What are these Christmas light things?

apehead · 15th March 2008, 03:42 AM

Here is a link to a few (crappy) photos I took of an oscillator board to an old Silvertone organ I picked up at salvation army. Initially I though these strange little bulbs were pencil tubes, but they only have two leads, and glow orange when the organ is powered up. A friend suggested they were neon lamps, maybe for tuning purposes? Also, does anyone know where I can get a schematic for an obscure, old *** Silvertone?

pictures

astouffer · 15th March 2008, 04:17 AM

They are indeed neon bulbs. http://www.tinaja.com/glib/muse136.pdf

Speedskater · 15th March 2008, 03:36 PM

The pictures are fuzzy, but I would guess that they are incandescent filament bulbs. Lots of oscillators use bulbs to stabilize the circuit.

Trout · 15th March 2008, 04:30 PM

+1 Neon

Another vote on those being neon bulbs. I have pulled apart a hand fill of organs that used loads of them in the tone generator circuits.

Trout

kevinkr · 15th March 2008, 06:01 PM

Probably some sort of relaxation oscillator using neon lamps as the active elements.

poynton · 15th March 2008, 06:11 PM

Neon relaxation oscillator as per the link in post 2.

Made one at school many years ago!!

Andy

apehead · 15th March 2008, 06:18 PM

Are they replaceable in this day and age? A few are beginning to flicker.

apehead · 15th March 2008, 06:20 PM

WOW!! Two birds with one stone! I've always wanted to know what those funny things on schematics were.

kevinkr · 15th March 2008, 06:26 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by apehead
Are they replaceable in this day and age? A few are beginning to flicker.

If they are used as relaxation oscillators the low frequency ones will visibly flicker, that would be normal.

SpreadSpectrum · 15th March 2008, 06:37 PM

I think that I saw some in a really old tektronix scope. I was wondering what they were.

15th March 2008, 03:42 AM	#1
apehead diyAudio Member Join Date: Oct 2006	What are these christmas light things? Here is a link to a few (crappy) photos I took of an oscillator board to an old Silvertone organ I picked up at salvation army. Initially I though these strange little bulbs were pencil tubes, but they only have two leads, and glow orange when the organ is powered up. A friend suggested they were neon lamps, maybe for tuning purposes? Also, does anyone know where I can get a schematic for an obscure, old *** Silvertone? pictures

15th March 2008, 03:36 PM	#3
Speedskater diyAudio Member Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Lakewood, Ohio	The pictures are fuzzy, but I would guess that they are incandescent filament bulbs. Lots of oscillators use bulbs to stabilize the circuit. __________________ Kevin

15th March 2008, 06:01 PM	#5
kevinkr diyAudio Moderator Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Boston, Massachusetts Blog Entries: 6	Probably some sort of relaxation oscillator using neon lamps as the active elements. __________________ www.kta-hifi.net

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15th March 2008, 04:17 AM	#2
astouffer diyAudio Member Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Pittsburgh, crumbling wasteland	They are indeed neon bulbs. http://www.tinaja.com/glib/muse136.pdf

15th March 2008, 04:30 PM	#4
Trout diyAudio Member Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Midwest Madman	+1 Neon Another vote on those being neon bulbs. I have pulled apart a hand fill of organs that used loads of them in the tone generator circuits. Trout

15th March 2008, 06:11 PM	#6
poynton Magneto the Gravity Man diyAudio Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: A life on the ocean waves when I'm not at home in N. Wales (but I'm not Welsh so no sheep jokes!)	Neon relaxation oscillator as per the link in post 2. Made one at school many years ago!! Andy

15th March 2008, 06:18 PM	#7
apehead diyAudio Member Join Date: Oct 2006	Are they replaceable in this day and age? A few are beginning to flicker.

15th March 2008, 06:20 PM	#8
apehead diyAudio Member Join Date: Oct 2006	WOW!! Two birds with one stone! I've always wanted to know what those funny things on schematics were.

15th March 2008, 06:37 PM	#10
SpreadSpectrum diyAudio Member Join Date: Nov 2007	I think that I saw some in a really old tektronix scope. I was wondering what they were.

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