Custom bright or shimmery neon lamp. Your choice.

This turned out really well. It's based on a standard clear-dome LED lamp kit from eBay, but instead of using the supplied PCB and circuitry I designed a new PCB designed to take 9 neon indicator lamps and suitable resistors.
With just the neons and resistors it makes a large neon glow lamp. But when further current limiting is introduced in either the form of a resistor or series X2 (suppression) capacitor of around 47nF or more depending on the number of neons, it makes the glow in the lamps unstable. This results in each lamp shimmering slightly as the glow moves about on the surface of the electrodes. The choice of series resistor or capacitor depends on how many neons there are in the circuit. If the current is limited too much some neons may not light.
In this instance I used nine neon lamps, each with a 220K resistor, and then added two more 220K resistors in parallel (110K total) as a main current limiting resistor to them all. If making a large array the common series resistor may get hot, so a capacitor may be preferred. If using one then I recommend adding a 1Mohm resistor across the capacitor to discharge it when the lamp is removed from the holder.

The music in the background at the beginning of the video was Blackout by Avenza.

You can buy loose neon indicator lamps on eBay. Here's a starter search:-

If you're in the UK you can use the same neon lamps as I did by getting them from Rapid electronics:-

This seller has the bare lamp kits with clear domes in a variety of sizes:-
Shop about and you should be able to get the small 38 LED version (without LEDs) for about £1.

If you enjoy these videos you can help support the channel with a dollar for coffee, cookies and random gadgets for disassembly at:-
This also keeps the channel independent of YouTube's advertising algorithms allowing it to be a bit more dangerous and naughty.

[avenzamusic]

Everything I want from life is for people to listen to the music I make like this. Dear Big Clive, I thank and salute you!

[dustysparks]

I was half expecting a "Oh hello there, I didn't hear you come in! Welcome!"

[ketv]

I remember - it must have been nearly fifty years ago - building a similar circuit with NE-2's and carbon-composition resistors and *paper* capacitors. The resistors and capacitors were arranged to look like the logs in a fireplace, with the NE-2's as the flames. Spray-painted the 'logs' brown, and installed in a dollhouse for a perfect little effect!

[Shinare]

The shimmer reminded me of my grandma's house where every light switch had the same shimmer when they were turned off. An unexpected pleasant memory triggered by your neons!

[Mr.EricMBlack]

I came here for the conversation and you inadvertently built a light. Nice.

[Kostanj]

I love how you explain a lot of important things while talking about your build ;)

[wimwiddershins]

The other colours have that (annoying) phosphor coating so you can't peek inside at the electrodes glowing, which is 99.9% of the fun.
I'm very tempted by those mini arc welders. I hope you do a review.

[SeanBZA]

You could also make a large set of neon relaxation oscillators, using pretty much the same layout, just add a 1N4007 diode on the input, a 220n 400V capacitor as smoothing, and then use 470k resistors to the lamps, and a 100n ceramic across each neon, to make a large set of flashers. In the dark you will find they all eventually flash in near synchronisation, as the first to trigger will photoelectrically trigger the rest.


Solder I always use a tube to hold it, typically an old tube from dissolving tablets, as you can get around 50m of solder into there winding it up around a pencil, and poking a small hole in the top after removing the desiccant pack. Lasts a long time, plus you do not get it all tangled up, and it stores easily in a tool case. Plus you can have a few tubes with different thickness solders, for fine, not so fine and pretty near plumbing size solder. Does not stain the fingers as well with frequent use, so less yummy sweet lead acetate if you are eating chips with your solder.

[pup]

Clive I didnt think you could get any cooler until I heard your background music haha

[TheNoBecky]

Looks like you inadvertently found a way to stop the Hopi flickering!!! 😀

[erwinvb]

I used to have a neon night light (non shimmering), there is just something about that hypnotizing warm color of orange they produce.

[BRUXXUS]

Love that intro! Really makes me want to put on some music and get into a groove working on some project. :D
One of the best parts of making things.

[RWBHere]

Neons are quite useful devices. in several ways. Over 45 years ago, I built a 'Mains Failure Warning Device' which was based upon a single neon lamp wired as an audio relaxation oscillator, generating a sort of sawtooth waveform. No other active devices were used, only a couple of capacitors and resistors. A large capacitor, charged via a bridge rectifier, provided a reservoir to run the oscillator for quite a few minutes if the supply was disconnected. - The voltage dropped to zero at one end of the oscillator, upon supply failure, leaving the neon free to strike and oscillate. - It drove a 3 or 8 Ohm loudspeaker directly, and the piercing alarm could be heard clearly, throughout the house. I've forgotten the circuit, but perhaps you might like to build a similar device in a video, Clive? It would be very interesting. Thanks in advance.

[Chriva]

Music in the background was a new thing from you. I like it

[bren]

*J.P Chenet, as supplied for export to all the pile it high warehouses around Calais is a blended wine. Probably the same as is sold in Asda. You are very much correct about pointing out the difference between it and what is sold to the French. I had a long and pleasant history **-smuggling-** bringing it home with me.*

[superdau]

Almost didn't watch the video because of the music... because I went off and wanted to listen to more of it, then saw that this tab was still here ;) . Just my jam! The best kind of music when programming, soldering, tinkering, the heck even just cleaning up or generally "doing things"!

[twocvbloke]

My biggest memory of being in France was my 10th birthday in 1995, I had champagne that was opened with a sword, I had frogslegs 'cos my brother chickened out of eating them (I loved them!!), and I spent my birthday money at a Monsieur Bricolage store on electrical bits and pieces, cables, sockets, lightbulbs and whatnot, because even back then I was obsessed with electricity... :D

[jezzermeii]

Regarding your comments about record labels, I definitely agree. Music labels used to be significant and also had high quality standards. This was down to the fact that music production was prohibitively expensive and a label would only want to sign you if they felt they'd make a decent return. Now, it's possible to record music from your bedroom and still find an audience. So, signing up to a label doesn't seem very sensible these days, as they're just in it for the cash grab and less about making you a star - as they'll make money whether you are good or shit, because the costs are next to nothing these days. Unfortunately, there's now such a saturation of artists that I actually find it very hard to find something new *and* unique. I agree that there definitely is good music out there, but it is harder to find I think. :)

[ross]

Fab, Clive! If you ever decide to sell a batch of those PCBs for this and the other earlier nixie lamp project, for those that don't have the resources to make our own, then count me in! :)

[robames]

3 cheers for Big Clive who can handle maths not the single math : )