On Thu, 14 Aug 1997 12:27:24 +1000 TONY NIXON 54964 writes: >> Does anyone know what it takes to get the tube to light. >> Dosen't seem to need mutch more than 12V to get it started. >> Suppose it need AC, what freq. and voltage ? >> Perhaps it is possible to build some simple circuit to get it going >> again? > >I've been using an inverter from one of those 12V fluoro lights that >are powered by a car cigarette lighter for about 6 years now without >even a tube failure. These lights are very cheap and I use a simple >12V >power supply for it. Those tubes are fluorescent tubes, the only difference is "cosmetic". Unlike a regular fluorescent tube, the UV tube has no phosphor coating on the inside and the "glass" is quartz so UV can pass through (ordinary glass blocks UV). But it has the same electrodes and mercury fill as a regular fluorescent. So any circuit that will light up a similar-sized fluorescent tube will work with them. Either the classic AC line through ballast inductor, or the DC-AC converter type could be used.