I've never really been impressed by side-glow fibre optic material. It's a specific type of fibre optic that is lossy, so it emits light along its full length. The downside of that is that it also loses intensity along its length.
When it first appeared commercially it was touted as the new replacement for neon, with overexposed marketing pictures to swamp out the camera and make it look brighter and more consistent than it is. I can recall seeing it in use on the front of a building in Florida, and there was a bright light source at both ends that rapidly faded to the middle of the strip.
This stuff is aimed at car interiors where the "skirt" or fin is intended to be jammed between abutting interior surfaces. Electroluminescent wire would do a better job for low level linear illumination over a reasonable length.
The light source module is the best bit of this product. It has potential uses for illuminating a bundle of traditional fibre optics. The sources are available on their own with a choice of port diameter.
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16 thoughts on “Side-glow fibre optic is still terrible”
  1. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars Ralph Sammis says:

    I just got the 3mm "side light" flex solid tube. Thanks for the demo. Looked a long time before you showed me what I needed to see. A bright light coming from each end of I get to apply it.

  2. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars J jay says:

    What are better options??

  3. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars JAYANTA KUMAR DAS says:

    Hy sir, it's not working. It's repairable?

  4. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars space fan boy says:

    Thanks for the video! Is there one one you would suggest? I said at the end of the video, "Better options?

  5. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars flux_capacitor says:

    The Chinese call this kind of trinket an "optical fiber" but it is in fact a simple PMMA tube

  6. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars Bods World says:

    Would love you to open up a 7kw home wall charger for an electric car. My electric company want ยฃ999 to install one. I reckon its a scam as my electric shower is 10.8kw. Just wondering whats inside it gold. You can use a normal household plug for 3kw charge to your car so whats stopping me wiring a 10.8 kw lead up to it direct. Thanks Clive be great if you could get hold of one and explain if its a scam or if itโ€™s worth ยฃ1,000

  7. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars Fiber Splice God says:

    great video check my channel for daily fiber optic splicing in the field

    fiber splice god

  8. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars Dichroic says:

    ellumiglow does some laser wire stuff that does some really interesting things that blows this out of the water

  9. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars john donovan says:

    well i mean it works for short distances

  10. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars Frostbite1991 says:

    either a bad cut on the end or crappy "fiber" This one actually looks good
    /watch?v=uKBI3FKaxwo

  11. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars Tristan Wegner says:

    The problem with the fiber is, that it is symmetric along its length. It radiates a fixed fraction of light per length that runs through it. One could fabricate a cable that would leak a higher and higher fraction of the light to compensate, to have relatively even brightness along its length. But such a changing cable would be much more expensive to mass produce. But maybe a homogenous cable and fraction expose or coating along its length?

  12. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars เธ“เธฑเธเธ”เธ™เธฑเธข เธ•เธฑเธ™เธ•เธดเน€เธชเธฃเธตเธžเธฑเธ’เธ™เธฒ says:

    ty

  13. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars onder yetiskin says:

    you have very nice voice ๐Ÿ˜€

  14. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars Emily Stubbs says:

    OMG!!! YOU are who I've been looking for even though I didn't know it. Mr Light Man I need your help. Have you seen or worked with LED strip lights called s something like "fexible z strip" or "s strip"? They allow wrapping the strip almost in a circle but with the lights facing up or down instead of inside or outside of the circle. (I want to DIY some grow lights for house plants that would be tucked under each level of a circular plant stand).

  15. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars tehklevster says:

    Reminds me of the same rubbery plastic stuff used to make FM T-shaped antennas for your hifi tuner and you'd tack it to the wall using that "curtain". Maybe they're leftovers that someone thought…"lets shine an LED down this, ok good enough".

  16. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars Gacheru Mburu says:

    ๐Ÿ‘

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