Hi.
I want to wire up 2 x CCFL to a 12V 'wall wart' adapter.
I've researched this for about 8 or 9 hours now and have come across all types of advice of whether this is even possible or not. Some people say that it can't even be done and you need an actual computer PSU to do this. Others seem to be confused by the fact that there are two tubes working off of one inverter, or if they are clear on it, the advice they give for wiring it up is confusing.
Ok. Let's give some specifics:
CCFLs I am using: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/WHITE-12-DUAL-COLD-CATHODE-LIGHT-KIT-MOD-CASE-PC-Computer-CCFL-Very-Bright-/380375886930
I have 2 of these kits, making that 4 'tube lights' in total, run off 2 inverters.
PSU I am attempting to use: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Universal-adapter-1000-mains-plug-Black/dp/B008F86R1A
Power Input: 0.25A
Power Output: 1A
It has variable 'V', but obviously I will be running it at the 12V setting.
Here is a photo of the actual CCFL kit, with the inverter a sky blue colour: http://electronics.stackexchange.com/questions/24162/conversion-of-a-cold-cathode-kit-to-work-outside-a-pc
Also on that page is some advice for hooking it all up. But again there are discrepancies in regard to exact specifics, because of the confusion surrounding one inverter powering 2 x Light Tubes. I have links to about another half a dozen pages covering this exact same issue, and I'm still confused, so I'll not confuse things more by posting them here.
This post seems to give the best and most straightforward advice for what I want to achieve: http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/forum/304703-28-cathode-tubes-supply - but I am still not sure exactly what I need to do. This is one thing I don't want to mess up.
So, these are my specific questions:
1: Is that PSU adapter sufficient to power 2 X CCFL kits (4 'Light Tubes' + 2 inverters total)?
2: If so, which wires do I need to 'splice' from the CCFL kit (which colour) to the PSU?
3: What would be the correct way to connect the 2 kits together (they come with Molex adapters)?
With regard to no.1, my specific PSU is either amply powered or under powered, depending on whether you consider the power draw to be from each 'Light Tube', or just from the single inverter. Yes, it's confusing.
With regard to no.2, the post at Tom's Hardware (linked above) says this "Splice the yellow lead from the wiring assembly to the positive lead of the AC to DC adapter and the black lead from the wiring assembly to the negative/ground lead of the AC to DC adapter." But even if it is actually this simple, which 'lead' out of the PSU is negative/ground? One lead is coloured black, the other is black with a white stripe down it.
With regard to to no.3, I have been told (in my research) that these need to be wired in parallel. There is only really one way the two Molex adapters can be joined, and I am assuming that one would connect them via black to black, yellow to yellow, red to red etc. rather than the other way around. I will post a photo of them connected together if it makes it easier to visualise.
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If you'd like to know what I'm trying to do all this for, it's for some concealed lighting in my studio, to put under some shelving to throw a bit of light on my keyboards and controllers. I have researched this like I said, even studying and understanding the electrical theory behind it all, doing my own calculations etc. to an extent to at least understand the equations that people have given. But as to the actual practicality of wiring this all up, I'm none the wiser. I started about 7am this morning, and in fact researched this for a day or two a couple of months ago (but I had to put it on hold), so I'm kind of at the stage where I need a little help.
Anyway, any advice is appreciated, and if there is some stuff I haven't thought of or information I've omitted, please let me know.
Thanks.
I want to wire up 2 x CCFL to a 12V 'wall wart' adapter.
I've researched this for about 8 or 9 hours now and have come across all types of advice of whether this is even possible or not. Some people say that it can't even be done and you need an actual computer PSU to do this. Others seem to be confused by the fact that there are two tubes working off of one inverter, or if they are clear on it, the advice they give for wiring it up is confusing.
Ok. Let's give some specifics:
CCFLs I am using: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/WHITE-12-DUAL-COLD-CATHODE-LIGHT-KIT-MOD-CASE-PC-Computer-CCFL-Very-Bright-/380375886930
I have 2 of these kits, making that 4 'tube lights' in total, run off 2 inverters.
PSU I am attempting to use: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Universal-adapter-1000-mains-plug-Black/dp/B008F86R1A
Power Input: 0.25A
Power Output: 1A
It has variable 'V', but obviously I will be running it at the 12V setting.
Here is a photo of the actual CCFL kit, with the inverter a sky blue colour: http://electronics.stackexchange.com/questions/24162/conversion-of-a-cold-cathode-kit-to-work-outside-a-pc
Also on that page is some advice for hooking it all up. But again there are discrepancies in regard to exact specifics, because of the confusion surrounding one inverter powering 2 x Light Tubes. I have links to about another half a dozen pages covering this exact same issue, and I'm still confused, so I'll not confuse things more by posting them here.
This post seems to give the best and most straightforward advice for what I want to achieve: http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/forum/304703-28-cathode-tubes-supply - but I am still not sure exactly what I need to do. This is one thing I don't want to mess up.
So, these are my specific questions:
1: Is that PSU adapter sufficient to power 2 X CCFL kits (4 'Light Tubes' + 2 inverters total)?
2: If so, which wires do I need to 'splice' from the CCFL kit (which colour) to the PSU?
3: What would be the correct way to connect the 2 kits together (they come with Molex adapters)?
With regard to no.1, my specific PSU is either amply powered or under powered, depending on whether you consider the power draw to be from each 'Light Tube', or just from the single inverter. Yes, it's confusing.
With regard to no.2, the post at Tom's Hardware (linked above) says this "Splice the yellow lead from the wiring assembly to the positive lead of the AC to DC adapter and the black lead from the wiring assembly to the negative/ground lead of the AC to DC adapter." But even if it is actually this simple, which 'lead' out of the PSU is negative/ground? One lead is coloured black, the other is black with a white stripe down it.
With regard to to no.3, I have been told (in my research) that these need to be wired in parallel. There is only really one way the two Molex adapters can be joined, and I am assuming that one would connect them via black to black, yellow to yellow, red to red etc. rather than the other way around. I will post a photo of them connected together if it makes it easier to visualise.
----------------------------------------
If you'd like to know what I'm trying to do all this for, it's for some concealed lighting in my studio, to put under some shelving to throw a bit of light on my keyboards and controllers. I have researched this like I said, even studying and understanding the electrical theory behind it all, doing my own calculations etc. to an extent to at least understand the equations that people have given. But as to the actual practicality of wiring this all up, I'm none the wiser. I started about 7am this morning, and in fact researched this for a day or two a couple of months ago (but I had to put it on hold), so I'm kind of at the stage where I need a little help.
Anyway, any advice is appreciated, and if there is some stuff I haven't thought of or information I've omitted, please let me know.
Thanks.