>A related question: Would it be possible to design
>a circuit to use fluorescent bulbs with a broken
>filament? I have a couple almost new bulbs with
>burned filaments.

A ringing choke inverter should do this for you. I built one many years ago
to run a 12" tube of 12V. Essentially you run the tube like a neon, with the
converter providing enough voltage to make the gas in the tube conduct, and
then the inductance of the winding provides the current limit so you don't
overdrive the tube.

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