TI-84+ SE Backlight?

[Ray Kremer]

There's also the Game Boy Advance SP method of lighting. I recall seeing a website many years ago where a guy rigged up his calculator that way.

[magus57]

If I used the EL kit from this website:

http://www.microstru.com/Experimenter-Kits.html

Would there be any way switch the power supply to the calc's main four batteries? I'm thinking of buying that kit, detaching the wires from the default battery supply and attaching/soldering it to the calc's batteries. I presume that the kit in the link has a on/off switch, so I could do the switch thing like samnmax777 did. And by the way, samnmax777, what kind of batteries did you have for your LCD?

[samnmax777]

Assuming it only needs one set of leads, that should work. The battery holder shouldn't be necessary if you have it set like my 85. And I am currently using a CR2032, although the slightly smaller 2016 will work too, just so long as it fits inside and is 3V DC (total).

If you wanted to hook it up to the main batts, you'd have to make it a parallel circuit, if you made it a series circuit, you'd turn off the calc every time you flipped the switch (I'm not sure how to make a parallel circuit, I just know the very basics on them). And if you want a small sliding switch, you could use one off an old (portable) cd player.

I just thought of this, you could possibly use one of the leads at the bottom that way you don't have to make any holes aside from the switch. This should be possible assuming there's nothing covering the bottom of the LCD on the 84. Doing this would mean that you could use the slide cover unlike my (and the other) design, that is, if you put the switch on the top (84, bottom of the 86).

[alexrudd]

Would the batteries have enough power to supply both the LED's and the regular calculator functions?

[Super Speler]

Parallel circuit shouldn't be that complicated.

| is wires. --- is the wires that connect to what's using the power. = Uses the power.

Power Source
|---=--|
|---=--|
|---=--|

I'm pretty sure thats basically how they are set up. If one thing is turned off the path to it would be closed and everything else would continue to work well.

[samnmax777]

[Madskillz]

I know Jim e Rigged up his 83+ (I believe) with a backlight that runs off his old gamegear charger that plugs into the wall. It's pretty cool actually. I had some pics of it somewhere around here.

[samnmax777]

There are two types of tape on the 86, the clear tape and the black tape. Removing strictly the the clear tape does little to nothing as far as functionality, all it does is hold down the cable with the black wires. You can remove that. IF you open the calc again, remove the two screws that hold the whole screen from the main motherboard, then remove the panel that covers the LCD. This condains the F1-F5 buttons and the cover that says "TI-86", be sure not to lose those buttons and careful not to break the tabs that hold it in place. Turn it on normally and move your finger up and down each ribbon cable and find out where the break is, the pixels should reappear if there's not too much damage. Keep in mind that the black cable has 2 layers, check each. If you can, tape it down (using clear packaging tape) and attempt to hold it in place, I cannot guarantee this will work since it's on a case-by-case basis. Then reassemble the calc.

In the case of my 82, the problem was the leads that make contact with the LCD itself. In that case, I used double sided foam tape, placed layers until I braced it against the case and the LCD.

[samnmax777]

After removing the LCD screws and the 'TI-86' cover, assemble the rest of the case. That way you have access to the ribbon cables and can squeeze accordingly. Then try the other diagnosis techniques I suggested. If you have it fixed, tape the corresponding area(s), dissassemble and screw the LCD back in place then assemble normally.

[samnmax777]

I've included pics so you can see what I mean.

In the first pic you can see what panel I'm talking about.

Once it's off, you can reassemble the rest of the calc, leaving that off. Then you inster the batteries, and go through the diagnostics process.

[Cure]

Sounds like a good way to void your warranty and accidently kill your calc !

[samnmax777]

[todlangweilig]

[Cure]

I think it would be cool to have a backlight, and even cooler to install a switch (or a program) to turn it on and off. Two problems

1. Drains batteries faster than Bush drains our money

2. I'm afraid to in anyway harm my precious 84+SE.

Plus, you would have to know exactley what you're doing.

[Darth Android]

Ultra-bright white LEDs, while expensive ($2/LED), drain little power yet are great for illumminating LCDs.

[The Dragon Master]

I wasn't brave enough to do this to my calc, but this looks really cool. BTW, nice avatar samnmax777.

[samnmax777]

[todlangweilig]

[DigiTan]

(Overkill)

[tifreak8x]

Heh, I have the remains of an upper LCD from a Nintendo DS that would do nicely to make a backlight... ;)

One of these days I might get around to modding it...