What is EL?
EL, or Electroluminescence is an electrical stimulation of a phosphor crystal to excite the phosphor so that it will generate light.

What makes up a system?
A EL system consists of: 1) an EL lamp, 2) a Power Supply, and 3) the Interconnection between the Lamp and the Power Supply.

What forms are the lamp available?
The Lamps are available in strips that can be as little as 1/4" wide and up to 24" wide. They can be up to 300' long as well. Californeon offers many standard widths such as 1/4", 1/2",1", 2", 4", 6", 12". Other custom widths are available for specific applications.

What colors are the lamps available?
The Lamps are available in their two natural colors of white and blue/green. The Blue/green lamp can be overlaid with colored laminates to give a full spectrum of brilliant colors. The White lamp can also be overlaid to obtain some of the lower light spectrum colors such as yellow and pink.

How much power do the lamps require?
The lamps require relatively very little power, using only 0.5 Milliamp of current per square inch. Another measure is the power consumption, which is only .045 Watts per square inch. As a point of comparison, a 60-watt light bulb uses as much current as a 1" strip of Californeon 111 feet long.

What type of power sources can be used?
The Californeon lamps can be operated from either AC or DC. If AC is used, a properly sized Californeon Power Supply (that increases both the Voltage and Frequency) must be used. IF DC is used (as in the Transportation Industry) a properly sized Californeon Inverter (A Power Supply that coverts DC to AC and increases both the Voltage and Frequency) must be used.

Does the brightness of the lamp differ from end to end?
Unlike most conventional light bulbs, which are resistive loads, EL is a capacitive load. This allows the same brightness at the beginning of the lamp as there is at the end of the lamp. An EL lamp does not generate heat, which is an indication that it is not a light source that wastes power in the form of heat while generating light.

How much light do the lamps generate?
EL light output is measured in a unit of measure called Foot Lamberts. Our lamps have a light output of 30-35 Lamberts. This amount of light is typically considered enough for backlighting in the Signage Industry; illuminating an exit path in the Emergency Egress Path Lighting Industry; adding a highly visible highlight to buildings in the Architectural Lighting Industry; or aisle lighting in Movie Theaters, Aircraft. Generally speaking, EL is best suited for low ambient light or nighttime applications where the ambient light level is at or below 30-foot candles.

How thick of a light box do i need for EL?
Our lamp is only 0.020" thick. It can be mounted flat against a wall; mounted in a standard picture frame; adhered to a signage transparency and mounted on a bus, taxi or truck; placed in an extrusion and mounted on a wall, floor or ceiling; EL does not generate heat, and therefore needs no special venting. The typically remotely located Power Supply does generate heat, but needs no special cooling in most applications.

Can I use EL lamp outside?
The Californeon lamp is sealed in a UV protective laminate. This laminate also makes it moisture resistant. If the lamp were used outside, it should be mounted in some transparent extrusion to protect it from the elements. This extrusion should be designed such that moisture would not become trapped in the enclosure or channeled to the Power Supply distribution box.