If the bubble lights are just tubes filled with DCM and a boiling chip type thing, then they should be really easy to make, or perhaps I’m just oversimplifying it.
> On Nov 28, 2022, at 3:30 PM, Mac Doktor <[email protected]> wrote: > > First off, this site has an excellent rundown on the history of holiday > lighting. I'll jump into the post-war America section for some background > info: > > http://oldchristmastreelights.com/1946_1950.htm > > > Next, here's the detailed history of bubble lights, including the legal > battle over the patents: > > http://oldchristmastreelights.com/bubble_lights1.htm > > > There's a quick way to tell if a set of candelabra base bubble lights is > "new" versus "vintage". Starting in the early '70s, manufacturers began > crimping the top of the tubes to make the tip look like a flame. The old ones > are straight. > > If you're a Lionel train fan, NOMA made the famous talking railroad station. > > > I have reproduction bubble tubes made by Richard Curry who reverse-engineered > the chemistries. I made a lifetime purchase eight or ten years ago and he > hasn't had any for sale for a long time; that well has run dry. I paid him > $10 apiece, lifetime warranty. I asked Rich recently what original > Shooting-Star tubes were going for on eBay and all he said was that they're > "out of sight". > > He has all of his trade secrets written down and stashed away with his > family. Anyone with deep pockets care to step up to the plate? A good > investment opportunity in my opinion. Who doesn't love bubble lights? Oils > and shooters are really cool, no one is going to be making them, and > collectors who came to the game too late would gobble them up. > > > eBay has banned the sale of bubble lights; you can still find a few listings > that haven't been reported yet by some busybody. I think I mentioned in the > other thread that new sets still around if you can find them. Don't ever buy > just what you need, get one extra set. The bulbs in the ones made in the last > ten or twenty years are crap. At least one will blow early on because of a > bad vacuum or seal. Also, the action may be anemic because of an > insufficiently hard vacuum and colder light bulbs but they're all that's > available. > Note that there are bubble lights with clear tubes/bases and colored light > bulbs. The effect is rather like Easter pastels but with more saturated > colors. In the right setting they look very nice. A white or silver tree > would be perfect. > > > Imagine if they banned Nixie tubes on eBay because some have mercury in them. > O_O > > > Much, much more to tell if anyone is interested... > > > Terry Bowman, KA4HJH > "The Mac Doctor" > > https://www.astarcloseup.com > > "There is no Main Street anymore except at Disneyland—and try and buy a gun > there"—Hank Hill > > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "neonixie-l" group. > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an > email to [email protected]. > To view this discussion on the web, visit > https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/neonixie-l/5D70AA0B-BD43-4135-AE89-22CEE94B2A08%40gmail.com. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "neonixie-l" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To view this discussion on the web, visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/neonixie-l/E2DF2DDA-EB0C-4154-92C8-773973B5CCF2%40gmail.com.
