Electroluminescent LCD backlight

[Demon]

Hi folks, for years I've been looking for simple economical DC/AC converters for EL backlights without using specialized ICs. The main problem with EL backlights is that they run off high AC voltage. I finally hit paydirt with a schematic from Nerdkits that runs off 5V:
http://www.nerdkits.com/videos/backlight

I'm including a pic of their schematic as well as a sample parts list I got from DigiKey.

For the two 150 Hz and 150 kHz signals, I used 555 IC timers using this tutorial from Guelph University:
http://www.uoguelph.ca/~antoon/gadgets/555/555.html

I've finished the two signal generators, the 150 Hz and 150 kHz signals are spot on. Now I'm starting breadboarding the EL circuit and will report back once complete.

Some of you have gotten these LCDs cheap on eBay but never got around to figure out how to get the backlights working properly, hope this helps.

Robert