oznium cathode kit questions
08-25-2005 | 08:35 AM
#1
Thread Starter
Senior Member
SL Member
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 1,178
From: Bremerton, WA
oznium cathode kit questions
I tried searching, but nothing could give me a complete answer. But if you can find something, then by all means, punt me in that direction 
I'm looking to buy a set of Oznium 4-inch white cold cathodes for my tC (clicky). I want something subtle for interior lighting, but not too ricey, so I think that this smaller kit is the way to go. I want to wire them so that they turn on when I unlock/open the doors, but still have access to them with a rocker switch; I basically want to turn them off during the day.
So here are my questions:
1 - Anyone buy these small ones? Is there enough slack between the tubes that I wouldn't need to splice/extend the wires? With cathodes that small, I don't think there would be enough slack so I could mount them under the dash without having to make the wires longer. Am I wrong? Extending wires shouldn't be too bad -- I'm a total noob when it comes to logistics in electronics, but I can solder a modchip onto an XBox. So I'm sure I could splice and extend some wires where needed. hehe.
And on a similar note, how/where would I mount the transformer for the cathode tubes?
2 - I tried searching for a detailed layout of the fuse panel for the tC, and all I could find was this (clicky). Is there a picture out there? ...Which fuse do I have to tap into so that the cathodes would turn on when I unlock the doors? I'm guessing the dome light. I haven't opened my fuse box yet, so I'm unsure if the 2005's box is different from the 06's.
3 - With how I want them wired, would it still be possible to have them connected to a rocker switch? I'm thinking that I'd have to daisy chain the positive wire from the cathodes to the rocker switch, and then the rocker switch to the correct fuse in the panel. Is that correct?
Thanks for any and all help, guys.
I'm looking to buy a set of Oznium 4-inch white cold cathodes for my tC (clicky). I want something subtle for interior lighting, but not too ricey, so I think that this smaller kit is the way to go. I want to wire them so that they turn on when I unlock/open the doors, but still have access to them with a rocker switch; I basically want to turn them off during the day.
So here are my questions:
1 - Anyone buy these small ones? Is there enough slack between the tubes that I wouldn't need to splice/extend the wires? With cathodes that small, I don't think there would be enough slack so I could mount them under the dash without having to make the wires longer. Am I wrong? Extending wires shouldn't be too bad -- I'm a total noob when it comes to logistics in electronics, but I can solder a modchip onto an XBox. So I'm sure I could splice and extend some wires where needed. hehe.
And on a similar note, how/where would I mount the transformer for the cathode tubes?
2 - I tried searching for a detailed layout of the fuse panel for the tC, and all I could find was this (clicky). Is there a picture out there? ...Which fuse do I have to tap into so that the cathodes would turn on when I unlock the doors? I'm guessing the dome light. I haven't opened my fuse box yet, so I'm unsure if the 2005's box is different from the 06's.
3 - With how I want them wired, would it still be possible to have them connected to a rocker switch? I'm thinking that I'd have to daisy chain the positive wire from the cathodes to the rocker switch, and then the rocker switch to the correct fuse in the panel. Is that correct?
Thanks for any and all help, guys.
08-25-2005 | 10:49 AM
#2
Former Sponsor
Scikotics
SL Member
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 849
From: Bay Area, CA
Hey MAGNETIC!
You might also be interested in the UV - Blacklight cathodes. They give a really neat effect
You'll probably want to put a diode between the dome light positive signal and rocker switch. I think these diodes can be bought at radio shack for 25 cents each. Just need one... Part number 1N4001 It is a standard diode... You need the diode so that the dome light doesn't turn on when you flip the rocker switch.
The wires between the cathodes IS long enough so you can fit one tube on one side, the other tube on the other side, and the transformer in between on the Scion TC. I just did it tonight with no problems.
There is one concernt though, because the cathodes need a pretty constant 12v input. If the dome light fades out, and gives 10... 8... 6.. .... volts, the cathodes will die pretty quickly.
I'm not sure if the dome light on Scions fades or just turns off. You could use a relay, or a latching relay to work around this.
All the photos are from my friends beautiful white TC which I installed some red cathodes on:
Click on any of the images to view them fullsize!
You start with the 2 cathodes and transformer. The cathodes plug into one side, and the red/black power wire plugs into the other side:
There are a few methods for getting power to the transformer:
1) Tap into the fuse box
2) Tap into the back of the cig lighter
3) Run a new wire from the car battery, through a rubber grommet in the firewall, and under the dash.
you must fuse!
Every electrical component in your car should be fused. A fuse protects valuable components as well as the wiring running to them. If a component malfunctions and tries to pull more current than the wire can handle, an un-fused wire would melt and possibly start a fire.
Each cathode kit draws about half an amp of current. It is recommend that you use a 2 to 3 amp fuse for 1 to a few kits. The fuse rating can be slightly higher than the combined amperage draw, but don't use a 10 or 20 amp fuse!
The fuse should be placed as close as possible to the power source. If you are running a new wire directly from the battery, try to put an inline fuse - in a waterproof fuse holder - within a few inches from the positive terminal.
There are likely 2 fuse boxes in your car: in the engine bay, and under the dash.
To install cathodes under the dash, it probably makes most sense to tap into the fuse box right there.
In the Scion TC, the fuse box is under the dash. You've gotta get on your back and stick your head under there to see it. This is what the cover panel looks like. It just pops right off:
and there are 2 methods of doing this!
Ghetto-rig it by twisting a stripped wire onto a fuse lead before pushing it into the holder. Hopefully there are some empty slots in the fuse box. And hopefully they are already powered. Some are probably powered when the key is in the ON or ACC position, while other may be powered even when the key is not in the ignition.
There are 2 sides to the holder of a fuse box. There is the side that is powered, and then there is the side that is fused. You must put the power wire into the fused side, otherwise the fuse does no good, for it is completely bypassed - connected directly to the powered side. To figure out which is which, you could carefully touch the power wire to either side of an empty fuse holder slot. Of course, you will need to ground the black wire. And if the cathodes light up, you have found the powered side.
Put the power wire into the other side - the fused side, and push the fuse in. The lights should then light up... Because power is flowing from the powered side, through the fuse, and to the power wire of the cathodes.
Or you can buy something called "Add-a-Circuit" which makes for a cleaner install. It is about $10 at your local auto part store. You might have to try a few different stores until you can find it. It lets you tap into a slot which is already occupied by a fuse.
For some installations, it might be easy to tap into the back wires of your cig plug. You can easily tap power and ground there. You could use a wire stripper to carefully strip part of the wire back, twist on your new wire, solder the connection, and then tape with electrical tape. Or you could try using some T-tap connectors, although they are not too reliable. The polarity (which is positive/which is ground) is not readily apparent when looking at the 2 wires coming out of the cig plug. If you can figure out which one goes to the inner "nipple" on the plug, you've found the positive. The ground wire goes to the outer metal "case" of the plug.
You need to ground the black wire coming out of the cathode transformer. Pretty much any metal part in the car which is connected to the chassis will work. You could use a factory grounding point, use another convenient bolt on BARE (non painted) metal, or you could drill your own hole somewhere and use a self-tapping screw.
You could just strip a fairly long portion of the black wire (maybe 2 inches) and wrap it around a metal bolt or part. But this isn't too reliable.
Instead you can use an O-ring terminal and a crimp tool to crimp the wire. Then secure this ring to a metal point.
Remove the driver side kick panel and there is a 10mm bolt revealed. Under the plastic is a nice metal grounding point.
To re-cap, you've connected the black wire to ground, and connected the red wire to your FUSED power source. By now, the cathodes should be lit.
Next you probably want to add a switch so you can turn them on/off.
A switch cuts/connects the circuit. The most common switch has 2 metal prongs. Cut your red power wire, strip back a bit on each end you just cut, and connect the 2 ends to your switch. When you flip the switch the cathodes should turn on/off.
You can either solder the wires to the switch prongs, or you can use female spade crimp terminals and a crimp tool.
Some switches are lighted switches, meaning they have a light that turns on when the switch is in the on position. If you want this feature, you must run a black ground wire from the GROUND terminal on the switch to your grounding point on the car. The other 2 terminals will be: constant power, and accessory power. Constant power goes to your fuse, and accessory power to your cathodes.
some basic skills you should be familiar with
Stripping wire: Most of the wire you deal with in the car has strands of copper wound together, and a fairly durable plastic insulation. Some crazy people claim they can strip wire with their teeth! Otherwise you can use a sharp knife, a pair of wire cutters (takes some practice so you don't end up just cutting the wire), or a pair of wire strippers made specifically for stripping different gauges (thicknesses) of wire.
Wire stripping tool:
Extending wires: Cut the wire. Strip about half an inch of the wire on each end that you just cut. Find some new wire, cut it to the length that you want you extension to be. Strip both ends of this new wire. You now have 4 stripped ends of wires. Twist the wires together to create your "splice". You can then solder the wires, and use heat shrink tubing or electrical tape to seal the connections. You could also use butt-connectors and a crimp tool.
Crimping wires: Strip the wire about a quarter to half of an inch. Insert into the terminal (ring, spade, butt, etc). Insert the terminal into the crimp tool, and crimp! You should be using a REAL crimping tool (rather than pliers) so that you get reliable crimps. After crimping, pull a bit on the wire to make sure it is snug. Connectors come in all different varieties and sizes. For safety, look for the insulated ones.
Crimping tool:
By now you should have your fuse power wire running to a switch. The other end of the switch runs to your positive wire on your cathode transformer. The black wire of the cathode transformer is grounded.
Mounting the transformer and cathode tubes is usually done with cable ties. There are plenty of things to "tie" them to under the dash. Play around with the placement and see which gives you the best lighting effect. Try to keep the tubes out of the way of feet and out of plain sight. Most of the time, it is better to see the diffused (while still BRIGHT) glow from the tubes, than the tubes themselves.
all lit up & beautiful
You might also be interested in the UV - Blacklight cathodes. They give a really neat effect
You'll probably want to put a diode between the dome light positive signal and rocker switch. I think these diodes can be bought at radio shack for 25 cents each. Just need one... Part number 1N4001 It is a standard diode... You need the diode so that the dome light doesn't turn on when you flip the rocker switch.
The wires between the cathodes IS long enough so you can fit one tube on one side, the other tube on the other side, and the transformer in between on the Scion TC. I just did it tonight with no problems.
There is one concernt though, because the cathodes need a pretty constant 12v input. If the dome light fades out, and gives 10... 8... 6.. .... volts, the cathodes will die pretty quickly.
I'm not sure if the dome light on Scions fades or just turns off. You could use a relay, or a latching relay to work around this.
All the photos are from my friends beautiful white TC which I installed some red cathodes on:
Click on any of the images to view them fullsize!
You start with the 2 cathodes and transformer. The cathodes plug into one side, and the red/black power wire plugs into the other side:
There are a few methods for getting power to the transformer:
1) Tap into the fuse box
2) Tap into the back of the cig lighter
3) Run a new wire from the car battery, through a rubber grommet in the firewall, and under the dash.
you must fuse!
Every electrical component in your car should be fused. A fuse protects valuable components as well as the wiring running to them. If a component malfunctions and tries to pull more current than the wire can handle, an un-fused wire would melt and possibly start a fire.
Each cathode kit draws about half an amp of current. It is recommend that you use a 2 to 3 amp fuse for 1 to a few kits. The fuse rating can be slightly higher than the combined amperage draw, but don't use a 10 or 20 amp fuse!
The fuse should be placed as close as possible to the power source. If you are running a new wire directly from the battery, try to put an inline fuse - in a waterproof fuse holder - within a few inches from the positive terminal.
There are likely 2 fuse boxes in your car: in the engine bay, and under the dash.
To install cathodes under the dash, it probably makes most sense to tap into the fuse box right there.
In the Scion TC, the fuse box is under the dash. You've gotta get on your back and stick your head under there to see it. This is what the cover panel looks like. It just pops right off:
and there are 2 methods of doing this!
Ghetto-rig it by twisting a stripped wire onto a fuse lead before pushing it into the holder. Hopefully there are some empty slots in the fuse box. And hopefully they are already powered. Some are probably powered when the key is in the ON or ACC position, while other may be powered even when the key is not in the ignition.
There are 2 sides to the holder of a fuse box. There is the side that is powered, and then there is the side that is fused. You must put the power wire into the fused side, otherwise the fuse does no good, for it is completely bypassed - connected directly to the powered side. To figure out which is which, you could carefully touch the power wire to either side of an empty fuse holder slot. Of course, you will need to ground the black wire. And if the cathodes light up, you have found the powered side.
Put the power wire into the other side - the fused side, and push the fuse in. The lights should then light up... Because power is flowing from the powered side, through the fuse, and to the power wire of the cathodes.
Or you can buy something called "Add-a-Circuit" which makes for a cleaner install. It is about $10 at your local auto part store. You might have to try a few different stores until you can find it. It lets you tap into a slot which is already occupied by a fuse.
For some installations, it might be easy to tap into the back wires of your cig plug. You can easily tap power and ground there. You could use a wire stripper to carefully strip part of the wire back, twist on your new wire, solder the connection, and then tape with electrical tape. Or you could try using some T-tap connectors, although they are not too reliable. The polarity (which is positive/which is ground) is not readily apparent when looking at the 2 wires coming out of the cig plug. If you can figure out which one goes to the inner "nipple" on the plug, you've found the positive. The ground wire goes to the outer metal "case" of the plug.
You need to ground the black wire coming out of the cathode transformer. Pretty much any metal part in the car which is connected to the chassis will work. You could use a factory grounding point, use another convenient bolt on BARE (non painted) metal, or you could drill your own hole somewhere and use a self-tapping screw.
You could just strip a fairly long portion of the black wire (maybe 2 inches) and wrap it around a metal bolt or part. But this isn't too reliable.
Instead you can use an O-ring terminal and a crimp tool to crimp the wire. Then secure this ring to a metal point.
Remove the driver side kick panel and there is a 10mm bolt revealed. Under the plastic is a nice metal grounding point.
To re-cap, you've connected the black wire to ground, and connected the red wire to your FUSED power source. By now, the cathodes should be lit.
Next you probably want to add a switch so you can turn them on/off.
A switch cuts/connects the circuit. The most common switch has 2 metal prongs. Cut your red power wire, strip back a bit on each end you just cut, and connect the 2 ends to your switch. When you flip the switch the cathodes should turn on/off.
You can either solder the wires to the switch prongs, or you can use female spade crimp terminals and a crimp tool.
Some switches are lighted switches, meaning they have a light that turns on when the switch is in the on position. If you want this feature, you must run a black ground wire from the GROUND terminal on the switch to your grounding point on the car. The other 2 terminals will be: constant power, and accessory power. Constant power goes to your fuse, and accessory power to your cathodes.
some basic skills you should be familiar with
Stripping wire: Most of the wire you deal with in the car has strands of copper wound together, and a fairly durable plastic insulation. Some crazy people claim they can strip wire with their teeth! Otherwise you can use a sharp knife, a pair of wire cutters (takes some practice so you don't end up just cutting the wire), or a pair of wire strippers made specifically for stripping different gauges (thicknesses) of wire.
Wire stripping tool:
Extending wires: Cut the wire. Strip about half an inch of the wire on each end that you just cut. Find some new wire, cut it to the length that you want you extension to be. Strip both ends of this new wire. You now have 4 stripped ends of wires. Twist the wires together to create your "splice". You can then solder the wires, and use heat shrink tubing or electrical tape to seal the connections. You could also use butt-connectors and a crimp tool.
Crimping wires: Strip the wire about a quarter to half of an inch. Insert into the terminal (ring, spade, butt, etc). Insert the terminal into the crimp tool, and crimp! You should be using a REAL crimping tool (rather than pliers) so that you get reliable crimps. After crimping, pull a bit on the wire to make sure it is snug. Connectors come in all different varieties and sizes. For safety, look for the insulated ones.
Crimping tool:
By now you should have your fuse power wire running to a switch. The other end of the switch runs to your positive wire on your cathode transformer. The black wire of the cathode transformer is grounded.
Mounting the transformer and cathode tubes is usually done with cable ties. There are plenty of things to "tie" them to under the dash. Play around with the placement and see which gives you the best lighting effect. Try to keep the tubes out of the way of feet and out of plain sight. Most of the time, it is better to see the diffused (while still BRIGHT) glow from the tubes, than the tubes themselves.
all lit up & beautiful
08-25-2005 | 11:41 AM
#3
Thread Starter
Senior Member
SL Member
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 1,178
From: Bremerton, WA
Very impressive walkthrough, sir! That's just what I needed! I'm pretty convinced I'm going to do this in the coming weeks.
So I'm thinking this might be my shopping list for wiring this whole thing:
- 1A Diode. Type 1N4001
-3 amp mini-blade fuses
- (optional) one of those add-a-circuit thingies.
- The dome light on the tC does fade in and out. So I would most definitely need a relay. What kind of relay should I get? I'm not sure what kind I should be looking for.
- heat-shrink tubing for whatever splicing/extending I might be doing.
- if I need to extend some wires, I might need to get something smaller than the wire I've got laying around my room. 30-gauge perhaps?
Expect an order for a white CC kit from me in the near future. Thanks again!
-Lee
So I'm thinking this might be my shopping list for wiring this whole thing:
- 1A Diode. Type 1N4001
-3 amp mini-blade fuses
- (optional) one of those add-a-circuit thingies.
- The dome light on the tC does fade in and out. So I would most definitely need a relay. What kind of relay should I get? I'm not sure what kind I should be looking for.
- heat-shrink tubing for whatever splicing/extending I might be doing.
- if I need to extend some wires, I might need to get something smaller than the wire I've got laying around my room. 30-gauge perhaps?
Expect an order for a white CC kit from me in the near future. Thanks again!
-Lee
08-25-2005 | 10:04 PM
#5
Senior Member
Unique Scionikz
SL Member
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 3,360
From: Duarte, California
i got my 12" white cathodes from oznium.... they're bright as hell! i would recommend getting those instead of the 4" ones. i did the add-a-circuit method that ^^^ showed.
here's some pics:
here's some pics:
08-25-2005 | 10:15 PM
#6
Thread Starter
Senior Member
SL Member
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 1,178
From: Bremerton, WA
Originally Posted by KINGxOFxSKA
i got my 12" white cathodes from oznium.... they're bright as hell! i would recommend getting those instead of the 4" ones.
08-26-2005 | 08:19 AM
#7
Thread Starter
Senior Member
SL Member
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 1,178
From: Bremerton, WA
Originally Posted by Oznium.com
I've got these parts if you just want to get them from me.
I will draw a diagram for wiring the relay.
I will draw a diagram for wiring the relay.
j/k I'd gladly pay for those parts if they're a little cheaper than Radio Shack.Did a little researching on my own today and found out that fuse for the dome light is actually located in the fuse box in the engine bay. =\ Great. So it looks like I get to extend some wires! yaaay?
09-02-2005 | 02:37 PM
#17
Senior Member
Scikotics
SL Member
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 1,396
Oznium_com
Question? Is there anyway to have this hooked up to a cigarette lighter plug? I would love to put a couple of the 4" blue ones in the back and just run it to center console and use the cigarette plug ...kind of like a cell phone charger....and have a switch on the plug to turn on and off.....it would be a sweet plug and play deal!!!! Is it possible could you do it for some extra $$?? Let me know
Thanks
~Jason
Question? Is there anyway to have this hooked up to a cigarette lighter plug? I would love to put a couple of the 4" blue ones in the back and just run it to center console and use the cigarette plug ...kind of like a cell phone charger....and have a switch on the plug to turn on and off.....it would be a sweet plug and play deal!!!! Is it possible could you do it for some extra $$?? Let me know
Thanks
~Jason
09-02-2005 | 09:05 PM
#19
Former Sponsor
Scikotics
SL Member
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 849
From: Bay Area, CA
I've probably got some spare cig plugs laying around, I can send you. Do you need me to prewire everything?
You should always use a fuse. It depends what amp fuse you are currently using. A 3 amp fuse is fine for at least 5 or maybe 6 cathode kits.
You should always use a fuse. It depends what amp fuse you are currently using. A 3 amp fuse is fine for at least 5 or maybe 6 cathode kits.