|
Installing
a Firefly really couldn't be simpler. Just slide the PCB
over the four pins of your Molex plug and that's basically
it. Removing them again isn't quite so simple but hopefully
you'll not need to do that too often.
Because
the circuit board is shaped you can't fit it the wrong way
around. You can flip it over and fit it upside down though
which is basically the same thing but this simply reduces
the brightness due to taking the 5volt feed rather than
the 12volt feed. Handy if you want a slightly more subtle
effect
Once
it's in place all you do is plug the two parts together
as you normally would and hey presto!! Your Molex Glows!
How easy is that?
It's
difficult to capture the effect in a photo but here's a
kind of rough representation of the effect you get. The
red and blue variety are certainly brighter than the orange
and green but in a dark-ish case the effect is perfectly
powerful enough.
These
pictures were taken by underexposing in reasonably good
light so in a proper darkened environment they'd certainly
light more of their surroundings.
 |
|
 |
|
Blue
|
|
Red
|
 |
|
 |
|
Orange
|
|
Green
|
 |
|
|
|
Red
and Blue
|
|
|
I
also tried the Fireflies with my optical drives but with
mixed results. Only two of the three drives I tried actually
illuminated the Firefly for some reason, presumably to do
with pin diameter or perhaps because the pins are more rigidly
held in position in the back of a drive than they are in
a Molex plug. And if I thought fishing them out of a Molex
was tough, then fishing them out of the back of your optical
or hard disk drive is a little like juggling custard. I
haven't tried it but I'd imagine putting a piece of cotton
underneath the Firefly so you can pull on it to lift it
would be a good idea.
Okay
so that's about it. A short review for a simple product,
but one that works incredible well and offers a lot of return
for the minimal effort involved. There's no drilling or
mounting, wiring or routing, just plug 'em in and go. In
an industry that's becoming so complicated with pumps, inverters,
transformers and other essential but ultimately dull fluff,
it's quite refreshing to be able to add a little low-sweat
bling to your system.
If
you're interested in distributing this product in Europe
for Tsoung Lea, they're always on the look-out for new partners.
Just drop me a line HERE
and I'll pass on your details.
Conclusion:::...
Simple,
effective and inexpensive, what a rare combination these
days. Like so many great ideas the basic concept is elegantly
simple, and the result is a product that quite simply works
and works well, though there's no way I can say if every
type of Molex on the market has pins that are wide enough
to make a proper contact.
Enthusiasts
and mainstream users alike will no doubt have a place in
their rig for something like the Firefly and assuming you
have a side window or some other aperture for the light
to spill out, these are just too easy to use to not have
a few fitted.
Win
A Pack Of Fireflies For Yourself!!
Thanks
to Tsoung Lea, we have ten packs of 4-Pin Fireflies to give
away. To be in with a chance of winning, just send your
forum name (you can dive
over there now and register if you're not a member)
and email it to us HERE.
Please include your name and a valid return email address.
The
first ten out of the hat will pick up a retail pack of Fireflies
courtesy of Tsoung Lea. Please don't ask for a specific
colour as it's simply pot luck, you get what you get!
The
competition closes Friday 3rd of September, winners will
be notified b email within 3 days of this date. Good Luck!
|
