Jimbo Posted March 4, 2013 Posted March 4, 2013 I spent last weekend looking at different ways of back lighting the (magnificent) panels I got from Linden. I'm pretty nervous of drilling into the panel to insert an LED, as this is the kind of thing I normally screw up :) and risk ending up with no panel at all! I've also seen how an LED behind a panel causes brighter spots so isn't an even distribution. Searching various forums I came across EL tape and panels, which look like they'd do the job but at a hefty price (well beyond my budget at least), Ithen remembered that I have a broken old 15" LCD in the loft and perhaps it may have an EL panel as the back light... No such luck! On takign it apart I found it has 2 fluorescent tubes side lighting a clear bit of acrylic. BUT.. I found the acrylic to give a PERFECT and even light distribution when I put a couple of LEDs onto it. I believe it is PMMA acrylic and bounces the light forward. Pictures speak 1000 words (and this is hard to describe!! As always, this looks better in person and less washed out) I wonder if any of the guys with a laser engraver could replicate the refraction pattern? Could be a cheap solution. Jim
Gremlin77 Posted March 4, 2013 Posted March 4, 2013 Will try this doing a piece of acrylic with some different patterns. Will look, what works best. Very nice idea, thank you! visit my build thread Gremlin's A-10 :thumbup: http://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?t=86916
Hansolo Posted March 4, 2013 Posted March 4, 2013 Looks great Jimbo :thumbup: 132nd Virtual Wing homepage & 132nd Virtual Wing YouTube channel My DCS-BIOS sketches & Cockpit Album
Gremlin77 Posted March 4, 2013 Posted March 4, 2013 (edited) Tried several Patterns with different depths and what should I say? Works phantastic. Will send "Night pictures" later, cause I cannot darken my electronics room. Damn, you saved my life, 'cause I thought I have to redo all my panels which have no backlight. Now I just will engrave a litte pattern to it. Think we should try what happens when you just sand the acrylic with a 100 corn. Perhaps this will work too. There are no real differences if the engraving is deep or only on top. Here are the trials: Edited March 4, 2013 by Gremlin77 visit my build thread Gremlin's A-10 :thumbup: http://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?t=86916
Gremlin77 Posted March 4, 2013 Posted March 4, 2013 Here are nearly night results with only one LED Sorry for bad camera, look better real life.... visit my build thread Gremlin's A-10 :thumbup: http://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?t=86916
agrasyuk Posted March 4, 2013 Posted March 4, 2013 Looks very interesting indeed. Requires thicker acrylic sheet though , at least 3mm to house the LED flat. Or Perhaps a sandwich of 2.3mm ( "standard" thickness clear sheet, cheap and abundant). Anton. My pit build thread . Simple and cheap UFC project
metalnwood Posted March 4, 2013 Posted March 4, 2013 I will give it a go too :) A tried a sample of endlighten a little while ago. It's an acrylic that has not pattern on it but it says it has some internal structure that bounces the light out the top. It was OK but if this works then that beats buying some special more expensive acrylic.
Jimbo Posted March 4, 2013 Author Posted March 4, 2013 The other thing worth mentioning is that the acrylic is backed with a shiny, white plastic film, i guess this helps reflect the light back up. The piece I have is 4mm thick, so a bit chunky when you consider the layers involved in a panel. I have my team at work dismantling all our old laptops (for environmental recycling reasons cough cough). I hope to find a thinner panel to try with.
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