help finding lcd display module

[gablekevin]

im going to be building a new system with a black and red theme i was wondering if anyone new where to find an lcd module with black back light and red characters im trying not to spend more than 30$ preferably usb interface if not i can deal with serial

thank you

[Matthew]

Good luck finding one under $30...try ebay if you need it cheep.

[Frakk]

What size do you want? L.I.S. makes drive bay lcd's with usb interface, but they are well over $30. If you want a bigger one, i would say start collecting money for it :)

[gablekevin]

i just need a simple display 4X20 characters nothing fancy ive seen them on ebay for 10 bucks but i want a black and red one

[Frakk]

something like this (http://www.bigfootcomputers.com/Merchant2/merchant.mv?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=1709&Category_Code=135)?
as I said, they are well over your price range.

[ZeD]

bgmicro.com sells many, they come out of old hospital equipment units, its pretty simple to wire them up. and if you want to change the color you can use Krylon's stained glass spray on the LCD itself. The LCD is like $3 and wiring it up is a snap, for that price buy 10 just incase you screw up. Any decent LCD software can run them aswell.

[Guttenaffe]

get a inverted backlit white LCD, then add a red gel, which will make it have red letters

if you can't find an inverted white, get a white (black letters with white BG) then change the polorized paper to invert it and then add your red color gel.

[gablekevin]

hey gutte thats some good info but i have no idea how or even where to start with buying the gel or whatever do you know of any guides or how-to's or would you possibly know how to your self if you could find me the right info that would save me a ton of money plus i would really appreciate the help

thanks

[Guttenaffe]

There are tons of how-to out there, sort of a simple process:
This is the fist one that pop-uped on google: http://forums.bit-tech.net/showthread.php?t=22205


Should be able to get the gel in craft stores or stage effects stores, I'm not talking about a semi-liquid type material but a gel as in lighting gels. They are used to "color" lights in stages. If you can’t find what you want just use color transparency from an office supply store will work just as well for a back-lit LCD, they do not get hot at all.

Good luck moddin

[ZeD]

Or you can use Krylons stained glass spray. The easiest thing to do would be to simply use polarizing film in the color of your choice, afterall thats what they are meant for.

Gutten, please be more specific, I have never heard of ANY type of "gel" that is used on LCDs or lights. Are you talking about the liquid latex stuff that some people have used to dip a lightbulb into and change its color? Or possibly that liquid rubber, which is actually meant to put rubber handles on your tools, but has been known to be used on lightbulbs, e.t.c.?

Kevin, check out this little article. (http://www.modthebox.com/singedpt2_14.shtml)

[Mach]

No, he's talking about high heat gel filters. The are used for stage lighting and are placed in front of spot lights.

See the PDF here

http://www.tslight.com/web_lisa/accessories.pdf

[Guttenaffe]

Well, I haven't seen any red tinted polarizing film. Most of it just comes in sheets and it isn't colored. You can add your own to them though.

Lighting Gels are shown in that PDF on page 3. They are just a special plastic that can withstand the heat of stage lighting. Most colored transparency sheets that people use for overhead projecters, you can get them in office supply stores will work for an LCD. If you use a VFD instead of a LCD you will have to use a color gel instead of just any old colored transparent plastic as a VFD gets quite hot compaied to a always cool to the touch LCD.