DIY Flat Panel for SW 80ED

[Vox45]

I was looking for a portable flat panel that I could bring with me when in the field.

The panel would have to be powered by my 12v power panel, lite and portable.

Material needed:

1x electroluminescent panel A5 size (20£)

1x USB Potted 50-300cm2 inverted with plunger (10£)

1x 125mm ventilation fitting (10£)

The 125mm diameter ventilation fitting is a perfect fit for my SW ED80, the diameter is a bit wider than the scope's dew shield (113mm) so I will be able to fit the inside of the ventilation fitting with the soft side of a sticky velcro tape. This will give me a tight fit and will protect the dew shield paint from scratch when fitting my flat panel.

I will cut the EL Panel to fit the ventilation fitting. EL Panel can be cut to any shape with some precautions

Then I will need to cut a sheet of tick plastic to go over the panel to protect the back of the panel. The ventilation fitting already has hole in each corner, so I will bolt the plastic sheet to the ventilation fitting to make a EL panel sandwich

The flat panel will be connected to the inverter through the 1 meter cable.

The inverter will sit next to my power panel and will be plugged into one of the USB port availlable.

Here are some pictures of the parts:

 

And once lite up

I will start the project, should be quite fast and easy I 'll post back once it is done

[cjdawson]

Just one thing that you might consider. Add a couple of sheets of tracing paper to in front of the EL Panel, to act as a diffuser, that will give you are slightly more even light covering than with the panel alone.

[RichLD]

Excellent job sir!

I have a very similar set up and initially diffuse the light from the panel with white perspex. I still have to use sheets of white paper to take the brightness of the panel down due to having two cameras that don't like very short flats - the QHY8L has a dual readout chip and the QHY9 has a shutter.

I've tried dimming the panel with a PWM device but found it flickered a bit too much.

 

[Vox45]

thanks guys for your feedbacks and ideas

[Vox45]

I finally took some time to finish the project

 

1. cutting the panel and punching holes : Pretty straighforward, just needed the right tools. Especially for the hole punching part

 

 

 

2. fitting the panel: I pondered a lot on how to attach both parts together and while I was wandering in a hardware store I stumble upon those brass knurled screws, I almost weep with joy

 

 

3. Felting: I bought some self adhesive felt wallpaper and put several layers to get the perfect tight fit. The panel fits snugly on the dew shield without scratching it and will not fall whatever the OTA position

 

 

4. Solar filter: as I was progressing I realized that I could also use the design to make a solar filter. So I bought some Baader astro filter sheets

 

 

5. I now have a dual purpose device solar filter/plat panel that can be tightly fitted to my scope, easy to modify with the 4 knurled screws

 

Good times !

[Jkulin]

Hi Vox,

I have been using these El Panels from EL Wirecraft and they work very well, my mate adapted them to connect to the 12v output from the dew controllers so we can vary the brightness.

Just a couple of questions: -

1. You mention that you have managed to cut the panel but need precautions, how have you managed to cut it, I have two panels and would like to get them to fit perfectly.

2. Where have you managed to get the ventilation fitting from, a link would be very useful.

Thanks for your help.

[Vox45]

3 minutes ago, Jkulin said:

Hi Vox,

I have been using these El Panels from EL Wirecraft and they work very well, my mate adapted them to connect to the 12v output from the dew controllers so we can vary the brightness.

Just a couple of questions: -

1. You mention that you have managed to cut the panel but need precautions, how have you managed to cut it, I have two panels and would like to get them to fit perfectly.

2. Where have you managed to get the ventilation fitting from, a link would be very useful.

Thanks for your help.

Hello,

Thanks for the comment. That is a brillant idea. I've read some thing about the brightness being an issue, I will have to look into that.

From the website : Cutting Electroluminescent Panels, EL Tape or EL Sheets

====================================================================

If you are just looking to just snip the end off some EL Tape then this guide is probably a bit too much. My advice would be to use sharp scissors and remember to reseal it afterwards with superglue or clear nail varnish and just get on with it.

- The thin (3mm) electrode that runs round the edge of the panel will not light up, and took this into account when planning her design

- You need to try and get as much of this electrode into your design as possible to make the el panel glow at its brightest.

- I am usually a big fan of the scalpel for arty projects but for EL Panel it has to be sharp scissors.

- Also i think its best for the panels to be a bit warm when they’re cut, you get cleaner cuts. You certainly get worse cuts if the panel is freezing cold.

- The EL material is sensitive to heat so don’t go mad, just take the chill off it, warm it on your tummy or at most in a cloth by a radiator.

- I find using a scalpel can quite often delam around the cutting edge a millimetre or two.

- If you are using a scalpel (which you have to for some shapes) then cut at a 60º angle; the piece of EL Panel inside the angle will be fine and the outside bit delams really heavily. These are the only 2 ways of accidentally delaming i can think of.

- Seal the Panel, over time, moisture can get in and this can cause it to peel apart. Brushing on superglue all round the cut edge is best, or nail varnish is fine

====================================================================

regarding the ventilation fitting, unfortunatly I do not have a reference, I just went to my local hardware store and find them in the plumbing section. Sorry.