My ColdCathode-ed Cabin Idea

theKnifeArtist

Fire on High!
Apr 6, 2006
2,332
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North Jersey
so. before i was all into my supra, i was in to computers. i read about em all the time..i put my money into em, i tuned them...and then i got my supra. heres a picture of my computer before i turned around into the automotive world.
p224497_1.jpg


so...the lights in my case are now usually off by the custom switch panel i made:naughty:.and just before i was in my car and thought, hmm its offly dark in here even with the lights above on...well i plan to replace those..but thats another story. back to those lights in my case. i have a total of 4 blue cold cathodes inside my case and thought i could spare one or two.

what i want to do it put in a blue cold cathode hidden under steering wheel area so when i open my doors, they illuminate, and when i close my doors...they shut off. maybe if i get really crafty i can put one on the passenger side as well.

neon_2lamp.jpg


this is what a cold cathode kit looks like for the PC. what you see is the dual cathode setup...i can always just hook one cathode up. how would i go about wiring these guys up the way i want.

thanks for any help.
 

lagged

1991 1JZ
Mar 30, 2005
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new rochelle
it just so happens that the power supplies used in pc's are 12volts, just like our cars.

so, you can take the 12v lead from one of the door lights and run that right to the cc tube, ground it, mount it, and youre done.
 

theKnifeArtist

Fire on High!
Apr 6, 2006
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North Jersey
ya see..i figured it was that easy..but then i thought...nahh it cant be that easy. well thanks. is there an easy way to find these wires or am i gonna have strip and use a voltmeter for a million different wires?
 

SupraDerk

The Backseat Flyer
Sep 17, 2005
546
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Tallahassee
I'm guessing this is 12V cause on PC red is 5V...but anyway it's easy. Find Integration Relay 1, looks like it's on the back of Junction Block 1 down in the driver's side kickpanel, the one with three rows of fuses on it. Find a Red and White wire coming off of it and you have the door courtesy line. Tap into this wire and feed it to the cathodes and ground them and bingo, there you go :biglaugh: . If anyone sees anything wrong feel free to correct me.

lighting.jpg
 

Cravin Boost

MMMM Smells like coolant
Nov 8, 2005
170
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Eugene OR
I dunna know personaly I think its best you keep your clothes on while searching for live wires. I think best thing to do would be to get a copy of the TSRM from ebay for ~$5.00 or there is a site(cant think of iot now) that has the TSRM online and you can use the wireing diagram from there. altho if your going to use the door lights just trace that circuit, and go from there. just my 2 coppers.
 

CRE

7M-GE + MAFT Pro + T = :D
Oct 24, 2005
3,485
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Denver, CO
I personally like the way the domelight dims and with a CC it's not going to be a smooth transition.... so I went with making a few boards with some ultrabright SMD LEDs.... they dim and I'm not worried about overdrawing and killing the integration relay. If I were to install CCs I'd use a relay or a high power transistor (such as a TIP41 or a TIP42) to feed the CCs.
 

CRE

7M-GE + MAFT Pro + T = :D
Oct 24, 2005
3,485
0
0
Denver, CO
CRE said:
I personally like the way the domelight dims and with a CC it's not going to be a smooth transition.... so I went with making a few boards with some ultrabright SMD LEDs.... they dim and I'm not worried about overdrawing and killing the integration relay. If I were to install CCs I'd use a relay or a high power transistor (such as a TIP41 or a TIP42) to feed the CCs.

Oh, as for where the tap for the signal, how about the lines feeding the small lamp which already lights the driver's footwell?
 

isnms

United States of America
Mar 30, 2005
2,145
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36
Oklahoma
i80.photobucket.com
CRE said:
Oh, as for where the tap for the signal, how about the lines feeding the small lamp which already lights the driver's footwell?
That is what I did; Tapped on another #74 wedge bulb socket and ran it over to the passenger side. Now both floorboards illuminate and dim :)
 

Allan_MA70

Banned
May 1, 2005
1,055
0
0
Melbourne, Australia
theKnifeArtist said:
so. before i was all into my supra, i was in to computers. i read about em all the time..i put my money into em, i tuned them...and then i got my supra. heres a picture of my computer before i turned around into the automotive world.
p224927_1.jpg


so...the lights in my case are now usually off by the custom switch panel i made:naughty:.and just before i was in my car and thought, hmm its offly dark in here even with the lights above on...well i plan to replace those..but thats another story. back to those lights in my case. i have a total of 4 blue cold cathodes inside my case and thought i could spare one or two.

what i want to do it put in a blue cold cathode hidden under steering wheel area so when i open my doors, they illuminate, and when i close my doors...they shut off. maybe if i get really crafty i can put one on the passenger side as well.

neon_2lamp.jpg


this is what a cold cathode kit looks like for the PC. what you see is the dual cathode setup...i can always just hook one cathode up. how would i go about wiring these guys up the way i want.

thanks for any help.

Not even water cooled :p
 

shaeff

Kurt is FTMFW x2!!!!
Staff member
Super Moderator
Mar 30, 2005
10,591
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Around
seriously. last time i dumped water on my computer, i was twitching for a week and a half. water cooled FTW.

:twitches:

-shaeff