EL tape GREEN
The kit includes the inverter (driver) plus this standard 1.5m length of EL tape. Custom lengths can be produced on special order.
EL tape is effectively a flat EL lamp or EL sheet in a long rectangular shape.
The tape is so narrow that the electrodes virtually cover the back of the tape making it similar in construction to our cuttable EL sheet.
Whilst we have had some success in cutting tape into shorter lengths, it is not designed for this so we cannot offer any warranty once the tape is altered in any way.
However, as so many of you hobbyists are keen to give the tape ago here are some things to consider:
- The inverter that comes with the kit is designed to power a specific surface area (150cm2). When you shorten the length of the tape, you reduce the surface area. This can reduce the lifespan of the tape or (if you chopped it down significantly) may cause the tape to burn out the minute you switch it on.
- If you plan to run more than one piece of tape from a single inverter (and the surface area total of all tapes equals 150cm2) it should work fine. To join the extra ones we advise you to purchase a splitter wire.
- If you are planning to cut down a single piece of tape into a short length (less than 100cm) you will need to consider using a different inverter.
- We have inverters to power the EL wire and we have found that they also work with the tape. Once again, we cannot offer a guarantee but we do hope they work.
- Raw edges that are cut must be sealed. Our information/instruction page on cuttable panels may assist with some ideas.
- In general, EL tape/panels/sheets require 1mA per cm2 whereas the wires require 1mA per 10cm.
Please remember that we cannot offer a warranty if you choose to alter your tape but we wish you luck with your project and would love to hear your success stories.
