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"Underloading" an NST



I have seen numerous posts recently warning against "underloading" an
NST by running it without a load connected to the high voltage
secondary.  I have been having some problems getting an NST, but thanks
to the helpful hints of many people on the list, I may soon be the proud
owner of one.  Anyway.....here's my problem/concern:
     I am working on a project in which I would like to attempt to
transmit a high voltage current though a conduit filled with inert gas.
Sound familiar?  Yes, this is a sort of "home-made" neon lamp tube,
except that I will be using a flexible rubber tubing provided with a
system of valves and gauges to release/add gas, instead of a permanent
glass tube.  I won't go into details here, but I'm doing this for a very
specific reason.  I was planning to  transmit the 15 kv current from the
transformer directly thourgh the tube.   But, since many on the list
have warned that an NST was not meant to run "unloaded" for a long
period of time, is there any way I can use the transformer to provide
the high voltage without risking breakdown?  In other words, how can I
arrange this experiment so that it provides a "load" for the
transformer? 

After going through all this trouble of getting this thing, I certainly
don't want to burn it out!

Thanks!
Chris T.