Nice little bulb.

[Lancs Lad]

I found this in a drawer today. I'd almost forgotten I had it.

I remember buying it from a tiny, old fashioned electrical shop in a neighbouring town in 1988. One of those glorious little shops that don't seem to exist any more - with an Arkwright-esque proprietor who actually wore one of those brown 'shopkeeper' overalls! With screwdrivers in the breast pocket, rather than pens.

Anyway, I had been coveting one of these bulbs since we, as a family, had gone to a restaurant on Christmas Day for dinner in 1980. This must have been an 'occasion', because it was virtually unheard of for Dad to waste money eating out! He even splashed out on two bottles of Blue Nun, so he must have been feeling unusually extravagant!

The restaurant had dark oak beams, and lots of those wooden wall lights with the pretend 'melting wax candle' collars over the bulb holder. You can all picture the sort of thing I mean, I'm sure. And they all had these flicker flame bulbs in. I was fascinated, of course, and was actually more interested in the lighting than the Christmas meal.

Being only ten years old, the range of local shops I had access to was quite limited, so I couldn't find one of these bulbs anywhere. It wasn't until 1988, when I passed my driving test (first time!) that I was able to venture farther afield under my own steam, and I eventually tracked one down.

I've often wondered how it actually works, and what is going on between those two flame-shaped plates. I don't even know what those plates are made of.

Even Google doesn't seem to know anything about them.

[TonyDuell]

There's a bit of information about them (including links to patents) here :

http://g3ynh.info/disch_tube/lamp/flame_neon.html

[Lancs Lad]

Ooh, thankyou so much for that, Tony. I will enjoy reading all about it.

[Tractorfan]

Hi,
Oddly, I unearthed one that I've had for many years just last week. It's the same as yours, except that it has a miniature BC cap. I have re-glued the brass cap on with hot melt glue. Just need to find somewhere to show it!
Cheers, Pete.

[paulsherwin]

They are really just neon bulbs, but tweaked to encourage them to flicker even more than neons normally do.

[Lancs Lad]

What I've always really wondered is, can it ever fail or 'blow'?

I mean, there's no filament to break, like in a normal bulb, is there? So what would need to happen for it to stop working?

Sorry if that's a daft question, and I'm probably being really thick, but I just can't see what could go wrong with it

[emeritus]

With extended use, the inside of the bulb progressively blackens. I have a Osglim neon bulb that my family must have used during the wartime blackouts, and it has blackened considerably. Still glows OK though, although not as bright as it must have been when new.

There is a photo in this closed thread at #12, along with an extract from a Science Museum booklet that provides further information.

https://www.vintage-radio.net/forum/...d.php?t=100852

[broadgage]

I rather like these, but they are not rare.
Still made AFAIK and certainly still readily available.
They are filled with neon under very low pressure, and have a current limiting resistor built into the base.

I have a number of MES/E10 based versions. They are sometimes fitted to parallel wired candle arch lights, in place of the more common series wired incandescent lamps.

They are very long lasting.

If anyone wants some, look on ebay under "flicker flame candle bulbs"

[hannahs radios]

I've got one of those candle flame bulbs, a friend gave it to me a few weeks ago. I too remember first seeing them in a pub restaurant in the early 80's. They are great aren't they!

[Lancs Lad]

I remember the electrical shop had a proper 'masculine' front window display!

By that, I mean that the shopkeeper had just crammed as many small household appliances as he could into the tiny available space, with no thoughts of arranging them to their best advantage. Right at the front, along the bottom of the window, was a plank of wood, with about six, white plastic, batten lampholders screwed to it (at roughly evenly spaced intervals) with different bulbs inserted, and actually lit up, in order to wow and amaze the passing public with a dazzling display of illumination!

But it was a brilliant shop! Whatever anyone asked for, he always seemed to have it. No electronic stuff, but just normal, general electrical bits and bobs. I don't think he did repairs, as such, but if someone brought in a radiant electric fire with a failed element, for example, he would put in the new 'bar' for the customer, there and then on the counter - for free!

I miss shops like that!

[Graham G3ZVT]

Sounds like my friend who has a shop like that across the road from where I lived.
He would never sell anyone a lightbulb without putting it in his homemade wall-mounted tester, to show the customer it wasn't a duff.

[Lancs Lad]

Exactly! There was (yet another) batten lampholder screwed to the end of the counter for that sole purpose.

[Dave Moll]

Originally Posted by emeritus

With extended use, the inside of the bulb progressively blackens.

We had a beehive neon when I was a child where the glass was so blackened (with a metallic sheen similar to valve gettering) that the insides were totally invisible when not lit. When it was glowing, however, one became completely unaware of the coating, the beehive looking as though the glass was completely clear.

Unfortunately, I found one day that the seal had somehow broken, letting in air. I was gutted!

I remember some years ago the flickering ones in the OP being popular in restaurants to give the impression of candle light.

[Graham G3ZVT]

Here's our stash of five.
My wife got them at Selfridges for £5 each in 1999, for our Millennium new year's eve party.

I see you can get them from China for 99p including postage.

They come out once or twice a year for Halloween, or other suitably themed parties.

[AC/HL]

I have a couple somewhere, my Daughter used them in her bedroom during her Goth phase!
Easy on the electric meter.

[The Philpott]

I had one of these lamps 'blow'- i don't know what the failure mode was, but there was a loud pop and the 3A fuse in the plug blew in sympathy.

Dave

[Reelman]

They were fitted as standard in a Belling coal effect electric fire. There were 5 of them fitted behind transparent windows where the “coal” was in addition to 2 rotating “shades” over 60W fire glow bulbs. Looked quite good.
Bought in 1987 and disposed of 5 years ago. Still have some of the bulbs and you even got a spare.
Peter

[Lancs Lad]

Thanks, Dave, that's interesting.

Did you not replace the 3 amp fuse to see if the bulb was still working?

[Dave Moll]

Originally Posted by The Philpott

I had one of these lamps 'blow'- i don't know what the failure mode was, but there was a loud pop and the 3A fuse in the plug blew in sympathy.

It sounds as though it developed a "short". Possibly a plate's weld failed, causing it to move and bridge the gap between the two.

[The Philpott]

Yes, I did replace the fuse and try again- still dead. Dave's probably right, debris got between the electrodes or one of them shifted. Interesting how they are tapered to create the tame Jacob's Ladder effect.

Dave