Help Wires and Cold Cathodes...

C

Carnage

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Joined
Mar 18, 2008
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So I need help on cold cathodes.

I don't know where to start off...I got a pair of Logisys Cold Cathodes, came w/ inverter box and switch and junk. I also have a CoolerMaster Sniper case, which has a on off switch for the lights. so I cut off the switch, which had red and yellow wires, and I also cut off the on off wire from the case, red and black; so I can route it to it.

Then I realize, there's no power to power on the cathode. :cursing:

So I did more research, and saw what this guy did...he cut off the rest of everything, and left uhm, a red and black wire from the inverter and ran it to a switch and batteries.

Here's the link: http://www.diyphotography.net/create-wonderful-light-painting-art-using-a-cold-cathode

Then I'm stuck.

In other words ...I want to use the Snipers switch to turn on/off the cathodes without using a 3rd party switch and what not.

Can you guys help me!!!
 
cathode => inverter box => switch (was included with my cathodes) => power source.

Should just be plug-n-play..
 
I cut off the switch.. and i wanted to route them to another button...

Connecting to switch was Yellow and Red wires. I wanted to connect them to a red and black wire, but it didn't work. Any ideas?
 
Um, try red => red; and black => yellow.

I'm not sure about yellow but I know for certain red is universal positive(+) and black is universal negative(-), for the USA at least.

If you have a digital multimeter on hand you could hook it up to the switch and try turning it off/on with a power source on to find out which one is live by flipping the switch back and forth
 
I tried that. sparks were flying. :(
I read that yellow is power..but doesnt make sense
 
General rule in computers...
Black is ground
Yellow is +12V
Red is +5V
Orange is +3.3V

The wires on your cathodes are not the same as your case because everything should have a ground in a computer case. If you could post some pictures of what you have done I think we'll be able to help a little more.
 
metro said:
General rule in computers...
Black is ground
Yellow is +12V
Red is +5V
Orange is +3.3V

The wires on your cathodes are not the same as your case because everything should have a ground in a computer case. If you could post some pictures of what you have done I think we'll be able to help a little more.
Click to expand...

Ok, I will post some picks when I get back from work. I have to leave now :/

However...the pos and neg coming from the inverter...I connected those two the snipers switch..and it works; however it doesn't light up fully. like about an inch or so. It needs more juice. How will i do that?
 
Most likely, you're dealing with a +5vdc connection instead of the needed +12vdc. You have several options. When you get back, find me in vent or on the Tech Support Link in My sig. I'd be more than happy to lend some of my EE knowledge. ;)
 
ok, this is what i got..bare w/ me I also have another neg wire coming from the inverter...so its like a "Y"....

I tried connecting the red wire to the yellow wire, and it works find. But I can't toggle the switch :(


CCH.png
 
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well if the yellow is coming from your PSU that's the problem, I thought you meant that the cathod inverter was yellow. Just connect the sniper to the red/black wires.
 
err... well can't you just look at the 4-pin molex you cut off when you took off the switch that came with the cathode and see where the wires went into and then mimic that on the sniper?
 
It's complicated.

Works: Plug the black into the molex and red into the sniper; but cathode isn't as its fullest. (I think thats how I remembered when i did it.
 
Well, kinda. But it's not working properly. I also tried connecting the black wire from the inverter to the yellow molex. It lights up fully, but I can't turn it on and off.
 
You can't turn it off because it should be going through the sniper. Maybe the switch is defunct
 
I think I understand more now. Is there anything else hooked up to the light switch?
 
Carnage said:
just the other fan lights. i got work now ;-;
Click to expand...

fan lights are eating the power from the switch which is why it is dimmed. You either need to splice another molex from the psu on to double the power or take the cathode off the sniper switch and give it a separate one. Or live with the dim.

You really should have mentioned the fan lights earlier.
 
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