Print Page - Cold Cathode Toobs - Need AC or Battery power!

Title: Cold Cathode Toobs - Need AC or Battery power!
Post by: Eagle on August 18, 2007, 21:30:12 PM

Anyone know where I can get hold of Cold Cathode tubes (in blue) but which are powered by AC or at a push, batteries?

TVM :)

Title: Re:Cold Cathode Toobs - Need AC or Battery power!
Post by: Beaker on August 18, 2007, 22:10:42 PM

Cold cathode tubes usually need an inverter of some kind anyway. In most cases they are 12V feed regardless. What are you looking to put them in?

Title: Re:Cold Cathode Toobs - Need AC or Battery power!
Post by: Eagle on August 18, 2007, 22:18:52 PM

Thanks.

Its a prop replica display (Aliens™).

I suppose I could feed them from my PC/molex connectors but Id need about 2 meters of wirage... :(

Any ideas? I know you can get them for moonlighting aquariums (http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/_W0QQitemZ110159913567) but not seen anything else - theyre either for PCs or those wanky lights on chavmobiles. :D

Title: Re:Cold Cathode Toobs - Need AC or Battery power!
Post by: Beaker on August 18, 2007, 22:31:35 PM

http://www.scan.co.uk/Products/Products.ASP?CatID=31&FilterCategories=224&Thumbnails=yes

Possibly not what you are after, but may be of use. You can feed them straight from a 12V plugin PSU. Doesnt have to be a computer PSU.

Title: Re:Cold Cathode Toobs - Need AC or Battery power!
Post by: Eagle on August 18, 2007, 23:24:29 PM

Quote from: Beaker...You can feed them straight from a 12V plugin PSU.

Thanks. Not sure i know how to do that though! :o :D

Title: Re:Cold Cathode Toobs - Need AC or Battery power!
Post by: Beaker on August 19, 2007, 11:06:33 AM

Quote from: Eagle
Quote from: Beaker...You can feed them straight from a 12V plugin PSU.
Thanks. Not sure i know how to do that though! :o :D

work out which feeds are positive and negative, then power up the inverter from those.

Title: Re:Cold Cathode Toobs - Need AC or Battery power!
Post by: Eagle on August 20, 2007, 01:29:03 AM

Cheers. :)

Title: Re:Cold Cathode Toobs - Need AC or Battery power!
Post by: mr_roll on August 20, 2007, 19:12:04 PM

I might have a small PSU you could pay the postage on if you wanted... itd easilly power a few CC tubes, Ill have a look around :)

If nothing else, get a PSU from an old mac/PC and then attach the CC tubes with the inverter and you can run it off the mains.

If you need it running off the battery power... youd need a 12V battery, so erm, car battery? but of course limited use without charging... You can get cheap car batteries from local motor factors, I got one for my Volvo, brand new for £38, but it did need charging a little to begin with.

Title: Cold Cathode Toobs - Need AC or Battery power!
Post by: Mardoni on August 20, 2007, 19:19:24 PM

Get yourself a Universal adaptor, a compatible female plug, some wire and a multi-meter.

connect 1 piece of wire to inner contact of female plug.
Connect 1 pieve of wire to outter contact of female plug.
Set the adaptor to 12v DC.
Connect the adaptor to your female plug.
Plug the adaptor into the mains.
Hook up multi-meter to wires; thatll show you pos/neg.
Unplug adaptor from mains.
Connect wires to CC inverter.

You can pick all the bits you need up from Maplins :)

Title: Re:Cold Cathode Toobs - Need AC or Battery power!
Post by: Eagle on August 26, 2007, 00:51:20 AM

Thanks all - got it sorted in the end. :)

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Chat => Entertainment & Technology => Topic started by: Eagle on August 18, 2007, 21:30:12 PM