AlienBait
Enjoying the Hooka
- Joined
- Feb 19, 2007
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Recently another member asked me how to wire-up his Cold Cathode lights to an AC/DC converter that plugs directly into the wall. Since I went through the trouble of taking pictures and explaining the process, I thought I would post it here just in case some one else needed the info.
So, here it is:
When you order your Cold Cathode lights, they usually come 2 per pack and looks like this (this picture is from bombbudpuffa):
Before you begin, make sure the AC/DC converter that plugs into the wall is 12 Volts and can power the lights. The lights use 3.5 watts each, so for two lights (one blue transformer) your AC/DC converter should be able to handle at least 7 watts. The bigger the number, the better.
O.K., here is how to wire it up:
1) Cut and strip the wires on the transformer so you have these:
2) Make sure you have this socket:
3) Wire the socket to the transformer. Black to Black and Yellow to Red
4) If you have more than one transformer, wire them in parallel like this:
5) Wire up the AC/DC Converter like this using the other Socket that came with the Cold Cathode light. Black is ground and Yellow is +12 volts.
6) Plug in the sockets so you should have this:
7) Plug in the AC/DC converter and it should light up
.
Now, you may ask, "Why don't you just connect the blue transformer directly to the adapter? Why do you use the white plastic plugs?"
Well, I like to plan for the future. I use the 12volt adapter for other projects and want to be able to easily connect and dis-connect. Also, if you find that your adapter can't handle the power (e.g., you have a lot of CC lights), you can easily plug them into a computer power supply, like I did here:
http://www.marijuanapassion.com/forum/showthread.php?t=18128
There you have it. Hope that is useful.
So, here it is:
When you order your Cold Cathode lights, they usually come 2 per pack and looks like this (this picture is from bombbudpuffa):
Before you begin, make sure the AC/DC converter that plugs into the wall is 12 Volts and can power the lights. The lights use 3.5 watts each, so for two lights (one blue transformer) your AC/DC converter should be able to handle at least 7 watts. The bigger the number, the better.
O.K., here is how to wire it up:
1) Cut and strip the wires on the transformer so you have these:
2) Make sure you have this socket:
3) Wire the socket to the transformer. Black to Black and Yellow to Red
4) If you have more than one transformer, wire them in parallel like this:
5) Wire up the AC/DC Converter like this using the other Socket that came with the Cold Cathode light. Black is ground and Yellow is +12 volts.
6) Plug in the sockets so you should have this:
7) Plug in the AC/DC converter and it should light up
.
Now, you may ask, "Why don't you just connect the blue transformer directly to the adapter? Why do you use the white plastic plugs?"
Well, I like to plan for the future. I use the 12volt adapter for other projects and want to be able to easily connect and dis-connect. Also, if you find that your adapter can't handle the power (e.g., you have a lot of CC lights), you can easily plug them into a computer power supply, like I did here:
http://www.marijuanapassion.com/forum/showthread.php?t=18128
There you have it. Hope that is useful.
