Ed Phillips wrote:
Hello coilers, I know it is true that one shalt not touch the glass of a halogen bulb or the vacuum will be compromised by the oils in the skin. Is this true in general of vacuum tubes? Jim Mora"No and I don't think that's the reason for not touching the envelope of those light bulbs. The explanation I've heard is that any fingerprints or the like can carbonize and cause local heating which is injurious. I don't think those things operate under high vacuum conditions anyway. Anyone know?
Halogen tubes, and more importantly for the "do not touch", xenon arc bulbs, operate at high pressure. As pointed out, the oils form a hot spot, leading to uneven stresses and bulb fracture. In the case of a high pressure arc bulb, this is a pretty spectacular problem.
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