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[APD] Re: Moonlights again: cold cathode




This weekend I added a "moonlight" to my 90 gal by modifying one of my power compact fixtures to contain a computer case lighting element.
[snip]
Except I was impatient, bought it at retail, and paid too much. :)

Looks neat. FYI, you can get the parts cheap from http://www.allelectronics.com I've seen CCFL lighting stuff in their catalog for years. They have several colors too.


It is working fine, and provides much better light than LEDs--it was cheaper and easier, too. The only question is how well the new light's inverter will handle the high temperature inside the lighting fixture... it looks great now, but in 6 months it may croak for all I know.

I suspect it may be OK with the heat. CCFL lights are often used in things like laptops where there is often a fairly high amount of heat in very small area, so I would think the ballast should be designed for that kind of environment. Humidity might be an issue though, but you could probably seal it to minimize the problems humidity would cause.


Dimming it by altering the supply voltage will most likely shorten the life of the ballast though, unless it is specifically rated for use over the voltage range you use.

-Bill


***************************** Waveform Technology UNIX Systems Administrator

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