>-----Original Message-----
>From: pic microcontroller discussion list
>[mailto:PICLIST@MITVMA.MIT.EDU] On Behalf Of Russell McMahon
>Sent: 23 August 2004 13:14
>To: PICLIST@MITVMA.MIT.EDU
>Subject: Re: [EE:] Inverters for Electroluminescent wire ?
>
>
>> >I discovered that a camera flash inverter will power
>> >some length of EL-wire if you intercept it at the
>> >HVAC part. While drawing more than an Amp from the
>> >1.5V cell.  That's NOT efficient enough :-)
>>
>> Yeah, these converters are optimised to charge up a capacitor in a
>> short time :)
>
>Several people have commented similarly.
>I know nothing about El light efficiency but, if the inverter
>is 50% efficient end to end (which is quite a challenge at 1.5
>volts or less at that current level) then there is far less
>than a watt available for light. If the EL wire is no more
>efficient than many LEDs or incandescent bulbs, then say 3/4
>of a watt is quite believable.
>
>Consider a 3v LED at 20 mA = 60 mW.
>750 mW/60 mW = about 12 LEDs. if these are modern high
>efficiency LEDS rated at say 3000 - 6000 milli-Candella each
>then you'd get 'lots'* of light. Use slightly older (or less
>efficient cheaper) ones and you could well get less light than
>you see from "a length" of EL wire. Note that LED light is
>focussed and wire may put out a substantially higher light
>energy level than is obvious.
>
>Given all the above, I suspect that an efficient supply may
>need less power than the flash does BUT not as little as one
>may have expected. Perhaps 100 mW - 500 mW range ?

Details on the impedance of the wire itself seems to be a little thin on the
ground.  However, generaly the wire requires 100-130volts at around 4000Hz.
Frequency affects brightness as well as colour in some types of EL material.

The cheap inverters you can buy typicaly take 12volts at 25mA powering a
couple of feet of EL wire (300mW good guess Russel!)  but are definitely not
noted for their efficiency.

I have seen AA powered inverters that suggest the wire can be illuminated
for 18 hours from two AA cells, but I suspect they are running the wire at
very low currents.

http://www.elwirecheap.com/faqs.html

Regards

Mike

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