Standard Brightness Orange Neon Lamp 220VAC

Neon lamps are recommended for 110-volt AC, 220-volt AC, and DC applications of more than 90 volts. The lamps are available in miniature and sub-miniature sizes.

A neon lamp is constructed by mounting two electrodes within a small glass envelope. Two wire leads made of tin-plated Dumet metal are brought out of the lamp to make electrical connections to the electrodes. Standard brightness lamps are filled with a neon/argon gas mixture, and high brightness lamps are filled with pure neon gas.  For lamps operating on AC voltages of 50/60 Hz or higher frequency, the light output will appear to the eye as continuous.

When the gas ionizes it becomes a conductor, and an external series resistor is required to limit the current. To calculate the value of the series resistor, subtract the maintaining voltage from the supply voltage to obtain the voltage across the resistor, then use Ohm’s Law and the desired current level to determine the resistance value.

The power dissipation of the required resistor is small, usually less than 1/4 watt, but should be checked for high voltage applications. The typical current for neon lamps is between 0.5 and 3.0 mA. Power dissipation in the resistor can be calculated by the following formula:

P(power in watts) = I(current in Amperes) x I(current in Amperes) x R(resistor in Ohms)

Note:

For use with mains voltage (220VAC), must add 0,25W resistor in series: (Around 100kΩ)

Neon lamps are very rugged and not affected by vibration, mechanical shock, or frequent ON/OFF operation. Neon lamps may be operated over a wide temperature range from -40 to +150 degrees C, and are not damaged by voltage transients of high-voltage static discharges.

Neon lamps have a special operating characteristic that also allows them to be used as moderately stable high-voltage reference voltage sources. When driven with DC voltage at their design current the voltage across the lamp is stable at a value near 90 volts.

Neon Lamps

• Long life
• Very low current drain
• Resistant to shock and vibration
• Cool operation