The technologies used to create lighting equipment are constantly moving forward and developing. Energy-saving and LED bulbs have replaced incandescent bulbs and helped to significantly reduce energy bills. A relatively new type of illumination is cold neon, which began to be actively used in design and car tuning. Let us consider in more detail what such a novelty is, what advantages it has and whether it is possible to independently install the backlight on a vehicle.
general description
The modern neon light is a flexible cable, inside of which is a wire coated with an electroluminophore. Contact wires - electrodes - are hermetically packed in a sheath of polyvinyl chloride. Such a cable has almost the same physical qualities as a conventional wire. It can be easily bent or even tied into a knot. In the latter case, do not tighten the cable: the sheath may crack and it will become unsuitable for further use.
In operating mode, cold neon is quite difficult to distinguish from an ordinary neon tube. However, everything immediately becomes clear after a power outage. In the off state, it ceases to glow, but remains painted in the color of the backlight or even acquires a matte shade.
The properties
The wire is waterproof and airtight, so it can be used to illuminate rooms with high humidity. The cable, unlike an LED strip, shines completely along its entire length and 360 ° from all sides. You can mount this type of backlight on any surface. The wire can be cut into separate parts. To connect the cord, you need a voltage of 12 volts or several finger batteries. Their number will depend on the length of the wire.
Cold neon is not afraid of the sun's rays, does not fade with their constant exposure. During operation, even with prolonged use, such a wire does not heat up. The electroluminescent cord used to make the backlight consumes a small amount of electricity. A huge advantage is that, unlike LED strips, a neon wire does not require specific maintenance.
Tuning Application
Some vehicle owners want to give an unusual look to their “iron horse”. It is for these purposes that tuning exists. It creates an individual and original image of the car. Recently, the use of cold neon has become popular among car owners. Connecting and installing this kind of backlight is quite simple to carry out independently.
Surely, many saw cars with beautifully illuminated bottoms. This is just an example of the use of neon. And if earlier such tuning seemed a rarity, then now it is more and more common. Also, a neon wire can be installed in the vehicle interior.
Principle of operation
Cold neon works according to the principle of the electroluminescence effect. High frequency current is supplied to the copper wire inside the cord and the contact wires. This leads to the appearance of an electric field, which makes the phosphor layer glow, and the neon wire itself begins to emit a beautiful soft, and most importantly, uniform light.
Varieties
A large color gamut will allow you to choose the most suitable light for a particular case. On sale you can find yellow-green, red, blue, turquoise, green, orange, purple and pink. This type of backlight also differs by generation: CW (second generation), CWS (second generation of cold neon with a loop), CWH (third generation). The first generation has not been used in practice for a long time, because the light from such a wire is too dim and weak.
You can purchase backlight based on the technology of electroluminescent glow in several basic forms:
- in the form of a luminous flexible wire;
- in the form of a tape;
- in the form of tubes;
- in the form of light paper.
Of all the species, as it has already become clear, the luminous wire has gained the most popularity.
What will be required for installation?
Cold neon in a car can be put both outside and inside. The luminous cord can be bent and give it absolutely any shape, which means it will be convenient to use for interior decoration. What tools will be required for this? To successfully mount a neon light, you will need a set of screwdrivers, a fuse, keys with asterisks (for unwinding the panels in the cabin), insulation tape, soldering iron, heat shrink, inverter and adapters. The latter, by the way, are usually attached to the kit with the wire itself.
Experts recommend using the second generation of neon with a train to illuminate the interior. You should pay attention to the cross section of the cord. Not only the degree of lighting, but also the entire installation process will depend on it. To select a suitable wire, you must first measure the gap between the panels.
How to install on a car?
Almost any car owner can put cold neon with their own hands in the vehicle interior. If there is any doubt about your own strengths, it is better to consult a specialist or those who already had experience installing this kind of backlight. In some cases, it makes sense to entrust car tuning to professionals.
Before connecting cold neon, disconnect the battery. Having chosen the place where the wires will pass, it is necessary to calculate the length of the neon cord. At one end of the wire, cut the outer sheath 10 mm from the edge and prepare the wires for connection to the power supply. To do this, strip the copper wire from the phosphor layer. On the other hand, the wire is sealed with a sealant or protective cap.
From the ends of the connector it is necessary to remove the insulation and strip them. After that, you need to take one end of the connector and solder it to the copper wire. The other end of the connector is soldered to thin wires. After these manipulations, it is necessary to close the place of adhesion by heat shrinkage and heat it with a hairdryer.
Due to the use of alternating current, the polarity of the wires does not matter much. Therefore, you can attach any neon wires to the inverter. The inverter itself is connected to a power source. Now it remains only to turn on and check the quality of the work done.
conclusions
It is completely uncomplicated to independently customize the interior of a car with backlight. You just need to choose the correct diameter of the cord of cold neon, calculate the length, arm yourself with a set of tools and a guide to action. Difficulties can arise only when installing neon on the bottom of the vehicle.