# Question regarding backlights with the Casio G-Shock Watches.



## Ydoc101lol (Apr 27, 2012)

So, I'm new to purchasing a Casio G-Shock watch for myself and have a few questions.. mainly about the back lights the watches have for now.

I'm wondering if someone could show me pictures of the following descriptions of lights:

1. Auto LED Backlight (Super Illuminator)
2. Full Auto EL Backlight with Afterglow
3. EL Backlight with Afterglow
4. Full Auto LED Light with Afterglow
5. LED Backlight (Super Illuminator)
6. Backlight Auto LED Backlight (Super Illuminator) with Afterglow

These are just some of the descriptions off of the website. What's the difference of all of these?

I want to find a watch that has this type of light (He turns it on at "2:00")-> 




So if anyone could clarify what the different back lights are for the G-Shock watches are with pictures of examples, I would really appreciate it. Thank you!


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## time4d (Jan 1, 2011)

That's an LED light in that video. Typically LED lights use......... Well, you guessed it! LEDs. They are usually brighter than EL backlights, but they shine in from the sides.

I don't have the time to post pictures now, but EL backlights light up the entire panel, making for easier reading. 

The "Super illuminator" is just a fancy name for a backlight in general, I think. 

An "afterglow" is the glowing of the panel after you have pressed the light button and the light has gone off. I can't imagine why anyone would need that. Never in my life have I been able to make use of this "feature".

An "auto" backlight allows you to activate the backlight simply by tilting your wrist towards you, like when you are reading the watch. It may come in useful for some, but personally I find that they activate themselves way too easily and frequently than I would need.

I've used digital watches without backlights, with vintage lightbulbs, with LEDs and with EL backlights and I have to say that EL backlights are my top choice, hands down.


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## Sedi (May 21, 2007)

"Full Auto" only works on solar watches - on those the EL or LED turns on only in the dark when the automatic is enabled. They use the solar panel to measure ambient light - or probably simpler: once the solar panels don't produce any power it's dark and the light comes on when you flick your wrist.

Cheers, Sedi


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## Sjors (Apr 30, 2005)

I got few of these LED backlight models. I believe they have Auto-Illumination, but I hardly use it on Battery powered model.

Dual Illuminators are also cool:










But I rather stick to the old EL Backlight, specially the Full Auto Illuminator on Tough Solar models (Turns on when you twist your wrist towards you only in the dark).










Oh, and afterglow only means the light stays on for a moment, even if you let the light button go. A lot of newer models let you choose between a 1.5 and a 3 seconds backlight.

Cheers,

Sjors


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## LUW (May 17, 2009)

Sedi said:


> ...once the solar panels don't produce any power it's dark and the light comes on when you flick your wrist..


Exactamundo! That's how it works.


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## caveatipse (Sep 21, 2011)

EL is electroluminescence which, I think, is an electrical charge passing through a gas (not passing gas) to cause the gas to glow.


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## Mitch100 (Jul 3, 2007)

Sedi said:


> "Full Auto" only works on solar watches - on those the EL or LED turns on only in the dark when the automatic is enabled. They use the solar panel to measure ambient light - or probably simpler: once the solar panels don't produce any power it's dark and the light comes on when you flick your wrist.
> 
> Cheers, Sedi


There is an exception, the Lungman.

This has an actual light sensor and can measure the actual level of ambient light. Uniquely, therefore, amongst G shocks you can set the level of ambient light which will trigger the full auto EL (three levels available). How cool is that?










Mitch


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## Sedi (May 21, 2007)

I knew someone was gonna correct my mistake :-d.

Cheers, Sedi


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## xevious (Feb 1, 2008)

Do _all_ solar powered G-Shocks with auto-EL use the light detection to control it? I seem to remember my GW-M5600BC turning on the backlight with a wrist-flick, even in a moderately lit room, but I'll have to confirm that when I'm home later.


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## LUW (May 17, 2009)

It's dependent of the amount of energy (light) that the circuit board is receiving. Below certain value of lux the auto-EL feature is triggered, so you don't have to have absolute darkness.


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## Ol'DaidEye (Mar 26, 2011)

@Ydoc101lol - if you stick around here you will own them all soon enough! 

btw, EL on neg. display is the best! IMO. Enjoy your G.


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## riffraff (Sep 1, 2012)

caveatipse said:


> EL is electroluminescence which, I think, is an electrical charge passing through a gas (not passing gas) to cause the gas to glow.


Not gas, GaAs. Gallium arsenide. It's a boron/nitrogen semiconductor.


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## Kronos (Jan 2, 2008)

xevious said:


> Do _all_ solar powered G-Shocks with auto-EL use the light detection to control it? I seem to remember my GW-M5600BC turning on the backlight with a wrist-flick, even in a moderately lit room, but I'll have to confirm that when I'm home later.


I'm pretty sure the Raysman has this feature -- so it goes pretty far back. I don't know if every single solar G does, though.


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## arcadia (Sep 4, 2012)

Does anyone know if there is any kind of radiation associated with the EL models??


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## LUW (May 17, 2009)

Radiation







?
Of course there's radiation, light is a form of radiation.


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## HHHH (Mar 20, 2011)

arcadia said:


> Does anyone know if there is any kind of radiation associated with the EL models??


I can only assume Casio has ensured not enough to harm you!


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