NE-2 neon bulbs

[olds...@tubes.com]

Another thread on here mentions the NE-2 neon bulbs. I remember those
going back to the 60s. They have never changed, but worked well for
testers or indicators if you did not want brightness.

But I always wondered, was there a NE-1, or a NE-3? I always wondered
why they are called NE-2? I have never seen any other number after the
NE-.

One thing about them, if they were used for continuous use, such as a
nightlight. Eventually they get weak and die. They usually flicker
first. I had a nightlight with one of them that eventually did no longer
light, but if the room's lights were turned on, then it would light. I
recall showing that goofy thing to a friend and telling him it was
retarded. We got some good laughs out of that thing...

[N_Cook]

I have a trusty old Coutant bench ps. For perhaps 15 or 20 years the
neon mains-on indicator has never worked, unless it is pitch black dark
in the room and then it would regularly flash on and off. If something
had gone functionally wrong with it at some point I'd have fixed that
and also replaced the neon. It looks fine , not like the blackened
things (but still working) I've seen as electric-fence very HV indicators

[bitrex]

Yup, there were many different types for different applications, years
ago. Check it out, everything you could want to know about them:

<http://w5jgv.com/downloads/General%20Electric%20Glow%20Lamp%20Manual%202nd%20Edition.pdf>

There's an interesting section about radiation hardness testing of neon
lamps; apparently they could be blasted with huge amounts of gamma
radiation without significant change to their electrical properties,
just a darkening of the envelope.

[bitrex]

On 11/09/2017 04:10 AM, olds...@tubes.com wrote:

> Another thread on here mentions the NE-2 neon bulbs. I remember those
> going back to the 60s. They have never changed, but worked well for
> testers or indicators if you did not want brightness.
>
> But I always wondered, was there a NE-1, or a NE-3? I always wondered
> why they are called NE-2? I have never seen any other number after the
> NE-.

You can still buy an NE-3, it's a long lamp with a "telephone slide
base", designed to be mounted to a panel as an indicator and viewed end-on:

<https://www.elliottelectronicsupply.com/lamps/neon-lamp-55v-02-watt-ne3-lamp.html>

[pf...@aol.com]

NE-1 lamps are Edison based, 3/4" globe neon lamps commonly used as on/off indicators for radios in the 1950s and early 1960s, mostly from Zenith and mostly AM/FM. I have a sleeve of them that I got when I purchased a brown-paper-bag of *stuff* at a flea-market. Coincidentally, that bag also included two NIB RCA 7199 tubes. Go figure.

I also have a sleeve of fuse-style neon lamps. I do not remember the part number, and I did not think there was any modern application - until I looked at my 1-point tester some time later.

They look like this:

https://image.ec21.com/image/leboda/oimg_GC00454960_CA00459157/Fuse-type-neon-lamp-picture.jpg

Peter Wieck
Melrose Park, PA

[olds...@tubes.com]

On Thu, 9 Nov 2017 07:45:40 -0500, bitrex <bit...@de.lete.earthlink.net>
wrote:

That's a weird looking thing...

Another thing I always wondered about these small neon lamps, is how
come they were always that yellow color. Neon signs have all sorts of
colored neon gasses.

These days LEDs are much more common, but I still see neon bulbs inside
of switches on power strips. (I have an old power strip and that switch
flashed on and off all the time. I guess they just get weak over time.

[Foxs Mercantile]

On 11/9/2017 7:19 AM, pf...@aol.com wrote:
> I also have a sleeve of fuse-style neon lamps.

Now those, are just damn clever.


--
Jeff-1.0
wa6fwi
http://www.foxsmercantile.com

[Foxs Mercantile]

On 11/9/2017 8:35 AM, olds...@tubes.com wrote:
> Another thing I always wondered about these small neon lamps, is how
> come they were always that yellow color. Neon signs have all sorts of
> colored neon gasses.

The depth of your ignorance never fails to amaze me.

<https://sciencing.com/gases-used-neon-signs-5581339.html>

[bitrex]

On 11/09/2017 10:03 AM, Foxs Mercantile wrote:
> On 11/9/2017 8:35 AM, olds...@tubes.com wrote:
>> Another thing I always wondered about these small neon lamps, is how
>> come they were always that yellow color. Neon signs have all sorts of
>> colored neon gasses.
>
>
> The depth of your ignorance never fails to amaze me.
>
> <https://sciencing.com/gases-used-neon-signs-5581339.html>
>
>

Eh, they call 'em "neon signs" even though not every gas in a "neon
sign" is neon. Like how not every band-aid is a Band-Aid.

They did make some small "neon lamps" using gases other than neon, I'm
pretty sure I've seen unfiltered violet and red before.

Ah here we go:

<https://tinyurl.com/y78b2j5j>

[John-Del]

Impressive, since you are not all that easy to amaze...

[Foxs Mercantile]

He really works at it.

[Michael A Terrell]

Foxs Mercantile wrote:
> On 11/10/2017 9:43 AM, John-Del wrote:
>> On Thursday, November 9, 2017 at 10:04:04 AM UTC-5, Foxs Mercantile
>> wrote:
>>> On 11/9/2017 8:35 AM, olds...@tubes.com wrote:
>>>> Another thing I always wondered about these small neon lamps, is how
>>>> come they were always that yellow color. Neon signs have all sorts of
>>>> colored neon gasses.
>>>
>>>
>>> The depth of your ignorance never fails to amaze me.
>>>
>>> <https://sciencing.com/gases-used-neon-signs-5581339.html>
>>

>> Impressive, since you are not all that easy to amaze...
>>
> He really works at it.

I think that he's 'The Son of Skippy!'. :(

[w9gb]

There are several “NE-x” neon bulbs of varying voltage and base (or wire leads).
I just changed an NE-2 bulb in a B&K Precision 1601 Regulated DC Supply.

The “operating life” of Neon bulbs is usually ~ 20,000 hours, so after about 10-15 years of continuous operation,
the bulb will either flicker or “go dark”.
Illuminated Rocker switches (Carling Curvette LRA 211 or 911) are used in power strips,
Astron DC power supplies, and WTCPN or WTCP series soldering bases.

Mouser stocks popular models, at less than $2.00
https://www.mouser.com/Carling-Technologies/Illuminated-Rocker-Switches/LRA-Series/_/N-1z0zlscZcbt5jZ1ywu5hg

Digi-Key stocks most popular LRA.
https://www.digikey.com/products/en?dc=20389

Since this illuminated rocker switch conforms to the standard appliance rectangular cutout,
a number of other switch mfg. (Cherry, NKK, C&K, Eaton) offer equivakents.

[bruce2...@gmail.com]

Why would you want to amaze anyone here, of all places?

[bud--]

On 11/9/2017 9:03 AM, Foxs Mercantile wrote:
> On 11/9/2017 8:35 AM, olds...@tubes.com wrote:

>> Another thing I always wondered about these small neon lamps, is how
>> come they were always that yellow color. Neon signs have all sorts of
>> colored neon gasses.

Neon plasma is red-orange.

>
>
> The depth of your ignorance never fails to amaze me.
>
> <https://sciencing.com/gases-used-neon-signs-5581339.html>
>

A late reply...

I'm not particularly impressed by the link information.
Yes you can use other noble gasses in a "neon" sign.
I don't think the other gasses are used much.

Actual "neon" signs are transparent glass, and you can see the plasma
discharge in the center of the tube.

Almost all the other signs have argon to strike, and a small amount of
mercury, which vaporizes. The mercury arc produces UV. The inside of the
tubes have a phosphor for the color produced. You can not see through
the tube (to what is behind it). They are cold cathode fluorescent lights.

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