FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONSQuestions about Electroluminescent Sheeting or Strips?
Please Jump Over To:Electroluminescent Sheeting F.A.Q.!
What is electroluminescent cable?
What is the diameter and length of electroluminescent cable?
How bright is electroluminescent lighting?
How long does the neon glow last?
Can I use common batteries, solar cells, and regular household current?
Can it be cut and spliced with regular electrical wire?
Is EL cable hard to work with?
What is Electroluminescent Cable?
The design and construction of EL cable is similar to a coaxial cable. The outside electrode is composed of two thin copper wires twisted in a spiral configuration around a semi-conductive phosphor. The actual light is emitted due to the properties of the semi-conductive phosphor between the copper-wire electrodes. The cable is cool to the touch and never gets hot.
We sell the EL cable in pre-packaged kits with the appropriate inverter drivers, or as bulk cable - by the foot.
EL cable glows very evenly and looks much like neon. Unlike conventional neon lighting, our flexible electroluminescent cable is:
Durable and weatherproof
Cool to the touch
Can be cut and spliced to any length
No special tools are needed for installation.
Costs much less than conventional neon lighting
Easy to work with
Energy Efficient
Environmentally Friendly
What is the diameter and length of electroluminescent cable?
The diameter of EL cable is 2.3mm or ~3/32".
Comes in lengths up to 820 ft.
Flexible Electroluminescent Cable comes in 8 bright colors:
Deep-Sea Blue
Bright Red
Lightning Green
Neon Purple
Fluorescent Yellow Green
Gleaming White
Electric Yellow
Ice Blue
How bright is electroluminescent lighting?
EL cable is bright enough to be seen from up to 400 feet at night and can be supported by common alkaline cell batteries or the automotive battery in your car, truck or boat depending on the application.
You can use it to back-light or accent certain objects such as signs and license plates to achieve a very appealing neon glow. If you Double, or triple the cable, the neon glow is even stronger. An application of white paint (semi-gloss or gloss) or reflective material can be applied to act as a reflective surface to help increase the glow.
Brightness is also determined by the voltage of the AC electricity provided. Voltage is determined by the "inverter driver" being used. An inverter driver is a small device that acts much like a ballast does in a fluorescent light fixture. The driver used determines both the voltage and the frequency applied to the EL cable.
In our experience you can wrap and unwrap the electroluminescent cable around a pencil or pen (1/4" or 8mm bending radius) without damaging the electroluminescent core. The EL cable is coated with a durable layer of inert polyvinyl.
How long does the neon glow last?
The illuminated half-life of electroluminescent cable is in excess of 6000 hours or 250 days, if lit continuously. At this time it will become ~40% less bright. It never actually burns out, but does become dimmer over a very long period of time.
Can I use common batteries, solar cells, and regular household current?
Yes, the inverter drivers (100 Volts, 1600Hz) for each length of EL cable can be supported by common batteries to give a bright neon glow.
3V-6V
9V
Automotive 12 volt systems.
Regular household current can be used without an inverter driver to give a dimmer neon glow (~15% as bright).
Our NeonFX kits are perfect for anyone wanting to customize or detail:
Car, truck or boat,
Motorcycle or bicycle
roller blades, Skateboard, ski poles or even Scuba tanks.
Instantaneously "on" as well as "off".
Yes.
Electroluminescent Cable - A simple wire cutter (we like the "T-Stripper" sold at Home Depot for about $7.00) works very well for the Electroluminescent cable. Cutting it to shorter lengths can affect brightness because the EL cable acts as a capacitor. If there is not enough length to support the driver being used, the brightness will decrease. This can be solved by changing inverters. The cut end should always be properly terminated with shrink wrap or electrical tape (also sold in our Online Store).
Can it be cut and spliced with regular electrical wire?
Yes. All you need is:
Wire Cutter (Red handle T-Stripper from Home Depot works very well)
Wire Stripper
Soldering Iro
Solder
Shrink Wrap or Electrical Tape
The total length of the spliced wire can be whatever length you desire. Only the actual EL cable portion is limited by the driver used.
Is EL cable hard to work with?
No, it's easy. The pre-packaged kits we offer are very easy to work with since the EL cable and inverter drivers are already connected -- no splicing is needed. The kit even includes a tube of clear epoxy.
If you wish to build your own kits, please be sure to see the wiring instructions for the EL Cable below.Anyone and Everyone can do this. It's Exciting and Easy! Like most high-tech crafts, there are a few things to keep in mind:
EL cable is cool to the touch when powered.
EL cable is coated with an insulating polyvinyl later and can be safely handled when powered up.... however, since it is wire carrying current, you can get a shock if you touch exposed wire. If you are using household current, this can be quite a SHOCK.
Do not cut, solder, or work with EL cable when it is carrying current: MAKE SURE IT IS DISCONNECTED FROM THE POWER SOURCE BEFORE WORKING WITH IT.
Terminate the cut end properly with Shrink wrap or electrical tape.
Thank you for visiting your #1 source for Flexible Electroluminescent Lighting Products.
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