Info for very rare neon tubes?

[cuibono]

I'm trying to repair a musical instrument made circa 1940 in Germany. Apparently it uses something called a 'glimmstabilisator'. Wikipedia has a little blurb on it - they are used like zener diodes, for a voltage reference. See here for the google translation.

The tube in question is a "OO-H35 10/54". I need to find a replacement. How are these things spec'd? Does the 10/54 indicate 10 watts, at 54 volts? Does H35 indicate its filled with neon gas?

I've included a picture of one (the one I have is very similar, but crushed, and has no metal base, just dangling wires).

I've been looking on ebay germany, and found similar tubes. But I can't tell what I'm dealing with - some have different bases, different number of contacts, different 'numbers'. Anyone have any info?

Thanks!

[cuibono]

I was given some tips for possible equivalent names:

DGL OO-H35 10/54
OO-H35 12/54
GR 26-12
DGL GR 150/DK

One very good possibility is a StV 75/15. The schematic I have for the unit (which may well be for a different version) uses two H35 10/54 tubes, but in the actual unit I have, there is one H35 10/54, and one StV 75/15. Are they possibly equivalents? They have different envelopes, but both have just two contacts.

In the circuit, I believe one is used to indicate power on, and the other used in the vibrato circuit.

[indianajo]

If they are 2 pin devices, neon typically trips on about 55 volts. They can tweak the trip voltage a little by how far apart the electrodes are. If these have an internal resistor, it would limit the current to some value. Naked neon bulbs need an external resistor to limit the current and limit them blowing up. You can look at the circuit and see whether the current limit resistor is external or not.
If internal, you can simulate with a bare wire baseless neon bulb plus an external resistor to limit the current.
Neon can be used to make frequency divider circuits. See organforum.com electronics thread, "neon divider" in the title of the post. Full explanation there.

[Enzo]

Go to an RCA tube manual, and the first tube in it is a gas voltage regulator, type 0A2. Chances are good this is what you have. Not the 0A2 itself, but a similar part. There is a nice tutorial with that first tube. They come in various voltage ratings, and were used just like zeners. Plus they have a handsome glow while working.

[pmillett]

Short data on the StV 75/15 is here:

http://www.mif.pg.gda.pl/homepages/f.../054/4/484.pdf

Looks like a 75V voltage stabilizer (VR tube). Might be tough finding something with this base. You could always kludge in a 75C2 or 0C2... maybe mount it to the old base you have?

Pete

[cuibono]

Thanks both of you! I'm currently talking with a couple of folks in Germany, we'll see where it goes...