Marcus Miller
New member
There is hope for me yet!
Marcus
Glow in the dark Vinyl...
- Thread starter RSTPerformance
- Start date
There is hope for me yet!
Marcus
RSTPerformance
New member
Old topic revisited...
I have finally after years of searching found a supplier of glow in the dark vinyl... The question now is would anyone buy it? It is a bit expensive, but I would be willing to buy a roll if others also wanted to jump on board. We would have a few options... not to mention different products... All would be that basic greenish glow in the dark color. I have not used or tested any of the materials so I have no idea how well they work. I am going to call on monday and see if they can ship me a sample of each product so I can see what one I like best. It does mention that the 1hr product is a promotional grade desined for novelty items. No mention as to outdoor use. The 6hr and 10hr products mention that the product does not show significant degradation when used outdoors.
Option 1: 1 just supply glow in the dark material in squares large enough to make the backgroud of the number plates for both doors and the hood. You would then need to get the numbers and pin stripping to make your own number plate.
1hr glow material: $30
6hr glow material: $75
10hr glow material $100
Option 2: I cut out numbers and your class with glow in the dark material to your specs.
Single diget number:
1hr glow material: $30
6hr glow material: $75
10hr glow material: $100
Double diget number:
1hr glow material: $45
6hr glow material: $90
10hr glow material: $115
Option 3: I supply glow in the dark material for the background and black cut out lettering to go on top of it to meet your specifications... You put together the final numberplate on the car.
1hr glow material: $100
6hr glow material: $150
10hr Glow material: $175
What are your thoughts??? Anyone interested?
Raymond
I have finally after years of searching found a supplier of glow in the dark vinyl... The question now is would anyone buy it? It is a bit expensive, but I would be willing to buy a roll if others also wanted to jump on board. We would have a few options... not to mention different products... All would be that basic greenish glow in the dark color. I have not used or tested any of the materials so I have no idea how well they work. I am going to call on monday and see if they can ship me a sample of each product so I can see what one I like best. It does mention that the 1hr product is a promotional grade desined for novelty items. No mention as to outdoor use. The 6hr and 10hr products mention that the product does not show significant degradation when used outdoors.
Option 1: 1 just supply glow in the dark material in squares large enough to make the backgroud of the number plates for both doors and the hood. You would then need to get the numbers and pin stripping to make your own number plate.
1hr glow material: $30
6hr glow material: $75
10hr glow material $100
Option 2: I cut out numbers and your class with glow in the dark material to your specs.
Single diget number:
1hr glow material: $30
6hr glow material: $75
10hr glow material: $100
Double diget number:
1hr glow material: $45
6hr glow material: $90
10hr glow material: $115
Option 3: I supply glow in the dark material for the background and black cut out lettering to go on top of it to meet your specifications... You put together the final numberplate on the car.
1hr glow material: $100
6hr glow material: $150
10hr Glow material: $175
What are your thoughts??? Anyone interested?
Raymond
Last edited:
Ron Earp
Administrator
The radiative decay of the materials will generally follow a modified exponential profile. In common terms it means there are going to be a whole lot fewer photons emitted by the material at 10 hours than at hour 0, despite being billed as "active" for 10 hours. I wonder how bright they'd be at the half way mark as well.
At the most recent VIR 13 hour the electroluminescent panels were required, one on each side of the car. The price was $175 per car including the inverter/driver.
With double digit numbers being needed for most folks I suspect the glow material would become less attractive in price when compared to EL panels. Particularly with the EL panels being required equipment at some enduros.
RSTPerformance
New member
Ron-
Where can you purchase the EL panels? That might be the best option... I am guesing they are light panels with regular vinyl over them to block the light? How durable are they in the case of a side impact?
Raymond
Where can you purchase the EL panels? That might be the best option... I am guesing they are light panels with regular vinyl over them to block the light? How durable are they in the case of a side impact?
Raymond
Ron Earp
Administrator
Raymond,
there are many suppliers of EL panels - check on Ebay, web, etc. Our region purchased a large number from a company and then passed the savings on to the users. I messed around at one time about bringing a lot of these over from Hong Kong but never did it.
One issue with EL panels is photodegragation. Over time UV light will break the double bonds making up the polymer and degrade the material. This will appear as dark spots on the panel and uneven light output. Eventually the they will fail. Humidity is also to be avoided with the panels as that will damage them as well. So, you probably don't want to leave them on the car all the time.
EL panels are fine for occasional use but they can get mechanically damaged as well. One of the sets I made for my car before the VIR enduro group mandated them was damaged by a stone or rock in practice before night testing. The film was pierced and created a short in the panel. So, when we turned it on for night practice the short burned up the inverter providing the high frequency AC for the panel and we were out of luck for using it for the race.
The panels we used this past year, the ones the region supplied, we covered with clear tape to add an additional layer of protection.
I used to have a file with a lot of different EL suppliers but I don't have it any more. Many of the HK companies were more than willing to send samples for evaluation. Also, you'll find the green and blue panels to have a far higher specific brightness than the longer wavelength panels (>530nm). In many cases the longer wavelength panels have to use an intermediate fluorophore that absorbs the blue/green photon and re-emits a photon and a longer wavelengh - deeper green, orange, red etc. This process is inefficient and you notice it as a panel with less brightness.
there are many suppliers of EL panels - check on Ebay, web, etc. Our region purchased a large number from a company and then passed the savings on to the users. I messed around at one time about bringing a lot of these over from Hong Kong but never did it.
One issue with EL panels is photodegragation. Over time UV light will break the double bonds making up the polymer and degrade the material. This will appear as dark spots on the panel and uneven light output. Eventually the they will fail. Humidity is also to be avoided with the panels as that will damage them as well. So, you probably don't want to leave them on the car all the time.
EL panels are fine for occasional use but they can get mechanically damaged as well. One of the sets I made for my car before the VIR enduro group mandated them was damaged by a stone or rock in practice before night testing. The film was pierced and created a short in the panel. So, when we turned it on for night practice the short burned up the inverter providing the high frequency AC for the panel and we were out of luck for using it for the race.
The panels we used this past year, the ones the region supplied, we covered with clear tape to add an additional layer of protection.
I used to have a file with a lot of different EL suppliers but I don't have it any more. Many of the HK companies were more than willing to send samples for evaluation. Also, you'll find the green and blue panels to have a far higher specific brightness than the longer wavelength panels (>530nm). In many cases the longer wavelength panels have to use an intermediate fluorophore that absorbs the blue/green photon and re-emits a photon and a longer wavelengh - deeper green, orange, red etc. This process is inefficient and you notice it as a panel with less brightness.
RSTPerformance
New member
Ron-
Thanks for the help, I am sure that it also helped others interested in this topic...
As for the glow in the dark vinyl... the positives would be no wiring to mess with, and that you can cut any shapes, letters and/or numbers. I am getting some sample material by next week and I will be doing a test to see how well it illuminates and for how long. I will post pictures and my honest opinion when I am done testing
Raymond
Thanks for the help, I am sure that it also helped others interested in this topic...
As for the glow in the dark vinyl... the positives would be no wiring to mess with, and that you can cut any shapes, letters and/or numbers. I am getting some sample material by next week and I will be doing a test to see how well it illuminates and for how long. I will post pictures and my honest opinion when I am done testing
Raymond
Ron Earp
Administrator
I am getting some sample material by next week and I will be doing a test to see how well it illuminates and for how long. I will post pictures and my honest opinion when I am done testing
Raymond
If you want to do a really simple test with data logging for "hard" numbers get a photovoltaic cell and use a Fluke or similar data logging meter to measure output voltage from a simple circuit over a period of many hours. Log it and then plot it. This way you won't have any "seat of your pants" impressions about performance but realistic light output. Sounds like a fun project!
Lacking a data logging meter hook up a piece of EL material in the same dark room. I bet the differences will be extremely pronounced at the few hour time mark. If you need something like this let me know, I've still got some EL samples and inverters you'd be welcome to have.
Ron
SignWarehouse has an Avery glow vinyl
http://www.signwarehouse.com/shop/m...OD&Store_Code=SC&Product_Code=VAS-2410-0820-S
http://www.signwarehouse.com/shop/m...OD&Store_Code=SC&Product_Code=VAS-2410-0820-S
RSTPerformance
New member
From the website...
"This material is for indoor applications only."
I recieved samples from my supplier of the Glow in the Dark Vinyl, the "cheep stuff" certainly will not work, but the other stuff looks like it may work. It certainly will have its advantages and disadvantages as compaired to the illumaboards, but the thought of no wires, and the ability to cut any size/shap certainly is interesting...
I am going to work on testing the better products and will post my thoughts.
Raymond