Neon install

[JamesG]

having a bit of trouble, ive tried to hook a neon to the boot light.
Thinking that i just cut both sets of wires and attach them together. Positive/negitive.
So why wont it work....
Does the neon need more power?

 

[derv]

shouldnt need hardly any power at all, i was going to wire up mine the same way but lack of time i just wired it to one of the amps (remote live and ground) works fine like that.

 

[Ben j]

neons take sod all power, you should be fine james.

 

[Ben j]

have u removed the original light completely then?

 

[JamesG]

yeah i cut the old one off, forgotten where i put it now..
I just attached the wires to the neon but nothing.... Ill work it out when i get the car back

 

[benworley]

James, have you got the neon working on its own?

Thats probably the problem, one of mine blew as I wired it up with the old lamp still in it!

Needed a new transformer....

 

[theICEman]

derv, when you say you wired it up to one of your amps, do you use a distribution block or anything, or just bridge it over the power and earth terminals on the amp??
Also, does anyone know if you can just cut off the cigarette lighter adaptor on a neon which comes with one and wire it in to another circuit??
Cheers.

 

[derv]

iceman, i simply cut off the cigar lighter plug and wired the black wire to the earth of my amp and the red one to the remote live of the amp, and it comes on when i switch the stereo on, easy peasy lemon squeezy! Had it wired up like that in my rt for a year, and never had no probs.

 

[Ben j]

so u mean uve put the neon across the remote lead and the earth otherwise itd be permanently on.

 

[theICEman]

Does that not only give it about 1 volt? I thought the remote lead had only a very low voltage through it?? Surely the neons a bit dim since its meant to be running on 12v?

 

[derv]

dunno, seems bright to me, i didnt think it would work either but a mate told me to try it like that and it worked so i left it.

 

[Pysco]

The remote lead just provides a low current 12v. Not sure how much current it supplys though, guess it verries between head units, but I wouldnt try running lots of stuff off it, better off using it to switch a relay.

 

[Ben j]

yeah the remotes still twelve volt, would be worth finding out its current though so u dont melt the cables from overloading.