Re: First post: Fluorescent lighting

• To: tesla-at-pupman-dot-com
• Subject: Re: First post: Fluorescent lighting
• From: open_minded <bturner-at-apc-dot-net>
• Date: Sat, 19 Oct 1996 01:01:15 -0700

Tesla List wrote:
> 
> >From paulmil-at-ibm-dot-netFri Oct 18 21:36:38 1996
> Date: Fri, 18 Oct 1996 02:40:19 GMT
> From: PAUL MILLOTT <paulmil-at-ibm-dot-net>
> To: tesla-at-pupman-dot-com
> Subject: Re: First post: Fluorescent lighting
> 
> ><SNIP>
> >>

> 
> Bert,
> 
> I used a high frequency supply to light a flourescent tube and found it lit
> from one end and traveled along the tube until the whole thing was lit. Took
> about 4 seconds as I increased the power, to reach the other end. What was
> causing it to light only part of the tube and not the whole 4 feet? I never
> did find out.
> 
> Paul Millott


Paul -


  What you are experiencing is 'tracing'. This property is utilized in
certain neon-sign devices. The reason for the climbing is that power
is balanced across supply and load. For a given level of power, the
light will 'climb' along the tube until there is suffcient 'active'
capacitance to couple it to the surrounding environment. You can
disrupt the balance by touching the lamp higher up, creating a region
of very high capacitance and low voltage - hence the bulb will most
likely travel *past* it's normal point to reach your hand. Kind of
a neat effect, actually.

  I have been able to get a related effect in my plasma lamp. I can
adjust the power level (PWM) so that the globe has a single wavering
plasma path that doesn't reach the glass wall, and it looks like a
beatiful dancing 'electric' candle flame.

- Brent

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