LCD backlights for general lighting

JKL Components (some stock available through Mouser) makes some backlights and power supplies. Price might be $3 for a large manufacturer, closer to $15 for a 'repair' part.

See for instance

Replacement in a large display is VERY tedious, your coupling to the panel is critical and fractions of a millimeter matter very much. Many large LCDs are crimped, and without a replacement sheetmetal frame, you will be re-crimping a workhardened metal element when you reassemble- possible, but tricky. Generally, letting the manufacturer 'remanufacture' the display is the easiest replacement option. Prepare to spend hundreds, or live without the display for a few days if there's a warranty.

Large displays often have two lamps, one at the top and another at the bottom, which must match. If one burns out, replacement requires two parts. Some manufacturers recommend the inverter be replaced when a lamp fails (the lamp failure can overstress the inverter).

I was wondering whether it might be used to make a lighting panel for general illumination purposes. No LCD to block the light.

I'm not sure what sort of efficiency the diffusers they use have. Perhaps some of the folks in the lighting n.g. know.

I've seen the diffuser panel material for sale, somewhere on line. You could probably adapt standard fluorescent lamps and ballasts to edge light this and it would produce a uniform intensity (if this is what you are after) from a rather thin assembly (if this is what you are after).

Or better, use one of the commercial LED replacements for conventional lights, maybe.

ts?

I'm catching this thread from Pauls crosspost to sci.engr.lighting, so I'm not totally sure of the original authors intent here, but most backlights are terribly inefficient. The diffusers used in these applications are tailored for use with polarized light (see vikuiti DBEF from 3M) to improve performance for LCD applications. They would be less than ideal for use in general lighting and would create a very low system efficiency. Your illumination output would be very dim compared to a bare light bulb in this case.

I guess that could be done... but the efficiency is lower than a good fluorescent fixture and ballast.

Raw EL (electroluminescent) panels are available if that's what you want. Many years ago I built giant 7-segement displays run from 200VAC out of cut-up EL panels :-). That was fun!

Tim.

I have been working with 15" sinlight readable displays, 50W, 12 CCFL tubes.

With all diffusers, sheets, polarizers and lcd removed, one gets an very impressive lightsource.

Wheather it is more efficient then a "conventional" 50W tube&ballast system I do not dare to comment, but there is no way one could cram this much light in that small 15" area / volume. Only thin ccfl's can do that.

I've heard of work lights and book lights, but that's a new one on me.

Best regards, Spehro Pefhany

OK, ok, fat fingers, tiny laptop.... "sunlight readable". > 1500cd IIRC.