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GE NE-34 amber neon glow-type lamp
Voltage- 115v
Wattage- Unknown
Cap type- US Std base
Finish- Clear glass
Gas fill- Neon
Origin- USA.
Not actually a filament lamp but since I don`t have a specific category for them right now (this being my only one to date) this neon glow lamp will go here. Its main uses are as a pilot lamp and nightlight, it is filled with neon and glows amber when powered at its rated 115v.
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 Here on the left, shown lit, however you will also notice above, an inset picture also shows it lit, but not quite so well. This picture above was taken shortly after recieving the lamp and powering it for the first time. According to the person I bought it from, it had been many years before that, since it was last lit so my turning it on in that picture must have been the first time in maybe 20 or 30 years. It is a common observation in neon glow lamps that have not been lit for a long time, that initially the glow will not cover the whole area of the electrodes but be more patchy like above.
The reason why this probably occurs is a little complicated but here goes, let`s see if I remember this correctly....it is to do with tiny amounts of impurities in the neon gas fill which makes it harder to achieve a discharge (glow) fully over the electrodes. When the lamp is lit for the first time, the molecules of the impurities will get ionised and embedded in the glass wall of the bulb and eventually most of them end up like this. The neon fill as a result becomes much purer and the potential required for the discharge to occur drops, so the glow will spread out over the surface of the electrodes as more of these impurities are ionised, eventually covering them totally as it should. Turn the lamp off and leave it for a short while, even weeks or months, and you will notice that when turning it back on it will light completely again. However if it is left off for a considerable time (many years), the impurities originally ionised and sent into the surface of the glass will slowly leak out again contaminating the gas fill. So when it is next lit, the process starts over again with the glow starting out in small patches and spreading out as those impurities are ionised again. This is what happened to my lamp above. It hasn`t been lit now for quite a few weeks, however getting it out and trying it again right now, it glows fully over the whole surface.
But, in that second picture you will notice that it doesn`t glow on the botom, only the top- why might this be? Well probably what has happened during its manufacture is that the top surface of the electrodes have been coated with some sort of electron-emmitting substance which encourages the discharge on the top where the light is required. Nothing happenes to the undeside and in comparison with the top, it is more difficult for the discharge to occur there and since electricity always seeks the easiest path to travel, it will cause the glow on top not underneath. This is desirable since this lamp is intended to be viewed end-on, and any glow underneath would waste power since it couldn`t be seen.
Lamps identical to this one were also made by GE, only containing an argon gas fill that gives an attractive violet glow. I have had several unsuccessful attempts at getting one of those from Ebay but I will keep trying, since currently I have no argon glow lamps.
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