Author Topic: Apollo Instrument Panel Lighting?  (Read 1612 times)

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Offline petersanchTopic starter

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Apollo Instrument Panel Lighting?
« on: July 30, 2020, 08:56:16 am »
The instrument panels in Apollo had words and lines back lit next to all the buttons. Any one know how they did this in the 1960s?
« Last Edit: July 30, 2020, 08:59:55 am by petersanch »
 

Offline duak

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Re: Apollo Instrument Panel Lighting?
« Reply #1 on: July 30, 2020, 03:47:37 pm »
Well, one can learn something new every day.  It's apparently Electroluminescent (EL) backlit as per https://www.hq.nasa.gov/alsj/tnD7290Lighting.pdf

I wonder if the lettering was legible with the EL panels off, important in Apollo 13 when they were trying to minimize power consumption.
« Last Edit: July 30, 2020, 03:50:11 pm by duak »
 

Offline sokoloff

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Re: Apollo Instrument Panel Lighting?
« Reply #2 on: July 30, 2020, 05:24:29 pm »
Many aircraft have EL panels today. The labels are white when unlit and plainly visible/legible in pretty much any kind of lighting where you’d be performing a cockpit task.
 

Offline jh15

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Re: Apollo Instrument Panel Lighting?
« Reply #3 on: July 30, 2020, 09:39:56 pm »


Fran tried hard to duplicate it, I think with some museum help. Gave up when someone else got it 'close enough'.

I was fascinated since around 6 yrs old with the round greenish wall plug night lights. Lasting long enough till I was taking it apart years later and trying to figure how the plug conductor was bonded to the phosphor.

still watching phosphor today: Panasonic ZT60 plasma tv.
« Last Edit: July 30, 2020, 09:45:06 pm by jh15 »
Tek 575 curve trcr top shape, Tek 535, Tek 465. Tek 545 Hickok clone, Tesla Model S,  Ohio Scientific c24P SBC, c-64's from club days, Giant electric bicycle, Rigol stuff, Heathkit AR-15's. Heathkit ET- 3400a trainer&interface. Starlink pizza.
 

Offline texaspyro

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Re: Apollo Instrument Panel Lighting?
« Reply #4 on: August 01, 2020, 07:21:27 am »
BTW, if you change the drive frequency of those EL wall plug nightlights, the color changes.
 

Offline petersanchTopic starter

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Re: Apollo Instrument Panel Lighting?
« Reply #5 on: August 01, 2020, 08:29:36 am »
Fascinating. Curious how they light up just the letters if EL panels come in square or rectangle shapes? Do they paint over everything except the letters?
 

Offline T3sl4co1l

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Re: Apollo Instrument Panel Lighting?
« Reply #6 on: August 01, 2020, 08:39:46 am »
Easy. Cut up the squares into letter forms, and wire a switch to each individual letter.  Address the switches from a computer bus and there's your control.

Easier said than done, natch... :D

I forget offhand the exact tech used in the originals, but Ben of Applied Science (on YT) has made faithful reproductions using modern inks (transparent, EL and conductive, in that order) with screen printing.  Not the cheapest materials, but eminently doable!

Tim
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Electronic design, from concept to prototype.
Bringing a project to life?  Send me a message!
 


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