Interior cold cathode tubes.

16th April 2009, 17:51

Okay... I sinned.

I took off to Halfords and bought myself two of these little cathode tubes that plug straight into your cigarette lighter.

Still... I've decided to tear off the stupid cigarette lighter connecter bit and strip the wire back.

I also saw a thread not long ago (Can't remember where but I did steal the pic. Thank you whoever made it.) where someone drew up a plan for wiring these little kits.

So I re-designed it for my needs and for instruction when I come to actually wiring it.

But I need help.. See the little switch.. It's got two copper-coloured plates protruding from the rear of the switch, each with two little holes. (One at the front and one behind it.)

My question is... With the switch.. And that drawing.. how do I wire up two neons to the one wire from the cigarette lighter AND to the connectors on the back of the switch?

Just so you know... The lights are going underneath the front seats, out of the reach of possible kicks and close enough to both the front and back of the seat to give ample light across the whole of the floor.

16th April 2009, 18:02

16th April 2009, 19:05

are the lights going straight into the 12v source, IE there isnt a box that converts the voltage to the tubes, I remember ages ago when I was into the Neons the ones from e-bay had a little box that you plugged 2 tubes into then wired it up.

Anyway cant you just run both tubes from the switch, ie have the 12v wire going in and then attach both tubes to the other side.

16th April 2009, 19:09

There's a little clear box where the wires change.. I'm not 100% sure why. Lol.

Still.... The box has no openings or nothing so I can't take two lights from there...
And yeah.. I didn't know if I could do that or not. So I can just put both lights to the same 12v cable and the same ground cable?

Then connect bth to the same switch? Won't they interfere with each other or something?

I'm a total wiring noob.

16th April 2009, 19:16

Pics of this clear box would make things clearer, It could be a transformer, but I doubt it. We really needs pics as there are so many variations of what it could be.
Edit: excuse the pun, just realised lol

16th April 2009, 19:16

edit: Thats the word i was looking for.. Transformer.. thanks -Alex-

I dont think It would. Your already running a cigarette lighter and a neon tube, don't think its going to make much difference if you put another neon tube on there.

16th April 2009, 19:21

you want them both wired to the same switch? just wire them in series (negative of one tube to positive of next, then the second negative to earth) and they'll both come on when you flick the switch.

would've thought it was pretty simple?

16th April 2009, 19:35

Either wire them as above ^ (in series) or double up on the switch contacts. If you get me.