Replacement Clock Lamp

Something like this ?

Any electronics warehouse should stock those. If the size is not the same it won't be a big issue. Just place the light centered to where the old one was. Note the above requires an inline resistor to use at 240V and is an orangish colour, but i'm sure the sales guys can help you there with other types and the specs. At that price you can even afford to blow a few. :)

| NL 60T8-B | | Can some one please tell me: | | A) What type of lamp this is? -and- | | B) Where can I obtain a replacement?

Does it have a white coating like a fluorescent lamp?

Actually, no. What you are showing me is just a basic neon bulb. That wouldn't have nearly enough brightness to adequately illuminate the display. My lamp is over three inches long (3 1/4") and has an internal coating somewhat similar to a fluorescent tube.

Thanks...

Bob

Yes, it does.

Bob

| >| NL 60T8-B | >| | >| Can some one please tell me: | >| | >| A) What type of lamp this is? -and- | >| | >| B) Where can I obtain a replacement? | >

| >Does it have a white coating like a fluorescent lamp? | | Yes, it does.

There's a 60T8 ( 60T8/N/120V $3.99 60W T8 INTER 120V LAMP BULB )

which is a regular lamp. Unless the coating is a diffuser only, it must be a fluo lamp (with UV output), but if it's 2 wire I can't see how it starts.

If his volt meter says it's powered by 230VAC it's got to be neon or cold-cathode fluorescent or gas discharge or something because an incandescent would just be powered off the 110v from mains power.

I've seen long skinny neon bulbs with wire leads like this, american science& surplus used to sell them (said they were originally intended to illuminate the keypads of telephones), but i haven't seen one recently.

Try these guys:

You might find something on this page:

They have a wide range of bulbs and an 866 number. You probably won't find an exact replacement, but as long as it fits that's all that's needed.

I understand your attraction to fixing an old clock radio rather than buying new. The old ones are unique.

Which is absolutely nothing like what I have, unfortunately.

I think you may be right. See my next message in the thread...

Bob

I believe that both above statements are true, and that this is probably a fluorescent lamp - UV output. I base this on two different things.

I will look them up and give it a shot. Any other ideas?

Thanks...

Bob

Unfortunately, there is nothing suitable there.

Thanks! I found this one in an antique store that I frequent and found it very appealing to me. When I plugged it in and found that the radio worked fine and that the clock that needed attention, I figured, "Why not?"

Also, anybody else, feel free to jump in - PARTICULARLY if you have first-hand knowledge or experience with this unit (or similar unit).

Thanks again...

Bob

If it's UV you need, you might just put a row of UV LEDs off to the sides, if you've got a low voltage DC supply somewhere you can tap. It should be relatively easy to determine if the dial is UV fluorescent.

If you're sure it's UV, I believe sciplus.com (AS&S) has a battery powered "money tester" for a few dollars which includes about a 2.5" long UV fluorescent tube, but i believe the tube might have a slightly larger diameter than your original.

FWIW, all the fluorescent UV tubes I've seen were dark purple in color when switched off, almost black. Would be a dead giveaway. The neon bulbs i referred to above were clear, and produced green light.

Unfortunately for you the market has really gone to electroluminescent and now organic electroluminescent strips, which though they have similar power supply requirements to the neon bulbs, draw so few amps that they actually consume less power than LEDs to illuminate the same area. They even come in a variety of colors, including some really warm reds and some really crisp whites - not just the old blue and green.

Add to that the fact that modern EL and OEL materials are flexible and can be literally printed onto surfaces, and there's no reason for a long skinny low-watt neon lamp to exist anymore.

Other electronic dealers that might have this old stuff around include

| If you're sure it's UV, I believe sciplus.com (AS&S) has a battery | powered "money tester" for a few dollars which includes about a 2.5" long | UV fluorescent tube, but i believe the tube might have a slightly larger | diameter than your original.

See

and similar items.

Right, that's a white light, cold cathode fluorescent, as used for backlighting. the'black' lights I've seen are just that, black.

Can you post a picture? What color was the light?

Either way he could replace it with a cold cathode fluorescent tube. There's probably room in there for an inverter to drive it, they're available in white, UV, and most colors in between.

They're made of Woods glass and have a phosphor that emits a broad spectrum with peaks in the UV. CCFL tubes are available in filtered blacklight, JKL makes them. They sell them at Fry's amoung other places.

On Thu, 06 Jan 2005 18:25:47 GMT, snipped-for-privacy@earthlink.net (Bob Archambault) put finger to keyboard and composed:

Could it be a white neon lamp?

"These resemble neon lamps, but have a white phosphor coated onto the inside surface of the bulb. This phosphor glows green, blue, white or some kind of 'warm white'."

Here is my WAG at the meaning of the part number:

NL = neon lamp 60 = 60VAC striking voltage T8 = 8mm dia = 5/16"

Can you see a resistor in series with the lamp supply? Is the 230VAC generated by an inverter? Can you measure the frequency of the supply?

- Franc Zabkar

Unfortunately, I'm going to bat 1.000 here:

Nope, I don't have any way to do that.

I don't know, since the lamp was already burned out when I bought this unit.

Bob

Y'know...I found that website last night as I was searching for more answers, and I believe that my bulb is probably this type. I also found a picture of it at:

With the exception of the fact that my bulb is several times longer, these colored neon lamps look exactly like mine.

Probably so, particularly the "T8", as my bulb measures exactly

The 230V is derived from the main power transformer. It supplies 230V for the lamp and 120V for the clock motor. Now, these three wires (230V CT) go to a small circuit board containing 1 resistor and 2 very small coils (air core). Power goes from this to both the lamp and clock motor. Since the traces are underneath the board, and I did not remove it (because lamp had voltage applied), I don't know if said resistor is in series with the lamp. It is closed up and running now, so I can't look at it at the moment.

Since I do believe in trying the most convienient methods first, I think that I will try using the green neon bulb from Radio Shack (272-708) as listed on Don's web site. It might work just fine.

Thanks...

Bob