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well done! must have!
Posted 15 months ago.
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forgot to say: Thank you for tutorial :)
Originally posted 15 months ago.
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Mishel Churkin edited this topic 15 months ago.
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How much will a cathode cost me?
And, is it ok to just use a 9V battery and 2 1.5V ones or will that not work? and does the bulb get dangerously hot after being on for a while?
Thanx for this thread, I might give it a go, depending on how much the cathose is. =]
Posted 15 months ago.
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click on the picture as it has notes with prices for each part. unfortunately the prices are in japanese yen but for example 1000 yen is about 10bucks USD(or close enough to get an idea of the cost)
also check the comments there is a link to a similar product that i used...
Posted 15 months ago.
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Wow, quite cheap, I'll try and get hold of one then! =]
Originally posted 15 months ago.
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Jayjay402 edited this topic 15 months ago.
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thanks for the tutorial - I'm going to try this.
Posted 15 months ago.
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Thanks for the tutorial tdub! Gonna build one tommorow!
Posted 15 months ago.
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I made something like this a few months ago except I stuck the lights on the end of a paint roller and added a "push on" button on the handle!!!
Posted 15 months ago.
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@ mikeleary - I was gonna use the paint rollers too! but they added to the cost and thought i would try a stick first. do they work well? are they easy to draw with? maybe i will try them out too. i just got a pink cathode but have not wired it up yet...
Posted 15 months ago.
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Yeah mate try them. They were reduced because the paint roller bit was missing!!! Having the light come on when you press the button and off when you release, makes it much easier than a simple on off button, but I guess it depends on what you want to use them for!
Posted 15 months ago.
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i used those type of switches on a light pen i made and they work great. like using an airbrush or spray can. but again they added to the cost....i could get cheap battery boxes with switches already. i gotta quit being so cheap!LOL.
thanks for posting and following up too. I found the image in your stream where you used these. nice effect.
Posted 15 months ago.
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I used this tutorial and this is my result.. I did try to make it look as good as possible, but ended up with a really weird result.. But still, my precious!
Posted 15 months ago.
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thank you for showing us a how to, a rarity on many sites, i shall do some home work and some investing to see what i can come up with.
so far glow sticks have worked well, but this looks a lot more interesting.
Many Thanks,
Posted 15 months ago.
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Wow, they are all awesome.
Thanks for sharing.
Posted 15 months ago.
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awesome work guys
Posted 15 months ago.
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just a quick question if anybody knows, i was doing some research on prices etc today, the questions are:
1: if I use 6x standard 1.5v Duracell batteries, how long will they last powering 1x 12v cold cathode tube (roughly)?
2: can i use rechargeables? i have some good 2300mh ones, but being only 1.2v would i have to use more? (10 x 1.2v = 12v)
3: is there any benefit on spending over 5 times as much on a much larger dedicated 12v battery?
answers very much appreciated in advance.
Posted 15 months ago.
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1. probably not very long, but, i don't leave mine on for extended periods of time. i paint with it and then turn it off...
2. yes, i think so. your calculations are correct(i think).
3. I don't know. I get my batteries at the dollar store. I can get 8 for a buck and so far i have not had to replace them.
sorry for the delayed response i was gone for a few days....
Posted 15 months ago.
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well, so far I have managed this...
www.flickr.com/photos/gbooth97/sets/72157607633153875/
it seems to power up etc so looking good, I'm about to go out with it tonight, I have my fingers crossed, not really too sure what to expect from it so far.
Originally posted 15 months ago.
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g.booth97 edited this topic 14 months ago.
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well, now there are some photo's added to the same set, all in all, a good night, i was pleased with the results, can't wait to go out and try it again
Posted 14 months ago.
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 She is a beauty alright! Thanks for posting the picture.
Posted 14 months ago.
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sweet - well done!
Posted 14 months ago.
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I've just made this one. 4 x LEDs. Used a plastic tube to attach the LEDs and then i could get the battery inside with all the wiring. Haven't tried it out yet. Heading out tomorrow to an abandoned Power station. That could be fun. :)
Posted 14 months ago.
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awesome. thanks for sharing!
Posted 14 months ago.
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i went away today looking for battery holders. should have taken some notes. i have sourced the cathode. i just need the damn battery holders.
really excited about building it
---
also, what length cathode are those? 100mm or bigger??
Originally posted 13 months ago.
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maku_montogomeri edited this topic 13 months ago.
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I'm some kind of fan of 12V 7,2Ah lead gel batteries. At first I bought them for halogen spot lights (modified PAR36 and others) and found them practical for smaller light toys too. Panasonic batteries are much better than no-name korean stuff.
I carry the battery in a small old camera bag with shoulder strap and use cables of 1-2 meters with XLR connectors. Power cables with integrated cord switch are very fine, as many light tools don't have a built-in switch.
To me, this is a rather compact solution for a big light equipment.
Posted 12 months ago.
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Can anyone help?
So, i bought a couple of cold cathodes that came without an inverter. Lo and behold, touching the wires to my 12v battery produces no light. Is all i need a 12v inverter, connect the battery, then switch, then inverter, then cathode and i should be good to go?
Excuse my lack of electrical knowledge!
Posted 11 months ago.
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yeah you need the inverter
Posted 11 months ago.
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can i just say holy crap, i had no idea this thread was here! it's awesome, if only i could stay awake forever i might get everything i want to do accomplished. ∆
Posted 11 months ago.
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 I have very little electrical knowledge personally, and as such, I wound up with a pre-built 12v portable cathode kit to start out on. It came with an inverter and switch and all that. I have since found way cheaper, way more interesting cathodes and have been getting more crafty since.
What kind of 12v battery are you using?
Posted 11 months ago.
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Some kind of lead enclosed beast of a battery. Looking online, it seems i definitly need the inverter.
Posted 11 months ago.
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Tell me more about what you've found caffeina....
...i've found some cheap multicoloured 'air mixed' cathodes that look interesting....have to get one working first before i buy any more! lol
Originally posted 11 months ago.
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Marc B.B edited this topic 11 months ago.
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Marc look for cathodes that just plug into a cigar lighter socket in your car. They will come with an inverter. You do not need a 12v battery! you need to supply 12v. So if you used 8 X 1.5v batteries you would have 12v! Toss a switch in and you are good to go.
Posted 11 months ago.
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Hey tdub, i know, i was trying to do it on the cheap! (ebay style) the cigar lighter socket ones are much more expensive around my way. I've found somewhere that sells the inverters. I'll source a pressure sensitive switch and a couple of battery boxes....might even treat myself to a soldering iron!
Posted 11 months ago.
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The only really unusual cathodes I've found are the multi-color/dual-color tubes, and i'm keeping it cheap. I found a wide array bare bulbs at around $3.00-5.00 for a 12". I still haven't permanently "tooled" any of the lights yet, as I still need to get a few components together, but once I do I will share photos - the latest batch have only been tested with this: 
lol - not too portable
oh, and the freebie inverter they threw in, of course. Switching from DC to AC is a necessity.
Posted 11 months ago.
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you peeps have no idea, i'm about to go to the weird store called ax-man, it's real cheap, cool, and they do surplus. they have tons of led stuff, so ill see how baffled i can get later when i get home with a bunch of electrical stuff. :)
Posted 11 months ago.
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 take a pic and show us your new stuff when you get it. you are so lucky.
Posted 11 months ago.
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I paid 700 yen each for the 2 I have. Another 300 hundred for switches and battery boxes.
Posted 11 months ago.
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well, thank you very much everyone. a day or so of thinking about wiring and voltage, and this tut helped me make this. really super easy too. like you said, the car ready is already the correct form, sweet. ∆
Posted 11 months ago.
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whoa nice design, the inverter attached to the tube makes a cathode wand much tidier! Very nice tool!
Posted 11 months ago.
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I have a few questions:
do i HAVE to solder the wires? and once i solder them can i wrap that soldered area in electrical tape?
ive had bad experiences with solders =I
Originally posted 11 months ago.
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r4klyiz! edited this topic 11 months ago.
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 you not have to solder the wires but it may not be reliable if you don't.
I don't use tape i use this heat shrinking plastic meant for covering solders.
Posted 11 months ago.
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good call on the shrink tape tdub! i got my soldering iron for $5 so i'd say just do it in the necissary spots so it lasts :)
Posted 11 months ago.
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Thanks, BUDS for the link, I will share some pics as soon as I get them set up
Posted 10 months ago.
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Thanks tdub for the perfect guide. I built mine today, and have only played with it a little, but it's awesome.
Posted 10 months ago.
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got mine here, they came in like a week and are pretty cheap.
www.chiefpick.com/Cold_Cathode_Light_s/663.htm
Posted 10 months ago.
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I built a neon setup similar to these awhile ago. $20 ? The best source for these in 12v is Pep Boys. Some of these light are already with a test this kind of packaging. They cost a little more but are perfect for what we are trying to do. They have a momentary switch already included and a battery pack plus the transformer. The battery pack has a sh@t lood of button batteries to make the necessary 12v ( a word of caution. these will get you playing but they get very hot. I switched to a 8 AA setup picked up through Radio Shack $2) The great thing with this setup is its ready to play with out of the box ! Lots of different colors and sizes. Much more durable than a cathode. Made to go under you car. Here is a link to the Pep Boys model.
www.pilotautomotive.com/pdfs/Pilot_12v_power_accessories.pdf
Have fun - C
Originally posted 10 months ago.
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creativestrangeman edited this topic 10 months ago.
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a better representation of what the rgb cathode does, except i alter the white balance on camera...
Posted 10 months ago.
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Thanks for this thread Tdub. I've been slacking on the light drawing and wanted some cold cathodes to get motivated. this is perfect for the Maker Faire coming in May.
Posted 9 months ago.
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this is my own attempt, after reading this tutorial. works pretty well so far!
Posted 9 months ago.
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Here's my attempt. Works nicely. Thanks for the tut. :)
Posted 8 months ago.
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Here's the results from my first test, it works perfectly.
Posted 8 months ago.
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looks good ^^
the yellow i just made the other day.
Posted 8 months ago.
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don't see any yellow ? ,-)
Posted 8 months ago.
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I know, I know the answer to the yellow cathode. (or at least I think I know) :-)
Posted 8 months ago.
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yes, cutom white balance. Set to green, (picture of a green beer bottle in my room). which makes pink. =)
Posted 8 months ago.
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First two attempts
and
Originally posted 8 months ago.
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-Will- edited this topic 8 months ago.
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That was mains powered ^^^ dunno why it made it flicker ??
now it is battery powered.
Originally posted 7 months ago.
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-Will- edited this topic 7 months ago.
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some advice please folks...
i got a cathode, and 2 battery packs = 12v and a switch.
I am confused about the wiring.
if i had one battery pack i wouldnt be so confused.
Posted 5 months ago.
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Mr. M, your batteries should be wired + to -, just like they are when they are stacked together, connect the neg of one battery pack to the pos. of the other , you should be left with a + and - wire to your light.
hope that helps
Posted 5 months ago.
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Here are a couple of pics of my cathodes
These were ordered from Amazon.com and are undercar neon lights,
I went to Home Depot and bought a length of clear 1 1/4" rubber tubing and used it for the handles. Radio shack provided the switch and the 9v battery connector. A little wiring to connect it all and some electrical tape to hold it all in place and wa-la, you have a light saber.
The undercar neon sells for about $45us and comes in a variety of colors. Each set contains 4 lights, 2 3footers and 2 4 footers. I purchased 2 sets, one white and one red. Speaking from experience, if you buy these, get the white ones. They are much brighter than the colored ones and you can apply color to the outside of the tube to change the colors. If you look at my pics, blues, greens, yellows and some reds are all translucent plastic file folders cut and taped around the tube.
Notice that I have red tape around the red ones and white tape around the whites. Unfortunately these lights are fragile, I mean, really fragile, I have 3 lights left that work, 1 white and 2 red. Don't try and toss them and catch them, thats how the first on broke, and dont't be stupid and leave them in the back of your truck when you are hauling bags of landscape stone from Home Depot, they tend to break them also.
hope this helps some. I am happy to share my experiences with these lights with all
Thanks, tdub, you are the man
Posted 5 months ago.
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white 4 foot light with red and yellow applied to it
Posted 5 months ago.
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duane, I really appreciate the advice. your shots are ones that really inspired me again lately.
----
easy . all done. thanks. pix to follow. need to find some thing to mount the light on
Originally posted 5 months ago.
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maku_montogomeri edited this topic 5 months ago.
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Thanks for bumping this thread up Mr M and Duane, I'd been pondering a similar issue about the weight of batteries needed for a cathode. The best I could find in terms of having enough mAh to mean it'll last for more than a minute or two is the 2CR5 things I use in an infra-red transmitter. Only prob is, they're not cheap (£7 each, about $11?).
If anyone out there knows of any rechargeable 2CR5's give us a shout please :)
In the meantime, I'm making do with a perspex tube on the end of a LED torch, but it doesn't kick out anywhere near as much light, so only really works in total darkness:
Originally posted 5 months ago.
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Hobsonish edited this topic 5 months ago.
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Hobsonish, with my cathodes I use a 9 volt battery and 2 AA batteries. It isn't heavy at all. Tdub was nice enough to give me this setup. hope this helps.
Posted 5 months ago.
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Doh! Of course. 9+1.5+1.5 = 12 It's additive not multiplicatory*. Cheers Cindi, that's a perfect solution, so thanks to Tdub by extension :)
*Not really a word that is it?
Posted 5 months ago.
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i have mounted mine on the same stick that I use for my led light stuff. looking forward to trying it out tonight.
it aint pretty , but i reckon it will work
Posted 5 months ago.
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Posted 5 months ago.
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nice to be back to making stuff. a broken leg in dec - jan didnt help.
i am jealous of the locations and orbs some folks make but I seem to get the most joy from making these abstracts.
thanks all for the info you all share here.
Posted 5 months ago.
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keep braking them by hitting them on the wall etc., and keep plugging in new ones, same small blue for a while though. (it's a double) The larger yellow one was running dim, needed new batteries, that's why it has a gradient to it. word. ∆
Posted 3 months ago.
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i bought a 12v light (12 inch red cathode) at walmart and hooked it up to a battery pack (8aa). then i connected it to 4aa and it seems to have the same brightness. ive left it on for 35 minutes so far and its just as bright. the brand is pilot automotive. i was mainly wondering if anyone has used any of these walmart lights and think if they are bright enough.
P.S i hav a pic but could not figure out how to upload it into a post if someone could give me some guidance that would be great. thanks
Posted 2 months ago.
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Upload your picture into your photostream, select picture size (medium is best). scroll down to the first text box bellow your picture and copy the text. then paste the text into you message and then the picture should appear in your posting.
Posted 2 months ago.
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just try them out and you will find out if they are bright enough or not.
Posted 2 months ago.
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i got one from the auto store, my first one like 7 months ago, and still havn't changed the batteries. I think the auto store ones are in a sense more durable and efficient, but the computer cold cathodes are intense, and inexpensive, and interchangable (sometimes) but i bet yours will be just fine from Wal Mart.
Just got these in today, hot damn
Posted 2 months ago.
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Thought should toss these up here. Its my cathode / EL-wire rig, worked great! I made the back out of a square dowel from Home-Depot and with a switch, 8x AA battery pack and some 9v connectors I was in business. I wanted to make it so the battery packs could be changed and switched between all of my items on the fly. The velcro worked wonders, (make sure you screw it into the wood with a small wood screw)
Cheers!
-Mike
Posted 2 months ago.
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Just put mine together tonight, using an 8-AA pack (mistake; should've done 9V+2-AA), a 300mm cathode tube, a surprisingly beefy toggle switch – that significantly increases the Frankenstein feel of this project, I think – and a couple 30" lengths of PVC pipe.
The first one I made with 1/2" PVC and... it's rubbish. The grip is way, way too small and it's not big enough to really hold that transformer and battery pack in place. So second round I went with 1" PVC and that worked very well. Most of the wires are hidden in the pipe, and I cut out a couple notches in the pipe to better seat the battery pack. I also made sure to shrink wrap any soldered points just to make double-sure nothing comes un-did along the way.
Found all the parts (except the PVC and the generous dose of Loctite I used to hold things down) at Fry's electronics, with each wand totaling about $10-ish excluding batteries.
It's late, and I'm falling asleep just typing this, but I'll get some pics uploaded before the weekend. Such a great little project, though.
Posted 4 weeks ago.
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Here's the photos:
I made the wires disappear.
Posted 4 weeks ago.
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