Re: [EE] NE2 ignition voltage in an electric field

You probably need to look at Paschen Curves,
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paschen%27s_law
which give ignition voltage against gas pressure and electrode distance.



On Thu, 6 Nov 2025 at 20:49, David VanHorn <[email protected]> wrote:

> Is there any way to figure the electric field strength that would light an
> NE2 lamp?
>
> I realize this is a sort of 20% tolerance question, but I'm curious.
> The nominal ignition voltage is something like 55V when powered
> conventionally.
>
> I've seen a neon light up with its leads shorted in the presence of a
> relatively large electric field, so I'm wondering if this can be used to
> figure the E field strength at that point.
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