Re: xenon flash tubes as gaps Re: Zener SSTC?

["Tesla list" <tesla-at-pupman-dot-com>]

Original poster: Bert Hickman <bert.hickman-at-aquila-dot-net> 

Mark and Chris,

Be VERY careful when experimenting with that short-arc lamp. It uses xenon 
gas under high pressure. These lamps can explode violently if accidentally 
subjected to electrical or mechanical abuse! Even the presence of small 
scratches or fingerprints on the outer quartz bulb an be a problem.

Best regards,

-- Bert --


Tesla list wrote:
>Original poster: "Christopher Boden" <chrisboden-at-hotmail-dot-com>
>This isn't a flash tube, it's a BIG (1000watt) Xenon Short-Arc lamp used 
>for theatre projection. 7518989 is the bulb number. Since it fires below 
>15kV we don't worry about it damageing any of the NSTs ot whatnot, but I 
>know we won't get max-power from it.
>We're testing it right now in the next room with a 6" coil :)
>
>
>Christopher "Duck" Boden Geek#1
>President / C.E.O. / Alpha Geek
>The Geek Group
>www.thegeekgroup-dot-org
>Because the Geek shall inherit the Earth!
>
>
>
>>From: "Tesla list" <tesla-at-pupman-dot-com>
>>To: tesla-at-pupman-dot-com
>>Subject: Re: xenon flash tubes as gaps Re: Zener SSTC?
>>Date: Sat, 17 Jan 2004 20:55:40 -0700
>>
>>Original poster: Matthew Smith <matt-at-kbc-dot-net.au>
>>
>>Tesla list wrote:
>>
>>>Original poster: "Christopher Boden" <chrisboden-at-hotmail-dot-com>
>>>We just got a pair donated and I was thinking the same thing. They won't 
>>>arc at 10kV, but at 15kV it's a thin arc (much the same as if it were in 
>>>free air. The arc lamps are massive, and I was wondering if it would be 
>>>possible to make a silent (or much quieter) gap from one. The problem is 
>>>it's a fixed-width gap, and I haven't yet come up with how to make that work.
>>
>>
>>You could always trigger it.  Camera flash tubes tend to have an external
>>trigger electrode (piece of foil behind tube).
>>
>>Cheers
>>
>>M
>>
>>--
>>Matthew Smith
>>Kadina Business Consultancy
>>South Australia
>>http://www.kbc-dot-net.au