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Product:
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FlexiGlow EL Cable & Standard Cold Cathode Kit |
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Price:
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EL Cable $45 (CAN) / $30 (U.S), Cold Cathode Kit $35 (CAN) / $25 (U.S)
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Supplied By:
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FlexiGlow
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Author:
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Mantis
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Date:
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April 1st, 2003
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Rating:
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Click image for larger view
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Click image for larger view
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A set of 2 wires are routed out a single end of the FlexiGlow Standard Cold Cathode and into the encased
12V inverter. The overall length of the wire from the cathode to the 12V Inverter is rather short. Users
may want to solder on extensions which would allow them to hide the inverter and give more freedom when
placing the FlexiGlow Standard Cold Cathode. The 12V inverter comes housed in a small black project box
to eliminate any risk of shock or shorting the inverter out. The bottom portion of the 12V inverter
casing features an adhesive pad for mounting. Upon inspection, I noted that the casing was sealed shut
and lacked any ventilation options found on other inverter housings. Both the power wire and the wire
from the cathode are fed directly into the inverter housing, which prevents direct removal. The 12V
driver is capable of powering a single FlexiGlow Standard Cold Cathode, dual or triple support needs to
be obtained by either using the 12" Cold Cathode Kit with 3-way driver or purchasing the 3-way driver
separately.
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Cold cathode rocker switch
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Cold cathode molex connector
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The included jam nut rocker switch features quick disconnects for easy removal and mounting of the
switch. The switch is used to toggle between the ON and OFF modes supported. Users wishing to mount the
switch will have to use the washer attached to trace out a proper hole due to lack of a mounting
template in the package. The FlexiGlow Standard Cold Cathode obtains power via a Molex connector.
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Click image for larger view
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Click image for larger view
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The repair to the FlexiGlow EL Cable proved successful. Upon powering of the FlexiGlow EL Cable I was
impressed with the vibrant red color. Under low light conditions, the FlexiGlow EL Cable produces a
warm glow, in complete darkness the brightness is much more apparent and visible. I was unable to take
photographs of the FlexiGlow Standard Cold Cathode and FlexiGlow EL Cable beside each other due the EL
cable being drowned out by the cathodes brightness. The FlexiGlow EL Cable was run on maximum brightness
for a 24-hour period after which the cable was room temperature and produced little to no noticeable
heat. Similarly, the housed inverter was warm to the touch as mentioned in the specification sheet and
emitted a low pitch whining noise barely audible over the triple fan PSU. Users with extra quiet or
watercooled systems may want to wrap the inverter in some foam and place in a well-ventilated area. The
included dimmer knob effectively adjusted the brightness of the EL Cable from completely off to maximum
setting. Users should be aware that the FlexiGlow EL Cable is not a full out lighting solution and works
better to accent or emphasize certain areas such as case feet, blowholes, bezels etc. The recommended
bend diameter of the FlexiGlow EL Cable is 12mm, bending the cable anymore will result in a dead black
area on the cable.
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Click image for larger view
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Click image for larger view
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The FlexiGlow Standard Cold Cathode was run for a 24-hour period after which the inverter was slightly
warm. I also noted that the cathode itself ran a little warmer than others I have used in the past. The
illumination was very bright and lit up objects several feet away. In order to test FlexiGlow Standard
Cold Cathode I paired it up against a PC Toys 12" Green Cold Cathode which also uses a tinted acrylic
casing. From the above photograph, you can clearly see that the FlexiGlow Standard Cold Cathode (bottom)
was much brighter than the PC Toys competitor (top). I also paired the FlexiGlow Standard Cold Cathode
(bottom) beside the recently reviewed FlexiGlow Dual 6" Bubble Lights (top) that utilize a single ultra
bright LED in each tube to illuminate solid acrylic rods with bubbles inside. I will let the above
photograph speak for itself.
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Conclusion:
The FlexiGlow EL Cable and Standard Cold Cathode revisit some traditional yet still very popular
lighting products for the case modding enthusiast. The overall build quality with some minor exceptions
of both the products was impressive with performance to match. The FlexiGlow EL Cable offers a very
versatile lighting option for detailed areas with low heat and good luminosity and is available in
colors to accommodate most users needs. The ability to cut and add sections at any given point allows
for many possibilities. The FlexiGlow Standard Cold Cathode proved to outperform both lighting solutions
I had available for testing. There is some room for potential improvements on both of the products,
which I will address. A simple push switch would aid the EL wire’s functionality and allow for easier
mounting, this was also noted on the Bubble Lights. I would have liked to see a longer wire from the
cathode to the inverter as well as a more versatile 12V inverter that allows the power and cathode to
be unplugged easily. No dual or triple cathode support is available on the Standard Cathode model yet
this might be done to keep costs down. Regardless, dual or triple cathode supported inverter would be
ideal and prevent users with the Standard kits from having to purchase the additional 3-Way driver.
Overall, I’m rating the FlexiGlow EL Cable an 8.5 out of 10 and
and the FlexiGlow Standard Cold Cathode an 8 out of 10.
If you have any questions regarding this review be sure to visit the FlexiGlow
website for more information or discuss them in our forums.
NOTE: MTB has been informed by FlexiGlow that Canadian residents can locate the FlexiGlow EL
Cable and 12" Cold Cathode tubes at Bigfoot Computers.
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Pros:
- FlexiGlow EL Cable: Extremely Versatile
- FlexiGlow EL Cable: Included Dimmer Knob
- FlexiGlow EL Cable: Low Heat
- FlexiGlow EL Cable: Bright
- FlexiGlow EL Cable: Inverter can power up to 10 meters
- FlexiGlow EL Cable: Excellent Documentation
- FlexiGlow Standard Cold Cathode: Very Bright
- FlexiGlow Standard Cold Cathode: Acrylic end caps & Velcro
- FlexiGlow Standard Cold Cathode: Quality Construction
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Cons:
- FlexiGlow EL Cable: Poor Solder Joint
- FlexiGlow EL Cable: Noise emitted from Inverter
- FlexiGlow EL Cable: Substandard Switch
- FlexiGlow Standard Cold Cathode: Included inverter only supports one cathode
- FlexiGlow Standard Cold Cathode: Un-accessible cathode and Power headers
- FlexiGlow Standard Cold Cathode: Short Wire from Cathode to inverter
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