Tubular Neon Stroboscope Bulb IN-24

Tubular Neon Stroboscope Bulb IN-24 Description

Tubular Neon Stroboscope Bulb IN-24

This one item of tubular neon bulb such as you might find in 1970s record players or tape recorders where the glow is used against a striped pattern on the turntable to check the speed.  The length measures 36.4mm, the glass diameter is 6.25mm and the diameter of the end caps is 7.0mm.

In the picture showing the lit item, it is running on 240 VAC mains via an 82K 0.6W metal film resistor (not supplied) where the current is 1.52mA and the voltage measured across the neon is 124VAC.  When fitting a replacement, note that the resistor will often be hidden under the insulation in one of the wire leads.  That resistor value is suitable for any mains voltage from 220 to 250 VAC. 

If driven from a D.C. voltage, only one side will glow depending on the polarity.  This might lead to cunning uses in neon display clocks or valve radio tuning indicators

The higher than usual voltage across the bulb suggests that these will not work well on 110V.  These parts originally came from Lithuania and are of 1980s Soviet vintage.