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MK500 wrote:It would be interesting to see how well you could light a small work area (desk?) with a few of those. I would think the wattage has to be pretty low, as laptops have to run for a long time on batteries.

That is an interesting idea. I'd say the amount of light out would be more than, but very similar to what a normal laptop or monitor would put out. So you can turn off your lights now and put your computer screen on a white page, then get a good idea how much each screen would provide.

This is a nice video of of how LCD monitors work. It shows the unmasked backlight, each layer on top of the backlight and what they all do.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jiejNAUwcQ8

Has anyone every experimented with using CCFL tubes scavenged from old laptop back-lights for lighting? I would think they could be found easily for in quantity for free.

It would be interesting to see how well you could light a small work area (desk?) with a few of those. I would think the wattage has to be pretty low, as laptops have to run for a long time on batteries.

Of course modern laptops are moving to LED back-lights...but I'm thinking savaging the older back-lights; as they should be getting thrown away pretty often.

Hm, I always scavage whatever I can xD and Yes I did take this Cold Cathod out of screen, U will need converter for power it up, converter add first super voltage to fire a line of electric diffusion,or whetever it is, and then add less power becouse the line has been created - between anode and cathode XD .. u can try to find a chematic or ready one in internet ^_^

u can also scavage inverter form laptop and read a specification in pdf in internet on how to connect it to power to make it liht up ^_^

but those cold cathode lamps are preety cheap, propably cheaper would be to buy one with converter

there is another thing about it: when u will heat it up with 300V for example before starting it up the gas inside will heat and the preassure inside will go mad XD and u can power it up then - u got much more light than before. hoever it is dangerous and ucan just brake tube ;/ and its killing lifespan of it too.

oh one more thing do u know it is UV lamp ? XD it is just a white powder inside fluorescent to this light - is shining in 'white' colour , so white are not such bright as red ones,
(red colour also is not closing human eye aperture becouse it is seeing as a heat not a light so u can see better in dark with red ones ^_^ yay )

- About LEds-> i saw some electroiluminiscent panels-stickers, that u can cut with scissors and glue for example onto car and power up ^ ^ but idont remmember ho does it call ;/ its propably kind of electroilumunistent powder that is used as backlight in watches , I ma not sure o.o

they just have so little surface area that you have to add some to take heat away. Yes, still not as efficient as we'd all like... but a step closer at least.

they just have so little surface area that you have to add some to take heat away.

you could wire them up to your parkers, make sure however that they are approved or coppers could book you for them. just tap into the positive and negative of the parker light, the LED's draw very so it won't be a problem.