Cold Cathodes (Switch pics page 2)
#12
That looks great. I like how it matches up with your Alpine CD player. It gives off a great lighting. You just need to toss some in the back so you can see what your doin.....
#13
Originally Posted by harofreak00
Originally Posted by BigNick-
what did you put underneath there ?
mostly used for computer cases right now
Them greenie ones, however, look pretty good... RADIOACTIVITY!!!!!!!
#14
Originally Posted by LakevilleSSEi
How much did they cost you, where did you get them, and cost of the project? Difficulty of the wiring?
The wiring was fairly simple. I wired into the cigarette lighter wires, which are just below the panel that the dual power seat switches would be on if my car were equipt. Hardest part was stripping those two wires that go to the lighter. The wires weren't long enough to come out of the panel, so I couldn't get my wire strippers in there.
Just a bit of random info for anyone about to do this project (if you can even call it that :P ). The cigarette lighter wire appears to be 18 gauge. I happened to have some extra 18 gauge around, so I ran some between the panel and the power inverter (converts from 12 volts to 670 volts) which is mounted on the floor, pretty much directly below the HU. From there you basically plug the lights into the power inverter.
My cathode "kit" came with a switch, and I will soon be buying a new one, that I will actually mount to the panel that was previously mentioned. That is why I didn't tap into a hot wire under the dash.
Originally Posted by
That looks great. I like how it matches up with your Alpine CD player. It gives off a great lighting. You just need to toss some in the back so you can see what your doin.....
The back seat is next...for obvious reasons . Because the car looks funny when it is glowing. You can see everything in the front, and nothing in the back. That why....right?
After that I plan on getting some actual neon for the grill area. Actually, that leads to a question.
1) For exterior use, what is the most durable. LED? Neon? Cathodes? Or are they all pretty much the same.
2) When I get the ones for the back seat area, is it OK to go off the cigarette lighter again? Or will the wire not be able to handle it? I think it is right around 18 gauge. What other "always hot" wires are around that would be easy to access?
Thanks for the compliments, and thanks for the answers.
#15
Senior Member
True Car Nut
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 9,130
Likes: 0
From: Farmington, Minnesota =MWBF '05 SURVIVOR= =CEBF '06 SURVIVOR= =August '06 COTM=
I dunno about cathodes......but if I had my choice of what kinda lights to put in the grille area, I'd go led if I could. They are durable, brighter (In some Cases,) and not as climate sensitive. Where as neons are real fragile, they take FOREVER to light up in cold cold weather, and the colder the more fragile. Just my thoughts,
#17
Originally Posted by LakevilleSSEi
I dunno about cathodes......but if I had my choice of what kinda lights to put in the grille area, I'd go led if I could. They are durable, brighter (In some Cases,) and not as climate sensitive. Where as neons are real fragile, they take FOREVER to light up in cold cold weather, and the colder the more fragile. Just my thoughts,
#19
Originally Posted by FiReDeViL
never once have i had to wait for a neon tube to "warm up" logan, and i live about 2 hours east of you.plus i never take them off in the winter.. and STILL no warmup time....
#20
Originally Posted by Logan
Originally Posted by FiReDeViL
never once have i had to wait for a neon tube to "warm up" logan, and i live about 2 hours east of you.plus i never take them off in the winter.. and STILL no warmup time....