DIYbanter - View Single Post - NE-2 neon bulbs

Bitrex

On 11/09/2017 04:10 AM, wrote:
Another thread on here mentions the NE-2 neon bulbs. I remember those
going back to the 60s. They have never changed, but worked well for
testers or indicators if you did not want brightness.

But I always wondered, was there a NE-1, or a NE-3? I always wondered
why they are called NE-2? I have never seen any other number after the
NE-.

One thing about them, if they were used for continuous use, such as a
nightlight. Eventually they get weak and die. They usually flicker
first. I had a nightlight with one of them that eventually did no longer
light, but if the room's lights were turned on, then it would light. I
recall showing that goofy thing to a friend and telling him it was
retarded. We got some good laughs out of that thing...

Yup, there were many different types for different applications, years
ago. Check it out, everything you could want to know about them:

http://w5jgv.com/downloads/General%20Electric%20Glow%20Lamp%20Manual%202nd%20 Edition.pdf

There's an interesting section about radiation hardness testing of neon
lamps; apparently they could be blasted with huge amounts of gamma
radiation without significant change to their electrical properties,
just a darkening of the envelope.