive. I spent part of the Christmas holidays assembling the largest LEGO set currently available from the Ultimate Collector series. Here's the story of how I returned to my childhood and experienced the ultimate LEGO challenge.

It didn’t only cost nerves and patience, it also caused quite a bit of pain in my fingertips. But the result made up for all my efforts. I think back at the hours spent tinkering with the tiny bricks almost every day. It doesn't get better than this... I thought. Until Ludo from our category management team showed me the «Light my bricks» LED set. He grinned and said: «These LEDs are designed for your LEGO Millennium Falcon. We've just added them to our range. I challenge you to install them.»

Building bricks

Light my bricks LED Light Set for LEGO Star Wars UCS Millennium Falcon

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Unboxing: many tiny cables

Ludo hands me a box. It's tiny compared to the huge one the Millennium Falcon came in. The contents are neatly arranged and some of them so small I can hardly see them. There's no doubt this set is designed for people with great fine motor skills and tiny fingers. Some of the cables, connectors and LEDs are barely two millimetres wide. But maybe that's my nervousness and anticipation speaking.

There are no instructions. Instead, two sheets of paper are enclosed: one is an advertisement, the other a guide on how to handle the «Light my bricks» parts and how to weave them into the LEGO model. The guide says I'll find the instructions for all sets online. I scroll through a long list until I reach the Millennium Falcon instructions. My desperation grows. These instructions are as just as extensive as the building instructions for the Millennium Falcon.

How to wedge these things into the spaceship?

What have I let myself in for? I should have been alarmed when Ludo challenged me. I didn't even know if the LEDs should be mounted while or after assembling the spaceship. Luckily for me, the «Light my bricks» page begins by saying the lights are installed once the Falcon is completed. Either way: I'm excited about this project, but I'm not sure how much work it involves.

Off we go: I remove the entire rear, upper section of the Millennium Falcon to fit LED strips to the rear-wheel drive. In my mind, this already makes the spaceship look wicked. I can't wait to light it all up. I form a long chain from the LEDs and the connecting cables, stick them behind the light blue plastic tubes and connect them to a 12-pin board.

The manual recommends connecting the LEDs to a power source to find out if they work properly. The set comes with a USB cable that works with either a powerbank or a charging cable. I decide to use the powerbank because of its mobility. The result? Stunning!

An external battery pack will also work, but you'll have to buy it separately. The powerbank is good enough for my project. Connecting the USB cable to the power outlet is also an option, but I'd rather not have a cable stick out from under the spaceship.

The more lights, the merrier

My next step is to light up the interior at the back of the spaceship. I stick 30-centimetre long cables, equipped with a single LED at one end, under the arch using the included adhesive. I then guide the cable to the back, making it disappear under the cover plates and repeat this step for the two other arches in the back bit.

My next step is to fit a blinking LED to two translucent green LEGO bricks. Blinking lights are a pleasant change compared to the constantly lit LEDs and give the inside of the Millennium Falcon an impressive look. The hyperdrive also gets its own light. I envy my LEGO figures for their light-flooded haven inside the stylish spaceship.

I take a look at my wristwatch and realise I've been working on lighting up the LEGO set for almost two hours. My workplace resembles an electronics repair centre: a semi-assembled model, countless cables, a notebook, a powerbank, pens, tweezers and much more take up almost the entire table top.

A bright light at the end of the tunnel

The front interior in the spaceship is lit up the same way as the rear one: I stick LEDs under the arches. With an extension cable and an additional 6-pin board, I connect these lights with the original 12-pin connector. There's quite a bit of cable clutter now, and I wonder how I'll manage to hide all of it. I don't want any cables to be visible once I'm done.

After installing the lights in the second interior room, I check if they’re all working. I'm speechless, amazed and my eyes light up. Every time people pass by and I demonstrate the light effect, I see the joy on their faces. The Millennium Falcon is impressive enough, but the lights are definitely the icing on the cake.

The front lighting for the Star Wars spaceship is up next. I remove the two transparent red LEGO bricks at the bow and fit an LED underneath both. The cable leads to the middle of the spaceship, where the connector boards of the previous installations are located.

To equip the cockpit with blue and white lighting, I'm forced to remove almost the complete right side of it. Luckily, many parts are only attached loosely or hooked into each other instead of being slotted together. This makes it easier to install the LEDs.

Last but not least, I light up the two cannons at the top and bottom of the Millennium Falcon. I also install a mini control panel, which disappears inside the spaceship and controls the blinking intensity of the LEDs that simulate laser shots. This takes more time than the previous ones did, as it includes a total of eight LEDs with eight cables, two 6-pin connector boards and an almost impossible installation from underneath. With the help of tiny tweezers, I finally make it. The result speaks volumes.

My verdict: the Millennium Falcon truly shines with «Light my bricks»

After over four hours of work, I close the last roof hatch of the spaceship. I'm exhausted but overjoyed and eager to see the result. I turn off the lights at my desk and switch on the «Light my bricks» LEDs. The result is incredible. I'm overwhelmed – and so are the spectators who have gathered around me.

As with the Millennium Falcon, the price tag is the one thing that might put people off getting the «Light my bricks» set. The LED lights and cables cost over 100 francs (as of 28 January 2020). That's a lot. But if you've treated yourself to the LEGO Millennium Falcon, you might as well dig that bit deeper into your pocket and get the lights, too. They’re definitely worth the money.

Last but not least: this is your chance to win the Falcon including LEDs

Think the LEGO Millennium Falcon with «Light my bricks» LEDs would look good in your living room, glass cabinet or bedroom? You've come to the right place: I'm giving away the LEGO Millennium Falcon as it is: assembled, equipped with LEDs, including packaging and powerbank. Fill in the competition form below and let me know why you're the worthy winner of this Star Wars spaceship. In two weeks, my fellow editors and I will evaluate all answers and choose the winner.

Important note: the set is very large (almost one metre long), quite heavy (over five kilograms) and has to be picked up at our office in Zurich.

Raphael Knecht

Senior Editor

raphael.knecht@digitecgalaxus.ch

When I'm not stuffing my face with sweets, you'll catch me running around in the gym hall. I’m a passionate floorball player and coach. On rainy days, I tinker with my homebuilt PCs, robots or other gadgets. Music is always my trusted companion. I also enjoy tackling hilly terrain on my road bike and criss-crossing the country on my cross-country skis. more

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