Want to do a Keyboard Lighting mod

S

SandTiger

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Oct 17, 2004
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Hiya guys, I really want to do a keyboard lighting mod..

I am imagining a keyboard with black keys, underlit with a green light

I have read about the el light mods and the wires that go under the keys, that seems easy enough to follow with the guides. But, the inverter is FREAKING LOUD. I have one. I got one that was for a car cigarette lighter plug, and rewired it to a molex conector, so its 12 volts. But I can hear it across 3 rooms.. No Way thats getting anywhere near me. The guides also say theirs are pretty loud.

So, are there any other options? :D

Any light wires that dont scream at me when I plug them in? I have really good hearing for high pitched whines.. i can hear a tv turn on from outside the house.. My roommates think im a mutant. And there is a computer monitor at work that puts out a whine.. I always have to run to it and THWACK it to make it quit, nobody else can hear it unless they are 3 feet from it.

So, on that note, I was thinking maybe some lazer led's.. or Led's. But that might be a little to complicated for me, but with a guide I could give it a shot.

I think it would look really cool, Any idea's would be appreciated. thanks
 
Well, I don't think the invertor is *that* loud (but different intevertors are different loudnesses), but I did a keyboard mod that think was pretty cool...

If you look here, this place sells one of the best kept secrets in modding - a small 5V invertor that fits inside the keyboard itself. Thus, no extra wires to the keyboard.

If I put my ear to the keyboard I can hear the whine a little, but perhaps you could cover it in some sound dampening material?
 
Nice!!!!

5v inverter, so it should not make too much noise for me

Two things though..I would like a switch ( I guess you can add one, but i wouldnt know how) and its $45.. thats a little steep

Well, after i finish my computer and get it the way I like it, ill start looking to my keyboard. If i decide to do this, ill come back and ask you guys how to do a switch :)
 
Just be careful when you wire that thing up. If the keyboard's a USB model, you may only have 500mA to work with. If it's a PS/2 keyboard, you only have 100mA. Inverters tend to want quite a bit of current, so you may want to opt for a few LEDs instead of a CCFL.
 
Even better to know. Thankyou for that info, Might have saved me $$$ and frusturation at a later date. Hrm. Only I dont know how to do LED's... gah.
 
LEDs are easy--you just need a current-limiting resistor in series. Here's how you know how big of a resistor to use for each LED:

R = (5V-(voltage rating of LED))/(current rating of LED)

Just wire it so that it goes from 5V to the resistor, then to the LED (make sure it's pointing the right way) to ground.
 
Teancum said:
Just be careful when you wire that thing up. If the keyboard's a USB model, you may only have 500mA to work with. If it's a PS/2 keyboard, you only have 100mA. Inverters tend to want quite a bit of current, so you may want to opt for a few LEDs instead of a CCFL.
Click to expand...

Well, I don't know how much current it draws but I've used that invertor on a ps/2 keyboard and it works fine. I've tested the keyboard on 3 different computers, no problem.
 
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