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What is Cold Cathode? A very energy efficient, long life (50,000 + hours) light source, Cold Cathode fluorescent lighting has been available since the 1930s, and is currently used in many common products, such as laptop computer screens, auto dashboards, scanners, and flat panel TVs. Utilizing state of the art Optics and our vast experience in the design and manufacture of lighting fixtures, Alpha has adapted the technology to a wide array of back lighting and signage applications, and general illumination luminaries. Cold Cathode lamps operate at a much cooler temperature than fluorescent, incandescent, or H.I.D. light sources, and last 4-5 times longer than fluorescent lamps. A bare cold cathode lamp can be very fragile; therefore we use a glass protective T5 enclosure to make it suitable for rugged applications (e.g. gaming or vending machines).
 How does Cold Cathode work? Cold Cathode fluorescent lamps (CCFLs) are sealed glass tubes with electrodes at each end, filled with inert gases and an inner coating of fluorescent phosphor. An electronic inverter (ballast) is used to create a high-voltage, low-current charge which energizes the electrodes, ionizing the gases inside the tube. These ionized gases create UV light, which excites the phosphors that produce visible light. The phosphor used in Cold Cathode can be made in any color, and a wide array of white color temperatures, from 2700K to 6000K or higher, with excellent CRI. Unlike standard fluorescent lamps, there is no filament to wear out, therefore the life of the lamps are not affected by vibrations, repeated starting or strobing, or dimming. Because most of the energy consumed is converted to light and not to heat, Cold Cathode is one of the most energy efficient lighting sources on the market today.
 Cold Cathode (CCFL) vs. Compact Fluorescent (CFL). Cold Cathode lighting has numerous advantages over compact fluorescent lamps, especially when Compact Fluorescents are used with magnetic ballasts. Cold Cathode uses 30% - 50% less energy than compact fluorescent, and up to 85% less Mercury; making it by far the most environmentally friendly light source available today! Cold Cathode lamps operate much cooler than CFLs; in installations employing many fixtures, like hotel or apartment building hallways, for example, using cold cathode can significantly lower the air conditioning load. Compact fluorescent lamps lose 3 hours of life every time they are turned on, and can lose up to 85% of their rated life if they are turned off after less than 15 minutes of operation. This makes them unsuitable for use with the energy saving motion sensors currently being used in many offices, hotels, and public buildings; whereas Cold Cathode lamps are unaffected by switching on and off.
 Cold Cathode vs. LED. LEDs are a directed light source, which makes them quite effective and energy efficient when used for spot or accent lighting, decorative lighting, and certain types of edge lighting. However, the cost of good quality white LEDs and their relatively low lumen output per watt--(15-40 lumens per watt for LEDs, compared to 63 to 80 lumens per watt for Cold Cathode)--makes them very inefficient and expensive to use for general illumination or back lighting compared to Cold Cathode lighting systems. Furthermore, although white LEDs are rated for up to 50,000 hours of life, both the intensity and the color of the light tends to degrade very rapidly after 25,000 hours. Cold Cathode lamps maintain their color throughout their rated life, and are operating at near peak output after 25,000 hours. If lumen maintenance or consistent color is required, Cold Cathode lamps are far superior to the white LEDs currently on the market.
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