Lego Computer Screen Problem (And Solution)

For any Lego micro-computer (Scout, Micro-Scout, RCX 1.0, RCX 2.0, and NXT) you have the issue of no backlight for the screen. This may not be an issue if you’ve built stuff that is in the light when you use it’s screen, but you will have this issue if you build machines that are locked in place, and run programs 24-7 (like me). I ran into this issue yesterday when I asked my dad to make sure my NXT was still responding (not had a kernel panic) to a program I’d been running all day. But to do so he had to look at the screen, and had to squint to do so (I think, :) ). It became apparent then that I had to solve this issue. So, today I went with my dad to Ikea to get more stools and chairs for our house. When there we thought about finding a kind of light to shine on the NXT screen when using the brick in the pitch black of 11:00 pm (some weekend nights I read this long and want to stop programs when I’m done). We found a rope light system that has four rope light sections, and a single switch to activate all four. Just now I unpacked them, and put them above the main brick screens otherwise impossible to see, two above the NXT screen (the main goal), one above the Scout screen, and one above the RCX 1.0 screen (the Micro Scout stays on the “P” mode {Scout override mode [Scout screen is enough]}, and the RCX 2.0 is always in broad light). So, the problem is the screens not backlit, and the solution is rope lighting above them. Enjoy, Alex