? about Cold Cathode tubes...

[Ir192]

I recently removed my cold cathode from my rig while I was installing new wires and the actual part that "lights" up slid out of the "tube" that it is housed in. It still works and that is not what I am wondering about. My question is, do you think it is safe to use outside of that tube?? I have a very narrow rail in my case that the tube won't fit in, but If I were to remove the light from the outer casing "tube" it would fit in this rail and make a nice indirect lighting effect. Do you think there would be any problem with doing this? Just wondering about maybe electrical shorts, excessive heat build up, etc...

 

[Anjow]

I think that tube might only be there to protect it from wear and tear... It's a glass element thing right? I think the tube might just stop it getting broken.

 

[Ir192]

You are correct about it being a glass tube, it has a shrink wrap over the end where the electrical connections are. I am just being cautious and hoping that it'll work out for me. =D

 

[Anjow]

I reckon it would be fine electrically, just delicate physically. I know people have taken them out of the tubes and bent them with heat to make shapes before and they still worked fine and stuff.

 

[pcgamer4life]

Don't touch it while it's out of the tube. If you do, you're in for a shock.

(pun intended.)

It's not a serious shock at all, but it was enough to get me alert.

 

[phrkshw]

Yeah , should def be fine . Ive seen it done before . Just was always worried about breaking them . Go for it .

 

[DeViL_909]

There is normally a very thin wire that runs up the bulb. DO NOT TOUCH IT! That little thing is what carries the wonderful jult. You need to make sure it is not going to put any electricity through your case. If your case is steel or alum. then this could be a problem. You stand a small chance of frying something like this. I have seen it done, but I do not remember how they got around it. Well good luck with this and happy modding.

 

[Veland]

Put some clear heatshrink tubing over it first, shrink it, and it's insulated and a bit sturdier..

 

[Anjow]

Or use some sticky-back plastic!

 

[pcgamer4life]

Or just buy a new cathode. For the $5 it costs, I think you'll be better off that way.

 

[Anjow]

Or just buy a new cathode. For the $5 it costs, I think you'll be better off that way.

His problem isn't that it doesn't work, just that he wants to fit the smaller part in somewhere that the full ensemble won't fit.

 

[PunkRawk911]

I took a Green CC out of its acrylic tube so I could fit it inside my xbox when I modded it, and I just wrapped the entire thing in a sheet of saran wrap, you know the stuff for food, and hot glued it down, so that the little wire was insulated.

 

[Susquehannock]

> "There is normally a very thin wire that runs up the bulb. DO NOT TOUCH IT! " <

Yep! If your light doesn't have a wire at both ends it will have one running the
length of the tube. The outer plastic sleeve is for protection.

 

[TheGreySpectre]

i would be carefull working with cathodes, since they run somewhere around 600 volts (thats what the inverter is for)

 

[pcgamer4life]

I know the cathode still works.. but what's $5 compared to a trip to the hospital from a burn?

 

[PunkRawk911]

You're only going to get burned if you're stupid enough to touch it while it's on.

 

[pcgamer4life]

You're only going to get burned if you're stupid enough to touch it while it's on.

That's why I instructed him to be careful... reading is cool.

 

[Emon]

i would be carefull working with cathodes, since they run somewhere around 600 volts (thats what the inverter is for)

CCFLs are harmless. 600v and a small fraction of an amp. I once stuck my finger in the inverter connector, it gave me a real sharp, high frequency feeling jolt, probably the muscle oscillating back and forth from the high voltage. It was pretty cool actually. Burnt a little tissue but it wasn't much. Just a little yellow blast mark, it wasn't even painful.

 

[Susquehannock]

Yep! ... amps kill, not voltage.

 

[Veland]

Also, in modding my printer, I did try out my own suggestion by using transparent heat shrink tubing. Worked perfectly, easy to do and gives some much needed stability to the tube.