As mentioned in description of my latest video (preheat T5 8W fluorescent fixture), I guess it has be the end on this topic for my channel. I am not a bulb collector, and I don't have the opportunity to collect fixtures or bulbs which are no longer available in market. Yes those fixtures and bulbs I watched from other channels are very nice, which I really wanted to have one. But obviously, it is not possible. In addition I posted electronics project videos irregularly and none of them get enough attention. So I must decide between stop posting videos in lamps topic or continue post something repeating or lack of content.
These 5 amber neon bulbs are obtained from a very old 4-socket power strip, which its internal plastic supports and protection doors were all broken, rendering completely unsafe to use. The bulbs have a 200 kohms ballast resistor. One of these bulbs was served as mains power indicator while the others turn on only when the corresponding switch is closed. All these bulbs are not looking good but still able to light up.
The 5th batch of green neon bulbs from another power strip removed from service, having 4 good and 2 bad bulbs. Only 2 sockets of this power strip had been used for years while the rest were kept unused. When the power strip was still in use, an obvious heat spot was found by touching the back of it, which was generated from the bad bulb's resistor.
The 4th batch of 6 green neon bulbs, obtained from a power strip removed from service inside server rack today. 3 good and 3 bad. One of the good bulbs looked completely new, since the corresponding switch on the power strip was extremely hard to push (very common problem on that brand), suggesting the slot may have never been powered. The other two good bulbs have some burn marks. This power strip may have been used for 8 years. These bulbs will be tested later but no video will be posted.
These marked fluorescent tubes are severely darkened at the electrode, but the tubes still work as usual because they are not burn marks, and the electrodes are also good.
Update on 2025-6-21: There's a sad news about these fixtures. All these fluorescent tubes have been replaced by 4000K LED tubes in the end of May and they are way too glaring when turned on, their ballasts have been disposed. But the good news is these fluorescent tubes have been reserved as spare for other locations.
My dad took down this red LED globe bulb from a shrine due to extremely low brightness, and replaced with an incandescent one. Instead of disposing the bulb, he gave me to use for parts. The outer bulb is made of plastic so I can cut it with pliers, then the six red LEDs are revealed, along with two resistors (560 ohms and 820 kohms) and a big capacitor on a simple circuit board. I suspected there was a failed LED to make the whole circuit to fail. This LED bulb was bought in 2021, but the appearance of the LEDs inside were looked very old-school, they looked like those from decades ago. I desoldered the LEDs and put onto an LED tester, they all lit and extremely bright, even 5mA would make it too glaring, proving that they were not old stocks. I also took out the resistors and both tested good, no burn marks and no abnormal resistances, so the failed part was the capacitor.
Parts for making this custom neon night light at home: 1. Socket base from a D-link wireless access point 2. Neon bulbs with ballast resistor connected x2 3. Transparent plastic film (must need for your safety) 4. Optional 100mA glass fuse
You can use any socket base (white recommended) which has enough space to install at least one bulb. The neon bulbs I use are salvaged from the power strips. I also modified the green bulb's ballast resistor from 150 kohms to 220 kohms, hoping to prolong its life. You can use a new bulb, but remember to add ballast resistor and shrink tube for insulation. The D-link wireless access point had stopped working in 2018 due to unknown hardware error and it was not recoverable. I disassembled the device and disposed all its parts, leaving this socket base.
Warning: Always take precautions when dealing with high voltage and related components.
Finding this neon bulb in power strip kept flickering, I disconnected the power strip and opened it for inspection. The bulb was the one that I replaced in 2016 (photo 1), it used to replace the previous bulb which was completely darkened and not lit. After over 8 years of use it was also darkened. Seems that a 220 kohms resistor is still too small for a neon bulb. I replaced the darkened bulb with the one that harvested from disused power strip. Not new, but it works very well. Photo 2 shows the removed bulb (left), comparing with the same type brand new bulb (right). Photo 3 shows the neon indicator in action after replacement. Photo 4 shows the bulb used as replacement.
This desktop sized 12 inch Christmas tree is bought from a houseware store in December 2002. It used to have two 2.5 volts wired flashing bulbs inside the base (one red and one clear), powered by 2 AA size cells. In 2016 I modified the circuit with 2 5mm color fading LEDs (150 ohms resistor is installed in series for each LED), and also the power supply to USB. In the photo the tree is powered by my Asus router's USB 2.0 port. Since the LEDs are the same model, which means both of them have the same color sequence, but the running speeds are slightly different. Last week I modified the circuit again by adding a simple SCR-based delay circuit to the slower LED, which delays the lamp to turn on by a second. Please refer to the second image for the circuit diagram. The gate resistor and capacitor controls the trigger time of the SCR, the resistor must be less than 100 kohms or the SCR will never turn on. For the output, a PNP driver transistor is recommended for more stable output; since the output is open drain only, NPN transistor will not work.
K.G.M
K.G.M
As mentioned in description of my latest video (preheat T5 8W fluorescent fixture), I guess it has be the end on this topic for my channel.
I am not a bulb collector, and I don't have the opportunity to collect fixtures or bulbs which are no longer available in market. Yes those fixtures and bulbs I watched from other channels are very nice, which I really wanted to have one. But obviously, it is not possible.
In addition I posted electronics project videos irregularly and none of them get enough attention.
So I must decide between stop posting videos in lamps topic or continue post something repeating or lack of content.
4 months ago | [YT] | 4
View 4 replies
K.G.M
These 5 amber neon bulbs are obtained from a very old 4-socket power strip, which its internal plastic supports and protection doors were all broken, rendering completely unsafe to use. The bulbs have a 200 kohms ballast resistor.
One of these bulbs was served as mains power indicator while the others turn on only when the corresponding switch is closed. All these bulbs are not looking good but still able to light up.
4 months ago | [YT] | 3
View 0 replies
K.G.M
The 5th batch of green neon bulbs from another power strip removed from service, having 4 good and 2 bad bulbs. Only 2 sockets of this power strip had been used for years while the rest were kept unused.
When the power strip was still in use, an obvious heat spot was found by touching the back of it, which was generated from the bad bulb's resistor.
6 months ago | [YT] | 2
View 0 replies
K.G.M
Due to lack of interest, spare time and attention, a new video will be posted only when I have one, instead of posting regularly from stock.
6 months ago | [YT] | 1
View 0 replies
K.G.M
The 4th batch of 6 green neon bulbs, obtained from a power strip removed from service inside server rack today. 3 good and 3 bad.
One of the good bulbs looked completely new, since the corresponding switch on the power strip was extremely hard to push (very common problem on that brand), suggesting the slot may have never been powered. The other two good bulbs have some burn marks.
This power strip may have been used for 8 years.
These bulbs will be tested later but no video will be posted.
7 months ago | [YT] | 4
View 0 replies
K.G.M
These marked fluorescent tubes are severely darkened at the electrode, but the tubes still work as usual because they are not burn marks, and the electrodes are also good.
Update on 2025-6-21: There's a sad news about these fixtures. All these fluorescent tubes have been replaced by 4000K LED tubes in the end of May and they are way too glaring when turned on, their ballasts have been disposed. But the good news is these fluorescent tubes have been reserved as spare for other locations.
9 months ago (edited) | [YT] | 6
View 4 replies
K.G.M
My dad took down this red LED globe bulb from a shrine due to extremely low brightness, and replaced with an incandescent one. Instead of disposing the bulb, he gave me to use for parts.
The outer bulb is made of plastic so I can cut it with pliers, then the six red LEDs are revealed, along with two resistors (560 ohms and 820 kohms) and a big capacitor on a simple circuit board. I suspected there was a failed LED to make the whole circuit to fail.
This LED bulb was bought in 2021, but the appearance of the LEDs inside were looked very old-school, they looked like those from decades ago. I desoldered the LEDs and put onto an LED tester, they all lit and extremely bright, even 5mA would make it too glaring, proving that they were not old stocks.
I also took out the resistors and both tested good, no burn marks and no abnormal resistances, so the failed part was the capacitor.
10 months ago | [YT] | 4
View 1 reply
K.G.M
Parts for making this custom neon night light at home:
1. Socket base from a D-link wireless access point
2. Neon bulbs with ballast resistor connected x2
3. Transparent plastic film (must need for your safety)
4. Optional 100mA glass fuse
You can use any socket base (white recommended) which has enough space to install at least one bulb.
The neon bulbs I use are salvaged from the power strips. I also modified the green bulb's ballast resistor from 150 kohms to 220 kohms, hoping to prolong its life. You can use a new bulb, but remember to add ballast resistor and shrink tube for insulation.
The D-link wireless access point had stopped working in 2018 due to unknown hardware error and it was not recoverable. I disassembled the device and disposed all its parts, leaving this socket base.
Warning: Always take precautions when dealing with high voltage and related components.
11 months ago (edited) | [YT] | 5
View 0 replies
K.G.M
Finding this neon bulb in power strip kept flickering, I disconnected the power strip and opened it for inspection. The bulb was the one that I replaced in 2016 (photo 1), it used to replace the previous bulb which was completely darkened and not lit. After over 8 years of use it was also darkened. Seems that a 220 kohms resistor is still too small for a neon bulb.
I replaced the darkened bulb with the one that harvested from disused power strip. Not new, but it works very well.
Photo 2 shows the removed bulb (left), comparing with the same type brand new bulb (right).
Photo 3 shows the neon indicator in action after replacement.
Photo 4 shows the bulb used as replacement.
11 months ago | [YT] | 5
View 0 replies
K.G.M
This desktop sized 12 inch Christmas tree is bought from a houseware store in December 2002. It used to have two 2.5 volts wired flashing bulbs inside the base (one red and one clear), powered by 2 AA size cells. In 2016 I modified the circuit with 2 5mm color fading LEDs (150 ohms resistor is installed in series for each LED), and also the power supply to USB. In the photo the tree is powered by my Asus router's USB 2.0 port.
Since the LEDs are the same model, which means both of them have the same color sequence, but the running speeds are slightly different. Last week I modified the circuit again by adding a simple SCR-based delay circuit to the slower LED, which delays the lamp to turn on by a second. Please refer to the second image for the circuit diagram.
The gate resistor and capacitor controls the trigger time of the SCR, the resistor must be less than 100 kohms or the SCR will never turn on. For the output, a PNP driver transistor is recommended for more stable output; since the output is open drain only, NPN transistor will not work.
11 months ago | [YT] | 1
View 0 replies
Load more