I’m looking to buy a Cold Cathode Flourescent Lamp that is designed to be installed in a computer. As such, it is equipped with an inverter and a Mollex connector to connect to the PC’s power source. However, I’d like to rig it so that it can be plugged into a normal US outlet.
Is there a way to convert the Mollex connector in this fashion?
You need to find out what the input voltage of the lamp (or more accurately, the lamp’s inverter) is supposed to be. Most laptops operate somewhere between 9 and 18 VDC. Check with the manufacturer of the lamp assembly, they can probably tell you. Then you’ll need a plug-in DC power supply of the required voltage output to run the lamp, and enough of a current sourcing capacity to drive it (i’ll guess an amp should be more than enough). You should be able to snip the Molex connector off and wire the lamp to the output of the power supply. You’ll also need to determine the polarity of the lamps input. If one wire is black and the other red, the red is normally positive, by convention, but this is no gurantee. Again, the lamp manufacturer should be able to provide this information.
thanks!
I foresee sparks and disappointment in your future. But good luck, anyway.
Just get a used and obsolete PC and rip out the power supply. Or better yet, rip out the power supply from an old external hard drive - those are much more compact.