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Error in measurement with Tektronix Probe 1000:1 ??

Hello! I tried to measure a short high Voltage peak with a little older Tektronix Probe, Part No. 010-025 on a Tektronix TDS 460 Memory-Scope. Concretely I wanted to define the ignition voltage of a fluorescent tube. I guess the voltage is about 1-2 kV (1m length of the tube). I measured between 7 and 8 kV with the Tektronix Probe (!) and disagreed with that, because the C_res on the Ballast-Board has a voltage strength of 1,6 kV and the expected voltage that I got from a gas discharge graph is about 1 kV/m.

I quantified the divider of the probe with 979:1 on 50 Hz sinus AC, linear with different voltages between 100 and 400 V which I could set up on the isolating transformer.

Now the question: Can somebody help to affirm this variation? Is there overshoot common because of the short voltage spike?

Thanks for all consideration!

greetings, Christian

Reply to
nezehart.ch
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Hi,Christian The tube is a capacator. j.

Mar 9, 10:17=A0am, snipped-for-privacy@gmx.de wrote:

Reply to
joesmith

Is it possible that the actual voltage was that high for a short instant before the arc actually struck? I am guessing that for a 1 meter long fluorescent tube it would be no more than 2 kV at the most, if the voltage were applied in a slow steadily increasing ramp up of voltage over a period of several seconds. But, if the striking voltage was from a step-up transformer, it might be much higher for a few milliseconds until the arc was fully established.

I am assuming that you used the word "quantified" in the meaning here in the USA as calibrated or checked or verified the accuracy of the probe.

H. R.(Bb) Hofmann

Reply to
hrhofmann

Well yes there may be a measurement error. But you only refer to a

50Hz test to establish the probe measurement division. It is essential to properly adjust the compensation elements as described in the manual. I found that due to most people not having suitable signal sources, I ended up with the job of calibrating the x1000 probes in my work place. As a minimum look at the waveform on a fast square wave generator. If that looks ok, your measurement is probably acceptable.

Peter Dettmann

Reply to
Peter Dettmann

"hr(bob) snipped-for-privacy@att.net" wrote in news:66d93545-28fb- snipped-for-privacy@m36g2000hse.googlegroups.com:

the voltage across the tube is going to increase until the arc establishes itself and then the voltage will decrease to operating V.

If the probe is a P6015,then the divider should be adjustable. (and may be adjusted far out on response,too.)

I don't recognize the older TEK p/n.

--
Jim Yanik
jyanik
at
kua.net
Reply to
Jim Yanik

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