CrazyPC EL Neon Wire Kit

A simple and easy mod that's limited only by your imagination. We check out this easy kit from CrazyPC.

Features

• Green Electroluminescent Wire Kit

• Plenty of lead wire so that you can get your EL neon wire to the proper starting spot

• Includes on/off switch and flashing function (light blinks on/off)

• Can be used with car cigarette light adapter to provide accent lighting for  your vehicle interior. (See options)

• Neon Wire is about 6ft long

Specifications (EL Neon Wire Kit)

• Inverter Power Input: 12 Volt DC

• Inverter Connector: 4pin molex

• EL Neon Wire Length: Approximately 6 ft

• EL Neon Wire Diameter: 3mm or approximately 1/8" thickness

• Lead wire to EL Neon Wire length is 13 inches

• Input wire from 4pin molex to inverter is approximately 20 inches

• Output wire from inverter is approximately 18 inches

As you can see in the features, unlike most EL Wire kits, the CrazyPC kit has the ability to flash as will as the obligatory On/Off functions. This helps to differentiate it from the rest of the pack, but as an end user, only you can say if it's a function that attracts you.

Usually with something like this it comes in sealed packaging, leaving you either with numb fingers from cutting it open with scissors or like an idiot because you can't even get in the box, but the packaging for the CrazyPC EL Neon Wire kit is simple and easy to get into. Inside you get the kit itself, and the front 'cover' doubles up as instructions/information.

Starting with the Inverter, we can see that it's nicely sealed up and has a three position switch for On – Flash – Off. Power comes via a female Molex, although I would have liked to have seen a pass-through connector here instead of a single connection. Everything feels well built, and while not small, the Inverter should be easy enough to hide if you so wish.

Moving along the cabling, the Inverter is connected to the EL Neon Wire via a push-pull connection which may help you while routing; you can disconnect the EL Wire, route it and then connect it up to the Inverter afterwards.

The EL Wire itself is quite pliable and heat-shrinked on one end with a white cap on the other. The wire itself is over a metre long, so you have plenty here to play with.

Powering, the Green EL Neon Wire we have here isn't overly bright, but just the other side of subtle which is nice. It's a really good shade of green too and should match any other green items you may have.

So what can you do with it? Well, we've mentioned back-lighting your keyboard, although that's probably not the easiest of mods for anyone new to this. More simple you could route the cable behind your motherboard for a neat back-light effect. How about wrapping it around cables or your watercooling pipework. Those of you with windows could outline the window or create a shape from the wire. Plenty of possibilities, you just need to use your imagination, and with over a metre to play with you should have quite a few ideas.

Here I've simply route the wire around a few components in my case. All of 5 minutes to install, and that's without using my imagination. A little more time and care can produce some really neat effects.

Final Words

There isn't much to say about a product like this. It either works or it doesn't; it's either good or bad. In this case, it both works, is great in use and cheap to boot.

The packaging isn't really of much relevance to a product, but I for one hate spending more time getting to the product than I do installing it, so it's nice that the comes in an easily accessible pack. The instructions included are simple, as is the product but do provide a few ideas for use as well.

The Inverter, while not tiny, is small enough to be hidden should you so wish, and the wire itself is pliable and easily routed pretty much anywhere. You also get over a metre so plenty of wire for your creative imagination.

Don't expect a bright light such as that of a laser LED or even a cold cathode. The , at least the green version we have here, produces an almost subtle effect which I find very pleasing. Also, go one step further with their kit in that the inverter can be set to flash the light as well as simply on or off. Overall the is a cheap and easy way to light up your case/keyboard/desk/whatever and provide more scope than LED fans or a Cold Cathode can provide due to it's versatility.

HOME