Sven Franklyn Weil wrote:
In article , Lizard Blizzard wrote:

Neon lamps need a current limiting resistor, something like 47k or so,
but not a transformer. Some of the screw base neons have the resistor


That's the case with the teenytiny neon night-lights that are commonly
built into clock radios and things. They sell those at Radio Shack.
Bought a two-pack there last year.

The large neon tube signs need a ballast in order to kick start the
tube...similar to fluorecent lights.

What is it? full moon? (no, that's a week away). I guess some young'uns
just enjoy arguing what they don't know about... ;-)

Look up the following:

NE-30, NE-34, NE-40 and NE-56.

At three watts on an edison base - the NE-40 is an impressive Neon bulb.
(and yes it runs fine on 120VAC - in fact it'll fire at about 85V)

best regards...
--
randy guttery

A Tender Tale - a page dedicated to those Ships and Crews
so vital to the United States Silent Service:
http://tendertale.com

In article , Randy and/or Sherry wrote:
At three watts on an edison base - the NE-40 is an impressive Neon bulb.
(and yes it runs fine on 120VAC - in fact it'll fire at about 85V)

I keep forgetting about those decorative neon flicker bulbs - the ones
with two closely positioned plates cut out in the shapes of crosses,
stars of David, fish, women, flames, etc.

Those are so delicate that one little tap can send one of those lamps into
convulsions and possibly premature failure.

I had a set of the flames in a menorah and every year there's one or two
that just ... go out...maybe they're all too close together (about inch or
two apart).

Isn't there an issue with capacitance between those bulbs if they're close
together that causes them to go nuts?

--
Sven Weil
New York City, U.S.A.

In article , Randy and/or Sherry wrote:
At three watts on an edison base - the NE-40 is an impressive Neon bulb.
(and yes it runs fine on 120VAC - in fact it'll fire at about 85V)

I keep forgetting about those decorative neon flicker bulbs - the ones
with two closely positioned plates cut out in the shapes of crosses,
stars of David, fish, women, flames, etc.

Those are so delicate that one little tap can send one of those lamps into
convulsions and possibly premature failure.

I had a set of the flames in a menorah and every year there's one or two
that just ... go out...maybe they're all too close together (about inch or
two apart).

Isn't there an issue with capacitance between those bulbs if they're close
together that causes them to go nuts?

--
Sven Weil
New York City, U.S.A.

On Wed, 03 Sep 2003 10:15:14 -0700, Lizard Blizzard
wrote:

Ban wrote:

Watson A.Name - Watt Sun wrote:

Hey, I agree with you. But instead, I would have used higher voltage

lamps, two in parallel. Decent LEDs were hard to get back in the
'70s. Another solution might be to use neon lamps.


You mean flourescent lights. neon lamps need a high voltage transformer. :-(

Neon lamps need a current limiting resistor, something like 47k or so,
but not a transformer. Some of the screw base neons have the resistor
built into the base. Some of the ones I've seen have a standard sized
'edison' lamp base with a glass envelope that's about twice the size of
the base. They last something like tens of thousands of hours. They
would solve the problem of burned out filaments.


The only problem is the (described) Neon lamp does not provide a high
enough light output for emergency egress signs. They tend to be a very
weak, flickering orange. Make a good pilot light, but not much more.

On Wed, 03 Sep 2003 10:15:14 -0700, Lizard Blizzard
wrote:

Ban wrote:

Watson A.Name - Watt Sun wrote:

Hey, I agree with you. But instead, I would have used higher voltage

lamps, two in parallel. Decent LEDs were hard to get back in the
'70s. Another solution might be to use neon lamps.


You mean flourescent lights. neon lamps need a high voltage transformer. :-(

Neon lamps need a current limiting resistor, something like 47k or so,
but not a transformer. Some of the screw base neons have the resistor
built into the base. Some of the ones I've seen have a standard sized
'edison' lamp base with a glass envelope that's about twice the size of
the base. They last something like tens of thousands of hours. They
would solve the problem of burned out filaments.


The only problem is the (described) Neon lamp does not provide a high
enough light output for emergency egress signs. They tend to be a very
weak, flickering orange. Make a good pilot light, but not much more.

Sounds like a great class, where you have to block the door to keep the
students from leaving. What was the class and who sponsored it? A
mandatory safety class perhaps?

Roy Lewallen, W7EL

Watson A.Name - Watt Sun wrote:

I gotta tell you what happened at work last week. The head of
security came over and told us that someone had complained that one of
our tables was blocking the door (it's a temporary setup). The head
of registration told him that she put it there to keep the students
from leaving. The security guy says, but that's an emergency exit,
see that sign up there?

So she says, oh, ok. Well, then, can we move the sign?

:-)))

Sounds like a great class, where you have to block the door to keep the
students from leaving. What was the class and who sponsored it? A
mandatory safety class perhaps?

Roy Lewallen, W7EL

Watson A.Name - Watt Sun wrote:

I gotta tell you what happened at work last week. The head of
security came over and told us that someone had complained that one of
our tables was blocking the door (it's a temporary setup). The head
of registration told him that she put it there to keep the students
from leaving. The security guy says, but that's an emergency exit,
see that sign up there?

So she says, oh, ok. Well, then, can we move the sign?

:-)))

"Sven Franklyn Weil" wrote in message
...
In article , Randy and/or Sherry wrote:
At three watts on an edison base - the NE-40 is an impressive Neon bulb.
(and yes it runs fine on 120VAC - in fact it'll fire at about 85V)

I keep forgetting about those decorative neon flicker bulbs - the ones
with two closely positioned plates cut out in the shapes of crosses,
stars of David, fish, women, flames, etc.

I've got one of those (somewhere) with R. Crumb's "Keep on Truckin'" guy as
the filament...bought in the 70's, still worked the last time I plugged
(screwed) it in.

jak


Those are so delicate that one little tap can send one of those lamps into
convulsions and possibly premature failure.

I had a set of the flames in a menorah and every year there's one or two
that just ... go out...maybe they're all too close together (about inch or
two apart).

Isn't there an issue with capacitance between those bulbs if they're close
together that causes them to go nuts?

--
Sven Weil
New York City, U.S.A.

"Sven Franklyn Weil" wrote in message
...
In article , Randy and/or Sherry wrote:
At three watts on an edison base - the NE-40 is an impressive Neon bulb.
(and yes it runs fine on 120VAC - in fact it'll fire at about 85V)

I keep forgetting about those decorative neon flicker bulbs - the ones
with two closely positioned plates cut out in the shapes of crosses,
stars of David, fish, women, flames, etc.

I've got one of those (somewhere) with R. Crumb's "Keep on Truckin'" guy as
the filament...bought in the 70's, still worked the last time I plugged
(screwed) it in.

jak


Those are so delicate that one little tap can send one of those lamps into
convulsions and possibly premature failure.

I had a set of the flames in a menorah and every year there's one or two
that just ... go out...maybe they're all too close together (about inch or
two apart).

Isn't there an issue with capacitance between those bulbs if they're close
together that causes them to go nuts?

--
Sven Weil
New York City, U.S.A.

030902 1644 - nobody wrote:

In wrote:

But in 1978 I wired the 2 bulbs in the each of the EXIT
lights in the church in series.

Congratulations, you probably bypassed a safety feature. If they're in
parallel, if one burns out the other keeps going. In series, if one
goes they're both out, and the exit sign is no longer visible.

Also, they should be checked to see if they still work properly when the
power goes out and the battery system takes over.