Neon lamp
Neon lamps are small bulbs filled with neon and used as indicator bulbs producing a orange/red glow. This is not to be confused with neon signage. Neon lamps, in general, consist of a gas-discharge tube containing neon at low pressure and, when electified by alternating currents a luminescence is produced by the action of currents at high frequencies that are around the tube.
A neon lamp can be exited by AC or DC. In AC exited lamps, both electrodes produce light and glow, but in a DC exited lamp, only one electrode glows. This simple fact can be used to distinguish between AC and DC sources using a neon lamp.
In addition to many other uses they were used as very simple voltage regulators in the days of tube electronics. Neon lamps were also used for a variety of other purposes in olden times. A good set of links describing those is :
See also: Timeline of lighting technology,
Neon,
1911 in science,
Neon signage
External Links
- http://www.tinaja.com/glib/elesimp.pdf
- http://www.tinaja.com/glib/muse136.pdf
- http://www.tinaja.com/glib/resbar02.pdf
- and more at the same site.
Referenced By
Neon signage
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