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Electroluminescence.....

M

Moose777

2[H]4U
Joined
Oct 10, 2004
Messages
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I'm looking for an EL kit that runs off of 12v. But I'm not looking to spend any more than $40 on it.

I need a sheet that it roughly 11" long by 7" wide.

The kits I've found range from $180 to $400 and run off AA batteries and the sheets are much smaller than I've described.

Does anyone know of a place that sells EL kits cheap?
 
Check the forums at Dodge Intrepid.net if it's still up (didn't bother to check, sorry). There was a guy there a year ago with the EL sheet hook-up who was making EL gauge clusters for cars.
 
theshadow, I looked at that guy, I wouldn't even know where to begin to build my own 12v inverter for the computer, I'm sure I could use an inverter from a cold cathode pack?

Thanks I might end up buying that kit.
 
Moose777 said:
I'm sure I could use an inverter from a cold cathode pack?
Click to expand...
NO
okay back to regular font... but don’t even try, you will kill your inverter. CCFL lamps are basically arc lights - their brightness depends on current. most CCFL's run between 500 and 750 VAC and are tightly regulated to 5uA for a 300mm bulb. this voltage is enough to ionize the gas inside of the bulb and the resulting arc produces UV rays that excite a phosphor coating on the inside of the bulb. an inverter is required because of the high voltage (500V typical), the resulting high frequency (15khz, doesn’t really matter), and tight current regulation (+ .1uA) necessary to keep the bulb running for a long time.

electroluminescent panels, on the other hand, are capacitors with a phosphorescent dielectric. no current actually passes through them - their resistance is extremely high. the electric field created while the capacitor charges excites the electrons in the phosphorus, which causes them to emit light. to get a constant light output, AC is required - DC would produce a barely visible pulse. an EL panel’s voltage is dependent on how thick the dielectric is, and is typically between 100 and 250 VAC. the frequency of the AC affects the color of the panel, as demonstrated in many "white face gauge" upgrades for cars, but is usually between 50 and 500 Hz. this is in the range of human hearing (much more so then the 15khz of CCFL) and as a result most EL panels will produce an audible tone. the current draw of an EL panel is directly proportional to its aria, and a good rule of thumb is 2mW per square CM, any inverter used to bring 12v up will have to handle this power. another note - 120v at 60Hz happens to work out nicely for most green EL panels, and is also the standard house current in the united states: that is how those cool nightlights work without any circuitry.

EDIT: spelling, sorry
 
So, point me in the direction of a EL kit that I can use in my computer case.

The problem I'm having is the one side panel (motherboard) side I put a window on; mainly because I cut off the HP emblem that was there and had to fillt he hole with something. I put a design on the window I'd like to illuminate, I thought it would be a nice touch.

The problem however is I don't have 1/2 a cm between the back of the plexi and the back of the mobo tray so that kills any plans to put a CC behind the window.

I do have room for an EL and I can put the inverter inside the case. But I can't find an EL kit that is to my liking.

I need an EL sheet that is 12" H by 7" wide, roughly. And the kits I'm finding range from $160 - $400 and personally, that's more than what I want to spend on an HP computer. Although, after the new mobo and OS it can't really be considered an HP.
 
whats wrong with the kit i posted? all you need to do is tap into the 120vAC inside of the PSU, which amounts to soldering 2 wires to the connector. not hard. and they dont get cheaper then that. the only other source for large, single quantity EL pannels is for airplane wingtip illumination, and those can be 1000$+
 
Nothing is wrong with it.

I guess I could do that, I didn't even think of tapping into the 120 off the PS. Thanks. hehe....

I'm gonna pick that one up then. Thanks again.
 
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