djspot

iTrader: (2)

I wanna get some tubes for my trunk, how bright are the LEDs same as the Neons less or more????

I NEED HELP QUICK!!!!!!! GOTTA GO BUY THESE QUICK!!!!

irishtemper

LED's are a little brighter, they will last longer and are much safer than neons. neons develop hot spots and can burn out. LEDs can't. I have LEDs and like them better, i have had neon before.

Wolfgang5884

iTrader: (3)

are those LED kits on ebay like this one any good?
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...category=33713

AlpineCivic

iTrader: (18)

Stick with the LED's, they last longer, dont generate heat, and require less power.

irishtemper

I wouldn't trust them, they are priced too low for alot of features. I would go with a name brand, such as streetglow.

MegaHurtz

iTrader: (6)

LED's are way brighter, have different functions and look better.

Mystic3030

Be carefull with LEDs though, some have a "spotlight" effect where neons have a diffused glow.

doubledeuce2k2

iTrader: (20)

led's are much more directional. go in lighting and read about led parking lights and such, they're dead bright head on, but you can't see them much from the side.

however, in the trunk, i don't think that will be a big issue. go LED

kalipnoi

neons are better if you want even amount of light. i read that varad has or is coming out with LEDs that disperse light just as evenly as neons, but that might just be the underlight kit. check out http://www.varad.com/
if you want something cheaper and still want leds you can shave the top to the light won't be so directional, but i don't think it will be as bright.

vietstylez

iTrader: (8)

yea i had the varad underbody light kit and i hated it cause it was so directional..it wasnt a nice even glow like real neons =(

SiG

iTrader: (12)

hey man, i sent ya a PM, did ya get it?

booner05

iTrader: (1)

you might try cold cathode tubes, they're bright, ambient, and cheap. since they're for computers the transformer input is 12V. I installed a system in an Ion and replaced the trunk light with these cold cathode tubes and they kicked ***.

$5.99 for a pair at http://svc.com/ccfltubes.html

wonderz

iTrader: (18)

what's the difference between neon and cold cathode?

SiG

iTrader: (12)

DAMN if they shipped to Canada id be ordering right now

TeLLy

iTrader: (23)

Click me for Cold Cathode fun

These guys ship to Canada - I got a few sets off them, took a few weeks, but finally came. Their blue is fantastic, but don't buy red cold cathodes - they're more PINK than anything. Ew.

SiG

iTrader: (12)

haha thanks telly. plz dont tell my you bought red and experienced the pink first hand!
got a question for ya, did you have to buy an inverter from them? LMK plz thanks!

SiG

TeLLy

iTrader: (23)

The inverter comes with the kit. As for the red - yes, I bought 4 pairs....so now I'm sitting on 3 pairs of unopened pink cathodes. I can be such a dumbass.

MegaHurtz

iTrader: (6)

What, for buying pink or for buying so many extras?

booner05

iTrader: (1)

yeah, they include the inverter and the blue kicks ***. one problem i had was I recieved the tubes and the inverter and hooked it up in my civic and it didn't work. i tested it in my friends computer and the tubes worked but the inverter didn't work. So, i'm not sure if it burned out in my car or it just didn't work to begin with but it's more expensive to send them back than to buy a new inverter. I was also thinking about trying to use the short 4" cathode tubes in my dash to get that blue without spending a ton of time and money with leds and wiring.

SiG

iTrader: (12)

Telly- when my girl gets her car ill take those pink ones off your hands cuz she'll love them. that will be in a while but dont worry they will surely be sold eventually!

SiG

TeLLy

iTrader: (23)

For being so impatient and buying what I thought would be enough cold cathode tubes to totally red out my car...then having them all turn out pink cause I didn't do my homework and check out cold cathode tubes in person.

MegaHurtz

iTrader: (6)

How ocme they turned pink?

And what exactly ARE cathode tubes?

TeLLy

iTrader: (23)

Cold cathode tube colours are different from neon colours. Hence, red neons are nice and deep (generally) and red cold cathodes are rather light, kinda PINK. Cold cathodes and neons use a similar process in which a tube is filled with gas (like neon), and has electrodes on either end. When a voltage is applied to the electrodes, the gas ionizes - electrons flow through the gas. The electrons excite the neon atoms and they emit visible light. Red is emitted by excited neon atoms. Other gases emit other colours when excited in this method. The difference between the two is that cold cathodes use higher currents, use more efficient lamp colour coatings, and the actual tubes where the gas is contained (not the protective clear plastic tube that's like 1" thick) are over 2x the diameter of neon tubing. Cold cathodes can theoretically produce over 5x the light output of neons.

I got the info from the net, mainly howstuffworks.com. Man do I love the internet.

UltimateWarrior

Can you explain an easy detailed way to hook them up with let's say, tapping into my 12v lighter area? I am not very skilled on electronics!

Let's say I want to add some under my seats. what would be the easiest way to install them? Also, what size would you get?

Thanks man!

TeLLy

iTrader: (23)

Grab yourself some 12" ones. The inverter comes with red and black wires coming out of it, so just tap those into your cigarette lighter wiring. I would say put a switch in between there (on the red wire btw) so you can turn it off and on.