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Lightning Fury

Quoting Chris Singletary <i541771-at-imsday-dot-com>:

> I purchased a "Lightning Fury" HVHF device from Radio Shack a 
> number of years ago and think that it is far superior in 
> display to the plasma globes in use today. My question is this;
> Why are they not around? and Does anyone know what happened to
> make them unavailable today?

Quoting Chip:

> [ NOTE: Apologies to Brad McPeak.  I suggested that discussion
> of plasma globes be sent directly to him (implying that it was
> off topic). However, Chris pointed out "Both the plasma globe 
> and to an extent the Lightning fury were lamp designs by Tesla
> though somewhat modified and the power source is basically a 
> solid state tesla coil using pulse transformers."  The 
> operative words being "basically solid  state tesla coil".  
> I kind of goofed on that one.  Sorry. -- Chip ]

I would agree that the "Lightning Fury" and other plasma globes
fall within the realm of a discussion that centers specifically
on Tesla coils. Everything about the bulb design and the circuit
characteristics used to excite them are centered squarely on
Tesla's work. 

As for the Lightning Fury itself I cannot offer a specific
answer, except to say that if you come across an old one at a
flea market, Hamfest, etc., even if it does not function, pick it
up. A few years back a friend gave me one that had a failed
driver; electronics bad, bulb still good. I stripped the tube
down, and used it, as is, as a discharge terminal on a 5" coil
operating around a kilowatt. 

It was very unusual, but impressive. The glass dome made a
wonderful display, with arcs and colored lightning from both
inside and outside of the bulb. I believe it would still be
working had I not turned carelessly while holding the bulb and
clipped off the evacuation nipple on some obstruction. I took it
down to my local neon shop, but it was pretty much hopeless. The
glass bulb was high quality pyrex, and the natural gas burners at
the neon shop were not hot enough to effectively attached a new
stem. We still tried, and we were able to get a rough pumpdown
and refill with some neon. But the color and effect were poor,
and an arc quickly worked it's way through the thin glass at the
repair point, and the bulb failed again.

I would love to replace it.

Richard Quick


... If all else fails... Throw another megavolt across it!
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