Snazzy lights and stuff

[Tom]

I've been thinking about these lights that are sold as casemods, and was wondering, could I use these lights for my equipment while at work?

Basically, at night, or in a dark room, its sometimes hard to see exactly what you're doing. I have a mini LED torch that helps, but it would be nice to have 'instant daylight' when I need 2 hands (which is often).

Thats my mixer. What I was wondering was, could I use one of the lights shown here for this purpose? There are plenty of hidden spaces and nooks and crannys in that bag to put cables whereever I like. I thought about some kind of striplight along the edges of the bag, where the velcro bits are along the length?

Also, what sort of current drain do these things have? I can provide the 12V no problems, but do they suck large amounts of Amperage, or are they quite low power?

Another question, how quickly do some of these lights turn on/off? I can't really use something that takes 20 seconds to warm up.

 

[Tom]

Actually, a better source might be:

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/acatalog/Cathode___Neon_Lights.html

But I'm sure some people here have experience of these things.

 

[wyrd_fish]

i'm pretty sure they warm up quickly.. but not 100%

as for drain, i'm sure each brands will be differnt. check teh manufactures sites, they should have techie stuff like taht

PS what's your job

 

[Tom]

Outside Broadcast Cameraman/TV sound recordist (depending upon client)

I checked some stats, those cathode tubes are about 3W, which is fairly piffling in the grand scheme of things. Hopefully they're fairly robust. They're quite cheap so its pretty easy to experiment.

 

[Ardrias]

3-way lazerlight things are ~1w. Most of the lighting draws sod all power, doesnt get that warm either.

 

[JBP|]

wouldn't a torch be better?

 

[Tom]

I can't really use a torch much because most of the time both hands are in use, usually holding a boom aloft. Anyhow, I ordered a double cathode tube, and some EL string cos I feel like being teh funkeh!

It will be interesting to see how much interference the inverters create, although everything in that bag is balanced audio cables.

 

[Lazarus]

how about a headstrap torch like this:

 

[Tom]

Er right. Like I wouldn't get laughed off the face of the planet for wearing that!

 

[tRoG]

It's all about the bling

 

[.Wilier.]

*ahem*

AFAIK power drain is minimal, but these things arent paticularly robust Tom, I dont think they would take a lot of bashing around tbh.

 

[Tom]

*ahem*

AFAIK power drain is minimal, but these things arent paticularly robust Tom, I dont think they would take a lot of bashing around tbh.

The tubes themselves are extremely durable. They are basically shock and vibration resistant, while the bulbs are very thin and made of glass they are generally protected by an acrylic or poly-carbonate tubing. They are durable enough to be used in automotive applications for under car and accent lighting, so are well upto the task of PC lighting.

Taken your medication recently Wills?

 

[.Wilier.]

Taken your medication recently Wills?

Well, theyre robust enough to be sat in a PC which dosnt move around much, but probably not a canvas bag bopping around your bum mate.

 

[Lazarus]

Well, theyre robust enough to be sat in a PC which dosnt move around much, but probably not a canvas bag bopping around your bum mate.

Why not. I thought that there was plenty of "padding" in that area

 

[Tom]

Doesn't look too bad, although there is some interference from somewhere. I can't hear it on the mixer output, so it must just be interfering with the PPM circuits (the needles).

The EL wire has to go, it emits a very annoying high pitched whine (although this could jsut be a noisy invertor).

 

[sibanac]

Doesn't look too bad, although there is some interference from somewhere. I can't hear it on the mixer output, so it must just be interfering with the PPM circuits (the needles).

The EL wire has to go, it emits a very annoying high pitched whine (although this could jsut be a noisy invertor).

Got a couple of EL wires and they dont make a noise so must indeed be the inverter.

As for the interference, i presume thats a neon tube you got there.
Those things run on 12Kv or so while that might not interfere with the shielded cables it probably will with the needles (who are un shielded and pretty sensetive to that stuff)

 

[Tom]

They're cold cathode tubes, and the noise from the EL wire isn't acoustic, its electromagnetic.

Oh well, the EL wire isn't all that bright anyway.

 

[Lazarus]

it emits a very annoying high pitched whine (although this could jsut be a noisy invertor).

You are probably the only one that would associate that noise with the EL Wire.



Everyone else assumes it is you