OB3 voltage regulators

[Mimewar]

Does anyone here have any experience with the OB3 voltage regulator
tubes? I have a set of four, and one works, but it's not nearly as
bright as I have seen in pictures. I am feeding it 175V, at about
60mA current. Any ideas?

Shane

[David Forbes]

Cameras lie. Photos of glowing things are often much more glowy than the
same objects appear to the eyeball.

--
David Forbes, Tucson AZ

[Shane Ellis]

Drat, and double drat.  I was really hoping I had some defective tubes here.  they look pretty and purple in the dark, but not so much with the lights on.
Oh well, I'll stick to neon, and nixies I guess!
Thanks!
Shane.

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[JohnK]

Out of interest, do they all regulate OK?  BTW, 60mA is prob high - my data suggests that Ik is 5mA min and 30 to 40mA max.  The min supply voltage starts at 105V. 

 

John K.

[John Rehwinkel]

> Drat, and double drat. I was really hoping I had some defective tubes here. they look pretty and purple in the dark, but not so much with the lights on.
> Oh well, I'll stick to neon, and nixies I guess!

There are neon-based regulator tubes available. However, the gas mixes varied depending on who made them and when. 0A3 (AKA VR75) type tubes tend to be neon, for example, if an 75 volt supply would work for you. 0G3 (AKA 85A2) 85V regulators are generally also neon, but in a silvered 7-pin miniature envelope that's not as impressive. 0C2 72V regulators are also miniature neon-based regulators, but the getter covers most of the glow. I've never seen a 5651 voltage reference tube that wasn't neon, and they're pretty in operation, with a disclike cathode at the bottom.

Pics of a lit 0A3:

http://www.electronixandmore.com/project/2.html

Pic of a lit 5651:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:5651RegulatorTubeInOperation.jpg

Pic of lit 0A3(?) and 0C2:

http://www.decware.com/yabbfiles/Attachments/100823_004.JPG

- John KG4L

[threeneurons]

|| experience with the OB3 voltage regulator tubes?

|| ... not nearly as bright as I have seen in pictures.

|| I am feeding it 175V, at about 60mA
|

| Cameras lie. Photos of glowing things are often much more
| glowy than the same objects appear to the eyeball.
|
| --
| David Forbes, Tucson AZ

I found that out when I started taking photos of my nixie projects.
Usually taken with a tripod mounted camera, at a very slow shutter
speed (No flash). The nixie tubes glowed bright yellow in the photos,
though we all know that they glow a pretty orange. Took months of
screwing around to get it right. That could just be, because I'm a
lousy photographer.

Here's a data sheet on regulator tubes:

http://frank.pocnet.net/sheets/127/0/0A3.pdf

The 0B3 is suppose to regulate at 90V. A 125V minimum supply voltage
is recommended. 30mA max for this tube, though most of the regulator
tubes this size can go up to 40mA. Note that you have it hooked up
correctly. The cathode (-) is the big cylinder, with the anode (+)
being the skinny rod down the middle. Since it is a gas filled cold
cathode device, it can suffer from cathode poisoning. Burn it in for a
while, and see if the glow spreads out uniformly.