[Test-Equipment] Nixie project

[Dave Harmon]

I remember buying a used 30L-1 and the 811A tubes had a 'radio-active' stamp
on them.
I got rid of them quick. Don't need an environmental cleanup in the shack!
I've never seen any other 811A's with that stamp.
At AT&T we used some other quick firing tubes with that stamp and we were
careful not to break one of them.

Regards

Dave Harmon
K6XYZ[at]sbcglobal[dot]net
Sperry, Ok.

-----Original Message-----
From: test-equipment-bounces at mailman.qth.net
[mailto:test-equipment-bounces at mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of Richard Knoppow
Sent: Saturday, July 03, 2010 6:40 AM
To: Discussion of Electronic Test Equipment
Subject: Re: [Test-Equipment] Nixie project




-----Original Message-----
>From: hwhall at compuserve.com
>Sent: Jul 3, 2010 12:25 AM
>To: test-equipment at mailman.qth.net
>Subject: Re: [Test-Equipment] Nixie project
>
>IF the nixies require some ionizing radiation to help them fire, IR or
visible light will probably not help. Those are a non-ionizing radations
(not to be confused with radioactive radiations). Ne lamps can be sensitive
to light, however, and other effects as well but I've not researched the
reasons. However, Ne gas should be able to fire (ionize) with sufficient
applied voltage alone. I suspect the improved nixie performance noted by the
original poster is similar to observations about very-old-stock filament
tubes that improve when put in use. The nixies I run in my HB freq counter
do get warm over time; maybe that is sufficient to cause a getter action?
>
>When I was playing with He-Ne gas laser construction long ago no one ever
hinted that any radioactives had to be inserted in the construction to make
them work, so I wonder sometimes about the origins of the info that gas
discharge tubes in general must have some form of radioactives to make them
work. Perhaps some gases do (i.e., hard to ionize), or some manufacturing
methods used that technique to achieve a particular performance effect? 
>
>Wayne
>WB4OGM
>
     Some examples of gas tubes containing a radio-active substance are
shown at:

http://www.orau.org/ptp/collection/consumer%20products/electrontubes.htm

     I will try to find specific data sheets. I do remember seeing VR tubes
of common types with the radio-active trefoil warning sign on them. 



--
Richard Knoppow
dickburk at ix.netcom.com
Los Angeles, CA, USA
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