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Re: First post: Fluorescent lighting



Tesla List wrote:
> 
> >From pgantt-at-ix-dot-netcom-dot-comMon Oct 14 21:22:41 1996
> Date: Mon, 14 Oct 1996 17:04:42 -0700
> From: pgantt-at-ix-dot-netcom-dot-com
> To: tesla-at-poodle.pupman-dot-com
> Subject: First post: Fluorescent lighting
> 
> Hello everyone.  I am new to this group and thought I should add a few
> bits of information for your assessment.  After communicating with Chip
> via email, he thought this information would be of interest to readers.
<Snip>
> 
> I constructed a simple prototype coil using 28 guage wire, approximately
> 1-1/4 inches in diameter and about 1/2 inches in height.  The turns ratio
> was about 10 to 1.  At resonance, this yields a voltage transformation
> ratio of about 100 to 1.  The  resonant frequency was about 6MHz.  When
> the primary was excited with an RF generator and the secondary connected
> to a 40 watt fluorescent tube with a single wire (return path through
> the air), the lamp could be fully illuminated with less than 6 watts.
> By adjusting the input voltage, the lamp could easily be dimmed for
> lower light output.  At low light output, the lamp could be illuminated
> with as little as 1.5 watts.  What is most significant, is that the lamp
> produced no heat.  In fact, I was able to fully illuminate a fluorescent
> lamp that was "burned out" and would not work in a conventional fixture
> that used a 60Hz ballast transformer.
> 
<SNIP>
> 
> So, that is what I have in a nutshell.  Any comments?
> 
> Phil Gantt

Phil,

Welcome aboard! This work certainly sounds interesting! I'm curious as
to why HP was not interested in pursuing this, unless it was too far
removed from their core business. Some questions:

- Could you post some additional information on the design? Many on this
list would probably be interested in duplicating the circuit.

- Are there potential RF radiation or other difficulties that might
preclude wide-scale usage of the device? 

- As you reduced power, did you observe any effect where only a bottom
portion of the light was lit (i.e., the discharge "runs out of gas" at
lower power levels)?

- Would the efficiency improve even further through the use of some type
of termination on the other end of the bulb?

This is very interesting stuff! Thanks for sharing it with us!

Safe (micro)coilin' to ya!

-- Bert --