[geeks] EL wire lighting question...

[Kurt Huhn]

Mike Hebel <nimitz at speakeasy.net> wrote:

> Has anybody actually used the El wire in anything?  I'm curious to know 
> how well it worked for you and what kind of extra circuitry was involved 
> beyond the wire itself.  (I was just using my iBook last night and 
> wondered if it would be possible to do something like this:
> 

What you need is an invertor that can take your 12 volt (or 9v, or even 3v)
power source and make it 120v.  140hz is usually good for very long life,
but isn't as bright.  For super bright, but very short life, go for 8000hz. 
I think most folks use a 2000hz or 4000hz invertor for a balance of
brightness and longevity.

Somke links to invertors and info:
http://www.elwirecheap.com/powerinvertors.html
http://www.glowire.com/drivers.htm

My own project hasn't quite taken off yet.  I need to finish some
"honey-dos" before I can tackle it.

-- 
Kurt
kurt at k-huhn.com