Cold Cathode and Flexiglow Cable™ Kits

	Reviewed by: Titch. Manufacturer: Flexiglow. Price: TBA

Introduction.

Well, if you read my Bubble Light review you will be aware that though very impressed with them I do like the very clean and uniformed lighting effect produced by EL lighting. I somehow over the years have collected Cold Cathodes and possess about 15 kits from various manufactures that I have bought. There are a few things that I have found in common with them though, not impressive life-spans, untidy wiring and they never produce a red that is acceptable ( in my eyes ). Therefore it will come as little surprise that my expectations before starting this review was not of the highest. How very very wrong I can be!!!!

"Flexiglow is a company that I had not heard of until now. They were founded in 1998 and are based in both Hong Kong and Australia. They specialize in fancy lighting effects for all sectors of the industry from automobiles to model builders and sign displays to advertising. They are now making a move into the PC modding field with a range of awe inspiring products. If you visit their site, it does not take much to conclude that if they transfer just a modicum of their talents to the PC world, then we are in for a treat."from Bubble Light Review.

Technical Spec.

Cold Cathode:

• Up to 80% brighter than standard Auto neons.
• Acrylic casing with a thickened internal diameter to prevent breakage.
• Lightly tinted casing for improved color.
• Only 10mm in diameter – small enough to fit anywhere.
• Custom end cubes with velcro strips that enable easy mounting.
• Inverter is sealed inside a durable black plastic box to prevent short circuit and accidental damage.
• Full instructions included to assist in installation.

Optional Extras

• Sonic driver with ON/OFF and sensitivity adjuster.
• Jam Nut switch to connect to your PC.
• Molex Y-splitter to connect to your PC
• Three way Driver to run up to 3 sets of Cold Cathode Tubes.
• Cigarette Jack.

Flexiglow Cable™

• 2.3mm, 3.2mm or 5mm diameter cable options.
• Flexiglow Cable™ comes in easy to install standard kits.
• Flexiglow Cable™ can be cut and re-connected at any point and installed around curved or on flat surfaces.
• The Inverter in the kits can power up to 10m of Cable. It also has an On/OFF/Flash switch and a dimmer dial.

Component Options

• Sonic driver with ON/OFF and sensitivity adjuster.
• Jam Nut switch to connect to your PC.
• Molex Y-splitter to connect to your PC
• Cigarette Jack.

In The Box.

Cold Cathode.

The cold cathode comes in a very standard vacuum packet. On initial inspection there is very little to separate this product from all of the rest on the shelf.

On opening the packet and a very different story starts to appear. The packet contain a cold cathode, inverter and a sonic driver ( optional ).

The cathode comes in a protective tubing with velcro pads at each end. The wires from the cathode conveniently exit from the same side, unlike some cheap options.

The inverter is attached directly to the cathode and has one of those dinky plugs allowing you to either attach it directly to a sonic driver or to a molex connector ( via a converter plug ).

The sonic driver has been fully reviewed HERE.

Flexiglow Cable™.

The flexiglow comes in a bright and bulky box. On opening you see the type of setup that you begin to expect from Flexiglow, everything.

The cable is of a decent length and is attached to an appropriate inverter.

The box included instructions on how to cut a re-joint the cable so that you can customize it to your own needs. To further enhance this the kit includes the appropriate shrink rap to seal the cables. Great touch.

The inverter is more of a bulky affair with a bunch of wires sticking out of the bottom making it look like an octopus.

It comes with the on / off / flashing modes that you would expect from Flexiglow now as well as a rheostat to enable you to alter the strength of the glow. It also has a spare connector.

It is the wires from the inverter that causes the first problem with the Flexiglow Cable™. They are all shrink rapped making them fat and inflexible. With so many wires it becomes impossible to route them in a nice neat and convenient manner. Sadly it gets worse.

Operation.

Cold Cathode.

With the use of the velcro pad ( remember the adhesive takes about 12 hrs to fully set and can fall off until this time has passed. This is normal with all adhesives of this nature. ) you just peal of the paper backing and stick in in place. The same goes for the inverter. Now for the only bit of this product that disappointed me. The inverter and cold cathode are sealed together and not plugged. This makes stealthing your wired behind the motherboard etc. very difficult. A simple plug would have made a lot of difference.

With everything plugged in it was time to fire it up.

Now to start with, red is the hardest color to produce with cold cathodes. You are never left with a red, but either a pink or orange. The light color also has a tendency to be incipid. The cold cathode from Flexiglow creates a slightly orange red, but is the best coloration of red I have seen and produces a strong vibrant color. This is the best red cathode I have ever come across. It is simply excellent.

It is a well put together produce that produces an excellent color. It works flawlessly in constant on, flashing or sonic flashing. I personally have used the light to illuminate an acrylic shelf above The Testbed. In the open a light has to really shine, not to be lost and this light blends into no background. Will I buy another, OH YES...

Flexiglow Cable™

I love EL products. This one produces a light and flexibility that will not disappoint. The placing of the wire does take a bit of patience. In experience I have found that it is best to tape it into place and then when you are happy, stick it down with the use of a hot glue gun.

With the sheer flexibility of the wire ( though the inner cores can snap with repeated bending and straightening. ) the limitations are your imagination. This also is a lighting effect and not a source. Used in conjunction with cathodes, lasers, etc. it simply adds that final sparkle.

Once the wire had been attached it is time to plug it into the inverter. I have got to say that the inverter provided is simply hateful. The wires produce are inflexible and creates an unsightly block. The inverter has no velcro pads like the rest, but worse of all is the noise. This is the most obtrusive inverter of my very large collection. It is loud and of a pitch that is annoying and uncomfortable. Do I have a good thing to say about it, no.

The ability to adjust the intensity is nice, but with the on off switch as well, it makes just too many wires to hide.

As you can see however, the effect of the cable is excellent, its a nice consistent blue and the wire used is of a high grade.

Conclusion

Well, conclusion time. Before you think me harsh, remember this is the company that produces the Bubble Light and therefore, we can expect nothing but a high standard from them.

The cold cathode is an excellent product of high quality, well made, but with the smallest of flaws - a plug missing. Remember, when you are adding lighting to your pride a joys, the ability to stealth your wires is important, and this does make it a bit harder. In contrary the rich and vibrant red produced by the cathode is easily one of the best I have owned and one I have yet to see bettered. Sadly I cannot give it the highest award, as I feel it misses it by a hairs breadth due to the missing plug and will award it a Silver Award.

The Flexiglow Cable™ is a different kettle of fish. The product idea is excellent and is brilliantly put together until you hit the inverter. I have ended up putting mine in a plastic box and sealing it in expanding foam. Silence is golden, but the award is Bronze.

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