good luck with getting a coherent answer at RSchlock. As a costumer I go there often and usually have to hit varouis stores for the parts I need. Its not very often that I find anyone that knows much about the electronic components they sell, but alllll about thier phone plans.
Anyway the SSM site is a great resource, Graham has you on the right track with the electronic lowdown and the best way to get started is to get a set of LEDs, the resistors and wire them up, and experiment FIRST. Find out what 3 LR 44 cells powering one of the small yellow or red LEDs will do. I cut up a type N batteryclip and spliced it together to fit the 3 type LR44 batteries in. Not much life on it. I run two multiphase LEDs off of a single 9 volt and the resistor is wired into the leads coming from the battery...I can get about 7 to 9 hours off the multiphase. White LEDS EAT battery power, so you mant to keep that in mind.
several years ago Lightsheet came out and it became popular for the exhaust side of the MF and for Federation warp nacelles, lots of cool light in the blue white spectrum. Definitely before you commit any glue or paint, try the system out and hook it all up and run it, and see how long a set of batteries or other power source is going to last you.
HTH
David
Build to please yourself, and don't worry about what others think!
TI 4019 Jolly Roger Squadron, 501st Legion