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Everything about wiring cold cathodes

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Nicepants42

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Aug 30, 2004
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I've used the search function, but still have a few questions regarding wiring up my CCFLs.

I'll be using 3 UV and 1 red 12" CCFLs, and I'd like to wire them all to a single switch. I won't be messing with any of the wires on the CCFL to inverter side. So,

I've read that it's best to use one inverter for each light, even if the inverter has two outputs. Is this true?
Could there be any problems with attaching one red and one UV CCFL two a single (two-output) inverter?
Would there be any problem using one of the on-off switches that comes with any given CCFL kit to power 2 or 4 inverters? I'm thinking I'd just solder 2 or 4 separate wires directly to each of the leads on the switch. The particular switch I'm looking at is labelled 'zhongxun 3A250VAC', so I'm a little concerned about the amperage that will be drawn by each inverter and the amperage the switch is rated for.

Also, I'm liking the features of the sunbeam lightbus, and would like to know if anyone here has swapped out the blue LEDs for red ones.

Thanks!
 
I think the switch could handle it

Blue LEDs take less power than Red LEDs so be careful

also, wont the RED CCL destroy the UV effect?
 
They do not take much current, any 1 amp rated or higher switch will more than do the job. 1/2 amp would probally do but I am being very very conservative in my advice. from the part number you gave the switch appears to be 3A, way overkill and should work just fine.

If you start hearing a whine in your sound try a donut balum on the power leads going to the lamp inverters.
 
Jay_oasis said:
wont the RED CCL destroy the UV effect?
Click to expand...

Depends on what you mean by 'destroy'. If you mean the case might be lighter and so the UV effect might not be as noticeable, you're probably correct to a certain extent. If you mean that red light is going to somehow prevent the UV light from striking the UV reactive suface, you're incorrect.

@Bill:
Thanks for that. Sounds like it's worth a go. One question - wtf is a donut balum?
 
one thing I've noticed playing around with my cold cathodes is if you twist the wires together it dims the cathodes in random spots. Thought I'd broken my CCFLs the first time I saw it.
 
Nicepants42 said:
Depends on what you mean by 'destroy'. If you mean the case might be lighter and so the UV effect might not be as noticeable, you're probably correct to a certain extent. If you mean that red light is going to somehow prevent the UV light from striking the UV reactive suface, you're incorrect.

@Bill:
Thanks for that. Sounds like it's worth a go. One question - wtf is a donut balum?
Click to expand...


Oops used wrong term, donut ferrite is more correct. They help kill EMI and RFI that bleeds into your DC power leads.

sometimes they come with the small parts in a computer case, its a donut shaped (round with hole in middle) piece of ferrite (iron compound) and you thread the wires thur the hole, wrap around the donut part and back into the hole a couple of times (aka a "choke" in radio terms) and it kills high frequency noise that might get fed back into the power supply from the inverters which tend to create a whine.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Choke_(electronics)

I just did a seach and could not find an easy source, radio shack might have one, LOL I got a drawer full of them from the cheap cases I use for customers where I should wrap the front panel switch leads around them but dont cause I am a slacker and they are business machines with no TVs etc around them and no sound cards.
 
Chokes are AMAZING for protecting your sound and getting higher full-load GPU overclocks.

I just bought 10 of them for a dollar at a local electronics shop, and my sound is perfect. It was littered with whine and hum.

For the record, you can run 2 CCFLS off of a dual inverter... I don't think running 1 is any better than 2.

Additionally a dual 12" CCFL will use about 4w... @ 12v. Therefore you need a switch rated for .4a for each set of cathodes you're using.

For example. I have 4 cathodes running throguh a single switch. That's putting 1.2a @ 12v through the switch.

Your switch is rated for 3a @ 250V AC. In other words, it can run about 6A @ 120V AC... And probably quite a few amps @ 12v DC.
 
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