Another alternative to getting brighter gauges

[DRACO A5OG]

Originally Posted by dw1

Very good - potentially a great solution.

I haven't received by EL wire yet, so I have (2) questions:

1. How much current does this draw?

2. How small a bend radius can the 2.3 mm EL wire tolerate? Is some kind of reinforcement possible (e.g. tight-fitting polymer tubing)?

Just spoke to www.thatscoolwire.com (Texans) according to them:

1. The 2.2MM per foot draws 0.51 mAmps. (that is miliamps)

2. a. Here is a pic of the radial bend it can take, you can wrap it around a pencil:

The pis is copy right so I can not cut and paste it http://www.coolight.com/category-s/53.htm

2. b. I purchased the 2.2MM mounts:


At www.thatscoolwire.com they said placing a fuse before the inverter will not hurt but they reassured me that the inverter can take +/-8% fluctuations ( I am not a EE so I do not know what the hell that means )

[DRACO A5OG]

Originally Posted by rick-l

Do you think you could get at the front and back electrodes with copper tape and clamp it together?

I think you can use copper tape that they offer and clamp it in but i would be concerned with vibration form our cars that may loosen and possibly drop off?

[Pazuzu]

Originally Posted by DRACO A5OG

OK Fellas,

I found one more site http://www.thatscoolwire.com/store/cart_view.asp

These guys have everything and shipping out of Texas:

You have me this/tempted to run over there after work, grab everything, slap it together tonight, and be the Cool Guy who first ran the EL wire from these guys

But I won't...

[DRACO A5OG]

No worries, I will get it on Wednesday next week. you still Cool though :P

[Pazuzu]

It would be interesting to see what the 2.2mm produces as far as light, and whether the 0.9mm might be better, at full current. Also, the 0.9mm is small enough that you could run two loops, of different colors. White for normal driving, and red/green/blue/orange/whatever for car shows, etc.

[dw1]

Originally Posted by Pazuzu

It would be interesting to see what the 2.2mm produces as far as light, and whether the 0.9mm might be better, at full current. Also, the 0.9mm is small enough that you could run two loops, of different colors. White for normal driving, and red/green/blue/orange/whatever for car shows, etc.

I have to admit I was seriously considering both white & yellow 0.9mm wires, and adjusting the voltage for each to achieve the yellowish color of the "underpowered incandescent" look we're all used to.

0.51mA/ft !!!!

The inverter probably looses more than the total current the lighting elements themselves draw, just due to parasitic and efficiency losses.

Standard led's draw 10 - 20mA (or more) each, depending on the specific type & brightness of the led's.

Hmmm... Maybe I will put in more than one color so I can adjust it to my liking, similar to the option on new Mustangs.

[rick-l]

Originally Posted by dw1

0.51mA/ft !!!!

That's at 100 volts though right?

Where did you get that number? Did they have capacitance per foot also?

[DRACO A5OG]

Originally Posted by rick-l

That's at 100 volts though right?

Where did you get that number? Did they have capacitance per foot also?

Got the data from www.thatscoolwire.com. Just call them they are Kool Kats or visit their site FAQ

From their FAQ:

Originally Posted by ThatsCoolWire.com

Topic: EL Wire Facts

How Much Power Does El Wire Use?

0.9mm El Wire draws 0.033 mA per foot.

2.2mm El Wire draws 0.051 mA per foot.

4.0mm El Wire draws 0.051 mA per foot.

Ooooops my bad is was one digit off sorry for the scare, I told yeah I am no EE.

[DRACO A5OG]

In all my excitement, I have a Question?

Which Guage would you guys tap off of for 12v source?

I was thinking one of the light bulb (Black/Blue) wire off of the Speedo and tap the (Brown) Ground Wire. What say you guys? I read the specs in the Bentley page 970-77 & 78 it shows two (Red/Black) power leads.

[SpeedracerIndy]

Update: I have now installed the wire in all 5 gauges. It was quite a bit of work but well worth it. I used exactly 5' of wire for all of them. I soldered connectors for each gauge and passed the wire through the existing light socket. I did retain the original sockets with LEDs in the speedometer to retain the lighting of the odometer. On all others I ditched the original light sockets all together. I did not cut any factory wiring so I can go back to stock if I want to.

I used double sided foam tape to line the inside of each gauge. I did not use the tape to stick the wire though. I only used it to prevent the wire from falling into the gauge. The wire will stick against the gauge with a little tension bent into the it. The inner bezel holds the wire nicely against the foam tape, and it is not visible once put back together. I had to split the right 3 gauges to install the wire. The left two you can access from the back without splitting.

To hook up in the car, I used 2 inverters with splitters. I pulled power off of the main feed for all of the gauges. I simply used a jumper and spliced right into the wire where it comes out of the harness. I used the ground on the back of the gas/oil gauge. I put the inverters way up in the trunk so I don't hear them. Sorry I cannot put up more pictures, but I have to pack for a work trip early AM. All I can say is WOW!!!

I haven't finished with the install in the car yet. I will be out of the country all week, so it's going to have to wait until next weekend. Here are a few pictures of the progress:

[sc_rufctr]

They look great!

[Porsche_monkey]

Originally Posted by SpeedracerIndy

Sorry I cannot put up more pictures, but I have to pack for a work trip early AM. All I can say is WOW!!!

They look great. But, I really think you have an obligation to call in sick tomorrow and get this finished.

[Talewinds]

Yep, you are definitely heading down the right path here.

[DRACO A5OG]

That is awsome Speed.

I can't wait to set up my guages. WIIT, I'm going to touch up all the red/orange with some model paint.

Questions:



Is there a reason why you did not allow the EL-Wire to eluminate within the body of the Guage? I notice you place heat shrink before the bend.

I did retain the original sockets with LEDs in the speedometer to retain the lighting of the odometer.

upper or lower?

I had to split the right 3 gauges to install the wire.

Do you have a pic?

I pulled power off of the main feed for all of the gauges. I simply used a jumper and spliced right into the wire where it comes out of the harness. I used the ground on the back of the gas/oil gauge.

Any Pics?

I put the inverters way up in the trunk so I don't hear them.

Can you share where exactly you routed the inverters and which inverters you chose?

Sorry Speed for all the questions. Great Job Brother!

[sc_rufctr]

Also... Can we have a rough wiring diagram showing the 2 inverters with splitters showing all five gauges...

Thanks advance.

[DRACO A5OG]

If Speed doesn't get back in time I will post all pics of my set up and maybe diagram ( that's a good idea to keep everything organised, good call )

[SpeedracerIndy]

Originally Posted by DRACO A5OG

That is awsome Speed.

I can't wait to set up my guages. WIIT, I'm going to touch up all the red/orange with some model paint.

Questions:

Is there a reason why you did not allow the EL-Wire to eluminate within the body of the Guage? I notice you place heat shrink before the bend.

Got some time before my flight so I'll elaborate as best I can.

I tucked the wire under the bezel so that it would shine down on the numbers. If I put it in the body, I don't think there would be enough light to shine up and onto the numbers.

Also, that heat shrink is my soldered connection to the female EL wire connector. I pulled the connector into each gauge and fastened it to the body of the gauges so that it would not get pulled out while tugging on the gauges during install.

upper or lower?

Both. I wasn't sure which one lights the numbers up, so I just kept both. The EL wire is so much brighter than the LEDs, you can't tell they're still there. Without them though, I noticed that my odometer and trip meter were not very visible in the dark.

Do you have a pic?

No, sorry. That picture of the speedometer is the only one I took. I had already had it apart to replace my odometer gear a year ago and I left the bezel loose in anticipation of something like this. Also, my car is "not actual miles" since it's a Euro, so I wasn't concerned about splitting it. The only one that I really didn't want to split but still had to was the tach. I am now looking for another tach to replace just in case I decide to go back to stock. I also had to split the clock, but that doesn't bother me since most people replace them anyway. When I get back into the country I'll dig back into this project and try to get more pictures.

Any Pics?

Again no, sorry. The main power for the gauges appears to come from a bundle of wires just below the tach. From there it splits at least 3 times that I could find. One was for the gauges, one for the climate control, and a third for the defrost and fog light switches (I think). They are split with standard insulated spade connectors (factory!), so I just put a jumper on the first one and pulled power from that jumper. Totally reversible if I choose to remove it. On the back of the oil/gas gauge there are two ground spade connectors. On my car, only one was being used, so I just used the other for my ground. Due to the low current these wires draw, I am not too concerned about overpowering the factory wires. Until someone tells me otherwise, or I see smoke start pouring from my dash .

Can you share where exactly you routed the inverters and which inverters you chose?

I routed the inverters from and area near the smugglers box. They're sitting under the fresh air duct shroud. Tied neatly to one of the support posts for that shroud. The wires simply rout under the defrost duct work all the way to the gauges. Once you have all 5 gauges out, it's easy to see where you can go. With the gauges out and the trunk open, you can see all the way out there. My car doesn't have AC, so that might make a difference for me.

Sorry Speed for all the questions. Great Job Brother!

Thanks! Now about this pesky job that keeps getting in the way of my hobbies!

[DRACO A5OG]

Thanks Speed, Safe Journey and Hurry Back!

Here is diagram of my EL-Wire plan:



With generous report from Speed about entering both sockets on the three center gauges, I decided to split the center EL-Wires so the wires can act like OEM bulbs emitting light thru the sockets and gauge assembly's body. I will test and post.

Each wire would cover half of each radius and end capped.

The gauges are set up looking from the trunk. Clock on the Left, Fuel/Oil Level to the right where the Ground will be connected to the extra Male Spade Ground.

Where the hell are my EL-Wires?

[rick-l]

http://www.micrel.com/_PDF/mic4830.pdf

You could apply 12 volts directly to the inductor but now you have to come up with some way to dim them (perhaps a pot on Rel).

[DRACO A5OG]

That is an alternative but the idea would be to use the existing wiring harness that is hooked up to the OEM dimmer light switch, the blue diagram to the left middle of my crappy non-EE diagram.

Hey that micrel product looks great.