Bypassing the cathode

RBRat3 · Post by **RBRat3** » Sun Mar 12, 2006 2:03 pm

IS there a way to jump the transformer for the cathode to make it light up and i just had an idea what if you found a cathode that uses less power but puts out the same brightness as the original or is there a way to lessen the power of one ohh have any of you ever ownd a pelican afterglow not the pro the original icontroller it has this flexible wire that lights up and it goes around the whole controller i was wondering it that could work for a back light mod depending on its power consumption and it would be a hell of a lot easier but youd have to find one in white they call it an EL wire and u can cut it to size an it will still work i baught one just to f*** with it it took 2 AA but that was a year ago i no longer have it and i dont know how bright it is

<IMG SRC="http://www.china-smd.com/images/EL%20wire08.jpg">

Post by **Gamelver** » Sun Mar 12, 2006 2:25 pm

First of all, some punctuation would be nice, and better spelling, too. Second, EL wire uses AC power, like the CCFL tube does, so it wouldn't save too much power.

RBRat3 · Post by **RBRat3** » Sun Mar 12, 2006 2:38 pm

well if you check some of the websites they can run off an inverter to run on batteries and there really small they all dont run on ac and a foot of el wire can run on 2 AA i think thats a lot of power saved check out www.thatscoolwire.com they have a big faq

daguuy · Post by **daguuy** » Sun Mar 12, 2006 3:15 pm

i don't think replaceing the cathode tube with a different one will save power, it's probably the invertor

timmeh87 · Post by **timmeh87** » Sun Mar 12, 2006 5:17 pm

<i>El Wire is intended for use in low light conditions or at night. Many customers compare the brightness of our wire to that of the chemical glowing strands used in bracelets and necklaces you often see at fairs, concerts, and other outdoor events.</i>

on the brightness page (http://www.thatscoolwire.com/store/brightness.asp), it says that the white wire is .8 lux at 2 inches (making it among the dimmest avaliable colours). using this converter:

http://www.electro-optical.com/unitconv ... lumina.htm

we get .073 foot-candels. you see, the candela is a measure of intensity or something, and the lux is a measure of brightness at a certain distance... so you cant really compare them directly. but we know that our lux measurment was at 2 inches, or 1/6 of a foot. so .073 / (1/6) ~ 4.4 candelas.

hmm.. this might actually be bright enough... unless my calculations were wrong

so then the remainging questions are:
- does it use less power
- is it cheaper than LEDs
- can you afford the extra space for the el inverter? (you probably cant just hook it up to the existing one. giving it the wrong power signifigantly shortens its lifespan)

RBRat3 · Post by **RBRat3** » Sun Mar 12, 2006 5:45 pm

see i thought it could work cause i use to own a pelican afterglow controller and it was pretty bright although it was blue now if we get a white one and run it around the perimater of the screen it could work althoght you wont be able to see it outside in the sunlight but with most lcds you cant see it in the sun light anyways plus it uses low power to run
2 volts (i dont know any other specs of power consumption besides that it runs on 2v) i saw for a foot (inverter included) and it cost around 4 bux with shipping it would be 8
the inverters wernt that big most of the size went to holding the 2 AA batteries i might buy one to test it out and let u know how it works out

(NOTE: it says prolonged exposure to sun light or UV light will make the colors fade that only applies to all colors exept white.)
P.S. if it wasnt bright enough would it help by running the wire around the screen twice if it could fit twice in the light box

timmeh87 · Post by **timmeh87** » Sun Mar 12, 2006 6:51 pm

please, PLEASE use periods. commas are appreciated too. it might make sense in your head, but its a nightmare for other people to read.

the amount of power that something uses is not the same as the number of volts that it uses. power is volts x amps

RBRat3 · Post by **RBRat3** » Sun Mar 12, 2006 6:55 pm

So what do u think of the idea, Is it worth a shot.

A.J. Franzman · Post by **A.J. Franzman** » Thu Mar 23, 2006 2:33 am

timmeh87 wrote:on the brightness page (http://www.thatscoolwire.com/store/brightness.asp), it says that the white wire is .8 lux at 2 inches (making it among the dimmest avaliable colours). using this converter:

http://www.electro-optical.com/unitconv ... lumina.htm

we get .073 foot-candels. you see, the candela is a measure of intensity or something, and the lux is a measure of brightness at a certain distance... so you cant really compare them directly. but we know that our lux measurment was at 2 inches, or 1/6 of a foot. so .073 / (1/6) ~ 4.4 candelas.

hmm.. this might actually be bright enough... unless my calculations were wrong

Yes, they are wrong.
0.073 / 1/6 = 0.438, not 4.4
Also, candela measures illumination in a given direction (at a point), while lux measures illumination over a specified area. They really don't compare.
EL is really FAR dimmer than CCFL. The only way you could use EL would be to put an EL sheet behind the LCD in place of the whole lightbox, but even then you would only be able to see the screen in very dark environments.