View Single Post
  #17   Report Post  
Posted to sci.electronics.repair
Ian Field Ian Field is offline
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 1,405
Default NE-51 Neon Bulbs



"Geoffrey S. Mendelson" wrote in message
...
Madness wrote:
Thanks for the replies, everyone. I forgot to mention that my lot (about
30) is of vintage GE NE-51's, not the modern "NE-2 w/ plastic lens"
variety.


Note that many neon bulbs had some sort of radioactive doping to get
them to fire at a lower votage.

I don't have any hard data, but I believe it was thorium up until the late
1940's when the US government decided that radioactive material needed
supervision.


Most valves have some radioactive material in the cathode coating to
increase emission, gas mantles also have some as it makes the illumination
more intense.

IWHT: the radioactive content of a neon bulb is insignificant compared to
either of those examples.