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**shad1097** · 01-07-2004, 03:24 PM

I am thinking of using the USB led lighting it's pretty simple to hook up and one less wire to worry about sodering.
I found even Circuit City and Best Buy are selling case mod fan's and LED lighting and lighted power supplies so now you aren't limited to shopping just online for them or at the local rip off shops anymore.

**amd_man2005** · 01-07-2004, 05:14 PM

Originally posted by {PoSeIdOnAs}

...
--What does the best in basking the inside of the case in the light I want? LED fans or a CCD neon tube on the bottom...or conjunction? I am assuming a conjuction of the 2 is best.

--If I used LED fans and UV sensitive IDE cables, would the light seem to match O.K. or would the different sources cause contradicting results?

--Is it better to use CCD neon on bottom and then use the regular colored plastic-coated IDE rounded cables or to use a UV light next to the neon and use UV-sensitive IDE cables?

LED fans and CC's work best in conjunction.

UV sensitive cables and LED fans would look great, though you need a UV cathode somewhere

Personally, I use a cathode in the top and bottom, if you were going to go with UV cables, I'd put the UV in the bottom.

Originally posted by shad1097
I am thinking of using the USB led lighting it's pretty simple to hook up and one less wire to worry about sodering.
I found even Circuit City and Best Buy are selling case mod fan's and LED lighting and lighted power supplies so now you aren't limited to shopping just online for them or at the local rip off shops anymore.

Soldering? You don't have to solder anything. And Best Buy etc tend to overprice there items, by alot.

:cheers:

**Wordbiker** · 01-07-2004, 10:16 PM

Originally posted by {PoSeIdOnAs}

I wanted the generic case light coloring to be Blue. Wiring is the only thing I wanted to be different colors.

Now to the questions....

--What does the best in basking the inside of the case in the light I want? LED fans or a CCD neon tube on the bottom...or conjunction? I am assuming a conjuction of the 2 is best.

--If I used LED fans and UV sensitive IDE cables, would the light seem to match O.K. or would the different sources cause contradicting results?

--Is it better to use CCD neon on bottom and then use the regular colored plastic-coated IDE rounded cables or to use a UV light next to the neon and use UV-sensitive IDE cables?

I know the dust issue with UV light....and that is the worst "enemy" i guess.

Oh...and do you know of anyone who has Electro-luminescent rounded IDE cables and floppy ones too? I saw xoxide's SATA ones and they look cool :)

Basic rule of thumb: The more light it throws, the more power it will use and the more heat it will create. Something to consider.

Cold cathodes will give you the most light, UV or colored, but the larger ones can be hard to place inside the case and not have them show. I'd go with AMD_man's suggestion of combining the two, using the cold cathodes (one or two is plenty) for your blue lighting, and perhaps some aimable UV LEDs to light up whatever parts you decide to buy in UV sensitive. They should work fine paired up.

Another thing to consider: fans are available with UV LEDs and colored sensitive plastic. They're not as vibrant as colored LEDs, but they'll pick up on any other UV light source in your case, and although they don't require a second UV lamp, don't count on them to light up other UV sensitive bits and pieces.....they just don't put out much light. If you are having a tough time fitting lights, you may consider cold cathode fangrills in UV and colors, or there are fans with these light rings already installed, saving you some wiring.

Last bit of advice: Placement is the key. No matter what lighting scheme you come up with, think about where and what you want lit up, and just do enough to light that. Too many lights can be pretty irritating and distracting, especially if they're flashing or you sleep with your comp running (I put in just a simple baybus with 4 LEDs.....and at night my entire room was blue!)so plan for an off switch somewhere, or several to have different effects.

My fave place for lighting mod stuff isSVC.com. They have decent products and decent service. I'd say better things about them but I just got an EL wire kit from them with the wire missing :mad:. They've always made any mistakes right (though I wish they had fewer of them) and I think they may have those EL wire IDE cables. You might also check Directron.com. They have nearly everything. :wow:

Good luck with your mods! :thumb:

**{PoSeIdOnAs}** · 01-10-2004, 09:33 AM

thanks aLOT for the input guys :) I'll check into SVC.com (i checked directron.com already but apparently not extensively enough). I have been getting more valuable info instead of rambling here than the forums at futuremark (sorry if I offend anyone who posts there....you're probably not included anyway in my remark lol)

what I had planned was to use the CC-lighted + LED fans (2 on front, 2 on back, 1 on side...all blue) and to use EL device cables. I wasnt sure if i should get a cold-cathode tube to put on the bottom or top of the case.....

as for the wiring i wanted different colors for each channel to the mobo.....like blue for SATA and yellow for IDE CDRWs and violet/purple for floppy or orange, and green for the HardDrives. The regular plastic coated cables would look fine with the blue light all over the place would it?

I dont mind the light.......it may glare onto my eyeglasses when i try playing games though......but I can live with it or turn it off somehow......

by the way.. do they sell pre-setup kits to put a switch to turn off the LEDs and stuff?

**Wordbiker** · 01-10-2004, 11:54 AM

Wiring fans and lights isn't too tough. There are typically only 2 or 3 wires, a black neutral, a red power, and for fans a yellow RPM monitor lead. For LEDs and other lights, make sure whether it's designed to run from the 12V or the 5V lead from your PSU. (Black and red on the device do NOT necessarily connect to black and red on the PSU!) Get this wrong and your lights will burn out. Although I personally prefer to solder and shrinktube my wiring, you can do a nice job using solderless crimp connectors found in the auto electrical department that can be crimped on with pliers. You'll still be cutting and stripping wires. To add a switch, interrupt the red power lead on the device with the switch. I wouldn't recommend cutting into your PSU wiring unless you feel VERY confident you know what you're doing.
If you're really against cutting your wires, or you're planning to change things out a lot, consider a baybus that includes on/off switches for lights in addition to the fan speed rheostats. These often have 3 pin headers on the back that need no solder, and you won't have to put any holes in your case. You will still need adapters, extensions and splitters to get everything plugged in, but if you bundle them all up with zip ties or velcro it can still be done in a tidy fashion. To further clean it up for airflow and appearance, check out split loom sheathing or spiral wrap. Both of these are easily removed for changing things later.
Good luck with the mods! : peace2:

**DaemonLee** · 01-21-2004, 08:58 AM

Damn. SVC got some good deals.

**Pakman{GB}** · 02-14-2004, 10:29 PM

I can get you 2 12" cathodes 14$

**Wordbiker** · 02-15-2004, 03:00 PM

Originally posted by Pakman{GB}

I can get you 2 12" cathodes 14$

Hmmm....I just picked up a pair of 12" blue cold cathodes for $5 on sale at Xoxide. Deals can be found all over the place. :devil win

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Which is best? LED / UV / CCD lighting

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